Entertainment
There’s a Reason Colin Creevey Disappeared From the Harry Potter Movies
During Harry Potter’s (Daniel Radcliffe) more-than-eventful years at Hogwarts, many background students have made their own little yet memorable impacts on the magical franchise. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, it is a young, overly enthusiastic photographer who gives us no choice but to keep our attention on him. Colin Creevey (Hugh Mitchell) was always accompanied by the bright flash of his camera, an incessant grin and a starstruck expression every time Harry was near him. However, he notably disappeared from the rest of the films in the franchise despite being featured in the remaining novels. So, what happened to this slightly irritating, but amusing Harry fan?
Why Did Colin Creevey Disappear in the ‘Harry Potter’ Movies?
While Colin only had a brief role in Chamber of Secrets, he was a scene-stealer whenever he appeared on-screen. No one can forget his limitless bounds of childlike excitement, especially as he latches onto Harry and idolizes him. In both the film and the book, Colin became one of the victims of the Basilik Harry was fighting up against, avoiding death through his passion for photography as he only saw the snake through the camera. Though he was cured of his petrification by the end of the film, Colin was nowhere to be seen in the rest of the franchise.
There has never been an official announcement regarding his exit from the movies nor was there any in-film explanation for his disappearance. Fans have theorized that Colin’s exit from the franchise could be due to a growth spurt, which would undermine the innocent appearance of the character. This theory arose after another character was given similar treatment — a movie-only character who replaced Colin’s story arc from the novels.
Colin Creevey Was Replaced in ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’
Nigel Wolbert (William Melling) was introduced in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and, despite being a character that was created solely for the movies, fans quickly recognized that he replaced both Colin and his brother from the books. Colin’s younger brother was introduced as a first-year in Goblet of Fire, just as Nigel was, but Nigel’s later role in Dumbledore’s Army is more akin to Colin’s story in the books. During an interview at Leakycon 2012, Melling revealed that the plan for Nigel’s character was to face the same fate Colin would have, had he stayed on in the films. However, Nigel doesn’t appear at the end of the battle against Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 at all.
Melling explained that Nigel was supposed to be killed off, but they were unable to include that scene because he was “a lot bigger” by that point and thus didn’t look “innocent enough.” In the novels, Colin’s death at the end of the battle was a brief yet provocative detail, made even more awful by how young he was. As such, the slightly more grown version of Nigel wouldn’t have evoked the same devastation that a childlike figure would have, leading them to scrap the scene entirely. It is reasonable to guess that Mitchell would have left the films for the same reasons, as he was already older than Melling at this point in the production as well.
What Happened to Colin Creevey in the ‘Harry Potter’ Books?
If the films had stayed faithful to Colin’s character, we would have continued to see him hang around Harry, despite the latter’s reluctance to drag a younger classmate into his dangerous ordeals. The books subtly created a connection between us and Colin, as he was a constant presence and a gentle reminder of the youth at Hogwarts. When the battle came about, all the underage students were sent home, but Colin slipped through the ranks and continued to fight with Dumbledore’s Army. During the final battle, we don’t see any of the action Colin participates in, which makes his death more devastating, as Harry spots Colin’s lifeless body in the Great Hall and feels a pang of deep remorse over the loss of innocence.
While the Harry Potter films were unable to uphold this wide-eyed character’s storyline, there is still a chance it will come to fruition on the screen with the upcoming TV show. Perhaps casting an even younger actor to avoid the complications of another growth spurt could be possible, or even just sticking it out and trusting the actor to embody innocence enough during those final moments. Though Colin is by no means an integral character to the magical story of Harry Potter, he certainly adds a whimsical spark that we all look forward to seeing — hopefully, in a continued capacity this time.
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