"I think it's darker, and crueller. But you can't keep making these films for little kids. It's clear that JK Rowling is now not writing for little kids. She's moved on up, and you'd better do the same."

"They [the cast] live a curious existence," says Newell, almost in a whisper. "But they all have good parents, and they manage to keep a certain distance between their real lives and their on-screen lives. They have a lively sense of the ridiculous, especially Dan. He knows it's weird to have Japanese girls lying down in the road in front of his car, so he can stop, get out and propose marriage to them. Which has happened.

"They're all strong characters, too. You might think Rupert was rather dozy, but he's a glorious comic. He'll be a name."

All three, Newell thinks, have an ability to separate themselves from the wilder excesses of celebrity. "Emma goes back to school and ordinary life, whereas Rupert's given up on school and makes other films. So he does it that way."