'The Boy Who Lived...Come to Die'

I’m finding it difficult to type and breathe because I just watched the first full trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (posted below). My entire body is currently riddled with goosebumps. Who else is suffering from a goosebump overdose? Anyone else hyperventilating like I am?

First impression: Our beloved Harry Potter definitely looks like an adult in the final installment, and not just physically. The Boy Who Lived lived through so much during what should have been his final year at Hogwarts, and you can see it in Dan Radcliffe’s weary eyes. If the trailer is any indication, the final two films will certainly live up to Warner Brothers’ proclamation that the Potter series is a “WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON” and this two-part finale will be the “THE MOTION PICTURE EVENT OF A GENERATION.” These words are hardly an understatement folks. It. Will. Be. EPIC.

Among the trailer’s high points were glimpses of Harry’s fight with Nagini, the flight of the Seven Potters, the Battle of Hogwarts, and, most importantly, Harry’s walk into the forest and his final confrontation with Voldemort. Okay, getting goosebumps and chills just writing about it.

One of the things I did notice, however, was that the final showdown between Harry and Voldemort does not seem to appear as J.K. Rowling wrote it - inside the rubble that was formally the Great Hall, with everyone in Harry’s life surrounding him. As a deeply dedicated Potter fan, I know I should take issue with this, and perhaps in the coming weeks I will. For some reason though, I think it’s unlikely. These final two films are about bringing the entire Harry Potter phenomenon to a close and it almost seems unreasonable to begin questioning individual frames when it’s about the finale as a whole. It’s about fans like me completing the journey with all Potter fans alike. I’m looking forward to it.

The end is certainly near, friends. In the meantime, enjoy the trailer over and over again. If you haven’t watched it yet, what’s the matter with you?! Accio Goosebumps!

'Deathly Hallows' Trailer Debuts Tomorrow

A quick reminder that the first official trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will debut online tomorrow at 6:00pm CST. The trailer will indeed be different than the one that debuted at the MTV Movie Awards earlier this month. It will include bits from both parts of the Deathly Hallows films. The trailer can then be seen in theaters with The Twilight Saga: Eclipse on June 30th.

Also, check out the great picture I posted with this story. It's one of a few pictures that have already been leaked from the upcoming trailer. Doesn't it just give you chills?!

I'll be watching the trailer live tomorrow night and will return later in the week with my thoughts. Enjoy!

Wizarding World Theme Park Opens Friday

Three. more. days.

Three more days until the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens its doors to muggles! So, chin up if you're still upset about the films coming to an end (story below) and start planning your trip to Orlando! As much as I'd love to be there for the grand opening, my hope is to make a trip down this winter. I predict I'll be broke, mildly insane, and about 10 pounds heavier by the time I leave the park.

It's a Wrap!

The Potter fandom has known for some time that the final day of filming for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows would be in June. We now know that Saturday, June 12th, was the final day.

Daniel Radcliffe spoke about the final weekend of filming at last night's Tony Awards ceremony, where he was a presenter:

"Everyone was really devastated. It was really, really sad. We're crying quite a lot."

Warwick Davis, who plays Griphook and Professor Flitwick in the films, posted the following on his Twitterfeed:

"The end of an Era - today is officially the last day of principal photography on 'Harry Potter' - ever. I feel honoured to be here as the director shouts cut for the very last time. Farewell Harry & Hogwarts, it's been magic! x...and goodbye Griphook!"

Well, it's certainly an end of an era. While I am anxiously awaiting the final two films, I know I will feel an immense void once I see the final scene of Part 2 next year. The books and films mean a great deal to me and it's sad to hear the doors to Hogwarts are now closed. For those of you who share my sentiments, I recommend a great piece on MTV's website which discusses what worked best for the Potter films. You can find it here.

Congratulations to the great David Heyman, David Yates, David Barron, J.K. Rowling, Stuart Craig, Steve Kloves, and the entire cast and crew of Harry Potter! We look forward to the final chapter!

'Deathly Hallows' Sneak Peek to Debut at MTV Movie Awards

It's about time. I was starting to think Warner Brothers and HP producers forgot about the Potter fandom and our love for film teasers! MTV has announced that the first clip from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 will be revealed at the MTV Movie Awards this Sunday, June 6th:

"The MTV Movie Awards have a long-established history of bringing you sneak peeks of highly anticipated upcoming flicks, and this Sunday's show is no exception. The star-packed show... will feature an exclusive, never-before-seen clip from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1," the first half of the epic two-part finale in the "Potter" film series, which will hit theaters November 19."

With the summer movie season well underway, I hope this clip is part of WB's larger lead-up to the debut of the first Deathly Hallows teaser or theatrical trailer. Last I heard, music for the trailer is currently being composed, signaling a possible late summer release of the trailer. Since some of the bigger-named movies for the summer have already come out (Iron Man 2, Shrek 3, Prince of Persia), I think we will have to wait until July or August before we see anything. Possible films in which the trailer could appear sooner include The Karate Kid (6/11), the new Twilight movie, Eclipse (6/30) and Toy Story 3 (6/18). My guess would be Toy Story 3, but these are rather early release dates. Maybe I'll be right? Who knows...

In the meantime, I'm sure we will all enjoy the new clip. You could always rewatch the sneak peek from the HBP DVD - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3q9IIM3_TTA. I know I have!