The LA Times reports that the last movie in the Harry Potter series will be split in two parts. “Warner Bros. Pictures and the producers behind the $4.5-billion film franchise featuring the beloved boy wizard will split the seventh and final novel in the J.K. Rowling series into two films.”

Jeff Robinov, President of [...]]]>

The LA Times reports that the last movie in the Harry Potter series will be split in two parts. “Warner Bros. Pictures and the producers behind the $4.5-billion film franchise featuring the beloved boy wizard will split the seventh and final novel in the J.K. Rowling series into two films.”

Jeff Robinov, President of Warner Bros. Pictures Group says in a press release that Warner Bros. Pictures “recognized that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is packed with vital plot points that complete the story arcs of all of its beloved characters. That said, [they] feel that the best way to do the book, and its many fans, justice is to expand the screen adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and release the film in two parts.”

“The question will be, where do you break it? And how do you make them one but two separate and distinct stories? Do you break it with a moment of suspense or one of resolution?” says producer David Heyman.

Fans are split (ha!) on this decision by Warner Bros. Comments on the Digg Page include

It might just be a way for Warner Bros. to make more money or it may be necessary for the die-hard fans to fully see the book come to life on the screen.

Funny that they choose to do it now and have two final bites at the apple whereas with the previous movies and no end in sight it didn’t seem so necessary.

and the more optimist

This is a great choice, considering the last 150pgs of the book were nearly straight action for the fight scenes to be properly done you need the time that two films allows. I remember when I finished reading the book I thought the last movie needed to be either 4 hours long or would not do the book any justice, I didn’t think they would actually step up and do two full movies.

Others are hoping for a Return of the King-like length (200 – 252 mins) to each of the parts. As one fan says in a comment to The Leaky Cauldron,

If they’re doing this as two parts, I would hope each part is at least 2 hours. Otherwise there’s hardly a reason to do it as it would simply feel like a double dip by Warner into the fans’ pockets. Which it is anyway.But if they do two parts that are barely 90 minutes each, it’s going to feel like a movie that could have been done in a single 2.5 hour release. What’s the point for a fan?

Fan sites are buzzing with speculation over where the split will happen, prompting fans to “reread the book with a split in mind…” One comment on The Leaky Cauldron’s post of this story identifies four possible break points

1. The dramatic events at the Gringotts ending with the escape on the dragon?
2. Ron’s departure from the forest?
3. The killing of the first horcrux?
4. The point where Harry decides “We need to go to Godrics Hollow”?

Production is slated to begin in February 2009 with both parts being filmed at the same time (a la Matrix: Reloaded & Revolutions). The first part is slated to be in theatres in November 2010 and the second in May 2011.

The next movie to be released in the series, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, is scheduled to be released on November 21, 2008.

See my other posts on the Harry Potter series. Technorati Tags: Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Death Hallows

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BLOODY BRILLIANT

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