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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Ive changed my mine. I think they should cut it after shell cottage . it would make a pretty good ending seen for dobbys funeral thingy. AND I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING. WE HAVE TO WAIT TWO STINKIN YEARS TO SEE DEATHLY HOLLOWS PART WONE THEN ANOTHER SIX MONTHS TO SEE HARRY KILL VOLDIE. NONESENCE! THAT IS REDICULOUS. IF THEY ARE TAKING THAT LONG TO MAKE THE MOVIE THEN IT BETTER BE GOOD.
SOO ECXITED SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Ive changed my mine. I think they should cut it after shell cottage . it would make a pretty good ending seen for dobbys funeral thingy. AND I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING. WE HAVE TO WAIT TWO STINKIN YEARS TO SEE DEATHLY HOLLOWS PART WONE THEN ANOTHER SIX MONTHS TO SEE HARRY KILL VOLDIE. NONESENCE! THAT IS REDICULOUS. IF THEY ARE TAKING THAT LONG TO MAKE THE MOVIE THEN IT BETTER BE GOOD.
SOO ECXITED SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Ive changed my mine. I think they should cut it after shell cottage . it would make a pretty good ending seen for dobbys funeral thingy. AND I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING. WE HAVE TO WAIT TWO STINKIN YEARS TO SEE DEATHLY HOLLOWS PART WONE THEN ANOTHER SIX MONTHS TO SEE HARRY KILL VOLDIE. NONESENCE! THAT IS REDICULOUS. IF THEY ARE TAKING THAT LONG TO MAKE THE MOVIE THEN IT BETTER BE GOOD.
SOO ECXITED SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
As long as Dobby is not replaced by Kreacher…
But how can they do this without Bill, Fleur, and Mudungus?
Keith, I think that is disrespectful of Jo. She has already given us 7 wonderful books and 17 years of her life. Give her some closure. Because if we milk a next generation out of her, we’d still demand more and more. She also wouldn’t be putting as much heart into it, I’d say. She’s had 17 years to work out everything with Harry, and couldn’t possibly continue on the same feel with the next generation.
She says she’s done, and she’s done. I’m actually satisfied with the Harry Potter story. I still crave Jo writing, but I’ll wait until the Scottish book and for her non Harry Potter stories to come out. :)
Cant say I’m pleased I rather just see one long movie with an intermission then to have to wait 6months to see the 2nd part. Clearly a way for WB to squeeze even more money out of HP franchise. Of course I’ll go see both assuming I’m still alive. It just very freaky to know that when the 2nd part of DH comes out I’ll have just turned 28.
Hmmm, I’m not so happy about this – seems to be a minority on this side. It’s not that I want them to cut a lot of stuff, but I’d much rather have a really long movie. I read the book all in one go and I think there is an arch of tension that should not be broken.
If I had to make a break, where would I put it? Probably at a moment of rest, maybe at Shell Cottage after the escape from Malfoy Manor or even later, after the escape on the dragon. That would make a great final and leave enough space for all the detail in the epic last 24 hours.
“Unlike every other book, you cannot remove elements of this book…”
I disagree. You could remove the whole DD backstory, seeing as it has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PLOT. Not to mention that it’s repeated over and over…
Sorry, but after the way some of the other books got condensed to confused messes in the other movies, NOW, with a book that spends a lot of time sitting around on its butt and another large portion talking about stuff that has nothing to do with the main plot, they give a crap?
Posted by fenm on March 12, 2008 @ 05:56 PM
I totally agree with you. This is just so WB can milk this cash cow a bit longer. Look they have it going until mid 2011. This is not for the fans so don’t kid yourselves they will still cut things and change things such as Bill and Fluer since they droped them from HPB.
@Fenm: Obviously all of that backstory is NOT going to be in there. but to cut it out altogether…NO WAY!!! do you like Harry potter???? how could you have not liked finding all of that out. That was brilliant. But I pretty sure they’re going to cut down some of the tent stuff. there’s no way all of that is going to be in there. But I think it’s safe to say all of the big stuff is going to be in there aka: the 7 potters, the wedding, the ministry break in, godric’s hollow, the ron fight, the silver doe, malfoy manor, xenophilius lovegood, shell cottage, dobby’s death, gringotts break in, hogwarts battle, ron and hermione kiss, ravenclaw common room, snape’s death, harry’s “death”, neville cutting off the head of nagini, the voldemort battle, the epilogue!!!! i’m sure i left some stuff out, but there’s a good chance all of that is going to be in there and that’s awesome!
Speaking objectively, I don’t see the movies as anything spectacular. Sure, they offer a visual aid to the books, but personally I prefer my imagination; the books were the main thing for me. The acting by the ‘kids’ was generally sub-par to begin with but they’re slowly coming into their own, finding their feet and I hope by 2010/11 they’ll have had enough experience to become really better actors.
On an entertainment level the films are good, but I don’t think it’s going to be the end of the world because of the delay. However, from a marketing aspect, they might want to re-think their strategy with the two-year gap between films. . .
That is FANTASTIC news!!!!!!! Can’t wait!! I was wondering how they were going to fit that fantastic book into a measley 2 1/2 hour movie.
Now they remember there are subplots that should make it into the film? Oh, sad oxymoron: I’ll be there to see both both films of course, but I find the decision a mere pretext to keep squeezing the HP money maker for one more year.
Happy to hear it. I think the first part will end with the escape from Gringotts, and the dragon flying off into the sunset, and Ron (or Harry?) joking that Hermione wants it as a pet.
@Jimi: I think they can probably introduce Bill and Fleur in book 7 or just Bill. We’ve already met Fleur. But I think they could maybe just have Kreacher say that Umbridge took the locket from him while he was in diagon alley or something. that sounds like something umbridge would do because she wouldn’t think an house elf deserved something as valuable as the locket.
This is fantastic news !
It might have taken them 6 years but -finally, both the source material AND the Potter fam network are being treated withe respect they deserve just as the Lord of The Rings and its fans were.
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I say we start a petition to get more Harry Potter Books written. Maybe on the next generation. The demand is there, we want more and more!