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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Last Harry Potter Film

    http://enews.earthlink.net/article/e...01141461980885

    The above link confirms my fondest hopes, entertainment wise. Apparantly, the last HP book, Deathly Hallows, WILL be broken up into two films so as to do the book justice.

    Hoo freaking ray.

    Patrick Yates
    Last edited by Patrick Yates; 01-14-2008 at 10:08 AM. Reason: misspelled title Pooter

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Durham, NC

    that would be awesome . . .

    I wonder where the split will occur? Right after Malfoy Manor? Harry's attitude kind of changed at that point. That would start the second movie with the bank heist (and planning of the heist with the goblin).

    Damn. Now I'm going to want to read it AGAIN!

  3. #3
    OMG Squee!!

    Welcome news.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Hot'Lanta... home of the Falcons!
    Quote Originally Posted by aimo View Post
    I wonder where the split will occur? Right after Malfoy Manor? Harry's attitude kind of changed at that point. That would start the second movie with the bank heist (and planning of the heist with the goblin).

    Damn. Now I'm going to want to read it AGAIN!
    The escape from Malfoy basement is a truly excellent place to end the movie and begin the next one -- no question about it.

    This is the best Harry Potter news in a loooong time!!

    --Jason "my sons still don't know why JK isn't writing any more books" Evans

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Yates View Post
    http://enews.earthlink.net/article/e...01141461980885

    The above link confirms my fondest hopes, entertainment wise. Apparantly, the last HP book, Deathly Hallows, WILL be broken up into two films so as to do the book justice.

    Hoo freaking ray.

    Patrick Yates
    This is fantastic news. I have no idea how they could have done it in one. As it is, I think the films have grown worse as the books have progressed. They leave more material out -- important material -- and it annoys me. Glad that won't happen in the last movie.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Los Angeles
    The cynic in me can't help thinking that they're doing this because the gravy train has an end in sight and they're hoping to ride it for one more year. Even so, it should be a good thing.

    I'm saying this as I have 3 of the Potter movies here at my desk as they arrived today on Blu-ray...Hard to argue with the Amazon sale which led to them being $10/each.

  7. #7
    I'd heard that an initial draft of the script left too many critical plot threads out and it was still looking to be four hours long. They really have to account for all the horcruxes, and have the big battle at Hogwarts. When you add in all the characters who meet their demise, two films is a very reasonable decision. And I can't wait!

  8. #8

    Hallows -- two movies?

    I agree with the suggestion that breaking the book with the escape from Malfoy Manor makes the most sense. The first-half film can end with Harry standing over Dobby's grave ... and pondering his choice -- does he pursue the Hallows or the Horcrux's?

    The only other place that might serve as a breaking point is the discovery of the sword in the pond, Ron's return and the destruction of the locket.

    The big problem is that now that we know the conclusion, it's going to be hard to sit through two films leading up to the conclusion.

    I'm convinced that the film versions of The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows-Part One will be box office disappointments, while the finale will be the highest-rated film in the series.

  9. #9
    Interesting; I had the opposite reaction of a lot of people in this thread when movie discussion began immediately after everyone read the final book. My thought was that there is a ton a crap that can, and should, be left out of the film version.

  10. Heh, I agree with Cavlaw that we could trim a good chunk out of the "wandering aimlessly in the woods" section. My friend suggested having a shot of them walking into the forest, then a cut to them walking out and saying "my, what amazing adventures we just had."

    Seriously, I am glad that they will take their time. (Wish they had done the same with Golden Compass!) I've had the opposite experience as Jumbo: for me the more recent movies have been head and shoulders above the earlier (Chris Columbus, ughghghg) films. OotP particularly was not my favorite book but I really enjoyed the film, and appreciated the use of spinning newspapers in lieu of several sections. But that had, I think, more to do with artistic choices and signing good directors (Alfonso Cuaron, Yates, etc). They did leave out a lot of plot/setup that becomes important later. Will they add that back in to later films?

    I think the best solution would be to do what Jackson did and film great epic movies, cut them back for theatrical release, and then include the missing scenes on the DVD. That way theaters can get enough shows in, kids aren't trapped in a 4.5 hour epic, and we get to (eventually) see all of our favorite scenes.

  11. #11

    wilderness

    Quote Originally Posted by DevilCastDownfromDurham View Post
    Heh, I agree with Cavlaw that we could trim a good chunk out of the "wandering aimlessly in the woods" section. My friend suggested having a shot of them walking into the forest, then a cut to them walking out and saying "my, what amazing adventures we just had."
    I was trying to think about how you might shorten the wilderness scenes and I kept running into things that needed to stay in.

    In the first place, let's define what we're talking about. The "wandering aimlessly in the woods" section starts with the frantic escape from the Ministry of Magic (after stealing the locket from Umbridge) and ends with the trio's capture and transportation to Malfoy Manor. Right?

    Okay, in between we've got to keep:

    -- The visit to Luna's home, where the trio learn the legend of the Deathly Hallows (and that Luna is a prisoner of the Dark Forces). Plus, it's kind of a fun scene and a thrilling escape.

    -- Ron's disaffection and departure.

    -- Harry and Hermione's visit to Godric Hollow, the visit to the graveyard and the battle with Nagani there.

    -- The appearance of the mysterious stag, leading Harry to the discovery of the Sword of Gryffendor in the pond -- leading to the return of Ron and the destruction of the locket.

    Everything else can be summed up by a nice music montage, but I don't see how you can leave these scenes out. I'm also not sure about the night where the trio overhear the refugees on the riverbank -- there's some important info imparted there (and an important character introduced), but I guess you could work that in somewhere else.

    Certainly there's enough in the pre Malfoy Manor stuff for a whole movie -- the escape from Privet Lane (with the midair battle), the wedding at the Wursley's, the escape to the Order of the Phoenix hideout and the raid on the Ministry ... all before the wilderness chapters.

    Hope they don't break it with a cliffhanger -- say, just after the trio is captured and taken to Malfoy Manor. Tought to generate much drama when 95 percent of your audience knows what's going to happen.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Western North Carolina

    Climactic Final Battle...Barf

    The main driving force behind the two movie thrust is that the final battle scene is important, and that "it should be done right."

    This fills me with dread.

    Most fans' main complaint with the first movies is that details were left out. Frequently, this has lead to Ron getting the shaft, with his parts of the books left out. Regardless, plot details have been glossed over so that Hollywood can throw usless special effects at the screen, taking what JK used three pages to describe and turning it into a ten minute SFX scene.

    Unfortunately, I think this is what will happen to the last movie. The last scene is good, and important, but I have this horrible premonition that we will be treated to a huge, drawn out fight scene. It will probably be filmed using the same technique as "300" so as to wow us. I think that Hollywood's thinking is that we can have a last chapter that is essentially two sfx shots bridged with a little talking. IE the Gringotts heist and Hoqwarts battle.

    We will still get the shaft on the front end. I bet they gloss over the wedding, if it even happens in the movie. I bet that the slick heist at the MoM (which could totally be done tonque in cheek a la Ocean's 11) is shorted, mostly because God apparantly hates me.

    At first I was happy about the announcement, hence my post. But as I read more, I am convinced that this split is motivated by money (which wouldn't upset me if it lead to a better movie), and by a desire to short the plot yet again to showcase usless SFX.

    Not that any of this matters. These movies were simply a knee jerk, cash in now move by hollywood. In 10 years, the BBC will do a miniseries for each book that will blow these movies away. That miniseries will be so good that a law will be enacted mandating the destruction of all existing copies of the current film series, so that they can rightfully be wiped from existance.

    Patrick Yates

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    I think JK could have trimmed some of the woods-wandering out of the book (even though some important points were revealed, it took WAY too long to get anywhere). But even if that stuff is cut from the movie, there's still too good material to leave it as a stand-alone.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Yates View Post
    Not that any of this matters. These movies were simply a knee jerk, cash in now move by hollywood. In 10 years, the BBC will do a miniseries for each book that will blow these movies away. That miniseries will be so good that a law will be enacted mandating the destruction of all existing copies of the current film series, so that they can rightfully be wiped from existance.

    Patrick Yates
    Never fear. By the time that comes to pass, I'm sure you'll have figured out a way to be gloomy about the outcome.

  15. #15
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    Feb 2007
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    Durham, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by Jumbo View Post
    I think JK could have trimmed some of the woods-wandering out of the book .
    As I stated months ago, I actually like the woods-wandering parts. And I think they were absolutely necessary to depict how long they were on their own and how hard things were for three fairly pampered teens (OK, maybe not Harry). Maybe I throw myself into books more, but I loved how the reader was as clueless as to what was going on everywhere else as the three friends were. I fear that the movie(s) will glance over this too much (b/c these scenes WON'T require special effects) and it will take away from the hard, emotional times they went through during those months, not knowing what was happening to their friends/family.

    And I don't care if money is the true motive, as long as we can get the best movie possible. As for the BBC, I hope they do redo it. (And get a better Dumbledore.)

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Olympic Fan View Post
    I was trying to think about how you might shorten the wilderness scenes and I kept running into things that needed to stay in.

    In the first place, let's define what we're talking about. The "wandering aimlessly in the woods" section starts with the frantic escape from the Ministry of Magic (after stealing the locket from Umbridge) and ends with the trio's capture and transportation to Malfoy Manor. Right?

    Okay, in between we've got to keep:

    -- The visit to Luna's home, where the trio learn the legend of the Deathly Hallows (and that Luna is a prisoner of the Dark Forces). Plus, it's kind of a fun scene and a thrilling escape.

    -- Ron's disaffection and departure.

    -- Harry and Hermione's visit to Godric Hollow, the visit to the graveyard and the battle with Nagani there.

    -- The appearance of the mysterious stag, leading Harry to the discovery of the Sword of Gryffendor in the pond -- leading to the return of Ron and the destruction of the locket.

    Everything else can be summed up by a nice music montage, but I don't see how you can leave these scenes out. I'm also not sure about the night where the trio overhear the refugees on the riverbank -- there's some important info imparted there (and an important character introduced), but I guess you could work that in somewhere else.

    Certainly there's enough in the pre Malfoy Manor stuff for a whole movie -- the escape from Privet Lane (with the midair battle), the wedding at the Wursley's, the escape to the Order of the Phoenix hideout and the raid on the Ministry ... all before the wilderness chapters.

    Hope they don't break it with a cliffhanger -- say, just after the trio is captured and taken to Malfoy Manor. Tought to generate much drama when 95 percent of your audience knows what's going to happen.
    It's strange, but after reading the Deathly Hallows, something I thought could easily be left out were the Deathly Hallows themselves. Of course, the title of the film will require their presence, but they really don't have much to do with the rest of the series and are not particularly compelling. As a McGovern, they just weren't very good.

    That oddity aside, I think one scene that is easily left off is the wedding. after all, Bill is a non-character in the movies. We'll see if he shows up in the HBP film.

    I'm also not entirely sure what the value added for Godric's Hollow is.

  17. #17
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    Feb 2007
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    Asheville, NC

    Harry Potter movie

    The final Harry Potter book will be split into two movies. I think this is a much better decision that trying to leave things out.

    http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movi...ap/index.html

  18. #18
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    Feb 2007
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    ← Bay / Valley ↓
    first thread under "similar threads" already mentions this not sure why cnn is just getting around to reporting this

    -- addendum
    Weird, the link from the first thread doesn't work any more...
    Last edited by hc5duke; 03-13-2008 at 05:34 PM.

  19. #19
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    Feb 2007
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    Asheville, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by hc5duke View Post
    first thread under "similar threads" already mentions this not sure why cnn is just getting around to reporting this

    -- addendum
    Weird, the link from the first thread doesn't work any more...
    Sorry! I hadn't seen it (I guess basketball does consume me), so I didn't mean to post a repetitive thread!

  20. #20
    JMO but as the books got longer the movies got a) more and more inadequate of conveying the nuances of the stories, and b) more dependent upon fast-paced action and special effects at the expense of good screenwriting and acting.

    Perhaps only a movie budget can handle the star power and special effects they hope to bring, but the books got so long relative to the movies, I wonder if a televised miniseries format might be a better match.

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