The Big Picture
- The end credits of
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
contain a hidden “sex scene” that is actually just a mischievous embrace between two characters. - The scene was designed by one of the film’s digital artists, Rus Wetherell, who specifically intended it to be a lighthearted moment that brings a smile to viewers.
- Wetherell faced challenges in creating the 11-minute credit scene and was not initially credited for his work, which led him to hide his name as well as other names of unsung production heroes on the map.
Witches, wizards, and muggles alike were shocked to find a naughty secret hiding in the 11-minute end credits of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. News of the moment — which isn’t as naughty as you think — first broke back in 2015, and with the upcoming TV reboot of the franchise, eyes and ears are back on the events of the Wizarding World. The end credits of Prisoner of Azkaban feature the iconic Marauder’s Map overlaid with the names of the film’s cast and crew. Eagle-eyed viewers may notice a quick shot in the bottom corner of the map showing two pairs of footprints standing in an alcove in a rather compromising position.
The map shows one pair of footprints pressed together facing a wall with the spread-out pair of footprints surrounding it, facing the opposite direction. The pair facing the wall appears to wiggle slightly. It’s hard to deny the fact that this looks like two Hogwarts students caught in the middle of a particularly steamy moment, or at the very least, a mischievous embrace. The credits were designed by one of the film’s digital artists, Rus Wetherell, who has provided a bit of context in previous interviews on just what exactly was going on in Hogwarts on that map.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their third year of study, where they delve into the mystery surrounding an escaped prisoner, Sirius Black, who poses a dangerous threat to the young wizard.
- Release Date
- May 31, 2004
- Director
- Alfonso Cuarón
- Runtime
- 141
What Does the ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’ Easter Egg Mean?
In Rus Wetherell’s interview with TheHuffington Post about the alleged Prisoner of Azkaban “sex scene,” he claims that, in his mind, the couple is meant to be in “an embrace” and “not having sex like everyone says.” In a franchise where fans were rightfully disappointed in the way the films fail to depict some of the books’ meaningful and rich romantic relationships, the idea of a hidden embrace is actually kind of charming and quaint. Wetherell even suggested to the interviewer that it could be Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and Cho Chang (Katie Leung) sharing “a sort of little peck on the cheek.”
1:15
The Scene That the Harry Potter Movies Did Better Than the Books
It was all thanks to Alfonso Cuarón and John Williams.
“It was just a little lightheartedness and bringing a bit of a smile to people,” Wetherell continued. He added that the Easter egg had the full support of Prisoner of Azkaban‘s director, Alfonso Cuarón, who famously brought a darker and more sophisticated tone into the films than his predecessor, Chris Columbus. Perhaps that is part of why he was so enamored by the moment of levity. In Wetherell’s words, Cuarón liked that the bit was “something there that was amusing for the adults in the audience and kids wouldn’t understand.”
How Did the Easter Egg End Up in the ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’ End Credits?
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It took Wetherell around 20 days to create the 11-minute credit scene for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, many of which spanned around 20 hours into the late night. Wetherell reported “going out of his mind” placing all the tiny footprints all over the map. The sneaky footprints in question were allegedly added in at 4:00 in the morning as some late-night amusement. “There was an alcove in the artwork, it was kind of like an opportunity to have a couple of students hiding in there. So I just threw a couple of feet down,” he explained.
While there is only one live-action post-credits scene in all eight of the films, the work taken on by visual effects artists to bring credit scenes alive cannot be understated. And this work often goes without thanks. Per The Huffington Post article, Wetherell wasn’t actually allowed by his employer, Capital FX, to have his name credited for his work, which led him to sneakily insert his name and those of other unsung production heroes into the Latin text on the Marauder’s Map. That sounds like something the Marauders would surely approve of. Mischief managed.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.
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