Harry Potter producer David Heyman has given a new interview to Collider.com where he discusses at length the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Among the many topics such as the forthcoming Ultimate Collectors DVD, info on why Scrimgeour was cut from Half-Blood Prince, we also learn that the scripts are both around 120 pages long, and notably some new (slight spoilers) about the highly anticipated end of DH Part Two, including the Battle of Hogwarts. Quotes of interest:
With the 2 parts that you’re filming now, what is the longest part of the shoot? Like what scene are you guys planning on spending the most time on? HEYMAN: The final battle.
I’m a huge fan of the book. The ending of Book 7 is really climatic in so many ways. Is that going to be like a 20-minute part of the movie or a 30-minute part of the movie? Have you guys already started thinking about that? HEYMAN: Absolutely. I mean we’ve got a script version of it. I think it’ll probably be 30 minutes, they get the Hogwarts fairly early on, but there’s a lot of build up before the battle happens, you know? And there are 2 parts to the battle. There’s the first part and then there’s the post-death of Harry part, if you know what I mean.
I know exactly what you mean. HEYMAN: Yeah, so in a way there’s a couple of different parts to that battle.
Well, it’s almost like the ending of Book 7 and the ending of movie 2-part 2 is almost like what people have been waiting for all the movies to see, which is the big, big showdown. HEYMAN: It’s funny, yes I think that’s true and the showdown will be…that poses its own challenges in terms of adaptation. Not only the expectation of that final showdown but also what I love about Jo’s work is that’s it’s emotionally rooted. And in the book, actually, Harry doesn’t do much fighting back. In fact, he’s…I’m not going to use the word but he has the “blank” beaten out of him. I just said well, there’s more engagement in our version of the final battle.
I was going to ask you about that because that’s one of the things, to me, is amazing about the ending of that book is that Harry accepts his fate without knowing what’s going to happen. It can go either way, you know? And it’s sort of he’s… HEYMAN: That’s true up until…when he’s reborn, Harry is aware that Voldemort is vulnerable and is a defeated man. And that’s something that we’re wrestling with and determining right now just so that it works in cinematic terms and not just on a…yeah that it works cinematically."
I believe I may be the only one who feels this way, but I absolutely HATE the title Deathly Hallows Pt 1 and Deathly Hallows Pt 2. :/ It doesnt really “roll off the tongue” to say, "hey, do you wanna see harry potter and the deathly hallows part one? I mean, why not just title the first film Deathly Hallows, and the second The Battle of Hogwarts, even the focus isn’t strictly on the battle. That’s just my opinion, and I’m comfortable to disagree with everyone else, but I would like to see a bit of effort in finding more creative or original titles in the next 16 months :) (this is the least of my concerns, of course)
30 minutes is not that long when you think about all of the monumental – and many grievous – events that take place from the start of the battle to Harry’s final moment of truth. If edited too closely together, the audience won’t have a proper chance to absorb or recover from one before witnessing the next. And we have all waited a loooong time for this, so if that were to mean a 3-1/2 hour Part Two DH, then I would happliy and most gratefully sit through it.
As the saying goes, “Measure twice, cut once.” Because, once it’s done, it’s done.
He’s not saying they’re thinking of changing it where Harry actually fights back, is he? In that confrontation scene in the forest? If so……that will be quite upsetting! I hope I misread…
Well, I am NOT happy about the length of the script AT ALL. 120 pages each means two 2-hour movies, not two 2 1/2 hour movies, which is what we need. It’s about a minute per page of script. Now I am really not happy. And I don’t know about 30 minutes for the battle, either, I mean if he’s talking strictly the battle, maybe, but otherwise I think that may end up short-changing some of what is so amazing about the end of the book.
These double posts are killing me…if this one doubles…
And I’m cool with a half hour battle. I think it really depends on where the split is. (Does that make sense?)
If the split happens early on, I would be nervous about a really long battle because then more stuff would have to be cut. If the split is later, then I would be happy with a reallllly long battle scene.
These movies should definitely be longer than 2 hrs. each. At that length there was absolutely no need to split it up. One 4 hr. long movie is not incredibly excessive.
Now what’s this crap about Harry getting the crap beaten out of him and that he is going to fight back in the movie. Apparently, I read a different book than these people because all I remember is Harry taking a killing curse. Not only was that not “getting the crap beaten out of him” but it was also absolutely essential. Harry couldn’t fight it. That was the point of the sacrifice. It was necessary for him to go into it knowing that he was going to die. He intentionally kept his wand in his cloak so that he wouldn’t be tempted to fight which would have nullified the sacrifice. If he’d fought back, he would have died.
If i walk out of deathy hallows as diappointed at the end as i was with the end of HBP i think i’ll cry! I like the way harry doesn’t fight back but protects everyone and then kill voldy it was brilliant!
If i walk out of deathy hallows as diappointed at the end as i was with the end of HBP i think i’ll cry! I like the way harry doesn’t fight back but protects everyone and then kill voldy it was brilliant!
"They call it the Dementor's Kiss," said Lupin, with a slightly twisted smile. "It's what dementors do to those they wish to destroy utterly. I suppose there must be some kind of mouth under there, because they clamp their jaws upon the mouth of the victi
That’s cool… but I’m not sure about this Harry fighting back bit. I’ll just have to see how it turns out! =]