The Bizarre 'Connection' Between An '80s Fantasy Movie And Harry Potter

The "Harry Potter" books have sold millions of copies, birthing a franchise that includes hit movies, video games, and an upcoming television series for HBO Max that is speculated to be the most expensive show ever produced. Despite its overwhelming success, though, the Wizarding World saga might not be entirely original. The lawsuits against author J.K. Rowling in regard to plagiarism are well-documented, with authors like Nancy Stouffer alleging that she stole ideas from her novels "The Legend of Rah and the Muggles" and "Larry Potter and His Best Friend Lilly." Not only that, but the filmmakers behind the '80s fantasy flick "Troll" believe that they came up with the Harry Potter character first.

Directed by John Carl Buechler from a script by Ed Naha, "Troll" tells the story of Torok (Frank Welker), an evil troll king who torments and possesses the Potter family in an effort to regain his former glory. The family's father and son also happen to be named Harry Potter (played by Michael Moriarty and Noah Hathaway, respectively), so you can understand why some folks believe that Rowling saw the movie before writing her best-selling fantasy saga. After all, the film is about a boy called Harry Potter who takes on a troll (which also happens in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone") ... but is it coincidental? 

Rowling has claimed that her character's name is an amalgamation of her childhood friend, Ian Potter, and her fondness for the name Harry. The "Troll" filmmakers aren't buying that story, however, having claimed that the similarities between both properties don't end there, as their movie also features an elderly witch (similar to Professor McGonagall), a young hero who wears plaid clothing, and a villain who hides inside other people. What's more, they have made their feelings about the situation known.

"Troll" isn't regarded as one of the best dark fantasy flicks of all time, and some "Harry Potter" fans probably won't even be aware of its existence due to its low-key cult status. As such, it's easy to overlook its similarities to J.K. Rowling's stories and all of the drama that's stemmed from the situation — some of which almost resulted in courtroom battles. In 2015, John Buechler and Peter Davy set out to create an animated remake of the film called "Troll: The Rise of Harry Potter Jr.," only to face threats of legal action from Warner Bros.

In short, representatives from the studio felt that Buechler and Davy wanted to capitalize on the success of the "Harry Potter" movies, claiming that they'd sue over copyright infringement if the remake went ahead. However, Buechler, while speaking to NBC Los Angeles, dismissed the notion that their film could infringe on Rowling's intellectual property, as they came up with the idea first:

"Even if someone who took it for a while makes it more valuable, that doesn't take anything away from the fact that this is ours. We have the right to make our stuff over and over and over again."

Ultimately, "Troll: The Rise of Harry Potter Jr." never came to fruition, and a legal dilemma appears to have been avoided. That said, maybe the "Troll" filmmakers had a point, as their Harry Potter character technically predates The Boy Who Lived, and why shouldn't they be allowed to use him in other projects?