FROM MTV.COM: It's all been building to this: the battle to the death between Harry Potter and his Dark Arts-enabled adversary Voldemort on the hallowed grounds of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Devotees J.K. Rowling's boy wizard series already know how the clash ends in the final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," but no one yet knows how it will be handled on screen. Stay tuned until the summer of 2011, when the second part of "Deathly Hallows" arrives in theaters, to find out.
Until then, we'll have to go on what its castmembers have to say. Stopping by MTV News to promote the DVD of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," star Tom Felton raved about the climatic combat scene and the way it brings so much of the cast together at once.
Continue reading 'Harry Potter' Star Tom Felton Raves About 'Deathly Hallows' Showdown
FROM MTV.COM: As the DVD of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" hits shelves Tuesday (December 8), the first peeks at the next and final films in the series — the two parts of "Deathly Hallows" — have begun to hit the Web: two photos and even a teaser trailer.
Behind that pristine multimedia, however, lies a production still very much in flux, as the cast told MTV News in recent interviews. Perhaps "flux" is even putting mildly, compared to star Daniel Radcliffe's characterization.
Continue reading 'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows' Set Is 'Absolute Madness,' Daniel Radcliffe Says
Despite it having a somewhat subdued ending as compared to the book, the film adaptation of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is actually quite good. There are very few things about it that I would change. It may not be a note-perfect translation of the book, but it nails the key beats and keeps the characters moving along the arc they've been traveling since the first movie.
That said, I'll never turn up my nose at a deleted scene. It's the main allure of home video shopping for me, getting to see bits of the movie that didn't make it into the final cut. This is especially true of the "Harry Potter" movies, because there's so much great material from the books which simply doesn't fit into the confines of a two and a half hour running time. In the below clip, you get to see Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) preparing to embark on a journey with Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon).
FROM MTV.COM: In "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," Daniel Radcliffe and his co-stars went rom-com, embracing lovey-dovey storylines about broken hearts, unrequited affection and what it feels like finally to connect with your true love. It worked: The film raked in over $300 million at the domestic box office, making it the second-biggest film of the year so far and the highest-grossing "Potter" flick since 2001's "Sorcerer's Stone."
With the DVD hitting shelves this Tuesday, Radcliffe and the rest of the cast spoke with MTV News about why they believe "Half-Blood Prince" made so much freaking money ($929 million worldwide). Their answers were clear: romance!
Continue reading Daniel Radcliffe Credits Hormones With 'Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince' Success
The DVD/Blu-ray release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" hits shelves this week. In addition to the movie -- which was great -- there are the expected hours upon hours of bonus content. Including our first look at "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." While I can't show you that particular clip, I do have a little treat from the home video release, exclusive to MTV. It's Ron Weasley actor Rupert Grint running through the trials and travails of his character through the years. Enjoy!
Just a little Harry to brighten your morning. Get it? His wand is rocking a light charm in the pic... "brighten your morning"... see where I'm going with this? Ah, forget you all. The tiny looks we've seen so far have been underwhelming, but fans will get their fix next week when "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" hits home video with an included clip from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Anyway, here's the full-size pic. Enjoy.
FROM MTV.COM: In "New Moon," Bella is filled with confusion as Edward leaves her, Jacob Black makes his move and the nomad vampires continue to surround Forks. When it comes to Twilighters and the box office, however, there is no such indecision — and the results are already showing in record-setting numbers.
Summit Entertainment is reporting that the "Twilight" sequel opened on Thursday night to an unprecedented $26.3 million during its midnight screenings across the country. The film unspooled on 3,514 screens, playing at 12:01 a.m. for die-hard fans — many of whom arrived at the theaters dressed as their favorite characters.
That total handily beats the midnight-screening record of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." This seems to vindicate "Twilight" star Jackson Rathbone, who famously responded to our question of whether Stephenie Meyer's franchise could take on J.K. Rowling's juggernaut, "I don't know; they've got brooms."
Continue reading 'New Moon' Sets New Box-Office Record For Midnight Screenings
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...
Warner Bros. has unofficially confirmed that they will be re-releasing the "Harry Potter" movies on home video in extended form. RopeofSilicon discovered this while looking through the latest MPAA ratings decisions, which included the title “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Extended Version),” listed with a PG rating. Curious, the site contacted WB and found out that there are indeed plans for “special upcoming releases” of the entire series.
Now the question on every Potter fan’s mind is, will these re-releases actually include never-before-seen footage? It's easy to be skeptical, considering that the movies haven’t been filmed in a way that would allow for much to be left on the cutting room floor -- unlike the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which similarly pilfered extra cash out of fans’ pockets with extended versions that featured more than 30 additional minutes worth of footage in each installment. Read more...
1. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" ($56.2 million)
2. "Julie & Julia" ($20.1 million)
3. "G-Force" ($9.8 million)
4. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" ($8.9 million)
5. "Funny People" ($7.9 million)
Don't ever let anybody tell you that fighting for freedom wherever there's trouble is easy. Despite becoming the fourth biggest August debut of all time thanks to a strong $22.3 million Friday opening, "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" only earned $18 million on Saturday, a 16% drop from its opening day figures. The result is a projected $56.2 million opening weekend according to studio number-crunchers. Read more...
