Image Credit: Jaap BuitendijkGranted, I’m sleep-deprived, which brings emotions to the surface easier, but I was just reading Empire‘s excellent cover story on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and teared up. Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint almost got me talking about the battle of Hogwarts, which is essentially the second half of the last film: “In the courtyard there’s this huge pile of rubble; you almost want Panzer tanks coming over it,” Radcliffe says. Adds Grint later in the piece, “It turns into a bit of a war film. The castle is on fire with rubble and bodies littered everywhere — and they’re all kids as well! It’s quite moving.” Radcliffe nearly got me talking about Harry’s showdown with Voldemort: “I mean, Voldemort does absolutely kick six bells out of me, and that’s what makes it effective, the fact that Harry’s a kid having the crap beaten out of him. If it’s Voldemort killing an adult — well he does that loads in the films. To see him brutalising and desperately trying to kill a 17-year-old boy is hopefully going to shake some people up.” And Emma Watson totally got me explaining a scene written specifically for the screen of Hermione leaving her parents’ home — and erasing their memories of her. “You don’t read that in the book; you just know she does it…. You see Ron’s home and Harry’s. But you never really get a sense of Hermione’s life outside Hogwarts, outside that friendship, and it’s important,” Watson says. “She’s not just going off to school for another year. You’re choosing between family and friends; it’s pretty brutal. They offer her a cup of tea, completely unaware that anything’s about to happen, and then I cast a spell that wipes their memory of me. There’s photos all around the room, actual childhood pictures of me, and they just dissolve. It’s horrible. And then I have to shut the door and walk out alone.”
Anyone else get a little misty?
Can’t wait for these movies.
Even though splitting them into two is mostly (at the very least “partly”) a cash grab, I’m loving that it’s allowing the filmmakers to expand a bit on certain things like Hermione’s family. The only thing we really knew about them from the books was that they were Muggles and that they were dentists.
Who cares if it’s a cash grab if it turns out to be two great films?
I don’t think it’s a cash grab. I think it was totally necessary in order to tell the story effectively.
Now Breaking Dawn? THAT’S a cash grab.
I don’t think it’s a cash grab either. If you read the book, you know the movie has to be two. When I started reading the book, I kept on thinking “you are introducing a whole new concept (hallows) now!? You have to have the first part with the hallows, and then the second part with finishing the horcruxes. I agree that Breaking Dawn (yes, I have read it too) is a cash grab. Totally unnecessary to split that story. There wasn’t that much in the last book.
Whatever the reason, it was not a good idea to break the movie into two parts, they should have just made it into a 3 hour long movie to cover the ground.
In any event, the movies have all sucked and nothing beats the books
“they should have just made it into a 3 hour long movie to cover the ground.”
Except that the finished products will combine to be five hours long, not three. It’s unlikely that even a three-hour movie could have included everything. Each of the other movies averages out to two-and-a-half hours, and they still cut out a lot of stuff.
totally agree
it’s DEFINITELY NOT a cash grap – go read the book again mr. holloway – a whole bunch of stuff happens (destroying each horcrux anyone? hellooo, you can’t just skip one) and in order to tell the story properly it has to be longer than just 3 hrs
breaking dawn? hells yea – now THAT’S a cash grap – seriously, NOTHING happens in that book
just wedding, honeymoon, pregnancy, wolf pack stuff, birth and change, then boring “battle”
how can you not fit all that crap in a movie? the other movies were boring as hell anyway
And ***SPOILER ALERT*** it wasn’t even a battle. Just a standoff that ended without action.
I dont think making the final installment 2 films is a cash grab. I’ve been to 4 hour films and your butt is numb and its not a pleasant experience after a while. I’d rather pay twice and see 2 fully fleshed out films that do the book justice then 4 hours of butt numb or 2 hours of a hacked up version of the final book
I so can’t wait for DH 1 & 2!
You bring up very good points.
Obviously, if the movies turn out great – and I mentioned in my original comment that I’m encouraged by at least one story element that they’re expanding due to there being two films – then people won’t complain.
Still, make no mistake: having moviegoers pay twice for the adaptation of one book is…”cash grab” is probably too harsh…let’s just say that it’s pretty genius that they actually have people (including me) excited about paying once, waiting a little over six months and then paying again to see the movie version of one book.
Was it Roger Ebert who said that no good film is ever too long and no bad film is ever short enough?
Even though I am well aware the making it two films may very well be a “money grab,” I am happy that they have split the book because that means we have twice as long to say good bye to our favorite characters. We get to savor the franchise just a little bit longer than if it all ended this November.
Amen to that, Elvenangel.
I’m thrilled that the “The Deathly Hallows” has been split into 2 films. One film would not have done it justice, it’s just too complex for too much of it to be cut out.
I do love that they’ve included an actual scene with Hermione’s parents.
I fully expect to be sobbing buckets during both parts of the film and will have plenty of tissues at the ready.
Note: I’m 51.
@Rock Golf- Mr. Ebert must have a larger bladder than I. At home, it’s fine to watch a long film, but it actually distracts me from a film when I’m in a theater negotiating with myself between increasing pain/anxiety and the desire not to miss anything in the film.
@Mr. Holloway – It’s not the first time it’s been done. Remember The Neverending Story.
hehe, josh is responding to mr. holloway. as a lost fan, i am amused.
Yep! As a major “Lost” fan myself I got a chuckle out of that too. (Even though my name actually has nothing to do with Josh Holloway.)
I think of it more like a mini-series, than any sort of cynical ploy to make more money. Not that the astronomical amount of cash they’re gonna rake in doesn’t have them all a bit giddy, of course. But I think it really does do justice to the epic nature of this last book to divide and conquer. These aren’t just movies where you buy your ticket and park you butt in the seat anyway – it’s a cinematic experience to be had, which for some people, is priceless.
No, you’re right…it’s probably true that splitting this book into two movies will probably do it more justice (even if, while I was reading, I was mentally removing some of the more tedious Harry/Ron/Hermione arguments during their travels from the movie version).
Either way, I’ll definitely be at both movies, and the more I read about this movie, the more it warms my cold cynical heart.
No one seemed to mind when Coppola split The Godfather in half
And Richard Lester did a fab job turning “The Three Musketeers” into two movies.
I never saw the split as (primarily) being a cash grab. Yeah, they’ll make an extra $900+ million worldwide. Good for them! But the last book is so dense and so much goes on and it’s ALL essential to the overall plot, that you can’t cut it without losing a lot of the story. So I see why they split it, definitely. It also lets them explore things that were only touched upon in the book, like Hermione and her parents and Hermione and Ron in the chamber.
Also, from what I understand, the final runtime of both movies will be in the 5-hour neighborhood. So yes, definitely too long for a single sitting, even with an intermission. It’s just not practical.
Now, if you want to look at a franchise split done purely for financial gain, look no further than eaking-Bray awn-Day.
Masy favorite thing about the Twilight franchise is when fans start talking about how deep it is and that’ why BD needs to be 2 movies.
lol true
Cash grab? No. Shrek 3 and 4 were cash grabs. This is a good story, done in the proper manner.
Exactly! They’ve been talking about splitting the films since GOF and I wish they would have split those too. There are a lot details that had to be sacrificed because the filmmakers couldn’t fit them in without the movies being 6 hours long…like Dobby’s appearance in books 4,5, and 6; Hermione’s house elf liberation plan; all of the memories in HBP; Quidditch in OOTP; and many other moments. So Im happy that they finally can fit everything in.
exactly. Breaking Dawn is another cash grab. SO pathetic! i hate the movie (twilight). they suck and are pointless!
Considering that the last book is extraordinarily long (compared to the others), very dense, and extraordinarily well written, it would take two whole three hour films (at a minimum) to capture them properly. hardly a ‘cash grab’. Pfffft.
If you want to be technical, “Order of the Phoenix” (896 pages) is considerably longer than “Hallows” (784 pages), and “Goblet of Fire” (734 pages) is a comparable length…I don’t recall there being a huge outcry for “OOTP” to be split into multiple movies.
However, your point about “Hallows” being especially dense and well-written is well taken…and on a more basic level, this is their last shot at a movie, so I don’t blame them for throwing in as much as they can.
If they could turn this into 3 parts, it would be even BETTER. perhaps i am in the minority, but i loved the first 2 movies bc they tried to include everything. The later 4 took significant liberties, and outright ignored some things. for example, the significance of harry’s patronus and the identity of prongs, things that had such meaning in the books, completely ignored in the movies. bah. so i would love for the last book’s movies to really be done right.
however, what i do think is money-grubbing is the fact that it’s in 3D (it is in 3D, correct?). I just don’t need 3D, i dont think it adds much to a story, and it gives me a headache.
OUTSTANDING point about the 3D!
All you guys seemed to have latched on to the term “cash grab”, which I carelessly threw in there when what I actually wanted to say was that I was happy that they’d expanded the movies to include stuff like Hermione’s parents…
…but the fact that the movies are coming out in 3D is a MUCH more egregious offense than the fact that they were split in two (which, as you all have pointed out, has actual artistic merit to go along with the additional buckets of money Warner Bros. will make from a bonus movie).
Amen to that. I’m so happy they’re splitting DH up — the first two HP movies were the only two I really enjoyed, because all the others have left out too much. The leaving out of the significance of Harry’s patronus (along with much of the backstory regarding James-Sirius-Lupin-Wormtail in POA) always particularly irked me.
It’s coming out in both 3D and 2D, so fanboys and fangirls can get their thrills from Voldemort avada-kedavra them, while readers and those smart enough to avoid the headaches posed by 3D can enjoy all that the films have to offer in 2D.
i actually think it’d be cool to watch it in 3D but i don’t see myself watching it in 3D cause those stupid glasses hurt after wearing them for 30 min
Actually, last I heard they’re not going to be released in 3D after all.
Actually there not releasing the first part in 3D because they would’ve had to make it 3D after they had already shot it and they didnt have time to make it look as good as it could so they aren’t releasing it in 3D
Cash Grab?
I’ll pay them even more to split the last book into EIGHT parts!
Ha! That’s the thing about us HP fans…we’d GLADLY sit through eight movie adaptations (of each book!), even as Radcliffe is collecting social security.
hear, hear! What about a mini-series on hogwarts students?
@Chris, that would be awesome! As long as the right people did it.
I don’t think the world needs another crappy teen drama;
“Secret Life of the Hogwarts Teenager”, “The Hills: Hogwarts Edition”, being prime examples of what could happen.
Eight movies? That’s like, what, one movie for every time we have to hear a different account of Dumbledore’s back story?
@becca: so right. the cast for the movies have been spot-on.
what about a series about the Marauders? we can dream, right?
When I heard that a certain other book/film franchise was splitting its final book into two films, I literally cringed that such a notion was even being considered. But, before that, when I heard the Deathly Hallows was being split into two, my first thoughts were “Thank God!” and “Finally.” I’m of the impression that the Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix could have been two films, but I digress. There is SO much that occurs in the Deathly Hallows, and it’s all absolutely pivotal to the ending of it. Maybe the Harry/Ron/Hermione fighting/tent scenes could be cut a bit, but really, there’s nothing really irrelevant or easy to cut without affecting the rest of the film in some way. They figure out one thing that leads to another and then to another, etc. Forget the fact that it’s the final installment of an absolutely epic series of novels, a phenomenon that both defines a generation and captures the attention of older generations. Even if it were just any book, it’d have to be split into two movies. It’s dense. And then, of course, add in that it’s Harry freaking Potter and you get all the pressure and obligation to do right by it, which means splitting it in two.
“I’m of the impression that the Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix could have been two films”
YES! In fact, I’m actually a little annoyed about them splitting this up, because I kinda feel like, “Oh NOW you’re doing it? Where were you three movie ago?” d-:
I definatly think they should’ve added more to the sixth movie like Tonks crush on Remus and things like that
You did see them in Diagon Alley in Book 2. They met the Weasley’s.
I’m hoping they do something with the Dursley’s. That was such a brilliant part of finale.
Good call on the Dursleys. They’ve really gotten the short end of it in the last few movies.
That part made me cry in the book
Absolutely! I really felt cheated that the movies didn’t all start @ the Dursley’s, especially HBP, because I would have LOVED to see Dumbledore tell off the Dursley’s.
CAN’T WAIT FOR THESE FILMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These final films are going to KILL me. I’ll be the one crying from beginning to end.
You and me both.
Thirded…I was a mess reading it, watching it will be even worse. I anticipate embarrassing, heaving sobs. Glad I won’t be the only one!
right behind you, Jewel
Totally agreed! Not to spoil anything, but I wonder if the post-script will be seen on screen? I would need BOXES of tissue for that!
The book came out over three years ago, so the statute of limitations on spoilers just expired.
pics of the actors doing the postscript have been released, so definitely yes
they said yes, the post script will be at the end (Radcliffe made a statement saying he would rather include it with other actors playing grown-up harry, ron, hermione, and ginny, than leave it out… so they ARE putting it in) i dont know if i like the idea of differnet actors though
Got all tearied eyed reading this. But Deathly Hollows had me crying my eyes out at 1 am. I loved that book and will read a couple more times till the movie
I will not survive, emotionally, Fred Weasley dying.
Yep, cried from page one, to thet very end. I still cry. I still get misty just thinking about some scenes in this book. I think I’m going to be a mess and a half when I see these movies.
I’m in the process of re-reading the book and cried my eyes out (again!) reading Dobby’s death. I hope the movies get the emotional impact of the various deaths that each one deserves.
Both times I read the book, I cried through the last 150 pages or so, so I know I’ll be a disaster at the movie as well.
Me too!!! I loved the books, I love the films. It’s going to be a heartache. I was sad at the last LOTRs film too. But not to have any more Harrys to look forward too… sniff sniff.
Usually I don’t watch movies based on books I’ve read, but, considering I found the seventh Potter installment to be bland and superbly disappointing in the written form, I’ll have to make an exception.
You’re so sophisticated.
You forgot “jejuene.” All the really sniffy, smug, hyper-critical pop culture snobs would have used it. Bummer for you, I guess.
And “banal.” Don’t forget the banal.
As a sniffy, smug, hyper-critical pop culture snob, I must point out that you spelled “jejeune” incorrectly.
No.
I dunno, I think Doug sort of has a point. It wasn’t THAT great of a book.
Well you know your audience but I have to disagree big time. I was so satisfied. You think somehow after that much anticipation and genuine emotional attachement that the end result will be nothing but disappointment, and then there’s Deathly Hallows. I’m not saying it didn’t have some problems but the overall result was the awesome-ist. I was so happy to be apart of the experience.
Actually, most of the English PhDs I know think the seventh books is a modern masterwork. In fact, one of them comvnced me to actually read the series… and I couldn’t be more happy about that conversation.
Oh my goodness. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was fabulous and ended up being my favorite after “Sorcerer’s Stone” or “The Philosopher’s Stone” as it was called in the UK.
Great bookend books.
From the moment Dobby passed I cried the rest of the way through. I can not wait for these movies.
Cried there too. But the part that absolutely kills me is when Dumbledore tells Snape that sometimes we Sort too soon. Gets me every time, and I just finished my third read this weekend.
I hope they include that bit in the movie.
or when dumbledore sees snape’s patronus and says something to the effect of “still? after all this years?” oh snape, you deserved so much more.
I cry through the entire “The Prince’s Tale” chapter every time I read the book. So beautiful.
Yep those Snape scenes turn me into a blubbering mess. The part with hsi patronus is what really gets me and I can totally visualize it. That is the only problem I have with book 7, it’s so well written and easy for each person to picture what this world looks like that inevitably the movie will disappoint your vision.
Oh, Dobby. Sniff. It’s possible he won’t be in the movie, though, since Bill and his injury were left out of the last one, so maybe they won’t be escaping to Bill’s house.
I swear I read somewhere that Dobby would be in this movie but I can’t remember where.
He’s there- Dan makes mention in one of the interviews. And in the trailers there’s a shot of Harry at Dobby’s grave.
Dobby will come to save Luna & Ollivander & Dean, return to Malfoy manor and get stabbed dying in Harrys arms at shell cottage. We will see Dobby, if for the last time. I dont know who hurt me more, Dobby, Fred or Hedwig. Those three for me, were the hardest.
@E3Q Same here, especially Fred. I knew a Weasley had to die but I was still really upset when it happened.
I just saw Dobby on a commercial!!! I’ve been waiting forever to see if they’d put him back in!
Me + fate of Lupin and Tonks = uncontrollable sobbing (I’m getting choked up right now. Better bring a box of Kleenex to the theater)
I was already a mess over Dobby and Fred but I just about came undone when we found out about Lupin and Tonks. Had to take off reading glasses and put the book down for a good 10 minutes but when I THOUGHT I was OK I started sobbing (headache type of crying) as soon as I picked the book up again.
Re-reading now (for about the 5th time) and I know I’ll cry all over again this time.
How could I over-look my shock over Mad-Eye Moody. Hit me like a ton of bricks.
I expected deaths in “DH” but not the ones we got.
One I did expect didn’t happen and read that JKR planned it but her sister told her she’d never forgive her if she killed him – Hagrid.
Lupin and Tonks pretty much did it for me. Although it wasn’t the first time I cried over a character’s death, I was in a funk for about a week after Dumbledore died in HBP.
I know! It was just so…”and there were Lupin and Tonks.” Sudden. And especially after Sirius’ death in OotP (which I’m still not over, he was my favorite!), it seemed even sadder to see Harry lose someone who’d known his parents so well.
All of those made me cry too, but I started with Hedwig. It was so sudden and I was not expecting it at all. Then Dobby and Fred… it just kept getting worse
Yeah, Tonks and Lupin did it for me
Yes, that got me, but I was already crying. I started when Dudley said goodbye to Harry (oh God, tearing up right now thinking of it) and didn’t really ever stop.
I knew I was gonna cry anyways, so… Been there, done that… lol!! But, I seriously can’t wait for the movie to come out…
Is this magazine available in the US yet? Or do we have to wait until October.
looked at the Empire cover – Radcliffe is looking a bit Zac Effron and more grown up. loved the 7th novel so much – hope the movie will be as good. i want to be scared and full of suspense, even tho i know what will happen.
I usually hate it when they add random scenes into the movies – but that scene with Hermione’s parents really sounds moving. I like that they’re adding that. I can’t wait to see these movies!
I was just gonna say the same thing! It usually ticks me off that they add stuff but this sounds really good and moving can’t wait to see it
Completely agree. I think maybe the difference between this and something like the scene with Bellatrix at the Burrow that so irritated me is that this is at least touched on in the story. It happened, but we are left to imagine how it went down and how hard it was for Hermione. Bellatrix never ran around taunting Harry at the Burrow or whatever that BS was about. So I guess I don’t mind when certain things are fleshed out in movies that are definitely written about in books…but I hate when movie people add what might be termed “non-canon” stuff into the story unnecessarily.
For me it’s not a totally random scene (like the Weasley house being burned down by Bellitrix “The Half-Blood Prince” – rather hated that) being added, Katiej since she does talk about it. I always wanted to meet Mr. and Mrs. Granger so I’m pleased they we’ll get the chance.
I am trying to figure out where they are going to do the wedding since they burned down the burrow. Are they just going to rebuild it? Or cut out the wedding? I don’t think they can seeing as it is pretty neccessary.
@Zach. The wedding is in and it is at The Burrow. I don’t know how they explain the damage, I assume they will have just repaired it. But pics have been posted of Scrimgeour sitting in the Burrow living room with the Trio on the sofa. And pics have been posted of the wedding, too (really like Fleur’s dress!)
I expect to cry through most of it! As long as they stay true to the books and show the deaths of many well known characters. Splitting it into two movies is absolutley the right thing to do. Can’t wait!
I’m glad they’re adding that scene with Hermione’s parents. Just her describing what she did in the book made it gut-wrenching so watching it on the big screen will probably get me.
I totally can’t wait for the movies. They will tie up a lot of loose ends, and explain everything. All the comments are good. Thanks!
The trailer for the new movie is what finally got me reading the books after all these years. I’m on The Goblet of Fire now and LOVE them so far! Gotta catch up on the movies next. Can’t wait to see this in theaters.
I kind of envy you…. Was so much fun to read them the first time!
Agreed. I look forward to the day my nephew turns 11 and I give him Harry Potter #1. I can’t wait to watch him read Harry Potter. As much as I loved every book the first time I read it, each subsequent read was just as good especially once you’ve read them all. You notice the little things that JKR added in.
I wish this Potter junk had ended after the first film! I can’t believe people like this stuff, especially after the first two!
The first two are kinda ‘meh’. But the rest are much better. ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’ is my favorite. You’re missing out if you don’t read/see the others.
I can’t believe you saw an article about a subject you don’t like, read it, then felt the need to comment negatively about all the people who do enjoy it.
Your seriously missing out. But in the other hand, I’d rather not have people like you in our fandom.
You’re missing out. The first two were cutesy and kid-friendly because the kids are 11 and 12 in those books. Starting with Azkaban, the material gets much darker and more mature. So if you’re judging the entire series based on just the first two films, it’s your loss.
Well, truth to be told, I thought the first two films were the best made. Azkaban was excellent, but Goblet of Fire disappointed me and so did Order of The Phoenix. I skipped Half-Blood Prince altogether, but hearing that Deatly Hollows will be split into two to make the story more complete will make me see it.
And I can’t believe there are dead-brained and soulless people like you that could say that.
Don’t feed the troll people.
“To see (Voldemort) brutalising and desperately trying to kill a 17-year-old boy is hopefully going to shake some people up.”
Uh, lest we not forget – R.I.P. Cedric Diggory.
Oh in that case I’d make an exception….wish he’d go over and kill him again in Twilight. But I can’t wait for the movies…reading it to my son right now (I’ve already read it alone) and he is totally enjoying it.
I think the key word in the article and quote is “brutalize” … although Voldemort killed Cedric, it was more of an afterthought and very quick. With Harry … it sounds like he tries to make him suffer. Thus (to me anyways) very different
“Uh, lest we not forget – R.I.P. Cedric Diggory.”
As if you’d even care about Cedric Diggory if Robert Pattinson hadn’t played him.
And Rascal’s got a point. Cedric’s death was extremely quick and done out of convenience. There was no brutality or desperation about it.
Yes, but it was very sad and made me cry and that was before he became ROBERT PATTINSON!
I have to admit that this was one point where I think the movie did a better job than the book – when Cedric’s dad screams out “that’s my boy” I get immediately choked up
I actually thought Cedric’s death was sad before the RPatz phenomenon took place. I think he looks completely different now…I prefer clean, Cedric-Robert, lol.
I didn’t say that EVERYONE only cared about Cedric because Pattinson played him. I made a specific comment about this specific poster, and I stick by it.
uh, sure, except Cedric was neither brutalized NOR killed by Voldermort. He was killed by Peter Pettigrew
On Voldemort’s command, which to me is being killed by Voldemort. But whatever.
Uh, yeah, got more than a little misty reading this! I’m actually a little nervous about seeing the movies now; I may not handle it very well.
@Anne…I know, I was thinking the same thing! There’s no way I would want to miss this movie, but I basically lost it just READING the description of Hermione’s scene in this article. I can’t imagine how I’m gonna react to actually seeing it.
I teared up too with Emma’s description of that scene.
Now I’ve just got to find a way to make sure my sister is in town to go with me for both parts. We saw the 1st one together (her hubby too) so it’s only fitting that we see the final films together too.