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. Read more...
As most magic-loving Muggles know, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" -- the final installment in J.K. Rowling's seven book series -- will be split into two pieces for its upcoming movie adaptation. There have long been suggestions and assumptions about where that split might lie. Last we heard, director David Yates had "three or four different ideas" about where the break should be.
Now we have what looks to be confirmation, though it's important to remember the old adage that "looks can be deceiving" in this particular case. Joshua Herdman, who plays Slytherin crony Goyle in the films, broke the news in a Q&A held in the UK several weeks ago. "Potter" fansite MuggleNet is quick to point out that "the director and producers have made it clear that they could very well change" the split point, so take all of this for what it's worth. Be warned, there's also a moderate spoiler, unrelated to the split point, in Herdman's comments. Read more...
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is the story of… who the hell am I kidding? Like anyone on the planet doesn't know exactly who Harry Potter is. The seventeen tribes of the Kwakwaka'wakw know who Harry Potter is. They recite their exhaustive knowledge of Hogwarts' inner workings at the annual potlatch.
The sixth entry in the series wastes no time trying to tell you who Harry Potter is either. It knows you know. Adapting an 800-plus-page, year-long narrative into a film allows no time for the five W's. Director David Yates kick-starts "Prince" with heavy action, jumping right into scenes of Lord Voldemort’s Death Eaters terrorizing wizards and Muggles alike in an almost-colorless London. It’s an auspicious start, especially since these scenes aren’t in J.K. Rowling’s novel. Know what else? Their inclusion makes the movie a superior telling of “Half-Blood Prince”, one of the few examples of a movie being better than its literary inspiration. Read more...
It’s been eight years since the first "Harry Potter" film hit the big screen, and in that time the franchise has gone through half as many directors. With Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell and now David Yates putting their skills to work on bringing J.K. Rowling's works to life, the various novels have been interpreted in a variety of ways.
“Sorcerer’s Stone” and “Chamber of Secrets” director Chris Columbus had the tough job of being the first to adapt the biggest children’s novel series of all time. He was further challenged with having to commit those books to film before Harry Potter’s story had even been finished; only the first four novels had been released when “Sorcerer’s Stone” and “Chamber of Secrets” hit theaters. Read more...
Spoiler warning! If you haven’t read the book or don’t want to know how the movie ends, turn back now!
The first American hardcover edition of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” spanned 652 pages. Even at over two hours and thirty minutes, the film version couldn’t stuff in every battle, breath and broomstick. Director David Yates had to make a number of tough calls, including losing an important fight in the Second Wizarding War and changing J.K. Rowling’s original ending, which recounted Dumbledore’s funeral. Read more...
In the wizarding world of "Harry Potter," you can accomplish almost anything with the flick of a wand, a correctly spoken incantation and the rightly brewed potion: grant good luck, make people fall in love, clean up a messy room. Of course, you've got to be a talented witch or wizard to pull off one of these spells. No Muggle has a chance with such feats.
That hasn't stopped the cast of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" from wishing they could, like their characters, sometimes make the impossible possible.
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You regular readers may be getting tired of these daily reminders, but bear with us. It's not often we get face time with the collected Hogwarts superstars -- Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright and Tom Felton -- and their stalwart director, David Yates. MTV Movies Editor Josh Horowitz will have that opportunity this weekend though, and he wants to give you fans a shot at having your voices heard.
It's simple: plant yourself in front of a webcam and record yourself putting a question to one of the gathered "Potter" players. Upload the video to Your MTV and tag it with "Harry Potter." We'll handle the rest. Then you can look for video from the junket next week, when the "Harry Potter" hype train hits full speed in preparation for the July 14 release of "Half-Blood Prince."
In "Harry Potter" news that wont shock the fandom, Bill Nighy confirmed yesterday he will be playing new Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour in the upcoming two-volume adaptation of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."
Although Scrimgeour has a fairly big presence in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," Nighy told BBC that we wont be seeing him on the big screen until the first installment of "Deathly Hallows" hits theaters in November 2010. "I will be Rufus Scrimgeour, who is the Minister of Magic and he is a very very important man." Read more...
Hey "Harry Potter" fans! I'm pretty excited for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," I have to say. I hesitate to call it my favorite of the books, but it's definitely the tightest, most action-packed of the stories. Between the killer set pieces and shockingly downbeat conclusion, "Half-Blood Prince" is to the "Harry Potter" universe what "The Empire Strikes Back" is to "Star Wars." Anyone who's aware of my fanboy allegiances knows that there's no higher compliment I can offer.
SO! Next weekend, MTV's Josh Horowitz will be sitting down with members of the "Half-Blood" cast and crew. Namely director David Yates and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton and Bonnie Wright. That's Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley, for you Muggles out there. While all of us -- myself included -- are forced to sit jealously on the sidelines while Josh does his interviews, MTV wants to give you all an opportunity to participate.
It's simple. Head over to Your MTV and upload a video of yourself posing a single question to any of the gathered players. We'll cull the best of your queries and pass them along to the Potter-folk, then share their answers here the week of "Half-Blood"'s release!
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the final entry in superstar novelist J.K. Rowling's magical septology, is a long book. Like, really long. There's a treasure hunt, a road trip, a great big battle... crap happens, the major players deal with it, and then more crap happens. That's about as spoiler-free synopsis as I can offer.
There's a point here: in order to properly adapt the lengthy final volume into a movie, the Potters-that-be (get it?) have decided to split it into two. "Half-Blood Prince" and soon-to-be "Deathly Hallows" director David Yates had a little chat with the Los Angeles Times recently about his plans for splitting up the narrative. If you haven't read the book and want no spoilers, you can stop here knowing the following: the first movie will break at roughly the middle of the book. Read more...
