Harry Potter fans divided as subtitles confuse viewers what his cousin Dudley said in iconic scene
(Picture: Warner Bros)Harry Potter fans have been left divided online after learning a scene from the first ever film may not be quite as it seems.
In the opening scene from 2001’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the young wizard’s cousin Dudley Dursley is seen stomping up and down the stairs of their Privet Drive home in a bid to wake him up.
Potter, who was orphaned following his parents’ death, was forced to live in a cupboard under the stairs by his muggle Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.
Viewers previously believed that Dudley was exclaiming: “Wake up, Potter!” as he dashed up the stairs. However, subtitles over the scene now reveal that he is really saying: “Wake up, cousin!”
The clip, which has been doing the rounds on TikTok, has left fans of the film adaptation divided over what the correct line is.
One TikTok user said: “It’s Potter. Ain’t no way Dudley called him cousin... cousin would imply Dudley claims him as family not as his live-in whipping boy.”
“If you think Potter, you hear Potter, if you think cousin you hear cousin,” another remarked.
A third commented: “I hear Potter. I don’t know why in the subtitle said cousin.”
“It was always cousin,” another insisted while a fan added: “I can hear both.”
Meanwhile, a bilingual fan reasoned: “I think it’s ‘cousin’ ‘cause also in the Italian translation it says cousin.”
Last month, Warner Bros has said it would be keen to make more Harry Potter movies if the studio can get the go-ahead from JK Rowling, who penned the original books on which they were based.
The studio released eight Harry Potter films from 2001 to 2011 to huge acclaim. They made stars of previously unknown child actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Tom Felton, and went on to gross $7.7 billion globally.
It partnered with Rowling on the Fantastic Beasts franchise, which has been a case of diminishing returns at the box office. The most recent instalment, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, debuted in April and earned $405.1 million globally.
It is unclear if they will move forward with the two planned films to round out its five-picture slate.
Rowling has become a controversial figure in recent years, and has been accused of being transphobic.
This has resulted in a number of the stars of the Harry Potter films speaking out against her, including Radcliffe, who voiced support for the trans community in light of tweets and comments the author has made.
