Harry Potter fan fiction just been taken to a whole new level.
A highly-anticipated independent film exploring the rise of Voldemort has made its debut after running into a spot of legal trouble.
A trailer for Voldemort: Origins of the Heir sent fans into frenzy last year. However its release was delayed after independent film company Tryangle received a cease-and-desist letter from Warner Bros, the company that holds the rights to the Harry Potter film franchise.
The David and Goliath legal battle was resolved when Tryangle's founders, Gianmaria Pezzato and Stefano Prestia, agreed the film should be not-for-profit.
It was released for free on YouTube over the weekend. As of Tuesday afternoon, it had been watched by more than 5.7 million people.
The hour-long film explores Tom Riddle's graduation from Hogwarts as well as his transformation into the most evil wizard known to Mugglekind.
While the film's costumes, sets and special effects have been praised, fans have criticised other aspects of the independent production - such as dialogue and pacing. The film was shot in Italian but English speakers were able to watch a dubbed version.
"Did not enjoy the portions that contradicted information in the books," one viewer wrote on Facebook. "And I probably would have enjoyed it more if it had been subtitled rather than in terrible dubbing."
"The story itself was boring," wrote another.
The only good thing about #WatchingVoldemort was the production quality. And the effects were alright. But everything else was bad??? Diego ??tambuk (@DiegoStambuk) January 15, 2018
I must Say I'm really impressed, by the Hardwork & all the efforts #TeamVoldemort has put forward, in making this film. Though, there are certain loopholes & story could have been more engrossing & interesting. Overall T'was entertaining. #WatchingVoldemort pic.twitter.com/YoRC3YER5h??? Priyank Karn (@PriyankKarn1) January 14, 2018
