IESB.net has a new interview with David Heyman, producer of the Harry Potter films. David Heyman spoke about the decision to split the film of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows into two movies and also mentioned recently speaking to screenwriter Steven Kloves about the wealth of material contained in the final Harry Potter book. Quotage:
ESB: I have to ask the obligitory Harry Potter questions, is it a good thing they split up the upcoming films?
Heyman: Yes, I didn't want to do it initially. I was like, "This is
crazy." And then the decision rested ultimately with the filmmakers.
The studio said you do whatever you think is right and initially I was
like, "This is crazy!" And then I started going through the book and
the thought of doing it in one film is insane. This is the story where
so much is resolved. In previous films we've been able to remove
certain things that didn't relate to Harry, we took Harry's journey.
And in this one it was nothing, I mean, it was so much harder to remove
things. The think we could have removed would have been the Deathly
Hallows, but the book is called The Deathly Hallows and that would have
been slightly problematic. And so we made the decision and I was
speaking with Steve the other day, Clovis [sic] the writer, and he says, "you
know there are times I think we could have done three movies..." There is so much material and it's such great material that now I feel very positive about the two film approach.
IESB: Do you think it's the end for the Harry Potter franchise and characters on the big screen after the last book?
Heyman: I would not be involved in a film based on Jo's characters
without Jo's stories, so my sense is yes, unless Jo magically writes
something else Harry Potter that is not a Harry Potter tale, not Tale
of Beetle the Bard or the books on Quidiche [sic], if she wrote something
like that maybe but I am not sure she has any plans to do so.
I can’t believe he spelled Quidditch wrong! Three movies would have been fantastic! Can you imagine how much more we would get to see that’s in the book?
I want the TV series! Beginning in 2012, a seven season Harry Potter series attempting to put every word Jo ever wrote to the (little) screen. It could be shot over five to seven years, featuring a completely new cast (which gives us all plenty of opportunity to argue about their acting ablities). It will be one of the most expensive TV series every produced, but it will be worth it. Think of the DVD and Bluray sales!
And a while down the road, in 2025, they can re-make all the movies again for the big screen (new cast, dirctors etc. new discussion about the acting), this time in Stereo3D with integrated smell-o-vision! Again, Bluray 3D sales through the roof.
Honestly, the TV series is a good idea, the rest was my attempt on humour. :)
Huffleclaw, I think the spelling errors are probably the interviewer’s or the IESB.net editor’s rather than David Heyman’s, unless he wrote down all his answers for the interviewer! Glad to hear he wouldn’t involve himself in any non-Jo HP spin-offs, and am really pleased the studio gave him the ultimate choice about breaking the film into two, rather than forcing him to stick to the seven book blueprint, ‘cos I’m really looking forward to the two-part extravaganza! Three might have been a bit much though (and imagine the explosion of cynicism!), especially considering previous movies were so heavily chopped – I can’t imagine it would have fitted well into the movie series, if everyone sees what I mean!
yeah a harry potter tv series would be really cool actually =)…
I can’t believe they considered taking out the Deathly Hallows!!!!!! I really hope they don’t make the wonderful tales of beedle the bard into a film though, i reckon that would be TERRIBLE!!!
I’ve enjoyed the movies, such as they are. But I’ve always thought that they would write themselves into a corner because of the things they chose to leave out. And their reasoning is so short-sighted – I’m thinking in particular of leaving out Dobby after COS. Now, even if they put him in DH, the impact on the people who haven’t read the books will be minimal. They’ll have all but forgotten Dobby, and there won’t be any on-going relationship that we saw develop in the books.
But that one comment, about what they could have cut. Good grief. Cut the Deathly Hallows because it isn’t related to Harry? That’s all tied in with Harry and Dumbledore, and Harry’s loss of faith in Dumbledore, and why Dumbledore is not trusting enough to tell anyone everything about his grand plan. . .
That’s exactly the reason that the movies should never have been made, much as I enjoy watching them. And it’s further proof than in this day and age, a book-to-movie doesn’t work. The only way it would have worked well after the first two books was to make each movie four hours long, and studios today aren’t willing to do that. We’ll never have another movie made from a book that is as good as "Gone with the Wind".
he "wont" do a film if it wasn’t her story…doesn’t he mean can’t. I remember that that was the deal…no book no movie. So if she’s done..he’s done. I wouldn’t mind a cartoon version straight to video beedle thing. I can’t see them cutting the deathly hallows…the wedding (I don’t see happening), the seven harry’s could go, if necessary dobby (it really doesn’t move the story along.) But anyways…I am looking forward to two movies.
"Had a good summer, Luna?" Ginny asked.[br]"Yes," said Luna dreamily, without taking her eyes off Harry. "Yes, it was quite enjoyable, you know. [i]You're[/i] Harry Potter," she added.[br]"I know I am," said Harry.
Let’s hope that even the 2 movies will be good enough…