In the News

Rumor Alert: Spielberg and a Two Part "Deathly Hallows" Film

Rumor
Posted by: Sue
January 13, 2008, 04:20 AM

Hang on everyone, there is a new rumor tonight regarding famous directors and a possible two part Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows film. The Daily Mail is reporting tonight that crews currently working on “Half-Blood Prince” have been told the final Harry Potter film “will be released in two halves.” The article then points out while the financial benefit would be significant (“it could mean a £500million bonus in ticket sales”) the paper reports this purported move is artistic, citing an unnamed source who says:

“There’s so much to fit that the view is the last movie should be in two halves. There is a huge battle when Harry, played by Daniel Radcliffe, takes on Voldemort that needs to be done really well.”

The article then goes on to cite that Warner Bros, which has still not formally announced a director for the final film, is considering some big name directors for the final movie, including legendary Oscar winning director Steven Spielberg. Quotage: At Warner Bros, who are rumoured to be thinking of Oscars and a big-name director such as Steven Spielberg for the final film, a spokesman said: “People are discussing all possibilities.”

Readers will remember, and as cited by J.K. Rowling on her website, Steven Spielberg had considered directing the first Harry Potter film, but declined. As we have reported previously as well, other names have surfaced in regards to directing “Deathly Hallows” including Alfonso Cuaron, David Yates, Chris Columbus, and most recently Guillermo Del Toro. As exciting as all of this sounds, please keep this one very much in the rumor category for the time being. We are trying to verify this, and will update with more when we can.

Thanks mc and rodeo!

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448 Comments

uu

Omfg 2 parts

Posted by uu on January 16, 2008, 07:54 AM report to moderator
hagiz

@ Joe. you’re talking about midnite screening. of course they would be up for the job. they’re FANS of HP!!. I’m talking about non fans or someone who just relatively like HP. Do you honestly can provide evidence that they can stand watching 4 hour long movie? babies will start crying and children will start playing on their own.

Believe 4 hour movie is a bad idea.

plus 4 hours movie would give the theatre less screening per day, that would automtically decrease the money HP would make.

Either do 2 & 1/2 hours to 3 hours movie and shave all the dudley part, camping trip, wedding, birthday, the black house, the godric’s hollow, the gringotts, the shell cottage and Xenophilius part can be explain by Luna coz she’s as crazy. They might even shave the end sequence to directly harry vs Voldemort. So no more Bellatrix vs mrs. Weasley coz I can see that would not be important.

or do a two parters.

Posted by hagiz on January 16, 2008, 09:12 AM report to moderator
Grindelwald

@Joe,

Actually, adults (and film critics, judging by reviews of the first 2 Potter films) are more often the ones complain about length than kids, as adults don’t always have a lot of free time and want movies to be focused and to the point.

Star Wars originals was only 2 hours long, and the prequels were awful anyway. LOTR’s long length was justified as everything in the movie developed the plot or the main story. All of the Harry Potter books, particularly the last 4, are stuffed with subplots that, while it works fine in a novel, don’t advance the plot and should be excised from a good film adaption.

Posted by Grindelwald on January 16, 2008, 09:47 AM report to moderator
lilinferi

This rumour really did my head in this morning. somehow all of the 440 med students in my year seemed to know that I was an HP-addict and that I do stuff for Leaky/PotterCast. No-one ever really noticed.

Today, however, I had to tell 50 people that the two-part movie was a rumour and that Jo would most probably NOT write a succession to the HP series. When more people actually started to come up to me for explanation and discussion, I had to ask the professor for permission to make a short announcement, so that everyone was clear. Seriously, i never thought people actually cared at my uni, and now, they won’t leave me alone! i’m an instant celebrity

Posted by lilinferi on January 16, 2008, 12:53 PM report to moderator
Wolverines Vs. Lupines

@LV: Hogwarts is dark. There are ghosts, particularly the Bloody Baron who scares everyone. There is a poltergeist who is seemingly trying to do bodily harm to students. Professor Snape is prowling the halls at night, like a bat. And would you want to run into Filch on a deserted corridor. It definitely not Disney World. That is why I don’t understand complaints that Alphonso’s film was too dark. And as I recall POA ended on a upbeat note.

Posted by Wolverines Vs. Lupines on January 16, 2008, 06:16 PM report to moderator
Joe

Let me clarify. I’ve taken the kids to all those movies and more at many different show times. The point is the they keep their focus as long as necessary. They are all teenagers now. The good movies keep them quiet,The babies and the very little ones don’t even read,shouldn’t be at the theatre unless it’s animated. The older HPers have never complained about a long HP movie. There’s never been one. But I don’t think the four hr. one movie deal is the way to go. Enough. I laid out in an earlier post (17ish?) how a two part movie makes them a mint with relatively little more outlay and keeps Potterphiles happy for once.

Posted by Joe on January 16, 2008, 09:24 PM report to moderator
Wizards vs. Wand Waving Spell Casters

I would sit through four hours and an intermission as well as installments just to see “Weasley is our King,” Peeves, Bill and Charlie, Mr. Dursley asking about “Dementoids,” Keacher and Dobby’s smackdown, and Mrs. Blacks yelling out “filth, scum…etc.”

Posted by Wizards vs. Wand Waving Spell Casters on January 17, 2008, 12:09 AM report to moderator
ginevra

Sorry I haven’t waded through all the comments, but here’s my two cents: 1) NO TWO-PARTER. Condensing a long book into the time span of a movie is challenging, but can be done well. I agree with those who have stated “7 books, 7 movies”. And I too would be sorely tempted to boycott a 2-part movie (until both parts hit DVD, anyway). 2) NO SPIELBERG. I have lots of his movies in my collection, but Spielberg and HP are not a good fit. It would be a return to a Chris Columbus-type HP world. While those movies are well done, I think the movies have evolved and now require a darker, less saccharine tone than Spielberg would provide.

Posted by ginevra on January 17, 2008, 12:34 AM report to moderator
Travis

They should let Cuaron and John Williams finish it. Azkaban was the best film by far. And Please, no more of this “Columbus should finish it” talk. He didn’t portray the Harry Potter wold realstically, but more as a hyper stylized disneyland world.

Posted by Travis on January 17, 2008, 04:14 AM report to moderator
Grindelwald

Joe,

You’re only talking about older HP readers. I’m talking about older people in the general public, who have NOT read the books, plenty whom have complained the movies are too long (read any HP film review and you’ll see). Non-book-readers make up the majority of the audience.

Posted by Grindelwald on January 17, 2008, 07:25 AM report to moderator
chang,cho

why don’t they just make a regular 2 and a half hour movie for Deathly Hallows and then release a super-extended director’s cut that would include everything that they would have done, had the movie been released in two parts.

does anyone understand what i’m talking about? haha.

i just hope michael goldenberg screenwrites the last film because i absolutely loved the script for order of the phoenix.

peace out. xx

Posted by chang,cho on January 19, 2008, 04:46 AM report to moderator
Emma

It isn`t too bad …....I think. It deserves for waiting .I can`t wait it and i think it is gonna be absolutely amazing film , no matter how long time it takes . And in my opinion the two part film thing is better idea !

Posted by Emma on January 23, 2008, 01:47 PM report to moderator
Amy

I think it is a very dumb idea it would ruin the whole movie

I also heard that they nothing is final but it’s just stupid bbecause i dont want to have the movie in 2 parts

Posted by Amy on January 28, 2008, 08:37 PM report to moderator
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