Rumors abound near Shepperton Studios- where the production of “Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban” is half way through -that the film, the third in the film series based on the novels by children’s author J.K. Rowling, has indeed run into trouble. Fear not, however, for if there is something people have come to expect about the orphan magician from Great Britain, is that everything with his name on it manages to overcome any and all obstacles, adding to a so far extraordinary and unremitting success, one that seems, if anything, like the biggest magic spell in the history of children’s films.

But with the combined take of the first two films amounting to two billion dollars, the pressure is on to sustain the franchise. In this scenario, any modification can be seen- hopefully only the competing studios, one would assume –as a sign of trouble. A change in the director’s chair plus the death of a principal supporting player is then enough fodder to let the gossip mill run its course.

Consequently, rumors have grown exponentially with the choice of Alfonso Cuaron, fresh from his rollicking, sensual “Y Tu Mama Tambien,” to replace family friendly director Chris Columbus at the helm of the Potter world. Then the rumors started. That Cuaron’s last film, a Mexican box office smash shot in digital video with only three main actors roaming about in the vast lush panoramas of the Mexican Pacific coast, would make him an odd choice. To hand over the reins of a gothic tale about prepubescent sorcerers cloistered in the cold, early winter nights of an isolated Scottish castle does not seem the right fit.

Add to this the actors playing the children now growing into restless adolescent themselves- while world famous movie stars to boot –and images of “Y Tu Harry Potter Tambien” can swiftly capture the imagination of much malicious tongue slashes. On top of all that, the death of Richard Harris means that the third film will sport its first visible alteration from the audience’s point of view in the successful film series.

As a result, when the studio confirmed that Mike Newell was being recruited to helm the next Potter movie, it seemed like a confirmation of the idea that the Mexican cineaste was not the right choice. To start, however, Cuaron is an old Hollywood pro, having made his mark by delivering a very cost efficient remake of a children’s classic, “A Little Princess,” for Warner Brothers in the early nineties. True, Cuaron did return to Mexico and, tired of the stultifying U.S. film industry, made a quick filmic tour de force that reacquainted him with his public, first in Mexico and now in the U.S. In fact, it was such a phenomenal success that, some feared, he may have gone back to the “A list” a hardened soul, with much lessened regard for the Anglo-Saxon way of running things.

Cuaron, however, knows the stakes involved, and although expectations are high for what would probably be the best Harry Potter so far, he is still working within the confines of a proven commodity, first by the book’s author, then by the gargantuan machinery of studio filmmaking, in addition to the fact that almost half of what appears onscreen is being developed off screen, by computers animation, roughly at the same time for a run to the finish deadline. Yet the contretemps, or so the insiders claim, are real, but so is the June 2004 opening date, limiting anybody’s notion of tinkering with the franchise for too long, and nothing seems to suggest Warners will not do everything in their power to reach this deadline.

The shooting is taking place in a couple of hangars where they have built the magic gardens at Hogwarths. In that setting Harry faces some fearsome sinister characters famed for absorbing the spirit of their victims. Cuaron’s new recruit, Gary Oldman, has spent the day lying over a chilly pool of water while Daniel Radcliffe, better known as Harry Potter, stand guard to “defend” him against the hordes of invisible beings. The young actor explains that the “dementors” are trying to absorb Harry’s soul, a sequence that will be made to look more graphic with a few touches of postproduction CGI. The shooting is delayed by the director, who asks for new camera set ups, more speed to those in charge of the special crane and to crank up the smoke machine. He is trying to acquaint himself with every single choice, now and then even hurries everyone up in Spanish.

The actor of “Sid and Nancy,” concedes that although he sat in the director’s chair for his magnificent “Nil By Mouth,” he is shocked by the scale, and tortuous pace, of such a mega-budget production, of an estimated 130 million dollars. “In any other film, my work would have been wrapped up months ago. Because of all these other elements, we have been shooting for months.” Yet Oldman concedes there were other factors besides a hefty Hollywood salary to join Cuaron at Shepperton. “The material is quite good, it is a lively role, but the choice of director interested me. With someone of the caliber of Alfonso Cuaron, it is clear this will not be merely a chapter in a movie franchise. He impregnates every moment with his vision. It is as if the movie is inside him. You can feel his heart and his passion is in it, and I trust that.”

Cuaron indeed weathered a few small crises as the turns the corner of a nine-month shoot. A union strike that threatened to halt filming, the burning of a school train during the portion shot in Scotland and a few other catastrophes. Ironically, it is not merely the expectations of his presence, there is also a heightened expectations of the fans, already used to the filmic Potter and perhaps not as forgiving with the rushed up CGI work that was clearly in evidence in the first film. Fair or not, all of it falls on the shoulders of the Mexican filmmaker. Thankfully, he can count with the understanding of the principals, to judge by what Emma Watson, who plays once again Harry’s budding student Hermione Granger, explains while taking a break from filming.

“I never thought of the countless elements that have to be in place besides the actor until Alfonso explained it to me. It is mind blowing to think that it takes literally months to create just two seconds of screen time.”

Other new arrivals in the “family” as the film crew calls itself, include actors David Thewlis, made famous for his extraordinary performance in “Naked” and Timothy Spall. Michael Gambon, who replaces the late Richard Harris as Hogwarths’ director Albus Dumbledore, plays him with an Irish accent in an homage to his deceased colleague. And to Harry Potter, or rather, Daniel Radcliffe who plays him in the film, the choice of director is patently obvious. “His film “Y Tu Mama Tambien” is about adolescents that grow into adults. The third Harry Potter book is about children that are becoming teenagers. He understands very well the sensitivity involved in these processes. That makes him an superb choice for this film.”