24 Years Later and We're Still Not Over the Worst Harry Potter Casting Fail

Summary

• The Harry Potter franchise is one of the rare examples of a near-perfect cast.
• Most of the actors who participated in the films became synonymous with their roles.
• However, one particular character was badly cast as he looks and acts nothing like his book counterpart.

Adapting books to film is a delicate business, and with a series as big as Harry Potter, there is no room for error when it comes to bringing the magical world of wizards and witches to life. The plots, the scenes, the fantastical beasts, all had to be true to J.K. Rowling's novels, and for the most part they were.

As important as it is to get the story right, it's also crucial to cast the right actors to play their respective characters. Getting the casting right can make or break a franchise, and terrible casting is hard to forget.

(Think Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Topher Grace as Venom, or George Clooney as Batman ).

While this Harry Potter character certainly wasn't at the forefront of the series, that doesn't make his inaccurate casting any less painful.

From a bird of prey to a Bulgarian hunk

Viktor Krum makes his first appearance in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as the school champion selected to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. The young Seeker for the Bulgarian Quidditch team and competitor for Durmstrang School appeared on our screens and was surprisingly attractive, but this was a big problem for readers.

In fact, the book and film characters were quite the opposite.

"Viktor Krum was thin, dark, and sallow-skinned, with a large curved nose and thick black eyebrows. He looked like an overgrown bird of prey. It was hard to believe he was only eighteen."

The books go on to detail how Hermione found him to be ‘grumpy-looking’ and that she did not find him particularly handsome. He was talented and graceful on a broomstick, but not so when he was on the ground.

The well-built, buzz-cut Krum, played by Stanislav Lanevski, completely missed the mark and added insult to injury with his lack of chemistry with Emma Watson, who played Hermione. Their dance at the Yule Ball seemed stiff and forced, and completely ruined what was a sweet and romantic moment in the books.

Lanevski did what he could for the character, but his looks and the producers seemed to be against him. The Goblet of Fire movie pretty much ruined all the scenes involving the Quidditch World Cup, and completely left out the somewhat gambling England team captain, Ludovic Bagman. It seems that more than just Krum's character suffered in the transition from book to film.

Good castings added to the magic

It's hard to imagine anyone but Daniel Radcliffe playing the titular Harry Potter, but the fantasy film series is full of near-perfect casting. Alan Rickman brought the stern and mysterious Professor Snape to life with his cold demeanor reflected in his tone and body movements. Rupert Grint brought out the awkward redheaded hero Ron Weasley, and Imelda Staunton gave us the villainous yet disturbingly cheerful Doloris Umbridge that we loved to hate.

The list goes on and on, but we're not here to talk about the good casting.

Ironically, Lanevski was not a drama student, nor did he have any acting aspirations. The future Harry Potter actor was spotted by casting director Fiona Weir, who encouraged him to attend an acting workshop, which led to him getting Krum's role. The young Bulgarian was chosen over 600 other hopefuls, even though he lacked Krum's tall, thin, dark frame, sharp features and curved nose.

Today, Lanevski has hung up his wand and broomstick, but has continued his acting career with The Cloaking and Hostel: Part II. He also works as a lecturer and motivational speaker. He has grown out his hair, often wears colorful hats, and still has a deep love for the Harry Potter franchise.