Exclusive: Alfonso Cuaron on Potter 3

Well, slap us on the back and call us ahead of the game, for even before the second instalment of Potter magic hits our screens next month, Empire Online has got the inside nod on how J.K Rowling's third novel, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is shaping up from the very man in charge, Alfonso Cuaron. And trust us, it's going to be interesting. The surprise choice to replace Chris Columbus as director of the most loved literature of the last few years, Mexican-born Cuaron is perhaps better known for scoring a major international hit this year with his small-budget, sexed-up Spanish language film, Y Tu Mama Tambien (And Your Mother Too) as well as for his previous adaptations of Great Expectations and A Little Princess. When Empire Online cheekily asked whether the adolescence lust and raging hormones of Y Tu Mama will make an appearance at Hogwarts along with Harry’s first crush, Cuaron joked – at least, we hope he was joking - "Sex in Harry Potter? It's going to be steamy…magical," before adding, "We'll have digital effects too!" A frightening thought. And after working on such an independent, small-scale film as Y Tu Mama, Cuaron has no problems at all with the prospect of tackling the huge project that will be The Prisoner of Azkaban. Describing "Jo Rowling" as "super cool, a great creative ally," he said, "I think we have a great connection creatively. I feel very good about it." With production for Harry Potter and the Prison of Azkaban scheduled for next Spring, Cuaron, like Columbus before him, is busy enjoying his stay in good old Blighty. "I've always liked London and spent long periods here but never quite as long as this. I'm just having a blast working on this film and collaborating with everyone and walking around London everyday." And he stresses that Pottermania is as big in Latin America as it is in the rest of the world. Letting slip he had a small niece mad about Harry, it's safe to say that Cuaron must now be one of the world’s favourite uncles.