Alan Horn, the president and chief operating officer of Warner Bros., has issued another statement about the move of the Half-Blood Prince movie to July 2009; in this statement he addresses the fans directly (as far as we know, this statement has only been sent to fan sites) and says that the decision to move the film was “not taken lightly” and “never intended to upset Harry Potter fans.” He also says, “We know you have built this series into what it is.”
The full text is below:
‘Many of you have written to me to express your disappointment in our moving “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” to Summer 2009. Please be assured that we share your love for Harry Potter and would certainly never do anything to hurt any of the films. Over the past 10 years, we have nurtured and protected each film, and the integrity of the books upon which they are based, to the best of our ability. The decision to move “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” was not taken lightly, and was never intended to upset our Harry Potter fans. We know you have built this series into what it is, and we thank you for your ongoing enthusiasm and support. If I may offer a silver lining: there would have been a two-year gap between “Half-Blood Prince” and the much-anticipated first part of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which opens in November 2010. So although we have to wait a little longer for “Half-Blood Prince,” the wait from that film until “Deathly Hallows” will be less than 18 months. I am sorry to have disappointed you now, but if you hold on a little longer, I believe it will be worth the wait.’
Shut it Mr. Horn. Stop lying to us. If you truly have any good in your soul, put the movie back how it was. Otherwise, you are Cornelius Fudge in person.
Yeah, he’s full of it and trying to placate. I’m totally boycotting opening weekend. If that’s what their looking for I won’t contribute. I’ll watch their numbers drop and laugh.
He should just shut up. Honestly, everyone should just shut up. It’s changed and, obviously, bitching about it isn’t going to get the date changed back. Get over it. Really, we’re Potter fans. We are USED to waiting.
sigh argh. okay, im not in shock, and im not angry now. im now sad. im already on stage 3 of the greiving process!!!!! yes! i just——argh. i know once HBP is done i will be really happy with the move, but still. in the meantime….
It still doesn’t change the cancellation of the Royal Film Performance that was for charity and got cancelled so WB could make more money in 2009.
I can’t trust any release dates they put out now. I don’t want HBP to do well if it comes out in the summer just cause I don’t want them to get any funny ideas about DH1 or DH2 release dates. We don’t need summer releases for both films. I like how they are set up right now. They could be closer but, I’m pleased with it right now.
As far back as I can remember I’ve never heard of anything like this, where a movie got moved back for no real reason. I’ve heard of production problems, but just plain we “found a weakness in the movie market.”
Any other examples? Or is this uniquely greedy?
I can accept that they did it for the money, because they are (of course) a company that wants to maximize its profits—though I do not understand how a summer release will do that, since most people will go to see HBP anyway, no matter when it comes out. I guess they have some department that’s in charge of predicting profit, etc. and they have all this figured out.
However, I am always annoyed by speeches made to try and appease fans. I was inclined to believe them when they said they were doing it for the money, but this whole “we share your love for Harry Potter and would certainly never do anything to hurt any of the films” just annoys me, since I have always criticized the films. I love the books, and feel that the movies never lived up to them in accuracy or in spirit.
I was upset about the later release date at first, but not so much anymore. It’s really quality that matters most to me.
After all, we know we would wait for another book by JKR for eight months, eight years, or even twenty years, because we know that she would write a great book, based on the books we’ve read so far.
What really bothers me is that, even though they’re taking an extra eight months, I am hesitant to believe that the film will be any more accurate and/or better than the previous ones. No matter how bad the movie is, no matter how inaccurate, no matter how many important scenes are cut out….lots of people will still go see the movie.
So, basically, I am more upset by my inability to believe that the movie will be good than about the actual date when it will be released.
Posted by Geek Squared 1307 on August 20, 2008, 01:56 AM
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MmmmmMMmmmmMMMM! What a nice steaming truck load of fresh BS.
Would have helped to tell us this before you even bothered to release the trailer. So that we wouldn’t get our hopes up. I just LOOOOVE how WB is trying to milk this franchise for all that it’s worth now.
Im going to stop complaineing, I know, shocker, but I believe what he said. For them to adress us this quickly and directly is surprising. I guess we do have a voice and it’s large enough for us to be adressed so respectfully. What upset me more then the date release was the un-professional way they handled the fans. I accept their apology and have one thing to add, this BETTER be a darn good movie for the extra long wait!
“I guess we do have a voice and it’s large enough for us to be adressed so respectfully.”
yeah…im just gonna hav 2 wait…mhpm…oh well
it might be better…cuz then i will be able 2 stay up and watch the Potter actors do interviews on late night talk shows when i couldnt do during school cuz i gotta wake up early
Stop talking Mr. Horn. Just stop talking.