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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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@Daniella: No way. that’s way too far into the story. I think it has to end somewhere around the Silver Doe, Malfoy Manor, or Shell cottage. A lot of stuff happens before, after, and during all of those points in the book.
To all those concerned about Bill & Fleur: With Film 7 & 8 they can ADD both into the films. It won’t be that hard ‘cause they won’t be nearly as pressed for time.
Shell Cottage, Malfoy Manor are both way too far in. The Silver Doe is even pushing it.
Oh, wow. I love this. I think the cut will be made after Ron comes back, and they’ve destroyed the Horcrux. It just makes sense, since it’s exactly in the middle of the book, and we have a climax and all that. The last scene could be them apparating outside of Xenophilious house, and Yates will have like a majestic landscape and sappy music and all that stuff, LOL, I can see it right now!
I dont know why some of you are complaining that WB is just trying to squeeze more money out of us. THATS NOT WHY. they specifically said that they cant cut too many of the parts out so they are splitting it into two movies. AND WHY ARE YOU COMPLAINING ANYWAY. AT LEAST WE ARE GETTING MORE HARRY POTTER FILMS JUST LIKE ANOTHER HARRY POTTER BOOK (ENCYCLOPEDIA) you should be ashamed that you are accusing them of just trying to get money out of us. IF YOU’RE SO UPSET ABOUT IT THEN THERE IS ONLY ONE SOLOUTION. DONT GO SEE THE MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JEEZ. ... MOST OF US ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE TWO MOVIES AND YOUR NEGATIVITY IS JUST BRINGING US DOWN SO IF YOU HAVE ANY NEGATIVE COMMENTS….. DONT BOTHER POSTING THEM
THANK YOU.
They need two films if they want to put everything they left out in the 5 and 6 first movies !
Yay for two! And Happy Birthday Sue! This is the best present for you! :D
I like that we’ll be seeing a lot of DH on the big screen. Though kinda gutted, we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see the end. Now wonder where they are going to split it.
No,No,No,No,No!!!!!! I am so upset about this!!! I’m not so upset about Yates, but I really don’t like the idea of the two movies being split so far apart!!! I mean, the idea of releasing the movies about 6 months apart from each other is pure torture!! I think it’s wrong and cruel!!! Ugh! I am so mad!!! I mean, are they saying that by the time the DVD for part 1 comes out, we’ll get to go see the 2nd part?! Oh my god, I am so dissapointed!
YAY! And that goes for Yates too, though I’m a little sad (a lot sad) that its not Cuaron. OotP was good, I expect Yates will make the next three even better. :D
But OMG, we have to wait a whole YEAR for the next part?! .... ok,, not a whole year, lol, but still. This is going to be awesome either way!!!!!
One place to split it would be just after Xeno’s house, because then you are still close to the midpoint of the book, but you’ve introduced the Hallows, so the title will make sense. However, that’s not a very climactic place to end a movie. They’ll probably make the split later like Malfoy Manor or Shell Cottage like some people are saying because there is so little that can be cut from that point on that they’d have trouble fitting it all in to the second movie.
You can really tell now that Yates is indeed a TV director. I can just imagine the end of Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
RON: I get it, you choose him. HERMIONE: Ron, don’t go, don’t go! RON: disapparates HERMIONE: sobs VOICEOVER: Will Ron ever come back and reconcile with the love of his life? Will our heroes ever find the sword? Where will they ever find the remaining horcruxes? Find out, in 6 months, on the next episode of Harry Potter.
Gringotts can be easily cut; they can be captured fron Xeno’s rather than from a random spot in the camp. That’d actually help speed up the film.
Mixed feelings here. SO excited that Yates is staying on! Was very nervous Cuaron might come back, but now no worries about that. :) Also thrilled at the idea of very little plot being cut. BUT I can’t help but wish it were one long movie. I just think the first movie is going to be very lame and that we’re going to lose a lot by breaking it in two, but I hope to be proven wrong. I will stay optimistic and trust that these guys are pros. The other downer is, as many have mentioned, that it will take them TWO YEARS after HBP to come out with part 1 and then another 6 whole months for part 2!!! Good grief—what if we get hit by a bus between now and then???? But all in all, I can’t help but feel more happy than frustrated, mostly due to the talk about how they just can’t condense and slice and dice this one. I suppose the best thing is to not encourage our friends who haven’t read the book to go see part 1 until shortly before part 2…I just think part 2 is going to mean a lot less with part 1 so far behind it.
This is wonderful news! I am in complete agreement, w/Mr Heyman and others, that there is no way to “pare down” this book. No “subplots”...By the way, kids! The projected release will be 6 months…NOT a year! I know, it’s still a “long time”, but it will give everyone a chance to see the first half, and then the second. It’s so unfortunate when the movies are too close together…or too far apart. Either you don’t get to see the first part, before it’s “pulled” or you “forget’ what happened in “the first half” WOW! This is great. And, it looks like I got my wish: MR DAVID YATES, AT THE HELM!!!!! By the way, from what I’ve seen, so far, Mr Kloves is the perfect screenwriter. He’ll know just how to put it all together…..two movies….nothing “lost” in the translation! I’m jazzed! [can you tell???] LOL [and lest than an hour between the article, with Mr Lewis, and the “offical announcement!”
In fact, the split probably HAS to come after Xeno’s house or else no one will know what a deathly hallow is.
YES! I’m so glad there will be two parts to DH! I can’t wait, it’s going to be great. I’m totally fine with Yates directing the films since I loved what he did with OotP (although Alfonso would have been awesome too). Madam Hooch I completly agree with you that the arrival at Shell Cottage would be a perfect scene for the split.
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I have a version of the book in MS Word and the EXACT halfway point of the book is when Hermione is trying to attack Ron in the tent after he returns. However, maybe there is more stuff in the first half of the book that can be cut so they will choose to make the halfway point later. It seems like in the second half of the book there is just about nothing that can be cut, except maybe some of the time spent hanging out at Shell Cottage.