CBS Films
Since putting down his wand and hanging up his glasses three years ago, Daniel Radcliffe has done his best to leave Harry Potter behind him by taking a wide variety of roles in both film and theater. Of course, like Harrison Ford and Elijah Wood before him, he might always be best known for his most famous franchise role, but just because Harry is the most famous, that doesn’t mean it will be the only career-defining performance that Radcliffe gives. In fact, two of his upcoming films — What If and Horns — might just be two of the most important projects that Radcliffe releases. They could be the same kind of career-shaping roles as Harry himself, for on specific reason: they’re the complete opposite of the Boy Who Lived.
With What If arriving in theaters this August and Horns followng shortly behind for Halloween, we could be on the precipice of a new age of Radcliffe’s career; we could be seeing a brand new side of him by Christmas. But which film will have the bigger impact on Radcliffe’s future filmography? Which one promises to bring a new role as life-changing as Harry Potter? We’ve broken them both down in order to find out:
What If
The Role: Wallace, a normal guy who becomes infatuated with Chantry (Zoe Kazan), only to find out that she’s already in a relationship. The two decide to ignore their attraction to each other and pursue a friendship instead.
What’s Risky: Firstly, it’s the first normal, modern person that Radcliffe has played onscreen. The awkward, sarcastic Wallace is about as far from the Wizarding World as one could possibly get. More importantly, though, it’s Radcliffe’s first romantic comedy – his first comedy at all, really – and the success of the film hinges on two things: his ability to be charming and lovable and his ability to be funny. He has showcased his comedic chops during his SNL hosting gig, but he still has yet to prove that he can carry a comedy on his own. What If relies on him winning over both Kazan and the audience.
What’s Not: From what we’ve seen in the trailer, Wallace isn’t actually all that different from Radcliffe himself. They’re both quick-talking, witty guys who can poke fun at themselves and look ridiculous standing next to Adam Driver. It probably won’t be too hard for an audience to accept Radcliffe as a goofy, charming leading man, since that’s exactly who they’re used to seeing pop up in interviews and on talk shows.
Horns
The Role: Ig Perrish, who is accused of raping and killing his girlfriend, Merrin (Juno Temple), and wakes up one morning with demon-like horns growing out of his head. Since the horns give him powers of persuasion and cause people to confess their darkest secrets, he decides to use them to find the real killer.
What’s Risky: Harry Potter, J. Pierpont Finch, even Wallace – Radcliffe always plays the hero. We’re comfortable with this, we like him as the reliable good guy who’s going to come out on top; but Ig Perrish is very much an anti-hero. In fact, he might actually be the villain of the film, and it’s a much darker, more complex role than anything Radcliffe has attempted on screen before. There’s a good chance that audiences won’t accept him as such a twisted, unlikable character, even if Ig does turn out to be the good guy at the end.
What’s Not: The character might be completely different, but the fantasy setting and supernatural elements are familiar to Harry Potter fans who are used to seeing him battle all kinds of mythical forces. Horns might be a lot darker than that franchise, but the magic should be enough to entice moviegoers who still haven’t gotten enough of the Boy Who Lived. Plus, his first post-Potter film, The Woman in Black, was also a horror film, so audiences are already familiar with Radcliffe as a horror star.
Which One Would Have a Bigger Impact?
It’s a tight race, since both films have something risky and something safe about them, but ultimately, we think What If has the bigger power to shape Radcliffe’s career. If the film does well, it opens him up to more comedic opportunities, and proves that he can carry a film even when he’s not hunting Horcuxes or battling evil. It also would establish Radcliffe as a romantic lead, and though his legions of loyal fans might disagree, it would be the first time that most audiences would see him in a more swoon-worthy light. Horns might let him play the bad guy, but in the end, it’s not as much of a change of pace for Radcliffe as What If would be.
