David Heyman has been a producer on every single Harry Potter film, and he wanted fans to know that he feels their pain when it comes to the massive eight month delay of the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Recently he sat down with the good folks at Coming Soon and explained the reasons behind pushing the release date from next month all the way back to July of next year:
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“I would love the film to come out in November; we would have been ready, but the fact is partly because of the writers strike and for whatever reason, Warners didn’t have any movies next summer. They had Batman this year which was bigger than they ever thought it would be, so they came to me, and they said, ‘David, we want to move it.’ Warners has been really good to us. They’ve given us lots of money and lots of independence. It defies belief how much independence we have on these films. They give us the money, they read a draft of the script. I choose the director, we make the film, they come and visit. We show them a cut of the film, they say they like it, they give us some notes, we make the changes that we want to make. We test screen it once and show it to them, and then the movie is released. They’ve been so supportive that one has to support… they needed it. It’s a film business.”
There was never any doubt that it was a studio decision (much like what was done with the upcoming Star Trek movie’s being pushed from December to next May), but at least he’s throwing the fans a bone and letting them know that if it was up to him it would be released in November.
He went on to say that it will be weird to start working on the next film when the current one isn’t even released yet. This one is done except for very minor “tweaks.”
There have also been rumors that the delay was due to Daniel Radcliffe’s appearance in the stage play Equus in the UK. The play is very popular and supposedly he wouldn’t be able to break away next month to do press for the film. Personally, I think that’s bogus.
Daniel Radcliff in a scene from Harry Potter 6
On the bright side, there will be a much shorter wait between part 1 & 2 of Harry Potter 7 (Deathly Hallows) than there will be between Harry Potter 5 & 6. The release dates on those should be November 2010 and Summer 2011, less than 9 months apart.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens on July 17, 2009.
Source: Coming Soon via First Showing
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9 Comments
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This make feel a little better that we won have a long wait for Harry Potter 7 but this is still depressing that this movie has been pushed back eight months! At least they can finish their last minute tweaks t make this fil even greater.
i am still mad about it but hey at least Twilight is coming out. I really hope that since there is this 8 month delay then the movie should be just like the book. In the past they have messed up the movies putting scenes in there that wasn’t even in the book. Also I don’t like David Yates I think he did a bad job on hp 5 but it most likely had something to do with the script. So get a new director for the 7th one and a new screen writer.
i love the hp movies and books, i dnt mind if it is delayed a tiny bit more, but not too much. being pushed back 8 mnths is really annoying but atleast it’ll come out in the end.
the cast and crew do a really good job on the movies and they should be given a pat on the back for all of their hard work.
KEEP IT UP GUYS!!
I understand that it is a film industry, but the Harry Potter franchise is an established money maker at any season. I feel that taking an eight month push back can lose the fans that are on a current track that doesn’t follow the normal film industry marketing calendar. Fans were able to handle the time table change after the original Dumbledore because that was an unforseeable act, but to change the debut for marketing reasons is not being loyal to the fans. I understand that have given you “Heyday Films” total control, but they did so because they know this is like a monel well that they feel they can tap into whenever they feel they need to. The well is there, but they need to make sure they do not ignore the well because I am sure they don’t want loyal fans to forget the well that has been given to them.
I think it is somewhat rediculous that movie excs are pushing this date. Dont youthinkwe have waited long enough? I mean, a vampire flick? Seems a bit over done if you ask me. In fact, most who have read the Vamp series have commented that it is an unoriginal approach to the entire vamp concept. We have seen it all before which makes it complacent and non creative at best. HP is completely original and thought provoking for kids of all ages. Why ruin a good thing by giving up the date to a series that is bound to flop? It blows my mind, my brain and my head too. lol.
I love Harry Potter up and down. But dont be dissing on Twilight!!! Ohh thats the last thing anyone wants to do, >:|
Poppinz
Everyone has got to remeber that this is a buissness industry and as long as they get the movie out I dont care. They pushed it back also because they are alreasy expecting Twilight to be a big hit and they need something to fill the summer spot. Someone else on another thing said they could get 60% more Imax theaters to do it too for the summer time slot.
Their not trying to upset fans, thats the last thing they would want to do, but this is a buisness and they have to look out the best for their buisness. Fans are important but they need the cash too. If your a loyal fan too you will still see it so I dont see the problem.
Jess said, “Someone else on another thing said they could get 60% more Imax theaters to do it too for the summer time slot.”
Actually that’s the best news out of this inconvenience. Their not exactly building IMAX’s on every corner. Yet..
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