Screen Rant » harry potter

‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ Hits Stores December 8th

Rob Frappier — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:36:04 +0000

Hey Harry Potter fans, guess what! The sixth film in the popular franchise (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) is coming to Blu-ray and DVD on December 8th.

According to Coming Soon, the film will be released in three formats: a three-disc Blu-ray, DVD, digital copy combo pack; a two-disc digital copy special edition (as seen in the above image); and a one-disc wide-screen and full-screen edition.

So, which one should you get? Well, that’s hard to say. Normally, I would recommend buying the Blu-ray DVD. Go big or go home, right?

On the other hand, last month I wrote an article talking about how all Harry Potter DVDs were going to get a Special Edition re-release. If that turns out to be true, I say wait until the Special Edition. After all, the film version of Half-Blood Prince changed a lot of the scenes in the book, so there’s bound to be a number of deleted scenes for die-hard fans to peruse.

Personally, I find it very frustrating when there’s multiple incarnations of a DVD. More often than not, all I’m looking for is a good copy of the movie. I don’t want to say I’m cheap, but dammit, why should I have to buy two copies of a movie with negligible differences in special features?

What do you think Harry Potter fans? Will you buy Half-Blood Prince when it comes out on DVD and Blu-ray, or will you wait until the (officially unconfirmed) Special Edition re-release?

Source: ComingSoon

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Secrets of ‘Harry Potter’ Theme Park Unveiled

Scott Miller — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:57:30 +0000

Universal Orlando Resort (the folks who beckoned us with “Ride The Movies” and delivered with the Jaws, King-Kong and Back To The Future rides) will soon be expanding their Islands of Adventure park with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, set to open in the spring of 2010.

Polish your hand-widdled wands while reading the following press release, or feel free to skip to the videos in which the young stars of the Harry Potter movies chat about the park and a map (they missed the boat on little footsteps that say “You!”) with a virtual tour. The scholars and gentlemen over at Coming Soon provided us with the following press release:

From the front archway of Hogsmeade to the immensity of Hogwarts castle, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will feature the locations listed below:

At the entrance of Hogsmeade, billowing steam and an iconic whistle signal the arrival of the Hogwarts Express into Hogsmeade station.

Across the way is Zonko’s, a joke shop with a collection of tricks and jokes, including Extendable Ears, Boxing Telescopes and Sneakoscopes.

Honeydukes is next door and full of treats like Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans.

The Three Broomsticks and adjacent Hog’s Head pub will feature traditional British fare and drinks including Butterbeer and pumpkin juice.

Across from the Three Broomsticks is The Owlery, where owls roost and await their next delivery.

The Owl Post sends letters with a certified Hogsmeade postmark and sells official stamps from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Ollivanders wand shop is an incredible interactive experience where the wand chooses the wizard.

Completing Hogsmeade is Dervish and Banges, the magical instruments and equipment shop featuring. Quidditch equipment, Triwizard apparel, Spectrespecs and Remembralls.

The first attraction, Dragon Challenge, features a twin high-speed roller coaster with many iconic elements from the Triwizard Tournament.

Next is Flight of the Hippogriff, a family coaster simulating a Hippogriff training flight over the grounds of Hogwarts castle.

Located in Hogwarts castle, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a thrilling new state-of-the-art attraction that uses entirely new technology to bring the magic, characters and stories of Harry Potter to life in ways never before experienced.

Before exiting back into Hogsmeade, Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods is full of Ministry of Magic and magical creatures merchandise, Omnioculars, and even remote control Golden Snitches.

Said Diane Nelson, President of DC Entertainment, who is also responsible for overseeing the Harry Potter brand team worldwide:

“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is yet another way that fans will be able to experience and enjoy Harry Potter for many years to come,” said . “The power of this brand speaks for itself, as the enthusiasm of our dedicated fans around the world continues to grow even stronger as we move into the future.”

There is more to the press release (much more) if you want to head over to Coming Soon.

Is there any way these guys AREN’T gonna make a bajillion dollars off of this? Will you (and your family) be visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter next year?

Source: ComingSoon.Net

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GROAN… Summer 2009 Sets Box Office Record

Kofi Outlaw — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:55:02 +0000

So we just finished telling you why the Summer of 2009 was the season of bad movies. Now, as if to validate our point (sarcasm alert) Variety has just announced that the Summer of ‘09 has set a new record as the highest grossing summer of all time at the U.S. domestic box office.

So there you have it, folks, it’s official: Hollywood has no reason to ever hire good writers, produce good scripts, or offer us anything better at the multiplex than what Michael Bay can half-envision.

Awesome.

The numbers of course tell a deeper tale than that, so if you’d like to find out just how the heck this summer managed to break the box office bank, here’s the breakdown:

Top earners for the season were Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($399.4 million), Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince ($294.3 million), and Disney/Pixar’s Up ($289.6 million). We all know why the franchise players made bank (it certainly wasn’t because the newest installments were great films in and of themselves) and Pixar is a proven brand that happened to offer a truly exceptional film. Other crap sequels that helped fill the piggy bank: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs ($193.3 million), Angels and Demons ($133.4 million) and Night at the Museum 2 ($176.5 million)

There were also some unexpected boosts to the box office this year, thanks to Warner Bros.’ breakout hit The Hangover ($270.2 million) and the Sandra Bullock / Ryan Reynolds rom-com, The Proposal ($160.2 million).

Rounding out the Summer ‘09 box office cash pile were reboots/relaunches of popular franchises. On that front you had Star Trek ($256.7 million), Wolverine ($179 million), Terminator Salvation ($125.3 million) and G.I. Joe ($133.4 million and counting).

This really must be just a cruel joke being played by God, IMHO. You have he Writers Guild of America strike back in 2007, during which the scripts for a lot of these films were forced to go into production half-cooked (or less), and what’s the moral of the story? What’s the grand example that the talented writers in Hollywood can hold up to the studios? “Hey, you better treat us right, otherwise we’ll stop working and you’ll end up making more money than you ever have before!”

Pretty short soapbox to be standing on.

It’s also arguable evidence of the (snooty) stereotype that the average American moviegoer has the cerebral capacity of a third grader. Just looking at the numbers I have to wonder just how so many people could be so entertained by so much crap. It once again raises a question one of our readers put to us back in June, after the release of Transformers 2: Is there really a difference between movies like The Dark Knight and TF2 when both films start pulling in crazy bank? How much does quality count?

It was an intriguing topic before, but after hearing that the Summer of 2009 will go down as a the “best” summer at the movies ever (from a profit standpoint), it’s now a raging debate. Expect Screen Rant’s post about it soon.

Source: Variety

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2009 Scream Award Nominations

Ross Miller — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:37:08 +0000

The nominees have been announced for the fourth annual Scream Awards, held every year by Spike TV. The decisively more “fan-friendly” award ceremony (compared to the Oscars) honors films from the sci-fi, fantasy, horror and comic-book genres of movies, TV shows and comic books. The awards are described as, “the first and only global event of its kind,” to honor those genres.

The Scream 2009 nominees were chosen by the Advisory Board of Hollywood and Genre Leaders, a list which this year includes the likes of Wes Craven, Roland Emmerich, Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, Eli Roth and Zack Snyder, plus many more. The event will be taped on Saturday, October 17th this year at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, and will air on Spike TV ten days later on Tuesday, October 27th (check for local times).

Along with the awards, the show will also be airing some exclusive, world premiere of footage of some of the most anticipated movies of 2010! Presenters and musicians for the event are to be announced shortly.

Below is the list of a selection of the 32 categories from this year’s Scream nominations. For those of you (all of you?) who want to have YOUR say on which film should win, you’re in luck! Public voting for the awards has opened already and will run right up to October 17th. But before you head off to vote, here are some of the nominees:

BEST FANTASY MOVIE

“Coraline”

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”

“Twilight”

“Up”

“Watchmen”

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”

BEST HORROR MOVIE

“Dead Snow”

“Drag Me to Hell”

“Friday the 13th”

“Let the Right One In”

“My Bloody Valentine 3D”

“Splinter”

BEST COMIC BOOK MOVIE

“Dragonball Evolution”

“Punisher: War Zone”

“The Spirit”

“Watchmen”

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”

BEST VILLAIN

Eric Bana as Nero; “Star Trek”

Cam Gigandet as James; “Twilight”

Lorna Raver as Mrs. Ganush; rag Me to Hell”

Liev Schrieber as Victor Creed/Sabretooth; “X-Men”

Alexander Skarsgård as Eric Northman; “True Blood”

BEST DIRECTOR

J.J. Abrams; “Star Trek”

Tomas Alfredson; “Let the Right One In”

Michael Bay; “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

Pete Doctor & Bob Peterson; “Up”

Duncan Jones; “Moon”

Sam Raimi; “Drag Me to Hell”

BEST TV SHOW

Battlestar Galactica

Dexter

Fringe

Lost

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

True Blood

BEST ACTOR IN A FANTASY MOVIE OR TV SHOW

Ed Asner, “Up”

Hugh Jackman, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”

Robert Pattinson, “Twilight”

Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Daniel Radcliffe, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”

Michael Sheen, “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans”

BEST ACTRESS IN A FANTASY MOVIE OR TV SHOW

Scarlett Johansson, “The Spirit”

Jamie King, “The Spirit”

Rhona Mitra, “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans”

Kristen Stewart, “Twilight”

Emma Watson, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”

For the rest of the nominees you can head over to Spike.com, where you can also cast your votes.

Although some of the awards are truly suspect (how the hell The Spirit got nominated for ANYTHING is beyond me), I still like the overall celebration of the type of sci-fi, fantasy, comic book and horror films we here at Screen Rant revel in Although I won’t go into a specific rundown of who I think should win, I’d like to throw my opinion in the ring for a few of them:

Lost should win Best TV Show (I love Dexter, but it’s no Lost); Best Horror Movie should go to Let The Right One In (I would say Drag Me To Hell, but since that’s a comedy too, Let The Right One takes it for me); Best Actor in a Fantasy Movie Or TV Show should go to Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; and Best Comic Book Movie should (EASILY) go to Watchmen.

But enough from me, what and who will YOU vote for? As stated, you can cast your votes over at Spike.com, and you can see if the winners match your picks when the Scream Awards 2009 air on October 27th this year on Spike TV.

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Harry Potter Extended Edition Re-Releases on the Way?

Rob Frappier — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:50:04 +0000

Hey Harry Potter fans! You’re in for a surprise – according to /Film, via RopeofSilicon, all of the Harry Potter films are going to get special extended edition re-releases. What exactly the extended editions will include is unclear at this point. It is also unclear whether or not they will be re-released on DVD, Blu-Ray, or (dare I say it) to theaters.

Either way, they’re sure to have some extra goodies that weren’t in the theatrical release.

Okay, here comes the buzzkill. Unlike the extended edition releases of Lord of the Rings, which included hours worth of additional material, Harry Potter doesn’t have that many deleted scenes to add.In fact, as /Film points out, most, if not all, of the extended footage for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone included in the television broadcast premiere on ABC. Could it be that Warner Brothers is just trying to milk the Harry Potter franchise for more money?

Call me a cynic, but I’m always a little bit leery of special-edition DVDs. As much as I love behind the scenes featurettes and production stills, I find it difficult to spring for an extra $20 for a copy of a movie I already own. Unless there is substantially more footage, as in the Lord of the Rings re-releases or the upcoming Watchmen Ultimate Collector’s Edition, I’m more apt to stick with my original copy.

Then again, as much as I love Harry Potter, I wouldn’t call myself a fanatic. On the other hand, I know there are plenty of Screen Rant readers out there who are, so why don’t you guys let me know what you think of these extended editions – are you excited about the possibility of seeing more Harry, Ron, and Hermione?

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Movie News Wrap Up – July 27, 2009

Niall Browne — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:17:51 +0000

In the wrap up this week:

Harry Potter feels the G-Force at the box office; Mila Kunis is a Black Swan; Michael Keaton is “Ken”; Kurt Russell might be in Red Dawn. Then again he might not; David Cronenberg gets a haircut in Cosmopolis and Money Never Sleeps for Josh Brolin.

Box Office

Jerry Bruickheimer’s G-Force shot into the number one position this week with a weekend take of $32 million. The Disney family film looks set to hit the $100 million mark giving Bruickheimer another century hit.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince had to settle for second place over the weekend. Down 60% from last weekend, the wonderful wizard flick brought in another $30 million, giving the Warner Bros pic a magical gross of almost $222 million. Factor in the $405 million that the film has made elsewhere around the world, the latest Potter epic has conjured up an astonishing $627 million in just over two weeks! It looks like Harry Potter will grab the 2009 box office crown from Transformers 2.

The Katherine Heigl/ Gerard Butler romantic comedy The Ugly Truth also had an impressive opening of $27 million.

The Joel Silver produced horror film Orphan scared-up an average $12 million over the weekend. The budget should be low and DVD rentals and sales will be high, so anyone with profit participation should be happy in the end.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs melted over 50%, with a gross of $8 million. With $171 million in the bank this looks to be a strong franchise for Fox.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen banked another $8 million, giving the Megan Fox/ Shia LaBeouf starrer a huge total gross of $379 million. A final gross of $400 million is pretty much guaranteed. Ker-ching!

The Hangover keeps hanging around. The R-rated comedy laughed up another $6.5 million, giving the film a massive $247 total gross.

Sandra Bullock’s The Proposal also laughed up another $6.4 million. The film has so far grossed an impressive $140 million.

Michael Mann’s Public Enemies shot up another $4 million. With $88 million robbed from cinema-goers so far it looks like this will need all of Johnny Depp’s charm to hit $100 million.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s Bruno squeezed out just under $3 million, bringing its total to $56 million. A final gross of just over $60 million should be something of a disappointment for all involved, but not unexpected.

Movie News

1. Mila Kunis is set to star opposite Natalie Portman in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan.

The supernatural drama will follow Portman’s Ballerina whose rival may or may not be a figment of her imagination. Kunis will star as the rival Lilly.

Kunis has quite a few films on the way; the Mike Judge directed Extract with Ben Affleck and the Denzel Washington starring The Book of Eli.

Black Swan starts shooting this fall.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

2. It has been known for quite a while, but now someone has confirmed it – Michael Keaton will voice Ken in Toy Story 3. Director Lee Unkrich announced the news at Comic Con.

Now somebody get the man a really good live action role. Please.

Source: Coming Soon

3. ComingSoon.net announced in an “exclusive” that Kurt Russell would be joining the cast of the Red Dawn remake, however the story has since vanished from the site.

Could the Big Trouble In Little China star be joining the Dan Bradley directed action flick?

At this point it could swing either way. Maybe the deal wasn’t closed and someone was worried that Russell might not follow through, or maybe it was total BS and Comingsoon dropped the story to save face.

Whatever the case once we know – you’ll know.

Source: Coming Soon

4. David Cronenberg will direct an adaptation of Don DeDillo’s Cosmopolis. The film follows a 28 year-old billionaire who crosses New York for a haircut. I’m pretty sure there’s more to the plot than that, but you never know. The film will shoot in 2010, and no cast has signed…yet.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

5. According to the all knowing Nikki Finke Josh Brolin has been offered a role in Oliver Stone’s Wall Street 2. Javier Bardem was originally in the frame to play the “villain” role in the film, but it looks like Stone will be re-teaming with his W star.

It looks like 2010 might be another big year for Brolin as he also has Jonah Hex on the way.

Michael Douglas and Shia LaBoeuf will also star in the film that currently has the title Money Never Sleeps.

Source: Deadline Hollywood

That’s it for now. See you at the movies.

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SR Pick: Japanese Fan Interviews Harry Potter Cast, Hilarity Ensues

Rob Frappier — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:02:43 +0000

As one of the world’s most popular and successful franchises, Harry Potter has been known to cause a certain delirium in its fans. At the sight of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and the other stars of the films, they just can’t help themselves from getting all riled up. Of course, there’s a difference between fan and fanatic. I humbly submit the following video clips from the Japanese comedy show, Sanma Akashiya’s “Karakuri Terebi.”

In the videos, Kana, a Japanese Harry Potter fan, gets a surprise meeting Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint. Needless to say, she gets excited. Very excited. To be honest, I’m surprised at how well both Radcliffe and Grint handle the adulation. I can’t say I would react as graciously. On the other hand, I’m not a millionaire actor with millions of fans all over the world.

Anyway, watch and enjoy. Oh, and while you’re watching, ask yourself this question: If you met a celebrity, would you ask to rub his/her eyelashes?

Source: /Film

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Weekend Movie News Wrap Up: July 18, 2009

Niall Browne — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:30:55 +0000

This week:

Harry Potter waves his wand and poof, grabs the No. 1 spot at the box office; Pierce Brosnan is The Hunter; get ready for Bridget Jones 3; Would-be Thor joins Lois Lane and Cyclops in Straw Dogs; Find out who Clifton Collins Jr is, and Sam Raimi talks Jack Ryan!

BOX OFFICE

Harry Potter cast another spell over the box office this weekend. The boy wizard should conjure up an impressive $160 million since his debut last Wednesday. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince looks to be another impressive money-spinner for Warner Bros., who delayed the film from its original November 2008 release after The Dark Knight hit big last summer. What’s more impressive is the popularity and quality of this franchise. Few film series make it to number six without losing box office or creative standards, but the Harry Potter films are keeping audiences happy. And with only two more on the way, it looks like fans will miss Harry and Co. once the spell book is closed in 2011.

Ice Age 3-D: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs froze the number two spot with a weekend take of around $17 million. With $152 million in the bank, this appears to be another franchise that’s keeping the customer satisfied.

Transformers 2 was three with another $13.5 million. The Michael Bay action film has now grossed $363 million.

Bruno died on its second weekend. The Sacha Baron Cohen comedy plummted a massive 80% with a weekend take of only $8 million. With just under $50 in the bank, it looks like the film will be profitable enough in theaters but will have to wait for DVD to really earn. To put things into perspective, The Hangover and The Proposal both took about the same as Bruno this weekend – and they’ve been out seven and five weeks respectively.

Johnny Depp’s Public Enemies grossed $7.5 million, with $79 million in loot so far, it’ll be a nail-biting final stretch to $100 million.

Pixar’s UP moved down the chart but still banked just over $3 million for a $279 million total, while My Sister’s Keeper and I love You Beth Cooper rounded out the top ten. Sister’s Keeper, The Cameron Diaz tear-jearker, has made a so so $41 million, while Heroes star Hayden Panettiere’s Beth Cooper stands at $10 million. Somebody with profit participation is hoping right now they hit big on DVD.

Movie News

1. Former James Bond Pierce Brosnan continues to carve out an interesting career after signing on to The Hunter. The comedy-drama will be directed by actor Stanley Tucci, who also wrote the script.

“The Hunter, set amid the aristocracy of New York’s Upper Westchester County, is a coming-of-age story of a middle-aged man, played by Brosnan, who find himself desperately clinging to the vestiges of his once-charmed life and world.”

Julianne Moore and Patricia Clarkson will costar in the film, which Brosnan will also produce.

The Irish actor has a raft of movies on the way including The Greatest, The Ghost, Percy Jackson and Remember Me with Twilight’s Robert Pattinson.

Source: Variety

2. While not the usual Screen Rant story, we don’t want to disappoint any fans of romantic comedies, so with open hands and heavy hearts we bring you news that a third Bridget Jones film is in development. Renee Zellweger is believed to be returning to her heaviest role yet.

The film would be based on creator Helen Fielding’s newspaper columns, which tracks Bridget in her 40’s trying to conceive.

For those worried about this new installment in the Jones franchise, you have only yourselves to blame. You should have went to see Zellwegger’s New In Town! (Do you even know what that is?)

Source: Variety

3. Former Thor contender Alexander Skarsgard will join Lois Lane and Cyclops… er I mean, Kate Bosworth and James Marsden in Rod Lurie’s redo of Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs.

According to Variety:

“Marsden plays a Hollywood screenwriter who relocates with his wife to her hometown in Mississippi. Bosworth plays the wife, who left the South for LA. to become an actress and returns home so her husband can finish his script in quiet. Skarsgard plays her high school boyfriend, an ex-football hero who sees the return of his former girlfriend as a way to reclaim glory.”

Dustin Hoffman and Susan George starred in the controversial original.

Source: Variety

4. If you don’t know the name Clifton Collins Jr, then you’ll surely know the face. The actor has starred in Star Trek, Crank: High Voltage and Capote. With Boondock Saints 2, Paul Scheuring’s The Experiment and Mike Judge’s Extract on the way it looks like you’ll finally be able to put a name to the face.

Check out a cool interview with the actor at Cinema Static.

Source: Cinema Static

5. Last year the internet went crazy when it was reported that Sam Raimi was interested in directing a Jack Ryan film. The Spider-Man director went on to direct… Spider-Man 4 but the Tom Clancy character remained on Hollywood’s radar.
News recently surfaced that George Clooney was interested in following Alec Baldwin’s, Harrison Ford’s and Ben Affleck’s shoes (which I presume are different sizes – shoes that is).

Raimi spoke to Moviehole about his interest in the character:

“I was chasing ([t] because I love that character so much. I really wanted to treat him seriously and deliver a grade-A Tom Clancy thriller. But then they wanted to make Spider-Man 4, so I couldn’t make it. But I love those movies, I still have [them] on video-tape actually. I loved Baldwin and Harrison Ford. Those films are so consistently well-made – I liked them better than some of the James Bond movies”

Raimi went on to say that he’s currently working with the writer of Spider-Man 4 in order to get the film before cameras in February.

Source: Moviehole

That’s it for now. See you at the movies!

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Today We’re Totally Crushing On: Ginny Weasley

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:52:05 +0000

Harry Potter, you lucky dog.

Welcome to our newest Screen Rant feature, where we let you know who and/or what in pop culture we’ve been TOTALLY crushing on lately!

For our inaugural post, I would like to let you know why I’m totally crushing on actress Bonnie Wright, who recently turned in one heck of a grown and sexy performance as Harry Potter’s love interest, Ginny Weasley, in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

And before you cynics out there start crying foul: This crush is strictly on the PG side of the fence. Check out why I’m totally crushing on Bonnie Wright:

[NOTE: This post MIGHT CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS]

WHO’S THAT GIRL?

When I went to see Half-Blood Prince I was fully prepared to see some teenage romantic angst. Even if you’ve never read one page of J.K. Rowling’s books, Half-Blood Prince has earned most of its critical praise for stepping back from the wizard wonder to effectively explore human teenage drama.

However, what I wasn’t prepared for was Bonnie Wright’s Ginny Weasley. While recently completing a marathon run of all the previous Harry Potter films, I noticed just how much I’ve been overlooking this talented young actress, even though she’s been in every single Potter movie (it’s pretty much her entire acting career to date), and even had a featured role in the second installment, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

But there is no overlooking her now. Oh no. From the moment Wright appears on screen in Half-Blood Prince, she grabbed my attention and did not let go until the end credits rolled…

(Click for larger version)

Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley

MY KIND OF GIRL!

Oh yes, Ms. Wright had the boys (in my theater at least) sweating in their seats. And it wasn’t just looks that did it (no offense Bonnie) – Emma Watson’s Hermione Granger has grown to be the “pretty face” of the Potter franchise. No, what Bonnie Wright brought to the table was a burning charisma that could barely be contained in two smoldering eyes, whose stare was womanly and mature far beyond the actress’s eighteen years of age.

Seriously: Ginny Weasley’s slow-burn seduction of Harry Potter (and I mean it just that way: her seducing him) has to be the hottest cinematic love-conquer I’ve seen this side of 9 1/2 Weeks. While Hermione and the other girls at Hogwarts were running around like headless hormonal chickens, Ginny Weasley totally owned her budding sexuality, wrapping boys (plural) around her little finger and laying claim to whichever one she wanted (lucky for Harry).

Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) watches her man's back.

In fact, nothing I’ve seen on film recently was more sexy to me than the moment when the Death Eaters showed up on the Weasley family’s doorstep and Ginny literally ran through fire in order to have her man Harry’s back. SO SEXY (girls take note: guys love a ride-or-die chick). If you haven’t seen Half-Blood Prince, you can watch a clip of the scene I’m talking about here.

Not only was Ginny Weasley fearless in battle, she was also a hardcore sports fan (the girl is one kick-ass Quidditch player), a sexy and sophisticated socialite (the dinner party scene), and an undeniably good kisser (see pic above). All things considered, is it any surprise that Ginny Weasley is “the chosen one’s” main squeeze?

THANK YOU, MS. WRIGHT

For helping to give young girls an example they can – and should – look up to. Your Ginny Weasley is smart, strong, brave, sexy yet sophisticated and in total control of her feminine wiles. The other girls at Hogwarts would do well to learn a thing or two from Ginny. Kudos for bringing all these wonderful traits to your character – you certainly did her (and J.K. Rowling) justice. Can’t wait to see more from you in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (starring Bonnie Wright) is currently in theaters.

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Mid-Week Movie News Wrap Up – July 15, 2009

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:59:37 +0000

It’s officially mid-week and here’s what’s going on:

Harry Potter waves his wand at midnight and conjures box office records; the Heathers may be gone for good; Cox and Arquette are Screaming again; Robin Hood has its King Richard; The Limey may get a sequel; it’s a wrap for Nightmare on Elm Street; The Crow will fly again for the first time; Warner Bros. may be returning to the Major League; and The Toronto Film Festival has a list of flicks that could become next year’s greats.

Let’s get to it:

1. Variety is reporting that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince conjured up a whopping $20 million in box office receipts from midnight showings alone. If this figure holds, it would make the sixth installment of J.K. Rowling’s wizard adventure the highest-grossing midnight debut of all time. Previous record holders were The Dark Knight ($18 million) and Revenge of the Sith ($17 million).

I myself had to walk almost a quarter-mile to my theater at 1 a.m. this morning to see HBP, the parking lot was so full. People love that Harry…

Source: Variety

2. Winona Ryder recently got Generation Xers all in a tizzy by once again floating the notion that there could be a forthcoming sequel to the 1988 high school shooting black comedy, Heathers. This isn’t the first time Ryder has touched on the subject, however this time, Heathers director Michael Lehmann is shooting down the rumor, claiming “Winona’s been talking about this for years — she brings it up every once in a while and [screenwriter] Dan Waters and I will joke about it, but as far as I know there’s no script and no plans to do the sequel.”

That’s good news: I don’t think we’re quite ready to start laughing at school shootings again.

Source: Slash Film

3. David Arquette let E! Online know that he and wife Courtney Cox-Arquette are officially signed on for Scream 4. We’ve known the deal was in the works for some time but you don’t get much better confirmation than this:

I fell in love with my wife on Scream, so the opportunity to bring [Dewey] back to life and for my wife to play that really bitchy character again, it’s just going to be really fun…It’s just great.

Awwwww, how romantic! Let’s hope one (or both) of them gets butchered. Four films in a horror franchise is longer than anybody deserves to live.

Source: E! Online

4. Actor Danny Huston sure is keeping busy: he’s was the head vamp in 30 Days of Night, Wolverine’s nemesis Col. Stryker – he has an upcoming role playing a god in the Clash of the Titans remake and now he’s been crowned king of Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood.

That’s right, Huston will play the role of King Richard I. In Robin Hood folklore, Richard’s time away from England while fighting The Crusades is what led to the power-grabs of Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham. The role sounds minor, but I’m sure Huston will make it memorable.

Source: Coventry Telegraph

5. Steven Soderbergh’s wife, former E! host Jules Asner, was doing in interview with Adam Carolla when she let a little nugget slip regarding Soderbergh’s 1999 cult-hit The Limey, starring Terrence Stamp: “[Steven] wants to do a sequel to The Limey and Terrence wants to do it.”

The Limey 2: it’s just wishful thinking right now – but then again this IS Hollywood, and where there’s a buzz, there’s a way…

Source: Digital Spy

6. The Crow will fly again – but we should all just pretend like its the first time.

Blade director Stephen Norrington has reportedly turned in a draft of a Crow script that is “a whole new story about a whole new character.” Fans of Alex Proyas’ (Knowing) 1994 version of The Crow (starring the late Brandon Lee), try not to be too disappointed.

Source: Bloody Disgusting

7. Thanks to Twitter we now know that the A Nightmare On Elm Street remake has officially wrapped its shoot. As tweeted by producer Brad Fuller: “Just wrapped- sad. This was a fun movie to make,”.

The film now goes into post-production so that they can add all the crazy f/x needed to transform Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen) into your worst razor-fingered nightmare.

A Nightmare On Elm Street will be in theaters on April 16, 2010.

Source: Bloody Disgusting

8. Actor Bob Uecker, who famously played booze-swilling announcer Harry Doyle in 1989s Major League, recently let it be known that he’s been contact by the creative team behind the Major League trilogy (yep, there’s three of them), about reprising his role for Major League 4.

Although this year marks the 20th anniversary of the baseball comedy that helped usher the careers of Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, Dennis Haysbert, Renne Russo and others, early speculation is that Major League 4 will go straight to the minors, a.k.a. the DVD bargain bin.

Source: Slash Film

9. Finally, the 2009 Toronto Film International Festival has released the list of movies which will be featured this year. If you’re interested you can keep up with ever-evolving list by going here.

That’s it for now. See you again at the end of the week.

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review

Vic Holtreman — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:21:31 +0000

Short Version: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince might be the best Harry Potter film yet.

Screen Rant reviews 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'

If you really care about Harry Potter, Ron & Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger as living, breathing characters then you’re going to love Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Disclosure: I’ve only ever read the first book and while I’ve thought the previous films were “OK,” I’ve never been a huge fan of the series. This latest film was directed by David Yates, the same fellow who directed the previous film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – and for perspective, I don’t even remember was that one was about.

Having said that, I believe this latest installment is arguably the best Harry Potter film that’s been released so far.

This is the sixth year Harry and Co. will be attending Hogwarts and they’ve all come a long way from the kids we saw back in the first film. They’re certified young adults now and it’s a pleasure seeing them on the screen with much more depth and complexity in themselves and their relationships with each other. As a matter of fact those relationships are what make this movie shine.

Harry (Daniel Radcliffe, of course) finds a book on potions that has copious handwritten notes by “The Half-Blood Prince.” Whoever this person was, he was brilliant and creating potions – subtly modifying the recipes in the book to make them all work perfectly, was one of his skills. Harry’s newfound “skill” at potion-making draws the attention of newly re-recruited professor Horace Slughorn. The professor is played by Jim Broadbent, who gives an excellent and surprisingly nuanced performance considering the (apparently) comedic nature of the role.

It turns out there is a very important reason that Slughorn was enticed to come back to Hogwarts, and professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) enlists Harry to pry some hidden information from the returning professor. Professor Snape (Alan Rickman, whose brief time on-screen is reason enough to go watch this movie with his mesmerizing screen presence) is involved, and his true(?) purpose becomes clear by the end of the film.

Much of the film is dedicated to the interrelationships between Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. There is much teenage romantic angst – something that would normally trigger my teen-soap-opera-eyeball-roll reaction, but it’s handled so sweetly and deftly here that it’s a pleasure to watch and really draws you in to what they’re all going through. Emma Watson, Bonnie Wright and Rupert Grint all do a fine job.

In combination with that, the gorgeous, muted cinematography and fantastic visual effects (not just in execution but style as well) is just icing on the cake.

Is this film perfect? No. One complaint I’ve heard from others is that over the course of 2 1/2 hours nothing much happens to move the story forward – and that the ending of the film (which has a definite Empire Strikes Back vibe) could have been a bit more effective. However these points detract very little from the overall enjoyment of what I think is the best summer blockbuster film of 2009.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is rated PG and provides a few scenes that might be a bit intense for the littler ones, and there’s one jump scene that will probably get them – but nothing too over the top. And frankly it was a pleasure to watch a movie aimed at the same age group as Transformers 2 without a single word of foul language to be heard nor anything that’ll make a parent squirm while watching it with a child.

This may be the first Harry Potter film that I end up watching more than once.

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Happy Harry Potter Day Muggles!

Kofi Outlaw — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:28:22 +0000

Right about now I know a lot of you out there are real excited. Maybe you’re at your job, at home, or already camped out by your local cineplex – but wherever you are, if you’re reading this then you too are likely afflicted with Harry Potter fever in anticipation of the midnight hour when Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince debuts in theaters!

Of course, others of you are saying, “Kofi, what’s the big deal bro? This is like what, the sixth Harry Potter flick? Why all the hoopla?”

Well I’ll tell you ‘why all the hoopla’ this time around:

IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is being touted as the best installment of the series so far. Some bloggers around the net are (gasp!) even floating the notion that the film is worthy an Oscar Nom for Best Picture. Of course many said the same thing about The Dark Knight around this time last year – but now that the Academy has widened the Best Picture catergory to a whopping ten nominees, Harry Potter might actually have the chance that Batman never did.

If you want to know just what makes Half-Blood Prince so darn good, you’ll have check out Screen Rant’s official Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince review.

GETTING TO THE GOOD PART

There are millions of Harry Potter fans out there who worship J.K. Rowling’s books and have been loyal (if not always agreeable) followers of the movies. However, for those who haven’t been on board ever since the first page of the very first book, Half-Blood Prince offers a long-awaited window of opportunity: the part in the epic story where you know things are “getting good.”

In Half-Blood Prince, the war between wizards light and dark officially ignites and for those who hardly know what “Hogwarts” or “muggles” are, this latest Harry Potter installment nonetheless promises some spectacular wizard-on-witch-on-wizard action (see the clips if you haven’t), set in the now-cherished “dark tone” of The Dark Knight.

As Screen Rant guru Vic Holtreman said, “It’s the Empire Strikes Back of the series.” Need you hear more?

…FINALLY A GREAT SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER!

Films like The Dark Knight and Iron Man spoiled a lot of us. After seeing those movies many of us had the audacity to start demanding summer blockbusters that were actually quality films as well. The audacity!

Flash-forward a year later and where are we at? Scratching our heads at Terminator Salvation; trying to stay awake during the parts of Public Enemies that didn’t involve ear-splitting gun fire; or possibly questioning if we really just saw the pile of sh mess that was Transformers 2 or simply suffered some terrible waking nightmare.

Suffice to say it’s been a less-than-awesome summer at the movies so far. Thank god for Star Trek.

Well, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is looking to be the cure for 2009 summer blockbuster blues. That feeling alone (remember the thrill of actually watching a good summer movie?) is enough to get me in the theater this weekend.

So there you have it Muggles, all the reason in the world to be excited if you aren’t already. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hits theaters at Midnight! And for those who want to see it twice, the film will be premiere in 3D IMAX on July 29th.

Here’s are some final images to help get your half-blood pumping (click on any one for a larger version):

Image Source: JoBlo

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‘Half-Blood Prince’ Advance Tickets Outselling ‘Twilight’

Kofi Outlaw — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:32:53 +0000

Harry Potter fans are offiicailly saying to Twilight lovers, “Screw you guys, WE are the greatest fanboy nation!”

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is selling advanced tickets like crazy all across the country. The sixth installment of J.K. Rowling’s popular books-cum-movies is on track to knock Twilight out of of the no. 3 spot on Fandango’s list of all-time highest advanced ticket sales, settling in behind Stars Wars Epidsode III and The Dark Knight.

Advanced tickets for Half-Blood Prince have already outsold last month’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which (we all know) went on to earn serious bank at the box office. Things are look good so far for Harry and Warner Bros.

Since big-screen adaptation of Twilight hit theaters last Fall, there has been much debate (read: only in online fan forums) about how the next Potter film would measure up against Twilight’s performance at the box office. Some even whispered that the boy wizard’s spell over moviegoers could be fading before the power of the fang (blashpheme!). However, all of a sudden it’s looking like the Twilight nation will have to issue a serious call-to-arms, IF they want to have greater numbers turn out on the opening day of New Moon.

But unlike Twilight, Half-Blood Prince has earned near-unanimous praise. Harry Potter fans and non-fans alike are calling the latest film the best of the series so far, and it’s looking like Warner Bros. made a prudent decision when they delayed the release of Half-Blood Prince. Warner Bros. has had a somewhat di$$$apointing blockbuster season so far, with big tentpoles like Watchmen and Terminator Salvation not doing as strongly as hoped at the box office. If the trends Fandango are tracking hold throughout the weekend, a wave from the wand of Harry Potter might just help fill the studio’s pockets.

One has to wonder though: how many more tickets would Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince be selling if the movie’s 3D IMAX premiere wasn’t delayed two weeks because of Revenge of The Crappy Fallen?

Half-Blood Prince is on FIRE at the advanced box office!

Guess that’s a question only the multiverse can answer…

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hits theaters tomorrow at midnight. The 3D IMAX version of the film will premiere on July 29, 2009.

Here are some additional interesting statistics that Fandango dug up about Half-Blood Prince:

63% of advance ticket holders are female.

62% are going to see the film at midnight on Tues with a group of friends.

45% say they are also fans of Twilight.

Harry Potter fans vs. Twilight fans: let the trash-talking debate begin!

Source: Fandango Official Press Release

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HBO First Look: Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

Ross Miller — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:05:10 +0000

With Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen out of the way, it’s now time to focus on that other big movie of summer 2009, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Sure to be an absolute box-office smash, the sixth film in the Harry Potter series is fast approaching with not long to go before we can all take our seats in the theater to enjoy the magic-filled world once again.

To give us a taste of the new Harry Potter movie a little ahead of its release, HBO has an extended, beyond-the-standard-trailers look at the film in a featurette that reveals brand new footage and interviews with the cast and crew.

The HBO First Look video is in two parts, and lasts just over 12 minutes, but if you’re at all looking forward to the next installment in the series, I highly recommend giving the full thing a watch. Check out the videos below:

Harry Potter is a franchise that I think has gotten better as the series progressed. With the exception of the third, the Prisoner of Azkaban (which I thought was the best of them so far), they have been getting darker, more mature and more entertaining as the series’ actors and stories have matured. I didn’t think it was possible for Harry Potter to go any darker than the Order of the Phoenix was, but all that we’ve seen from the Half-Blood Prince so far has proven that it can.

I’m certainly not the biggest Harry Potter fan in the world (I haven’t read any of the books), but I find myself really looking forward to this installment.

Are you looking forward to Harry Potter 6? Which film of the series has been your favorite so far?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens in theatres on July 15th, 2009.

Source: FilmSchoolRejects

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Harry Potter News: Half-Blood Prince Clip, Deathly Hallows Casting

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:44:35 +0000

[UPDATE: We have a second extended clip from Half-Blood Prince!]

For you Harry Potter fans out there: today we have a new extended clip from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, some (sorta) good news about the film’s premiere in IMAX theaters, plus a rumor that a certain famous British actor may have finally gotten the casting call he’s been pining for.

First let’s start with the good stuff. Check out this new extended clip from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, released (for free!) exclusively on iTunes (so you’ll need iTunes to view it!):

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince iTunes Clip

UPDATE: Here is the second clip from Half-Blood Prince:

If you couldn’t tell from the scene of Dumbledore cutting himself, Half-Blood Prince is going to be the darkest, most adult-oriented chapter of the Harry Potter franchise yet. It’s good news for me, as my appreciation for this series has grown in almost direct proportion to the darkening tones of each subsequent installment. I fully expect to enjoy Half-Blood Prince, and am hoping I’ll love Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Speaking of Deathly Hallows, there are reports swirling that actor Bill Nighy (Underworld, Valkyrie) has been cast in the final installments of the Harry Potter franchise. The rumor was sparked by an interview between Nighy and British paper The Independent, in which the actor was quoted as making the following statement:

I don’t think I’m allowed to say it but I’m going to be in the next Harry Potter film…I won’t say which character, but he’s a goodie. I just got the gig.

Harry Potter fan site The Leaky Cauldron first hinted a few weeks back that Nighy would be joining the cast of Deathly Hallows – according to their best guestimate, he’ll be taking on the role of Rufus Scrimgeour, an “Auror” in the Ministry of Magic (i.e., the wizard cops who hunt down and capture rogue wizards).

If that casting rumor turns out to be accurate, it’ll be a win-win for both Nighy and Harry Potter fans: the actor has previously (and jokingly) expressed his hurt feelings at being the sole British actor never cast in a Potter film, and I’m sure fans would like to continue having accomplished actors portraying the characters they love so much. With Nighy taking on the role, everybody wins.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is set for release on July 15, 2009 (in standard theaters).

Now, you may remember that recently we reported that the IMAX release of Half-Blood Prince had been delayed two weeks, due to the month-long obligatory run of Transformers 2 in IMAX. However, Collider has learned that three theaters across the country WILL be debuting Half-Blood Prince in 3D IMAX on its original July 15th release date. The theaters are listed below with links to their pages so you can purchase the tickets ASAP.

AMC Century City 15 (L.A.), Henry Crown OMNIMAX (Chicago), and AMC Loews Lincoln Square (NYC).

Unfortunately, unless you live near one of those three theaters, you’ll have to wait until July 29, 2009 to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in 3D IMAX.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I is slated to hit theaters on November 19, 2010.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II is slated to hit theaters on July 15, 2011.

Sources: Coming Soon, First Showing, iTunes, Collider

Update Source: Film School Rejects

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First Production Pics from Harry Potter 7

Kofi Outlaw — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:11:22 +0000

Last week, Screen Rant reported on the upcoming cinematic finale to the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which is being split into two movies. Director David Yates recently reported from the set of the film, and today we have some actual behind-the-scenes production pics to give Harry Potter fans a first look at that their favorite kid wizards about to embark on their final journey.

Here are just a couple of the photos, with a link at the bottom to a larger gallery. Check them out:

Click any image twice for a hi-res version:

For a full gallery of behind-the-scenes set pics from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, go here.

Just for the fun of it, I thought it would be nice to share a “from then til now” moment by taking a look back at a pic of Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, back when they were little prepubescent scamps running around the set of their very first Harry Potter film, The Sorcerer’s Stone (2001):

Remember these bright-eyed kids?

Yikes, what a difference a near decade makes. Emma Watson in particular has come a LONG way since her early days in the franchise…

Seriously though, one of great things about the Harry Potter films has been watching its young leads maturing in almost perfect synchronization with each film’s storylines. That said, it’s kind of bittersweet to watch them stepping out now, for what will likely be their last adventure together (sniffle). But the baby chicks have to fly the coop sometime…

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I is slated to hit theaters on November 19, 2010.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II is slated to hit theaters on July 15, 2011.

Source: Coming Soon

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Harry Potter Mystery: Where They’ll Split Deathly Hallows

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:35:32 +0000

Ever since it was announced that Warner Bros. was going to be spitting the final volume of the Harry Potter Book series into two films, Potter fans have all been wondering just where the big cut was going to be made between Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II.

The L.A. Times recently sat down with director David Yates to talk about Deathly Hallows, and that interview yielded the info you Potter fans have been clamoring for. If you want to SPOIL it for yourself and find out just where the screen will fade to black during Deathly Hallows: Part I, then keep on reading; if you don’t want to SPOIL the impending frustration surprise, STOP READING NOW.

According to the L.A. Times, Yates called the paper to update them on the filming of Deathly Hallows and was, in fact, shooting the very scene that will be the lead-in to the climax of the first installment:

We’re here in the forest, we’ve just finished the scene where Harry, Hermione and Ron are captured by the Snatchers after being chased through the woods. The Snatchers are brutal and scary but they aren’t the most intelligent of creatures.They’re trying to figure out exactly who it is they’ve caught.

So there you have it. I’ve only ever read the first three Harry Potter books (seen all the films), so to me, this “revelation” isn’t that revealing. But if you HAVE read Deathly Hallows, I’m sure you know how far into it the scene that Yates describes occurs and what comes soon after: that’s your ending to Deathly Hallows: Part I. Now you know.

To read more of the L.A. Times‘ interview with David Yates (he discusses the benefits of filming Deathly Hallows in two installments and how far his young cast has come since the first film), you can go here.

What camp do you belong to: Those that have read Deathly Hallows or those that haven’t? For those that have: is Yates bringing down the curtain at a good point? Or is this “cliffhanger” going to get on people’s nerves?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I is slated to hit theaters on November 19, 2010.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II is slated to hit theaters on July 15, 2011.

Sources: L.A. Times via Slash Film

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Even More New Harry Potter 6 Posters

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:54:34 +0000

It’s summer movie time and so that means studios are cranking out promo materials for their summer films. With the recent announcement that Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince is going to suffer a two-week delay between its initial theatrical release and its IMAX release, Warner Bros. has been working EXTRA hard, trying to fill those theater seats.

Today’s Harry Potter swag-grab-bag includes five new character posters for Half-Blood Prince; each one features different characters, posed in a manner that is supposed to give some clue as to their arch in the film. Check them out:

Malfoy is ready to play for team evil

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New TV Spots & Photos For Harry Potter 6

Rob Keyes — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:01:13 +0000

[UPDATE: Now we have hi-res versions of all three Tv spots! Enjoy!]

The last items we reported on for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince were a set of four TV spots from back in May. Since then, the only news we had was not very good news for Harry Potter fans: the IMAX release of the film would be delayed a few weeks because of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’s exclusive IMAX run.

It feels like it was so long ago when this movie was coming close last Fall then out of nowhere the epic delay came to bring it to this summer. Now, you have to wait another two weeks if you wanted to see it on the big big screens.

I wonder what’ll happen with the last film. Maybe they’ll charge you twice as much to see it or something… oh wait. It’s being split into two movies so we are paying twice as much. Hopefully they’ll come out as scheduled and not delayed again, I’m not sure the fans would be happy about that after all of this.

To cheer you up, we have three new TV spots and some behind the scenes photos for the sixth Harry Potter film. Watch and enjoy:

When high-quality videos are made available, we’ll post them for you to see. Think of these as teasers for the… real teasers. If you’re going by the numbering scheme to keep track of the TV spots, I believe these are #9-11.

Continue through the next pages to see the photos…

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Harry Potter 6 IMAX Delayed by Transformers 2

Kofi Outlaw — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:38:27 +0000

If you’re a Harry Potter fan who had to suffer the anguish of Warner Bros. delaying the latest big-screen adventure of your favorite boy wizard, I’m sorry to report that the universe is not done punishing you: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will now have to wait two weeks after its initial theatrical release before it will premiere in IMAX theaters.

Harry and Co. are on standby until Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen finishes its run in IMAX theaters, leaving Warner Bros. potentially screwed when it comes to turning a profit from Half-Blood Prince’s IMAX box office.

I’m laughing at Warner Bros. right now. The studio causes this big stir last Fall by yanking Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from its original November 2008 release date in order to pad the studio’s slim roster of summer 2009 blockbusters, and what ends happening? Karma, pure and simple (at least IMHO). They tried to make a move to snag some extra cash and make their books for Summer ‘09 look good, and instead it looks like they’ll end up meeting the same fate they feared (lower profits) on the road they took to avoid it. IMAX is already feeling the burn: shares of the company dropped 4% on Monday.

According to Forbes, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will only debut in two IMAX theaters on its scheduled July 14th release date: one in New York City, the other in Los Angeles. Unless you live in either of those places (or are willing to travel), you will have an additional two-week wait before you catch Harry Potter on the big, big, screen.

Transformers 2's Devastator will be filling up IMAX screens for weeks.

Make no mistake: this is a significant blow to Warner Bros. Both Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen offer fans exclusive content that is only be available on the IMAX prints. For Transformers 2, that content comes in the form of several sequences that were shot in hi-resolution “true IMAX”; for Half-Blood Prince, twelve minutes of 3D footage. This kind of exclusive content provides great incentive for moviegoers to shell out extra money to see a film in IMAX; the only question now is, will Harry Potter fans wait two extra weeks and/or shell out additional cash to see Half-Blood Prince in IMAX?

We saw last year with the The Dark Knight that movie fans are open to repeat viewings of a film if they can’t intially snag an IMAX ticket on opening weekend. But The Dark Knight was also an Oscar-winning film – will Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince be good enough to warrant that kind of consumer interest?

I can’t say anything for sure, but my vote is “nope.” Personally, I want Warner Bros. to take this hit. I want Hollywood to see that making decisions to fatten your pocket or pad your summer stats sometimes has consequences. As for you Harry Potter fans out there: this isn’t my fault, but I’ll still say sorry; hopefully you get to enjoy this film (in all its IMAX glory) sometime before the next century…

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hits standard theaters (and two NYC/LA IMAX theaters) on July 14, 2009. The movie hits IMAX theaters everywhere on July 29, 2009.

Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen hits theaters (standard and IMAX) on June 24, 2009.

Source: Forbes

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