When talking about the 2000 war movie The Patriot, one has to admit it’s a period piece that isn’t boring. But in the same conversation, it should also be remembered that it’s also one of the many wildly inaccurate historical films out there. Jason Isaacs is humorously doing just that to the Roland Emmerich title by bringing Harry Potter into the mix.
Isaacs has been a regular of the 2025 movie calendar, along with his stint on White Lotus. But as he chatted with EW, two classics of his–The Patriot and Harry Potter–were the focal point of discussion. The 62-year-old wanted to re-iterate how fictitious the Isaacs, Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger flick is. Amusingly, he did so by highlighting that the JK Rowling series is closer to more historically on point than The Patriot itself:
I must tell people that Harry Potter is slightly more historically accurate than The Patriot. And any history teacher who’s showing it to their kids, they better tell them how much bullshit it is. It’s made up.
You have got to love the Lucius Malfoy actor for his blunt honesty! I’d love to know the specificities of his statement, though. I’m assuming he means the accuracy of the book to movie adaptation? Either way, you can always rely on the vet for a real take (he thought the HP films were boring to make but magic to be a part of).
After razzing the romanticized but sweeping American Revolutionary War saga, Isaacs did make it clear he loved it. Then furthered his thought by saying he’s pleased that it’s connected with so many watchers over the years. But he also points out that it’s not real, as he said:
It’s an amazing movie, and it moves a lot of people. But no one should be thinking it’s history.
The Peter Pan actor’s assessment of The Patriot is an apt one. While it’s a completely captivating epic full of moving familial drama, dramatic showstopping landscapes and definitional Hollywood battle scenes, it is a work of fiction. And though he said it in a lighthearted way, it’s an important piece of information to clarify. To be clear, it does draw lightly from a few historical figures and an event or two but then heavily tweaked.
But squaring up The Boy Who Lived to widowed Benjamin Martin is certainly a memorable one. Both have tragic family and friend related events, a man vs. man (or rather wizard vs. wizard) storyline and end with a triumph over adversaries. The actor’s comparison of the two blockbusters won’t soon be forgotten here, and likely that was the point of his wry declaration.
So, if you’re like me and won’t forget this moment of Isaacs using HP to poke fun at The Patriot, I have one other thought. The upcoming book to screen adaptation of Rowling’s 7-book installment should be even more factual than the OG movies, right? We’ll have to wait and see!
Catch the Harry Potter franchise and its offshoots with an HBO Max subscription or watch The Patriot with Pluto TV or vod services.
