Harry Potter rests behind a tombstone, his leg throbbing, his arm cut, the taunts of Lord Voldemort growing louder. Desperate, alone, and wickedly outmatched, Harry decides to stand up and fight like a man, to die on his feet like his father.
It’s a brilliant Old West “shootout” with “one of the meanest bad guys that’s ever been” enthused “Goblet of Fire” director Mike Newell. In retrospect, it also happens to be the climax of the whole Potter series. Everything in books 5, 6, and 7 lead from Harry’s decision here to actively fight Lord Voldemort and, more importantly, his willingness to die doing it.
But now that “Deathly Hallows” has been released, we wondered if Newell was aware of any of that, meaning did author J.K. Rowling happen to let slip any of Harry’s ultimate fate, like she did with some of the film’s young stars.
“No. Absolutely nothing. I asked her and she wouldn’t [say a thing]. She was very funny about that,” Newell recalled. “I asked her questions [and] she simply said ‘I’m not answering them. Not that. Not that. Not that.’”
“I remember we went up to see her in Edinburgh and her little daughter was in the room and she started to say cute things like, ‘Are you going to do this mummy?’” Newell continued, amused. “And [Jo] said ‘Sweetheart, why don’t you go into the other room and play?’”
Forget the Fidelius Charm, this is a lady who clearly knows how to keep a secret.
But even given a chance, there’s nothing Newell would want to change anyway – or add. Not S.P.E.W., not Dobby, not Rita Skeeter’s capture or Dumbledore’s “gleam of triumph.” Nothing.
“There was something in the book that was absolutely glorious and would produce this great driven vehicle which would really hum along. It was a God given thriller. It’s like ‘North by Northwest.’ That’s how the strong story in ‘Goblet’ worked,” Newell said. “I thought that was a colossal way of structuring the story, and would work really well. You would dilute that if you went into all the subplots.”
It would be especially diluted, Newell continue (breaking every fans’ heart at once)if it were to be two movies.
“There’s a whole storyline for [Hermione] that’s all about free the house elf, and it was okay. But if that was going to be shunted into a second movie I couldn’t see what was going to keep that second movie afloat,” he said, defending his choices.
And J.K.?
“[She] was happy as a lark,” Newell insisted. “She says the book is the book and the movie is the movie.”
But what do you think? Could a two-part movie have succeeded? How would you have expanded “Goblet?” By cutting so much, have the filmmakers painted themselves into a corner for “Hallows?” Sound off below.
Yates and Goldenberg were brilliant for Order of the Phoenix. Sadly, Kloves is back for Half-Blood Prince...I have no hope for this film, but whatever.
I have read the books, and obviously they have a lot more going on than the movies, but, the movies as a whole new continuity are very good, as long as they keep the spirit.
Having said that, I think each and every movie has gotten progressively worse. I would loved to have seen all of these as 6 hour or more mini series in the vein of Roots. This summer I watched OotP and Transformers right after each other and Transformers was by far the better movie. OotP was boring and I hate to admit that even to myself.
I LOVE the books and I just want to be taken completely into the movies and that has not happened with a single movie so far. Fans have proven that they are willing to sit through a 3 hour movie (LotR anyone?), why are the HP movies just over 100 minutes long?
I am disappointed that Newell is back again for the next instalment. If he is only going to pick 4 events that happen in the book and ignore the rest, I don't have much hope for improvement from his last attempt.
I do not think that turning GoF into 2 films would have done well. Sure they could have fit in more storylines, but it would have made for a more boring turn, fans judging each movie specifically (when in reality it is one story--my example is the kill bill vols.), and , since I feel that this is the weakest film of all, 2 segments of not so great film time.
As for who should direct the final installation: my vote is for either Curan or Yates, or maybe someone new. The artistry of Curan is amazing and I think he could add alot to the darker plotline. I like the way Yates directs, and think he did a wonderful job on OotP and that HBP will be great in turn. But we will see....
I don't think Columbus could handle the darker themes seeing that he directed the most lighthearted of the two films. My picks would have to be either Curon, Yates, or someone new.