Empire magazine has a new interview with Harry Potter producer David Heyman on the decision to make two films out of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In this new article, David Heyman describes the thought process behind the decision to split, debating on whether to make a “four and a half hour film,” or the possibility of both as “two and a half hours long” and much more. He also declines to say where the split in the book will come as “don’t have the first script. We do have a point roughly where we want to end, but we haven’t got a draft to know if that works yet.”
On the matter of splitting and length of the films he says quote: ” We just thought how are we going to approach this? Is this going to be a four and a half hour film? That’s probably what it would have been. Would our audience really embrace that? In some way, I think they might. But I think the younger ones would have drifted. There’s always been difficulty making sure that the ones that are two hours, two and a half hours long – making sure that those are the right length. I think by having two films that are two and a half hours – although we’re not sure of the length – then it will be a richer experience. One of the challenges that faces us, which we’ve been discussing, is how to give each film its own identity. We want them to feel like one film, but they’ve got to be self-contained too. We feel now that we’ve got a really good angle on that. But we haven’t got a script yet on either part, so I don’t want to say too much.”
Empire: So these films will be the same length as the ones that came before? We won’t see two films that clock in under two hours?
David Heyman: No. The idea is to get everything people want in there. I’m sure there’ll be parts that don’t make it, which we won’t know until the script is written. But that is the idea.
Empire: What do you think is the natural separation point in the books? Where can you end the first film in a satisfying way?
David Heyman: It depends what feeling you want [to end on]. I don’t want to answer that just yet because we don’t have the first script. We do have a point roughly where we want to end, but we haven’t got a draft to know if that works yet.”
In addition there are comments on the discussion with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling on the decision to split the book, how the cast members (especially Dan Radcliffe) would handle the filming, and says again they will begin filming both movies at the same time, starting next February. Finally of note are some of the scenes David Heyman is looking forward to in the movies, as he says:
“Well, the final battle, but there’s so much. I love the character stuff. I love the resolution of Dumbledore and Snape. I love the multiple Harries at the beginning. I love the scene of Hermione trapped at the Malfoys’. I love Harry and Hermione in the forest. I think there’s so much, it’s such a rich fabric. What we’ve done now, which I think is really exciting, is that we’ve found thematic centres for each of the films. That gives the film heart. I think it’s pretty great that David Yates has crystalised it and…it’s early days still, so I’m not going to say too much. But I’m just thrilled that David Yates decided to come back, because he’s really found a new spirit for the sixth film and as we talk about seven, it’s very different as well. I think it’s going to be good.”
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One will be released Holiday (November) of 2010, with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two due May (early summer timeframe) 2011.
Indeed money was considered when making the decision to split the final film. But some of you think it’s because they want to make all the money they can possibly get because they’re just a bunch of greedy jerks. I disagree. They couldn’t have made a 4+ hour movie because it would hurt all the theatres screening the film as well, the theatres would make less money because the longer the movie is, the less screenings they can show per day, thus resulting in less tickets being sold, less people would be able to watch the movie per day, and the theatres wouldn’t have agreed to that.
I believe that some of the production crew agreed with the split because they really did want to make the final film as amazing as possible, and all the sequences in the book were too good, they couldn’t possibly have left out any major scenes. We wouldn’t want this movie at a rushed pace, some scenes will have to be slow, which I prefer. They couldn’t possibly make a good film when it’s less than 3 hours, not with Deathly Hallows anyway.
I also agree with the 6 month wait b/w the 2 parts, it’s decently spaced, and I don’t find it too long at all.
Make the movie 4 hours long I say…any adult idiotic enough to bring a kid who can’t sit through a 4 hour Harry Potter film deserves to have to leave halfway through. Come on, this shouldn’t be suitable for kids anyway this is a dark story and needs to stay that way
This news has made me as giddy as a schoolgirl ! Deathly Hallows deserves the best film and screen treatment it can get and if splitting it is the only way to do it justice ( and it IS ) then I say…yes !
I heart you Mr. Heyman, Mr. Yates and everyone else who went into this decision making process. Mr. Heyman and Mr. Yates are taking OUR concerns very seriously, this time around. They are truly concerned with how WE will feel, in seeing this book come to life. They are not just lining their own pockets !
This is wonderful 1 I feel like I am back in the beginnings of the LOTR days !!!
Also, let us NOT forget this:
“[ David Yates] 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.”
I am STILL squeeing and dancing at the thought of 5 hours of Harry Potter. YAY!! I heart you, Yates and Heyman. Can’t wait to see what PotterCast says! * dances away *
I think it’s funny that he mentions the resolution of Snape and Dumbledore when if you just knew the movies you wouldn’t think anything was going on! You wouldn’t even know that Snape was a Death Eater apart from that quick line from the Pensieve scene in GoF. It’s gonna feel so randomly thrown in when they FINALLY get around to the Snape material. And LILY, who’s she exactly??
YAY!!!!! 5 HOURS of Harry Potter!!!! The only two things that i’m concerned about with the movie are: how they’re going to end the first half, and that we have to wait seven months to see the the second half after we watch the first part. Come on WB, couldn’t you PLEASE release the second half a little earlier???
I agee with everyone who’s saying, “Who cares how much money WB makes?” Maybe, just maybe, someone involved in the making of the films finally decided that the fans deserve to have this series end the way it should: with all the major plotlines from the book being filmed(finally!). How can any true Potter fan be complaining about two films?
Sorry guys, I’m still not buying into any of this; frankly, the more I hear about it, the less I like it. Each part will be two and a half hours? That says to me one of two things; either that a) they’re throwing the structure of the book out of the window and artificially ripping the narrative skeleton in half, or that b) they’re throwing the entire basics of cinema storytelling conventions out of the window, and vomiting out a formless five-hour screed. Neither sounds particularly appealing to me, given that I was hoping that we might close the series with a genuinely high-quality film, that actually, y’know, ADAPTS the material into an independently coherent cinematic equivalent of the book.
Moreover, this “real fan” talk is truly to tick me off. I’ve been reading Harry Potter for eight years, I bought Deathly Hallows on launch day, I love the books to pieces, blah, blah, blah…but, you know what? I’ve read the books already. Multiple times. They’re great as they are. Why would I want to see a film version that makes no changes, takes no effort in adapting it to a new medium, and is essentially just a contrived, unnatural imitation of the book? It’ll be little more than an expensive moving illustration at best, a pointless waste of time and money at worst. The real joys to me of seeing the adaptations of Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix (and hopefully Half-Blood Prince to come) was that they gave me the opportunity to experience those stories fresh again; here were the same stories I loved, but this time made as films, and therefore told through a different medium in a totally different style, allowing them to sit alongside the books as separate but equally worthwhile creative entities. I was truly looking forward to experiencing that same sense of rediscovery on Deathly Hallows, my favourite of the books; with this announcement, I feel that that chance has been snatched away. Why does that make me less of a fan?
I haven’t seen the films yet; of course, they could well come along and prove my fears totally unfounded, and there’ll be no-one happier about that than me. All I’m saying is that, on the basis of what we’ve heard, every instinct I have, every critical sense I’ve developed over a lifetime of watching and loving movies, is telling me that this is the wrong decision, made for the wrong reasons. Over to you, David Yates.
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am soooo excited! I prayed for two films, finally the FULL STORY!!!!!!!! I just can’t wait…JKR Pleeeeeese!!!!!!!! write more, I know you are fascinated by Albus, as am I…as are we…We, the ardent, hard core, obsessive (in a proper way!) ultimate fan plead that you will continue your triumph, that you will continue to wirte your obsession (for obviously it has been an obsession for you as for us!) and bring us more HP, in the lives of Harry’s children, or pre-story…we all know you have it !!! Don’t leave it for the film producers to make…this is YOUR story!!!
We love you Jo, please consider it!
Counting down to the HBP & DH film releases…. one, two, three….
That’s nice, I really like David Heyman! I’m sure he’s made right choice by deciding to split the movie!! So much DH news in the past few days, love it!!
I can see where you’re coming from, but you’re in the minority (which really isn’t that minor). It seems that you prefer a HP movie that captures the essence and main points of the book, but conveys it in a different and more original method. I’m guessing you want to see how the screenwriters can take the massive content from the book and transform it into an entertaining 2 – 2.5 hour film. I wouldn’t mind that either, I’m pretty neutral when it comes to the films, I just watch it and that’s that. But I think most of the book-reading fans prefer to see the actual words from the book translated onto the screen so they can watch the mental images they formed as they read come to life.
Let’s actually wait ‘till we see DH before we form any ill feelings towards the film.
BTW, the whole “true fan” thing irks me as well.
Indeed money was considered when making the decision to split the final film. But some of you think it’s because they want to make all the money they can possibly get because they’re just a bunch of greedy jerks. I disagree. They couldn’t have made a 4+ hour movie because it would hurt all the theatres screening the film as well, the theatres would make less money because the longer the movie is, the less screenings they can show per day, thus resulting in less tickets being sold, less people would be able to watch the movie per day, and the theatres wouldn’t have agreed to that. I believe that some of the production crew agreed with the split because they really did want to make the final film as amazing as possible, and all the sequences in the book were too good, they couldn’t possibly have left out any major scenes. We wouldn’t want this movie at a rushed pace, some scenes will have to be slow, which I prefer. They couldn’t possibly make a good film when it’s less than 3 hours, not with Deathly Hallows anyway. I also agree with the 6 month wait b/w the 2 parts, it’s decently spaced, and I don’t find it too long at all.