Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince MidNight Showing Broke Records!
Harry Potter has conjured up a record-breaking witching hour.
Warner Bros. says "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" took in $22.2 million domestically from midnight screenings. That breaks the record set by another Warner blockbuster, "The Dark Knight," which grossed $18.5 million from midnight showings last summer.
The sixth installment in the "Harry Potter" franchise also topped the midnight haul of this year's biggest hit, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." The "Transformers" sequel pulled in $16 million from midnight screenings on its first day in June.
And the new adventure of the teen wizard raked in $10 million more from midnight screenings than part five, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."
Read about it on Fandango
Emboldened by the return of Lord Voldemort, the Death Eaters are wreaking havoc in both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that new dangers may lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. He needs Harry to help him uncover a vital key to unlocking Voldemort's defenses, critical information known only to Hogwarts' former Potions Professor, Horace Slughorn. With that in mind, Dumbledore manipulates his old colleague into returning to his previous post with promises of more money, a bigger office, and the chance to teach the famous Harry Potter.
Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry's long friendship with Ginny Weasley is growing into something deeper, but standing in the way is Ginny's boyfriend, Dean Thomas, not to mention her big brother Ron. But Ron's got romantic entanglements of his own to worry about, with Lavender Brown lavishing her affections on him, leaving Hermione simmering with jealousy yet determined not to show her feelings. And then a box of love potion-laced chocolates ends up in the wrong hands and changes everything.
As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof with far more important matters on his mind. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.
David Yates, who directed the 2007 summer blockbuster "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," returned to direct "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." David Heyman, the producer of all of the Harry Potter films, produced the film, together with David Barron. Screenwriter Steve Kloves, who scripted the first four installments of the film franchise, adapted the screenplay based on the book by J.K. Rowling. Lionel Wigram served as executive producer, with John Trehy co-producing.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Heyday Films production, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth installment of Warner Bros. Pictures' Harry Potter film franchise based on the beloved novels by J.K. Rowling. Once again heading the cast, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson reprise their roles as young wizards Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who are facing new challenges and dangers following Lord Voldemort's return.
Other returning Harry Potter cast members include: Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange; Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid; Warwick Davis as Professor Filius Flitwick; Michael Gambon as Professor Albus Dumbledore; Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape; Maggie Smith as Professor Minerva McGonagall; and Julie Walters as Molly Weasley.
A number of young stars also reprise their roles as Hogwarts students, including Tom Felton as Harry's longtime adversary, Draco Malfoy; Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood; and Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley, the youngest of the Weasley clan.
Two award-winning actors join the cast in their first Harry Potter film. Academy Award® winner Jim Broadbent ("Iris," "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe") plays Potions Professor Horace Slughorn. BAFTA Award winner Helen McCrory ("Streetlife," "The Queen") appears as Narcissa Malfoy, mother to Draco Malfoy and sister to the evil Bellatrix Lestrange. Additionally, several young newcomers are making their feature film debuts in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince": Jessie Cave plays the role of Lavender Brown, who only has eyes for Ron Weasley; Hero Fiennes Tiffin is seen in the role of Tom Riddle at age 11; and Frank Dillane plays the 16-year-old Riddle, who is already on the path to becoming the evil Lord Voldemort.
Collaborating with David Yates behind the camera, two-time Oscar®-nominated director of photography Bruno Delbonnel ("A Very Long Engagement," "Amelie") lensed his first Harry Potter film. The behind-the-scenes team also reunites such Harry Potter veterans as production designer Stuart Craig, editor Mark Day, composer Nicholas Hooper, visual effects supervisor Tim Burke, and costume designer Jany Temime.
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is being distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince": An IMAX 3D Experience® digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® through proprietary IMAX DMR® technology will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures in select theatres in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago on July 15th, concurrently with the nationwide 35mm release in traditional theatres. The film will open nationwide in IMAX on July 29th. Using IMAX's revolutionary live action 2D to 3D conversion technology, the movie's opening sequence has been transformed into IMAX 3D. The film will also be shown completely in IMAX 2D in select locations without IMAX® 3D capability. With crystal clear images, laser-aligned digital sound and maximized field of view, IMAX provides the world's most immersive movie experience.
This film has been rated PG for scary images, some violence, language and mild sensuality.
WB
Looking towards Deathly Hallows with Yates and Heyman
"If splitting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows into two films sounded like a cheap marketing ploy, the filmmakers will reassuringly explain how important it was to the story to do so. Producer David Heyman said the series has followed Potter’s perspective, so cutting elements like Hermione’s elf activism made sense. Book seven was really all about Harry, but even Heyman admits Warner Brothers wasn’t complaining.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Split
“Obviously the studio are very happy with that decision, let’s not kid ourselves,” Heyman said. “[Screenwriter] Steve [Kloves] called me the other day and said, ‘I think we can do three.’ I think he was joking of course.”
Director David Yates does have a distinct perspective on the two-parter. He calls Part 1 a road movie, following the trio fleeing from death eaters. “The first one is very verite’ and documentary and edge and on the road,” Yates said.
Part II is more of the operatic epic, featuring major battles. In fact, the final battle was omitted from Half-Blood Prince to make way for the big finish. “We all know there’s a huge battle coming in 7. We’re all looking forward to it. We’re designing and planning it at the moment. We wanted to keep our pounder dry for that really. So wait until 7 part 2.”
A major element of Deathly Hallows for fans, and spoiler alert to non-readers, is the flash forward to older Harry, Ron and Hermione. Yates is still figuring that one out.
“You know, we’re still exploring how we’re going to deal with that,” he said. “It’s an absolutely beautiful part of the book and one of the most unique things of this franchise I guess is the fact that you’ve grown up with these characters. I think it’s what makes it special for the audience. So we’ll be delivering that at the end of 7 part 2 but we’re looking at various options of how we do it. I still haven’t quite figured that out yet. Probably not Benjamin Button technology. We looked into that but we don’t think it’s the route we’re going to take.”
Producer Heyman assured fans that it would be some form of the actors they know, not just aging look-alikes. “We’re going to do everything we can and it will be Daniel, Rupert and Emma, not someone else.”
Pretty forthcoming for filmmakers of one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises. The one secret they wanted to keep was where Deathly Hallows would split between the two films.
“We do have an end point but we’ll kind of figure it out when we start editing I think,” Yates said.
As for any controversy that might arise from a Bourne style verite Harry Potter movie, Yates did not worry he risked losing the audience at this point. “I think the franchise benefits. I think the audiences will respond to us being as fresh as we can with each of these films. I believe you’ve got to kind of keep things as fresh and as different each time as you can. One thing that really excites us about what we’re shooting at the moment is it feels very different to where we’ve been with Half-Blood Prince, and very different to Order of the Phoenix.”
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows opens in 2010 and 2011.
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See it in Can Mag.
Half Blood Prince Movie to be Released in July 2009
The release date is now July 15, 2009 for the first installment! Got your popcorn ready?
"A little less than a week ago a
reporter coaxed Bill Nighy into revealing he had joined the cast of
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows but stopped short of confirming
which character he would play.
Forced to face the press again at a book festival launch, Bill caved while speaking to reporters and revealed his character. Sometimes the obvious choice is the correct choice and this is no exception.
"I will be Rufus Scrimgeour, who is the Minister of Magic and he is a very very important man," said Bill. "I am no longer the only English actor not to be in Harry Potter and I am very pleased." We are all very pleased as well. Bill's screen presence demands attention and is a perfect fit in the Potter universe."
The HDR Room
Half Blood Prince Movie to be Released in July 2009
LOS ANGELES -- It's summer school for Harry Potter.
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth installment in the blockbuster film franchise about boy wizard Harry, is moving from its planned Nov. 21 release to July 17, 2009, distributor Warner Bros. said Thursday.
The move was made to take advantage of an open weekend in Hollywood's busy summer season, said Alan Horn, Warner Bros. president and chief operating officer. The film had been on schedule, and the change was not due to any production snags, he said.
"The picture is completely, absolutely, 100 percent on schedule, on time. There were no delays," Horn told The Associated Press. "I've seen the movie. It is fabulous. We would have been perfectly able to have it out in November."
The switch will mean a two-year lag between the film adaptations of books five and six in J.K. Rowling's fantasy series. But it will shorten fans' wait between "Half-Blood Prince" and the final two installments, which are being shot simultaneously next year.
Based on book seven, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the last two movies are due out in close order, in November 2010 and summer 2011. Horn said the later release of "Half-Blood Prince" will not affect the schedule for the final two movies.
Horn said the studio has had success with past summer "Harry Potter" releases, including the fifth movie, which was released in 2007 and became the second-highest grossing in the franchise.
The recent Writers Guild of America strike also had affected Hollywood's lineup in next summer, leaving a key date open for Warner to slot in "Half-Blood Prince," Horn said.
The July 17 release will be over the same weekend that Warner debuted this year's blockbuster "The Dark Knight," which had a record-breaking opening weekend and is on its way to $500 million domestically and the No. 2 spot on the all-time box-office charts behind "Titanic."
"Half-Blood Prince" finds Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) returning to his wizard classes with a clandestine assignment to root out dark secrets about the early years of his archenemy, the dark Lord Voldemort.
The film is directed by David Yates, who made the fifth movie and also is shooting the final two.
Last February, another big Hollywood film, Paramount's "Star Trek," was bumped from a December release to May 8, 2009. Paramount executives said that move also was intended to take advantage of an open weekend in the summer lineup.
Source
Half Blood Prince Trailer!
See it on AOL!!! It looks cool. Let's just hope it's not the only part of the movie to do so.
Half Blood Prince Trailer Released Tuesday!!!
Hollywood, CA (CNS) - "Harry Potter" fans will finally get a glimpse at the new movie next week.
The first teaser trailer for the Warner Bros. Pictures film "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth movie in the H.P. series, will premiere via Satellite on Tuesday.
Of the film, WB says in a press release, "Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was."
The first worldwide showing of the trailer will air on Tuesday from 9 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. EST. The second airing will show Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 6:15 a.m. EST.
The coordinates for the satellite airing are as follows:
Galaxy 28, Transponder 19, C-Band Analog Downlink Frequency: 4080V Audio Configuration: 6.2/6.8
The trailer will likely find its way to the internet shortly after the satellite airing.
Fans can expect things to get tougher for the boy wizard as the saga continues. Says the press release, "Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again."
"Half-Blood Prince" is due in theaters Nov. 21.
Rob Knox--Marcus Belby--Murdered at Eighteen
From
The Mirror:
Harry Potter star Rupert Grint joined mourners today at a memorial service for murdered fellow actor Rob Knox who was brutally stabbed to death outside a bar last month. The 19-year-old, who played Ron Weasley in the film, joined hundreds of friends and family at the service in St John the Evangelist Church in Sidcup.Rob's father, Colin, said that his son was "living his dream" when he died. He told the congregation of his family's "living nightmare" since his son's death.Rob, 18, was stabbed outside a bar in Sidcup, south east London, last month. He played wizard Marcus Belby in the forthcoming film Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince.Mr Knox, 55, said there were "no words" to describe how his wife, Sally, and their other son Jamie, felt at their loss. He said Robert always thought of other people before himself and urged the teenager's friends to "hold Robert in your hearts".He said: "The loss is so powerful... it's like having a nightmare, in fact it is a nightmare - we live it every day. But there's no waking up from it, feeling relief and you never revert back to normal."He said he would miss his son's "smile, humour and laughter" and fought back tears as he told stories from Robert's childhood. "Rob loved the part of Marcus Belby. He loved being part of the international iconic story of Harry Potter. He was always talking about the people he worked with." He went on: "If there's a piece of Rob in you, then take that with you for the rest of your life and keep it for Rob. If you saw things in Rob that embraced your heart, then embrace them."Earlier in the day a private funeral was held at Eltham crematorium attended by family and close friends. Rob’s heartbroken dad, leant on the flower-filled white hearse which brought his son’s coffin to the crematorium and broke down while mum Sally comforted their son Jamie.SourceAccording to
The Sun UK he stepped in front of his brother to protect him from a man with two knives.
SoB.net offers condolences to Rob Knox's family and friends. His death was both sad and senseless.
As most of you know JKR has written an 800 word short story about Harry's world during his father's time. It will be released in combination with the works of others in August. To hear an excerpt, go here. You'll have to watch an ad first.
Rowling, who has earned a £560 million fortune from the seven Potter stories which sold more than 375 million books worldwide, sets her story three years before Harry is born and features the characters Sirius Black and James Potter, Harry’s father. They get in a scrape with irate policemen before making their escape via broomsticks, drumsticks and a little bit of magic.
“I had great fun writing the card and I’m absolutely delighted that it has raised £25,000 for two such worthy causes,” Rowling said.
The author, whose books have also been turned into a series of record-breaking films, has previously stated that if she did write another Potter tale, it would not be for another ten years.
A quote from TimesonLine
Money raised from the sale at Waterstone’s in Piccadilly, Central London, will go to English PEN, which promotes understanding through literature, and Dyslexia Action.
Read JKRs prequel here.
Read other stories that will accompany hers here.
And where is the copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard that I was going to get to buy?
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