UPDATED: The Rob Knox Foundation Honors Late Actor with Annual Film Festival
It has been over 11 years since the tragic death of young Harry Potter actor Rob Knox (Marcus Belby), who was just 18 years old when he was fatally stabbed while protecting his younger brother on May 24, 2008.
The stabbing occurred just four days after Knox had wrapped filming for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. At the time of his death, Knox had signed a contract to reprise his role as Marcus Belby for the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, even though Belby does not appear in the book.
Knox’s family has since operated a charitable foundation in his memory. The Rob Knox Foundation works to prevent street violence (and particularly knife crime) in the United Kingdom.
His family wrote the following about him on the foundation’s website.
It wasn’t until Robert died, did we realise just how many friends he had and how much he did for other people. Hearing about the good things has made us realise the difference Rob made to others in his short life. Rob was an inspiration to his family and many others that knew him and was set to make a positive impact on this world.
In honor of Knox’s legacy, the foundation also hosts a yearly film festival. This year’s Rob Knox Film Festival was held on June 5, with submissions from around the world.
Personal video messages from actor Ray Winstone (Beowulf), actor Jim Broadbent (Horace Slughorn), and Half-Blood Prince director David Yates were played during the festival. A networking event was also held for young actors, musicians, and filmmakers to meet more experienced professionals in the entertainment industry, helping continue the Knox family’s goal of keeping Rob’s spirit alive through the arts.
Knox’s father, Colin Knox, has announced that a documentary about Rob Knox’s life and untimely death is now in the works. It will be released next year, and we will provide more information about the documentary once it is available.
To learn more about Rob Knox and the Rob Knox Foundation, you can visit the foundation’s website here.
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UPDATE (June 15):
We have learned that both Ray Winstone and Jim Broadbent will be appearing in the documentary about Rob Knox, which will also include footage from behind the scenes of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The documentary will be feature-length, featuring interviews with Rob Knox’s family and friends. The film will be directed by Aaron Truss, and band Taxi Joe will provide an original score.
You can watch the announcement from the film festival below.
