As readers are aware, the news of the delay in the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince film until July 17, 2009 was met with great emotion, dismay, and a fair amount of anger. The Wall Street Journal has a new article online today, focusing on the reaction to the news from Warner Brothers, including the subsequent “apology” from WB president Alan Horn. The article states that “People at the studio say that while they knew that tampering with the Harry Potter release date could stir up dark forces, the studio never expected the current onslaught.” Some of that onslaught would include the multiple emails, petitions, YouTube videos (“Greg and Penny Gershman overlaid their own subtitles to a German film about the final days of Adolf Hitler. “How am I supposed to get my Potter fix now!” Hitler violently shouts, according to the new subtitles, when told of the delay by one of his officials. He adds: “We are going to make Warner Brothers suffer.”) and angry responses posted globally on the net and in mails sent to Mr. Horn himself. Examples:
“Jean Fink, a 51-year-old Los Angeles artist who also works as an administrative assistant, was so distraught after a night of fitful sleep that she dashed off a scathing message to the man who’d betrayed her. “I can’t breath amymore [sic] because you just ripped out my heart,” she wrote in an Aug. 15 email.
...
”...die-hard fans, sometimes called “Potterheads,” weren’t appeased. Kerry McGee, a 24-year-old office administrator from Townsville, Australia, says Mr. Horn’s attempt to create a positive spin on the delay “put fuel on the fire.” In response to Mr. Horn’s apology she sent 30 angry letters to Warner Bros. in bright red envelopes—an allusion to “howlers,” a magical kind of hate mail in the Potter world that screams loudly at the recipient and explodes violently if left unopened.”
Additional comments are reflected in The Telegraph here. The Wall Street Journal piece continues on to note that much of the anger was directed toward the exec at WB, as many felt the move was a purely money generating and motivated decision move, “a crass admission that the studio cares only about bigger box-office returns. “YOU just slapped the face of EVERY Harry Potter Fan and told us you don’t care what we want—you only want our money!” stormed Natalie DeGennaro, a 50-year-old electronic-design engineer who lives in Hillsborough, N.C., in an email she sent to Time Warner Chief Executive Jeffrey Bewkes, Warner Bros. Chairman Barry Meyer and other executives.”
We here at Leaky and many of the other fan sites witnessed first hand the emotional, and largely angry outpouring of emotion that filled our comments by the hundreds and hundreds. Our own Melissa Anelli is cited as saying “A lot of our fans live in a fantasy world that they share with hundreds of thousands of other people—so when some people get angry, they feed off each other.” Andrew Sims of MuggleNet chimed in with the thought that “If something new came out, everybody would forget about it. But I got to be honest, a little part of me died inside when I heard about the delay.”
But honestly, from the very first release of Philosophers Stone, WB has either not cared or were unaware of how to properly treat their fans in respect of the Potter films.
Consider the brilliant and thoughtful treatment of “the Ringer” by Peter Jackson and New Line re The Lord of The Rings.
Every December, there would be a new cinema film. Then the following April, a DVD with excellent behind the scenes documentaries. Then – the extended editions DVDs in September with a massive amount of extras all carefully put together showing just how carefully they valued both the fanbase -and the potental of DVDs.
The result ? Artistic, commercial and fan based hapiness !!!
Can you imagine what woul -could have happened if WBs cared just 10% as much about the Potter films ?
I’ve got to be honest – I don’t understand the reaction. I love HP as much as anybody here but still…...it’s just a movie. There’s nothing new in it! We have the book, which is a million times better than any movie could possibly be!
Sure, it’s a bit disappointing to have to wait until next year, but really, is worth the kind of emotional distress the article reports?
this is the first time I hear some media talks about the delay. its not really public,is it? only HP fans knows about it(and Twilight fans:O ). so of course nothing’s going to change.
I’m really active on you tube,and I watched that Hitler/Potter delay video-and its awesome! here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXnt8_okeRA
and my favorite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2ThAXJDyZU
Hee. An article about fans. We’re famous! All the Hate Katie kids will finally be calmed.
Yeah, fans are mad. We already knew that, but M Jones is right. LotR was overall better planned and more geek friendly (possibly a reflection of PJ’s geek friendly self?) – but guys behind LotR had all the books in their hands before they even started the projects & WB did not have that luxury, so every film had to be taken once at a time.
Still, we have no real right to feel like we deserve anything. We haven’t given WB anything except our support and the money for cinema tickets – what do they really owe us?
I’m pretty sure it will only be a couple of decades before these films are remade and done properly.
The articles feature extreme cases and do not offer flattering portraits of the profiled individuals.
I was as disappointed as the next person to hear news of the delay but there is nothing that can be done now, and I fear any further out cry will only set us up for more of this public humiliation.
Posted by Libatius Borage on September 08, 2008, 03:06 PM
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I have to say I did not believe my friend when she told me the movie was delayed. and delayed a YEAR!!
I Love harry potter. Since I do not have any more books to look forward to the Movies is where I dream now. I remember my first harry potter movie. It was so very special to me, and to have me have to wait 2 Years for the 6th movie to come out is ridiculous. I was so angry when i found out. took me over 2 weeks to calm down. IM still pissed at Warner Brothers…. Why couldnt twilight wait.. Theres more people who want harry potter than Twilight.
W.B> You let me down. maybe i sneak into the movie next time. And pay for popcorn least the mvoie theatre gets money that way. NOt you.
Go home. and Grow up. NOW YOUR MARKET!.
What is most important is the number of succesful adults that are so angry. This really helps our cause because it shows that Potter fans are not just teenagers who are not to be taken seriously. By the way—I am a 34 year old Highschool English teacher.
For me…it’s not that it is being set for July….but that they taunted us with November…. it would have been less hurtful if they didn’t set a date and THEN change it. for that matter? why didn’t they set it for Christmas? that would have been lovely… families have time off….........
i’m not livid….just hurt.
what upset me more….is a lack of S.P.E.W. and although I love the extra attention to Neville…Dobby is getting sorely mistreated. that storeyline meant a lot to me…it symbolized a lot of Hermione’s compassion and Dobby’s strength. if they included more of that… well… I Might be more included to forgive and forget. OoOoO….and if they had a scene where Lupin remininced sitting around the fire talking about the his friends… (not cannon…...but at least it would make more connections….some of his pain…. AND be a wonderful use of a Great actor….. wow… i’m actually giddy thinking of a scene that will never be… but it would be Great)
Aww, that’s awesome we made the news! Haven’t had time to read the article yet, I just hope they didn’t make us out to be batty fanatics, like some news sources seem to enjoy doing. XD
Um, since when have we been refered to as “potterheads”? :P That was rather inventive.
Posted by Little Snidget on September 08, 2008, 03:22 PM
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this is getting a bit out of hand.its just a movie. I’m okay with waiting for it. Maybe some of you should get out of your house a bit more. see the sun, get a tan, maybe even a significant other. that should keep you busy until july right?
just dont take it out on alan horn.he’s just doing what he thinks is right, and if you’re a true harry potter fan you’d support his decision like i do.
[Ron] let go of the gnome's ankles: It flew twenty feet into the air and landed with a thud in the field over the hedge.[br]"Pitiful," said Fred. "I bet I can get mine beyond that stump."
the wrath & power of the fans has been heard!