New Documentary 'We Are Wizards' Puts 'Potter' Fans First

Outside of that whole encyclopedia mess, J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. have been pretty supportive -- or at least tolerant -- of all the creative responses to Harry Potter, from fan fiction to wizard rock and beyond. But it wasn't always so, as documentarian Josh Koury explores in his new film, "We Are Wizards."

"Right now, they've got a pretty good relationship with the fan community," Koury said, "but that's because of PotterWar and what Heather [Lawver] did in 2001. That's why people like Harry and the Potters are allowed to do these things today." (Check out an exclusive clip from the film after the jump!)

"We Are Wizards," which opens in New York on November 14, explores what it means to take Harry Potter to the next level, including those who paved the way by fighting with Warner Bros. over fan rights. "The lawsuit with Steve Vander Ark came at the end of our process," Koury said. "That would have been a whole other movie. And it is an intriguing story, but what we wanted to do wasn't so much about the current legal elements of Warner Bros. versus whoever, but people and their stories and their right to be creative. It's not as much about Harry Potter as the domino effect of creativity."

Lawver, and her fight over fansites, was of interest because she was a young girl who was also fighting a chronic disease. "Her part of the resistance is what helped her pull through," Koury said. Another character, Brad Neely, was featured because he had a comedic response to the series, an unauthorized commentary for the first movie, called "Wizard People, Dear Readers." "I love the idea of found footage, so I used it to help tell Brad Neely's story," Koury said. "It's funny, because he starts off with, 'I'm not a paranoid person, but...' and he tells, not a paranoid story, but a very over-the-top story, so I used old stock footage to help accent his story, for when he's talking about sleeper agents and spies."

The fans' fight not just with Warner Bros. but also the religious right is also included, via occult researcher Carol Matriciana, who had made an anti-Potter film called "Witchcraft Repackaged." "Her work has inspired a lot of Christian activists," Koury said. "If doesn't help anyone's case if you're going to show someone who rants and raves on either side, so I wanted her because she can make a sound argument."

Though Koury originally hoped to put out the documentary just as "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" was hitting theaters this November, he's not concerned about moving his release date to adjust to Warner Bros.' shift. "Obviously the fans will come out," he said, "but this is also for non-fans. It's for everyone."

What are you doing to celebrate/commemorate Harry Potter's anniversary this week?

Tags Harry Potter, we are wizards