Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is an upcoming 2009 fantasy-adventure film based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the sixth film in the popular Harry Potter film series. It is directed by David Yates, the director of the fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. David Heyman and David Barron are producing the film, and Steve Kloves, screenwriter of the first four films, has returned as screenwriter for this film. Filming began on 24 September 2007, and the film was originally planned for a UK and North American release on 21 November 2008, but on 14 August 2008, it was announced that the release date for the film was to be delayed to 17 July 2009, but this date was later changed to 15 July 2009. Unlike the previous film, the sixth film will not be simultaneously released in regular cinemas and IMAX 3-D, due to a Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen four-week commitment. The film will instead be released in IMAX 3D on July 29, 2009.
In December 2007, Warner Bros. released its official plot summary:
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.
Differences from the book
There are a number of changes from the book in the film. Much of the book's ending has been changed, with the climactic battle and Dumbledore's funeral being removed. Heyman commented that the end battle was removed to "(avoid) repetition" with the forthcoming adaptation of Deathly Hallows. The funeral was removed as it was believed it did not fit with the rest of the film. The collapse of a Muggle bridge mentioned briefly in the book serves as the film's opening sequence. Scenes of Diagon Alley being demolished by Death Eaters and an attack on the Burrow by Bellatrix Lestrange and werewolf Fenrir Greyback are added, as can be seen in the trailers. All but two of the memory scenes, including that of the Gaunts, have been cut. Only the flashbacks of Tom Riddle at the orphanage and Riddle asking Slughorn about Horcruxes, shown twice, remain. Yates said they made the decision to compress the memories, but still "got some really cool ones". Characters who are cut include the Dursleys, Kreacher, Dobby, Bill and Fleur, Rufus Scrimgeour, Cornelius Fudge and the Muggle Prime Minister. However, Quidditch, being excluded from the previous film, returns. Bellatrix Lestrange will also participate in the battle of the astronomy tower, whereas she did not in the book, as seen in a picture with the Carrows and Greyback, celebrating Dumbledore's death. In the book, on the Hogwarts Express, after he is paralysed and hidden under his Invisibility Cloak by Draco Malfoy, Harry is rescued by Nymphadora Tonks. In the film, Luna Lovegood saves him instead, using her Spectrespecs to find him.
Release
The film is scheduled for release in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, United Kingdom and Ireland on 15 July 2009. It was originally set to be released on 21 November 2008 (US, UK, CAN, IRE) and 11 December 2008 (AUS, NZ), but was pushed back by eight and seven months to 17 July, despite being completed. Warner Bros. executive Alan Horn noted that the move went ahead "to guarantee the studio a major summer blockbuster in 2009," with other films being delayed due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. The box-office success of summer WB films Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and The Dark Knight also motivated the decision. An unnamed "rival" studio executive told Entertainment Weekly that the move was to "stop next year's profits from looking seriously underwhelming after the phenomenal success of The Dark Knight," as "they don't need the money this year anymore." Dan Fellman, WB head of distribution, said that the studio had considered the date change for three to four weeks prior to the announcement, but gave it serious consideration a week before they came to their final decision.
The date change was met with a heavily negative reaction by Harry Potter fans, as the Los Angeles Times noted: "Petitions were circulating, rumors were flying and angry screeds were being posted on Internet sites within minutes of the Thursday announcement." The move was mocked by Entertainment Weekly who had Half-Blood Prince on the cover on their "Fall Preview Issue". Despite each being owned by Time Warner Inc., EW were unaware of the change until it was publicly announced by WB and noted that readers would now be in possession of a "Dewey Defeats Truman collectible". Several days after the announcement, Horn released a statement in response to the "large amount of disappointment" expressed by fans of the series. Following the date change, Half-Blood Prince's release slot was taken by Summit Entertainment's Twilight.
Three months before its release in July, the date was again changed by 2 days from 17 July to 15 July in the United States and Canada. It was later confirmed the same date change applied to the UK as well. The Australia and New Zealand release dates which were then 16 July, were also changed to 15 July. The premiere dates for the movie are 6 July in Japan, 7 July in the UK (Leicester Square, London) and 8 July in the US. The Belgium premiere is on 11 July.
The sixth film will not be simultaneously released in regular cinemas and IMAX 3D, due to a conflicting agreement in which Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will be given a four week window by itself in IMAX. Therefore the IMAX 3D version of the film will be released on 29 July 2009. The film's opening sequence featuring the destruction of the Millennium Bridge will be in 3D. The film had been chosen to be screened at the 2008 Royal Film Performance on 17 November, but was not shown. Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund chief executive Peter Hore noted he was "very disappointed" with Warner Bros' decision.
The film is 153 minutes (2 hours 33 minutes and 19 seconds) long, making this movie the third longest of the series so far, coming behind Chamber of Secrets (161 minutes) and Goblet of Fire (157 minutes).
Reception
As of 10 July 2009 (2009 -07-10), the film holds a 95% "fresh" rating on the film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. It currently stands as the most critically acclaimed Harry Potter film. Nearly all of the early reviews for Half-Blood Prince have been very positive. Critics such as BBC News's, Tim Masters have praised the film's cinematography and special effects, as well as the film's darker plotline, and critics such as Ben Woodward praised the aesthetics as well as the acting.
The first review of the film came three weeks before the official release. Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com ranked the film with The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and called the film a "possible Oscar contender". He highly praised the performance of Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman and Daniel Radcliffe. He commented, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a tour-de-force that combines style and substance, special effects and heart and most importantly great performances from all of the actors young and not-so-young." Another early review came from The Sun, which called the film "masterful" and "very emotional". The reviewer highly praised David Yates's directing and called Jim Broadbent's portrayal of Horace Slughorn "perfect". Devin Faraci of Chud.com called the film not only the best Harry Potter film yet, but also one of the best films of this year.
Andrew Pulver of The Guardian also wrote a positive review, and gave the movie 3 out of 5 stars rating. Todd McCarthy of Variety said that the film is "dazzlingly well made" and "less fanciful than the previous entries." He praised Alan Rickman's performance and he described Helena Bonham Carter as "mesmerizing" and Jim Broadbent as "grand eccentric old professor. Another review came from Hollywood Reporter, in which Kirk Honeycutt noted that the film's first half is "jerky and explosive" but in the second half the film finds better footing. He adds, "Composer Nicholas Hooper, cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel and designer Stuart Craig deliver a singularly muscular and vigorous chapter". Screen Daily wrote another positive review, saying, "[the film is] Stunningly shot by Bruno Delbonnel in metallic hues leavened by buttery tones and the thumping beats of Nicholas Hooper’s score bear little resemblance to the original and the overall effect is much less twee, much more grown-up."
Chris Tilly of IGN UK commented on the length of the movie, saying "while on occasion it drags, the 153 run-time never feels too long, thanks in no small part to the astonishing visuals and (largely) marvellous performances," and goes on to say, "This is by far the best-looking of the Potter films thus far," commending the "beautiful" Quidditch match and the "stunning" finale. However, Dave Golder of SFX Magazine found some aspects of the film to be a disappointment, largely due to the large amount of opportunities the director had sacrificed to devote "huge swathes of the film to subplots of Harry and his chums' teenage romances," but nevertheless found the film to be a large enjoyment, praising the the performances of Jim Broadbent and Alan Rickman.
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