This fan-made Harry Potter film about the origins of Voldemort is genuinely good, and free to watch

We’ve already had eight official Harry Potter films and a Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them spin-off (the first of five), but if you just can’t get enough of J.K. Rowling’s magical wizarding world in your life, we have some fantastic news for you:  you can watch a feature-length film all about one of the franchise’s darkest and most interesting characters, Voldemort, on YouTube for free right now.

Produced by Italian film company Tryangle, the unofficial, fan-made project called Voldemort: Origins of the Heir is a fun, special-effects-heavy spin through Tom Riddle’s rise to power (it certainly beats the Harry Potter book chapter written by an AI bot). 

The film has already been viewed more than four million times since being posted on YouTube on Saturday.

The movie was directed by filmmaker Gianmaria Pezzato on a budget of just €15,000 (£13,000) and if you don’t mind the moments when the words don’t necessarily synch up with the actor’s lips, I reckon you’ll really enjoy it.

Here’s the film in full: 

According to Tryangle’s website: “Voldemort: Origins of the Heir is a non-profit fan film, inspired by the Harry Potter universe. The idea was born while re-reading the sixth book of the saga, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. We wondered: ‘What made Tom Riddle become Voldemort? What happened in those years, and what really went down at Hogwarts when he came back?’

“There are some clues in the books which have not been transposed at all in the movies, but a lot goes unspoken. This is the story we want to tell: the rise of the Dark Lord before Harry Potter and his first demise.

“We believe Harry Potter and Tom Riddle are opposite sides of the same coin/in many ways, a mirror of each other, whose actions are shaped by their choices. This concept is what inspired the making of Voldemort: Origins of the Heir. 

“In the film we will find some scenes which have never been on cinema screens, but are already known by the readers of the Harry Potter saga. Among them, the homicide of Hepzibah Smith. The film also presents new characters, such as the Heirs of other Hogwarts houses.”

Two trailers were released on Facebook and YouTube, exceeding 50 million total views around the world.

In July 2016, Warner Bros. sent a takedown notice to the film company due to copyright infringement but they now appear to have come to an agreement with the filmmakers. And for that we are very, very grateful. 

And if you think you’re a real Harry Potter expert, try your hand at this tricky quiz. See if you can get at least 20 correct! 

(Image: Voldemort: Origins of the Heir / Tryangle)