It's hard to believe that, by the end of 2011, the full collection of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" books will have been committed to film. It's been a staggering effort on the part of the producers, holding together (for the most part) a cast of talented actors who truly bring Rowling's magical world of wizarding schools, fantastic creatures and ancient evil to life.
This isn't to say that "Potter" has been without change. Michael Gambon stepped into the role of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore out of necessity after the tragic loss of Richard Harris. And by the end of the eight-volume series -- "Deathly Hallows" will be split into two -- there will have been four directors: Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron, Mike Newell and, most recently, David Yates. It's not terribly surprising to learn that Narcissa Malfoy actor Helen McCrory, speaking to Rotten Tomatoes, thinks Yates' time with series has been particularly "special." Her reasoning certainly drives the point home as to why so many fans agree with her however.
"[Half-Blood Prince] was definitely filled with teenage angst, and you remember how violent teenage angst is. There's nothing romantic about it," she said. "You're thinking, 'Oh my God, what am I going to do for the rest of my life?' You're starting to make decisions about the rest of your life. I think [Yates] really summed that up in a very real way, and a very serious way."
McCrory went on to mention that shooting for the final films finishes in April, commenting on how the dynamic changes with a truly final end date in sight. "I think up to now, every director who has done a Harry Potter has had to do a dot-dot-dot. They know it's a sequel, they know there's another film coming out. But with this one, we can actually make everything have an epic ending. It's going to be final. And it's going to be huge. There doesn't have to be any more pauses or dot-dot-dots. So they're letting out all the stops with this one."
After the somewhat disappointing finale in "Half-Blood Prince," I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I hope the story ends with an epic bang. Rowling's climax and denouement are so perfect as they are written... but the question remains whether or not they'll play as well on a big screen.
How high are your hopes for the two parts of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"?
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