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In Search of the Perfect Person for Won-Won

HBP Film
Posted by: Sue
June 25, 2007, 08:10 PM

Previously we told you there was to be an open casting call in the coming weeks for the roles of young Tom Riddle as well as Lavender Brown for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince film. MTV now has an article online quoting director David Yates about his quest to cast the perfect person to play Lavender Brown, the girl who will capture WON-WON's fancy in the sixth Harry Potter film. The director has a test in mind, and it involves...snogging.

"You know what I'm going to do?" Yates said. "I never did this before, but I'm going to get Rupert together with the top five Lavenders, get him to come and read with them and snog with them. It's a chemical thing, and you want to feel that chemistry between them. That will help me decide." "Really?" Grint asked — since this was news to him. "Oh, wow, I didn't realize that. That's going to be interesting. It's going to be embarrassing."
Also confirmed in the article is that the role of Tom Riddle will not be performed at all by previous actor Christian Coulson. David Yates says
"I think Christian's a brilliant actor, and I thought it was a terrific piece of casting, but he's too old now," Yates said. ... "What I want is that equality of spirit," Yates said. "Someone who is odd, charismatic, cool, has a quite cold spirit which Voldemort embodies. If I find that, that's the most important thing."
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will begin filming later this summer and is due in theaters November, 2008. Thanks Ryan!

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Comments (83) | Average 3.1 (376 votes) Browse all Recent HBP Film News
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Huh?

Boy do I envy those girls auditioning for Lavender!! How lucky are they!!

Posted by Huh? on June 26, 2007 @ 09:55 AM
roxy

actually ron and lavender didnt have any special (!!!) chemistry! or had they? it was just snogging! well, i think rup will be okay ..;)

Posted by roxy on June 26, 2007 @ 11:31 AM
anotherweasley

LOL!! This cracks me up so much….wish we could watch the casting!! Although on a more serious note, it is kind of important to see how the girl will be kissing Rupert, after all that’s Lavender’s primary role in HBP, aside from being jealous of Hermione.

Posted by anotherweasley on June 26, 2007 @ 11:40 AM
Jessie K.

GD, why can’t I be British?! No Christian Coulson? Sad pandas. : (

Posted by Jessie K. on June 26, 2007 @ 11:55 AM
yoyoslife

hahahahhaha!!!!!!!! I couldn´t stop laughing!!!! Rupert will be fine I bet by the second girl he is going to be enjoying it!!!! hahhahaha I´m loving David Yates!! I wish I could audition I love Rupert Grint!!!

Posted by yoyoslife on June 26, 2007 @ 12:29 PM
Rhiannon

Come on people! This is not Rupert’s first movie kiss. He did a bit of snogging (and implied sex) in Driving Lessons.

The one I feel sorry for is Emma. She said in an interview that she was terrified about the idea of kissing someone on screen. If things progress with the H/R thing in the seventh movie she will have to share that first movie kiss with Rupert. A little dodgy.

Posted by Rhiannon on June 26, 2007 @ 12:40 PM
Martok

Lol! I was waiting for something like this since I heard that they are casting Lavender Brown. Of course the audition has to involve snogging, because that’s pretty much the only thing that Lavender does in HBP. Rupert’s reaction to that is funny.

Posted by Martok on June 26, 2007 @ 01:14 PM
Jupe

‘That’s a completely different issue. They needed to cast someone who was older, but looked young when in her Myrtle get-up, so that over the years that she was needed for the film she wouldn’t age because a ghost doesn’t age.’ – puddlefoot

Actually, I think it’s completely the same issue. Since we only ever see the young Tom Riddle in flashbacks, you would need to have someone who will look the same from the filming of the second film to the filming of the sixth. You can only get that with an adult actor.

Plus, I agree with everyone who’s said that Christian Coulson doesn’t look at all too old. He was brilliant, and I will miss him.

I’m a bit upset now. This is the first thing that I’ve heard from David Yates that I’ve strongly disagreed with. I am disappointed.

Posted by Jupe on June 26, 2007 @ 01:18 PM
kimberly

I don’t know why they need to recast young Tom Riddle. I thought Christian did an outstanding job. Why worry about the age? According to the books Snape, James, Sirius, Remus and Lily should all be the same age and should be no older than 36 years old. They have actors playing them who look – and who in fact are! – considerably older. Why fuss about Christian?

I think the thing with Rupert is part amusing and part gross. Should there really be any chemistry between them?

Posted by kimberly on June 26, 2007 @ 03:16 PM
Serinity

I would love to play Lavender, but I’m not from the UK! I do have heritage from all 4 UK countries though, but, sadly, no accent lol. I’d be about the right age too, I’m the same age as Dan, 17 turning 18. Not sure how Lav Lav is supposed to look though, she’s never really described much.

Posted by Serinity on June 26, 2007 @ 04:05 PM
GinaC

I am SO incredibly bummed to hear they won’t be using Christian Coulson. They should go by whether they can make him LOOK like he did in CoS, not his current age. Continuity is so important, but sometimes I wonder if these directors want to do anything they can to make their film look different from the previous directors, which is unfortunate. I agree that this is one of the very few things I’ve heard that concerns me about Yates (along with my concern about whether he’s fleshed out the ending enough or done something similar to GoF and skirted over it, but we shall see). I guess all we can do is hope that WB hears our outcry and they change their minds! Last I heard, it sounded like Coulson was more than willing.

Posted by GinaC on June 26, 2007 @ 05:17 PM
-x-Rosanna-x-

awwww cutesy lol

Posted by -x-Rosanna-x- on June 26, 2007 @ 05:46 PM
-x-Rosanna-x-

but embarassing…guess Rupert can’t complain….but he does portray himself to be a shy guy…oh well….still cutesy me thinks ;)

Posted by -x-Rosanna-x- on June 26, 2007 @ 05:48 PM
Evana

awe, rupert. hah, he’s so shy! or, so i hear. i’ve never met him. those girls really are lucky though. i wish i cold be one of them. gah

Posted by Evana on June 26, 2007 @ 05:57 PM
soph

i thought the guy who played Jeremy Baines in Dr.Who (the family of blood) would be a good Tom Riddle i think he looks a lil like Christian Coulson but i think he’s even older. ahh well. i agree with budb too. i hope they have him 4 an older tom

Posted by soph on June 26, 2007 @ 06:02 PM
enzie

Awww. Rupert’s so cute! He seems so quiet, honest, and unaffected – not to mention witty. My daughter needs to find one like that!

Posted by enzie on June 26, 2007 @ 07:50 PM
BonnieRadcliffe

I disagree with all the people who says that the Lavender part should be cut. The R/H plot is included in the films, and the Lavender episode is an important phase of their relationship. If they didn’t cut the Yule Brawl, they can’t possibly cut the whole Lavender thing, which is much more relevant to their progressing relationship.

Posted by BonnieRadcliffe on June 26, 2007 @ 07:52 PM
iamminerva

Oh, poor Rupert! He’s so shy! Well, he needs to get used to making these sorts of sacrifices if he’s going to continue his acting career.:) Re: Christian Coulson…no big deal. In my opinion, he was a bit over the top in COS, anyway. I actually wish another Christian; Christian Bale; was younger. Imagine the great Tom Riddle he’d make! At any rate, I’m sure they’ll find someone suitable.

Posted by iamminerva on June 26, 2007 @ 08:34 PM
Emma

BonnieRadcliffe… I totally agree. Won Won and Lavender is really a big part in HPB and it is also quite funny! I am glad it is being included.

Posted by Emma on June 26, 2007 @ 09:49 PM
Jess

Aww, I’m really disappointed that Christian won’t be returning. I’ve read in interviews that he would have LOVED to have returned for the 6th film. =( I don’t understand why he couldn’t be the Riddle that goes to see Prof. Dumbledore for the DADA job, or the Borgin&Burkes Riddle. Or even freakin’ Tom Riddle Snr?!

Yates, I’m afraid you’ve made LOADS of people unhappy about this :/

And the Ron/Lav thing? Blah. I didn’t like that part about the book at all! But I do understand why it’s going to be in it. The major focus (I believe) was the horcruxes, and Tom Riddle memories and such, and who the half-blood prince is.

Posted by Jess on June 26, 2007 @ 11:31 PM
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