In The News
Official: Two Parts for "Deathly Hallows" Movie, David Yates to Direct Both Films
DH FilmBig News everyone! The L.A Times is reporting an exclusive today: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be made in two films, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" , and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II. Furthermore, the paper cites producer David Heyman confirming the return of David Yates as director for both films, with Steven Kloves to finish out his duties as screenwriter for both Harry Potter movies as well. The movies are to be filmed at the same time, and will be released several months apart, with Part One due November 2010, and Part Two, May 2011.
Update: The article has additional information now, with quotes from producer David Heyman on his conversation with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling on splitting the book into two films. "Heyman said he approached Rowling with some trepidation about the strategy but found that she signed off on its logic rather quickly. "I went to Jo and she was cool with it," Heyman said, "and that was quite a relief."
The newspaper continues saying "Producer David Heyman said the decision was made with some anxiety and only after considerable deliberations. The producer joked that "while my wife and Warner Brothers were pleased" to hear that the Potter movie magic will continue into the next decade, he himself fretted that the cynical observers would see the decision as a purely mercenary move."I swear to you it was born out of purely creative reasons," Heyman said during an interview in a converted airplane factory outside London that has been home base to all of the "Potter" productions. "Unlike every other book, you cannot remove elements of this book. You can remove scenes of Ron playing quidditch from the fifth book, and you can remove Hermione and S.P.E.W. [Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare] and those subplots . . . but with the seventh, that can't be done."
Actor Dan Radcliffe who portrays Harry Potter in the film is quoted as saying "I think it's the only way you can do it without cutting out a huge portion of the book," Radcliffe said recently during a break on the set of "Half-Blood Prince," the sixth "Potter" film, which is due in theaters on Nov. 21. "There have been compartmentalized subplots in the other books that have made them easier to cut - although those cuts were still to the horror of some fans- but the seventh book doesn't really have any subplots. It's one driving, pounding story from the word go."
Of interest to many fans is the spot in the book where the films will break, and producer David Heyman addresses this as he notes: "The question will be, where do you break it? And how do you make them one but two separate and distinct stories? Do you break it with a moment of suspense or one of resolution? These are the interesting challenges. But each book has presented its challenges."
Warner Bros. Chairman Alan Horn and Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, are expected to discuss the new plans for "Potter" on Thursday during a presentation at ShoWest, the convention of movie exhibitors in Las Vegas.
UPDATE 2The LA Times has a second story now online, containing new comments from WB Chair Alan Horn on the decision to split and the additional film time for the story "This way, we have an extra hour and a half, at least, to celebrate what this franchise has been and do justice to all the words and ideas that Jo has put in the amazing story," Horn said. "This is the end of the story too. We want to celebrate it. We want to give a full meal." Mr Horn continued on, remarking about the epilogue to "Deathly Hallows" regarding the beloved trio and how that would be translated to the big screen. "Horn said that particular denouement has the filmmakers fretting about how to keep the young familiar stars on the screen just before it goes dark. "That," Horn said, "is something we will need to deal with. People have watched these kids grow up, and it's been very special to do so. That's important to us."
Thanks much to the LA Times, Jimbo, and TML!rate this article
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Rhiannon, I am with you and only want one movie but we are few and far between.
Can people stop with the all caps? It’s really annoying. Thanks.
@ leggers
EXACTLY!!!! TWO STINKIN YEARS!!!!!!!!!!! IF THEY ARE MAKING THE MOVIES AT THE SAME TIME THEN WHY IN THE WORLD ARE THEY REALISING THEM 6 MONTHS APART. LYKE OMG
Can people stop with the all caps? It’s really annoying. Thanks.
I’m excited too, but it’s against the rules anyway.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! dude I like just did a dance in my basement.
yay! Really glad it’s Yates too, he did best I think – Cuaron was great too, but Yates was more Harry Potterish. Nice!
So glad they are making 2 films there is too much they can’t cut anything out. Not very excited about Yates directing wished one of the other directors were doing it.
Non the less can’t wait!
I hope for the epilogue they just age everyone and not have new actors come in. That would be a real dissapointment. And by the time they realese the Deathly hollows part 2, they are all goint to be in their twenties (except ginny) so its all good
ONe movie would be good because then we wouldn’t have to wait, but there’s no way they can fit all of that into one movie unless it’s 6 hours long. But the two part film IS going to be 6 hours long possibly and that sounds like a good thing to me so i’m excited! and JKR approves which is even better. Plus it bascially is one film, they’re just releasing it in two parts, cause they’re filming it all at the same time.
But I’ve been thinking about what they could do with the epilogue… and i really don’t think they’re going to be able to make Dan, rupert, Emma, and bonnie look like they’re in their 30s. So I think there is a good chance of them having a double wedding with ginny and harry and ron and hermione instead.
i think they’re releasing them 6 months apart to make all the fans mad (lol) no, i just think that they want to “build up more pottermania” because the more its built up, the more people will see it opening night (for hp7.2) and then so much is built up it breaks a record, and when it breaks a record, people figure “gee, that movie must be pretty good if that many people are seeing it. i think i’ll go see it too.”, thus earning more $$$$$$$$$
so i think it might be for $ reasons, but this is just my way of procrastinating homework- creating theories about harry potter (hehehe)
I hope they dont take advantage of the amout of time they have and make the movies too boring. It would be soo cool if they could get the guy who directed the lord of the rings battles to direct the deathly hollows part two so that the battle can look really cool
I wonder how they are going to do all the scenes where the trio uses polyjuice potion. Are we going to have a bunch of random actors pretending to be the trio or are they going to figure out some way to have the trio do all of that stuff themselves. i really hope it’s the latter.
I think it’s brilliant to split the book in to two movies. I think they should have done this with the last two movies. Phoenix is the most unsatisfying of all the movies in my opinion (of course I never saw it in 3D so maybe that makes a difference).
I believe that part one should end with Dobby’s funeral and part two then starts with talking to Griphook and Olivander and planning to invade Gringotts. That means that most of the movie will occur in one day: from the time they leave Shell Cottage to the final confrontation with Voldemort is only 24 hours, so that will be unique for a movie like this.
I don’t understand why it will be two years before the first DH movie is released. If filming starts in February, then we should see part one in July 2009 and part two in November 2009. At the very latest it might be November 2009 and May of 2010.
For the record, I will be 51 when part two comes out!
@ blue3tick
that makes you think, now that it’s all in the open, they might be able to put more in that ending than is in the book. You know, now that JK gave out more info on what became of the characters and stuff…
there are no boring parts in book 7, so they’re definitely going to make the most of all that time.
I just can’t wait for the line that i’m absolutely POSITIVE Jo wrote especially for Alan Rickman… because i can hear him saying it in my head… “Would you like me to do it now? Or would you like a few moments to compose an epitaph?” and splitting the book means they can do justice to those flashbacks.
As to the 2 movies, it’s kind of a bummer that it pushes back the release of DH, but it makes sense, as they’ll need longer to film 2 movies concurrently. Otherwise, i think it’s a brilliant idea. And now we can endlessly debate for a few more years just where they’re going to cut it. hehe
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ooo i also wonder if they will show adult harry and ginny….