What was rumored is true. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS will be split into TWO movies. There was just too much struggle and plot to fit into one.
After months of rumors, Warner Bros. and the producers of the massively successful movies will announce Thursday that they plan to split “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” J.K. Rowling’s seventh and final “Potter” novel, into two blockbuster films — one to be released in November 2010 and the second in May 2011.
The films will be titled, simply, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II,” according to producer David Heyman. Director David Yates, who returned for his second tour of Potter duty with “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and is quite popular with the cast, will direct both “Deathly Hallows” films, which will be filmed concurrently. Screenwriter Steve Kloves also returns and, by completion of the franchise, will have written seven of the eight films.
Of course this means twice the dough for WB, but it does make a lot of narrative sense. There is just too much dramatic and fantastic stuff to be compressed as so much was in the last movie. We’re not over-excited about Yates as director (Order of the Phoenix was just workmanlike, like all the rest of the movies except Azkaban) but he’ll know the terrain by then. The two films will be shot concurrently.
Technorati Tags: Harry bleedin’ Harry Potter
To be honest, I don’t know why this strategy was not applied to some of the earlier books as well. Starting with Order of the Phoenix, it seems to me, all the HP narratives got too unwieldy for one movie. Aside from the obvious money-grubbing imperative from the studio, I think this is a positive development — the book will be better served and the fans will be happier.
Instead of waiting months apart – they should release the movie back-to-back one week after another or within the same month…like the old movie serials.
That actor playing Harry’s in-school rival is going to be 6’10” and 280 pounds by 2011.
lol. :D
The more they extend this series, the more the cast is gonna start looking like Andrea (the old one) on 90210. Movie makeup, go to it!!
*Groan*
Well I think a lot of the books up to this point were unwieldy for one movie but at the same time had a lot of material that could be safely cut out. While I found parts of HPatDH slow and boring at times, there isn’t much that isn’t integral to the story.
FINALLY!
The first three movies could have been (should have been) three hours long to do the source material any kind of justice. And they should have been splitting the scripts in two from book four on.
As far as I’m concerned, there’s no reason to split DEATHLY HALLOWS into two films apart from the obvious cash grab. The book, like the previous three volumes, needed at least 1/3 cut out to improve the pacing and tighten up the story.
For the amount of material that was in book 5 (which was by far the longest and most tedious), the “Order of the Phoenix” movie has been, IMHO, my favorite of the lot so far (right after Azkaban). I’m glad they’re bringing this director back, because he turned what was my least favorite book of the series into my favorite. And considering book 6 isn’t nearly so bulky of a title to work with, I look forward to how the movie comes out. :)
To me I think it’s a bit insane. Well for 1 they should;ve used Dobby, the house elf, in 4 & 5. It would have been a lot more simpler to use him. How are they suppost to keep the house elves out if the rest of the movies? Although I do look forward to see the rest of the movies!
Also it’s just plain stupid to split it in 2! you can make a movie longer than 3 hours. Just like the 10th Kingdom (a six hour movie). I just wish they would do the movies correctly.
10th kingdom was a miniseries. All together its six hours but it was never released in theaters as a six hour movie. Try releasing a six hour long single sitting movie in the US and watch the box office bomb
i thnk its a great idea to split the book into two movies. and i agree the book was long but it was also incredibly well written and riveting. Hopefully the movies will be the same way. i also agree that the last couple of movies would have done well split into two. there has just been too much information cramed into the scripts and important parts left out or altered. i really am looking forward to the next and final two of the series.