The first part of the seventh installment of the movie version of the lingua franca of Generation Next is due out in theaters this Friday, November 19. The second part of the finale of the Harry Potter film franchise is set to premiere eight months later on July 15, 2011. The Fine Brothers are capitalizing on the buzz.
Online video auteurs Benny and Rafi Fine debuted their new web show, Harry Potter and the Rejected Scenes earlier this week.
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It’s a monthly, live-action-figure series set in and about Diagon Alley and Hogwarts Castle that reimagines memorable scenes from Harry’s seven years in the world of witchcraft and wizardry. Benny and Rafi ask the question “What if JK had written it this way?” and give viewers the answer in the form of Mattel toys, animated mouths, and pragmatic dialogue.
“We decided to start the new series after the conclusion of our LOST series last month,” the Fine Brothers told me over e-mail. “The plan is to make an episode every month through the release of the final installment of the Harry Potter franchise in July with potential for it to continue beyond depending on its success.”
If Harry Potter and the Rejected Scenes is as popular as the Fine Brother’s LOST, expect the series to continue for a while. Benny and Rafi’s action figure interpretation of ABC’s uber-popular supernatural drama saw nearly 20 million views over 19 episodes. It was so well-watched, ABC may or may not have blatantly ripped it off.
The Fine Brothers are working on a full slate of series in addition to Rejected Scenes. Here’s a rundown:
Beyond our ongoing series Kids React to Viral Videos, Spoiler videos, and Last Moments of Relationships, we have a five episode web series starring Lisa Schwartz reprising her role as Lindsay Lohan in Lindsay Lohan Needs Real Friends, and another web series called Platonic starring Sara Fletcher of Secret Girlfriend as the lead, with appearances by Maxwell Glick, Shane Dawson, and Brendan Bradley. We expect to be releasing a new episode of each every month.
And if that wasn’t enough, we’ll most likely be releasing a new Interactive game once a month including the continuation of American Idol: The Interactive Experience.
As of now, the Fine Brothers are producing all the series independently, generating revenue from YouTube’s Partner Program.
When I asked how they keep up with their many projects, Benny and Rafi replied, “It’s pretty crazy with all of this still being done by just the two of us and being in production on 6+ web series at the same time, but that’s new media for you.”
Maybe they should invest in one of Hermione’s time turner thingamajigs.
