Roger Pratt, Batman and Harry Potter cinematographer, dies

Roger Pratt, the cinematographer who lensed Batman for Tim Burton, was a favorite of Terry Gilliam’s and shot two Harry Potter movies, has passed away. The British-born DP was 77.

The British Society of Cinematographers posted a tribute to Roger Pratt on their Instagram page, writing in part, “It is with deepest sadness that we learn of the passing of our friend and colleague, Roger Pratt BSC (1947-2024). Roger Pratt BSC was an extraordinary #Cinematographer, who was awarded this society’s highest honour, our Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. Roger was born in Leicester, the son of a parish vicar, and although the church didn’t capture his career aspirations, seeing 16mm “fact and faith” films did.”

Roger Pratt first garnered attention shooting for Terry Gilliam on 1985’s Brazil – work that was recognized by the American Society of Cinematographers as some of the best ever – and he would go on to collaborate with the director on The Fisher King and 12 Monkeys. And while those are some incredible contributions, he would work most closely with Richard Attenborough, serving as cinematographer on four of his films.

But it is no doubt Tim Burton’s Batman with which Roger Pratt left his most indelible mark. Bringing inky blacks and a gothic vibe to the character that we had never seen on the big screen, Pratt helped bring Burton’s interpretation to life in a way that still connects with audiences and helped mold what we came to expect from superhero movies of the era. While Burton undoubtedly deserves credit for helping reinvent Batman, it couldn’t have been accomplished the way it was without Pratt.

Roger Pratt would also have the distinction of lensing two Harry Potter movies – Chamber of Secrets and Goblet of Fire – helping the series evolve as it grew thematically darker. Other notable credits for Roger Pratt include Kenneth Branagh’s Frankenstein, Wolfgang Peterson’s Troy and Neil Jordan’s stellar Mona Lisa. It was for Jordan that Pratt earned his only Oscar nomination, for 1999’s The End of the Affair. The aforementioned British Society of Cinematographers would nominate Pratt five times throughout his career.

Let us know your favorite Roger Pratt work in the comments section below.