In The News
Dan, Rupert, and Emma Talk "Half-Blood Prince" and Beyond in New Interviews
HBP FilmCanada’s Edmonton Sun Newspaper has two new interviews online where they sit down with Dan Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), along with “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” director David Yates and its producer David Heyman, to discuss many different topics related to the sixth film. These interviews focus on the casts’ thoughts and experiences on the sixth Harry Potter film, which is currently in production, and their expectations of the seventh film, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” set for release in 2010. Having grown up in these roles, Dan, Rupert, and Emma speak on this in the first of the interviews, which go into detail about acting, their passion for it, and their future prospects. Director David Yates begins this article simply by saying the casting of the young trio is “a remarkable thing.”
Harry Potter film producer David Heyman gives much of the credit to Chris Columbus, who chose and directed the young actors in the first two films “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” and “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” He says:
“Chris Columbus deserves huge credit in casting who he cast… They were obviously not the only choices he had. These were the choices he made and I am forever grateful to him for that.”
Speaking to the subject of making the “Harry Potter” films with a sense of professionalism and dedication, even at a young age, Dan Radcliffe is quoted as saying:
“I don’t think the franchise, in a way, needs any justification because it is such a leviathan of a thing anyway. Things don’t get that big without merit.
“But, I suppose, it (extra work on the DVDs) is almost to prove to people that we are, in fact, taking this very seriously. More seriously than people would probably assume. I took it very seriously when I was 11 and (growing up in the Harry Potter role) I’ve taken it more and more seriously.
“So, to me, it’s just about letting people know that I’m incredibly serious and passionate about this – this series of films – and how much they mean to me. If you’ve been involved in something for more than seven years now, you want to be able to talk about it articulately and explain why you love it, explain why you loved being involved in it so much.”
The Harry Potter films are not the only things on the young actor’s minds, as Emma Watson also relates in this article, working on future projects will determine whether this is the true career path for her. She says of this decision:
“I did a film for the BBC, called Ballet Shoes, in the summer. Having an experience outside of Harry Potter really helped me. I think it convinced me that this is where I am meant to be and this is what I’m meant to be doing: That I do want to be an actress.
“But I think I needed to have an experience outside of Harry Potter because, in a way, I was really plucked out of obscurity and given this role. I mean, I really wanted it but it never felt like a decision that I made. It just happened to me. I felt that I won the lottery. So I’ve always kind of slightly questioned it.”
Dan, Rupert, and Emma also spend more time talking of the “Half-Blood Prince” film in the second interview, where Dan comments on the ‘tonal shift from the brooding atmosphere of The Order of the Phoenix’ by noting his his personal preference for the “morbid” undertones verses the lighter aspects of the story. He explains this by saying:
“I think the script’s great and I think it’s going to be a really great film. But I’m just one of those people that, in what I’m doing, I always lean toward the dark side and I really enjoy doing the dark stuff.
“I know Emma and Rupert really, really like the lighter stories and all that. And Rupert particularly is really going to have a field day on this, because he’s got fantastic comic timing and he’ll be able to use all of that to great effect on this film with his relationship with Lavender Brown.
“(But) I’m actually going to miss doing all the morbid stuff, I think.”
Dan describes his eagerness for the seventh film by calling it “the one last hurrah, that film. That’s going to be great. I really am very, very excited about the whole thing. It’s going to be epic, I hope.” While Rupert Grint speaks to the new production by noting, like each of the films, its “own sort of atmosphere,” and goes on to say:
“It’s got sort of a dark undertone to it because Voldemort is back and that is quite a scary time for them. But there are some really cool bits in it. Ron gets a girlfriend in it, so that’s going to be quite cool.”
Continuing on this subject of romance in the film, producer David Heyman is also quoted as saying of the balancing of these emotions:
“It’s much more comedy and the awkwardness of romance. And the romance goes beyond Harry into Hermione and Ron and other characters. I also think it’s about characters growing apart as well as realizing the importance of one another.”
The article concludes to describe a certain ‘awkward reference’ to the wand of Albus Dumbledore in an original draft of the “Half-Blood Prince” script, which had to be revised in light of the publication of author J. K. Rowling’s seventh novel “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” this past July. Heyman says of this revision: “For obvious reasons (if you’ve read the seventh book) it had to be changed.”
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” will be released in theaters November 2008.
Many thanks to redcakesfan and all who mailed!
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I can see that the movie is talked as being a light-hearted one by the cast and its makers but then it’s just a part of the story. Harry explores Voldemort’s past in this one(HBP) which would take him ahead into the darker side(DH). Romance is just a flavour added in this one which has made it enjoyable to read. And talking of romance I’m not saying that earlier HP was devoid of romance(GoF and OotP) but this time JKR has gone a bit further in extending romance beyond Harry to Ron-Lavender-Hermione. Though we agree that the movie is going to be less darker it can still be really entertaining provided it captivates the all the elements of the book.
I love watching Rupert on screen, particularly in Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets. But his interviewing skills just don’t exist. I’m sure he’s heard all the criticism, but we’re six years into this and he’s not improved.
But hey, I still love ya Rupe!
Reading and listening to Rupert’s interviews makes me embarassed for him. Surely the producers and/or WB publicity could have seen how he struggles by now and offered him PR lessons or something? He’s practically an adult. There’s no excuse for him to still be like this. I don’t want him to be like Dan and emma, who are way too earnest for my taste, but Rupert really should be more articulate by now.
Rupert is the way he is, there are plenty of celebs who find interviews difficult to cope with. He can’t help it and shouldn’t have to force himself to be different, all that will do is make him feel more uncomfortable. Some people are just not very articulate, or are quite reticent and prefer to say as little as they can get away with saying. That’s our Rupert.
Dan’s parents are in the entertainment industry so it comes more naturally to him, and Emma is very studious so maybe she finds it a bit easier too. But they are all different and I appreciate them the way they are as individuals.
Minisha,
I hope they have the Sectumsepra scene, too. I wonder if they’ll bring Myrtle back?
I heard that Guillermo Del Toro may direct DH…Not sure if there is any truth to this rumor, but that would be amazing.
lol Trust me Emma is nothing like Hermione in reality apart from her brainyness.
I happen to look forward to Harry and Ginny, this is when they get together. Not the only thing but I do look forward to that. :-)
As far as Rupert’s interviewing skills, there are a number of actors and actresses who are much more comfortable in front of a camera as a character than they are as themselves (especially when they’ve been asked the same questions over and over and over ad nauseum). Ever hear an interview with Johnny Depp or Dustin Hoffman? Yeah, they answer questions much like Rupert does – and it doesn’t seem to have hurt their careers much.
Back to the Emma bashing again. HP fans are really immature. I’m beginning to wonder if people did read DH or skim through it. Hermione’s importance in helping Harry through their close relationship couldn’t have been more obvious. In DH, and the end of HBP, Jo took the story back to it’s three core characters, everybody else faded into the back ground. The trio’s relationship is the main focus of the book. To say that Luna, Ginny or even Neville was more importantto Harry than Ron or Hermione is a joke and and insult to the lovely characters that Jo wrote. Even ginny was virtually non existant in book 7. I think what is upsetting some people is Dan’s obvious distain for the romantic hookups in this movie. That’s his choice, he’s not saying he won’t do them but it’s not what he’s looking foreward to. As for HBP being lighter, when I read the book I thought the Ron/Hermione/Lavendar scenes were very humorous. For many, the Ron and Hermione relationship is very important. It takes 7 books till we get a kiss. And Jo saved the best kiss for last, IMO. She saved the Hr/R kiss till the end of the book, that shows how important it is. Personally, I felt the Ginny and Harry romance was forced and fake. I never understood why harry loved Ginny since she really never came off as really likable to me. Anyways, don’t assume that everybody dislikes Hr/R and has no interest in seeing their romance through its highs and lows. I could care less about Ginny and Harry. Luna was more likable and like Dan, I would liked to have seen Harry and Luna get together. Perhaps this another reason he is uninterested in any romance with Ginny. Can’t blame him, he’s a smart boy.
Marci I wasn’t trying to bash emma watson as this is leaky and I know its not very nice to bash an actress who’s fans regularly come to this site. That’s why my post was umm..brief. Sorry if i hurt your feelings but i particularly didn’t go into detail in order to not bash her on a fansite.
Thanks
Marci, your Harry/Ginny bashing is SO immature.
I didn’t think Marci was bashing Harry/Ginny at all. She just thought their relationship seemed a bit fake – that’s not bashing, it’s an opinion, and one that lots of other HP fans share.
Personally I like their relationship but it WAS kind of sprung on us from Harry’s pov because he never showed any interest in Ginny until part-way through HBP. Then were meant to be taken in by it. I was always more interested in R/Hr or even who Neville and Luna would eventually hook up with. But I agree that the Emma bashing gets a bit old, especially because people are finding hollow excuses to do it and it just isn’t necessary.
I’m not bashing Harry and Ginny. I just think it was poorly written. And I’m not the only one. But I don’t think it’s right to trivialize the importance of Ron and Hermione in order to build up secondary characters. The Hr/R relationship is important, plus theose two characters are incredibly important to Harry. It shouldn’t be written off.
I dont personally think that this “article” exactly is telling the truth…personally..I sounds like they took what was somewhat said and made it sound like Dan first of all is against this movie, which I highly doubt Dan would ever make it sound like that…..this is his bread and butter… I love that they are finally finally getting the humor of HP into a movie…but heres my problem, their hasnt been any so now its going to look out of place..ya know…geez! they have really screwed with this series…I wish we could go back and start over sometimes…too too much has been left out over the years…its a damn shame…
Well, I didn’t take it as Dan was totally against the movie. It seems he’s just wanting scenes to dig his acting teeth into. I got the opinion that the romance stuff was for him was a hinderance to that. He’s older now, not a giggly teenager. He’ll do the romantic stuff because he has to, just his heart isn’t in it. Like I said he always claimed to be a Luna/Harry shipper and that didn’t happen. It’s got to be a downer to him in a way. Definitley takes the thrill out of it.
Marci, People aren’t bashing Emma. They are stating their opinion that she isn’t a good actress and her interpretation of Hermione’s role in the books is WAY off base.
You have the right to express your opinion of Harry/Ginny, we have the right to express our opinion of Emma Watson.
Marcia, Dan has stated more than once in the past that he IS looking forward to filming the Harry/Ginny stuff. Are you trying to say he was lying about that? lol All he really said in this interview is that he prefers the darker, brooding scenes. When Melissa asked him what his favorite parts of book six was at the GoF premiere in NY he said the cave stuff with Dumbledore and all the stuff with Ginny he would look forward to. He repeated this answer in his interview with Aint It Cool News. Here are some links:
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33245
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=0YD-iTFoHE8
Muddtallica – I completely agree with you about HBP. I had problems with this book for the first 2/3rds until the cave scene, although I did like the Riddle memory scenes. I’m not a great one for the romance but it definitely is a romantic comedy for the first half at least. At least there’s the Riddle memory scenes to add some beef.
I think that HBP film will have a good balance in the first half between the Riddle memory and Ron/Lav-Lav and they’ve presumably got to get the Prince’s book in as well (although it seems a bit irrelevant now). I’m hoping for the sectumsempra moment to be kept in. I think that’s quite important for showing the gradual change in Harry’s attitude towards Draco’s situation.
I also think that Emma is right in what she says about Hermione being central. I think when it gets to DH she (not Ron) is Harry’s major support and the brains. I fell in love with her as a character in DH; I thought she came into her own and showed her softer side. I was never been struck on her before because she was just WAY too clever and irritating; I always thought it odd that NOT ONE of her classmates could match her in any subject, in contrast to the Superclever year that had James, Sirius, Lily AND Snape all vying for Genius of the Year.
“lol Trust me Emma is nothing like Hermione in reality apart from her brainyness.”
@meera, are you suggesting that Emma Watson does not have magical powers?? Or is it something else??
Anyone reading your comment might assume that you know Emma Watson personally. My guess is that would be a mistake.
Like others, I get tired of the sneering personal comments about Dan, Rupert, & Emma from people who have likely never been within 100 miles of any HP film star. Even if you do know Emma Watson personally, the only reason for that kind of comment is to take a swipe at her as a person. I think comments like that have no place on Leaky.
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When all the parts are put together with the lighter side and the drama I’m sure the film will be very good[maybe great].I think Dan is just referring to the fact that HE [himself ] prefers playing the darker side of the books to the humor ,not that the film is all lightness and will STILL be a GREAT film. I think Yates staying is a big plus for this film’s script.
There is so much pressure put on all of the trio by all to media about the films and to answer mundane questions over and over and over[because the darn interviewers forget these are now young adults and not children and usually haven’t bothered read the books] that they do very well with dealing with the media. Dan ,Emma and Rupert have their own way of dealing with it all [in the ways they answer the questions put to them]and I so agree with Heyman,Yates and Strautan ,they do it very well. And in each their own way.