In an interview about Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, director Alfonso CuarĂ³n said that J.K. Rowling told him not to use a graveyard scene in that movie because it would've been in the wrong place, and it plays an important role in book six:
Question: What was it like meeting JK, what was her advice like?
Alfonso: She [Rowling] said I should stay faithful to the spirit of the book not literal. That was entrusting me a lot of freedom. But freedom and responsibility is the same thing - I was like 'oh gosh - am I being faithful to the spirit?'
The amazing thing with JK as a collaborator is she doesn't stop you doing anything. The way she approaches it has nothing to do with 'I like' or 'I dislike' it's 'this makes sense' or 'it doesn't make sense in this universe.'
I give you an example: There's a scene where Malfoy wants to see Buckbeak being executed. It's where Hermione punches him. And there's a sundial. We thought we need something there. I said 'Let's put a graveyard there'.
She says: 'No, you can't have a graveyard there'. And I'm like, 'Why?' She says: 'Oh because the graveyard is near this other wing of the castle and it's going to play an important part in number six because such and such and such.'
(Source: CBBC interview.)
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