“Menacing and meditative, Hallows is arguably the best installment of the planned eight-film franchise, though audiences who haven't kept up with previous chapters will be hopelessly lost. Not that the film is worried about your memory. If anything, director David Yates hopes to test it. Hallows features a few pop quizzes: What creature sat in the corner the first time Harry went to see professor Remus Lupin? What were the last words Albus Dumbledore spoke to Lupin and Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt? If you can't answer either question, you may want to bone up on your reading or viewing materials; the movie isn't waiting for you."Well, USA Today, I do know the answers to those questions. It was a grindylow in a tank that sat in the corner when Harry went to visit Professor Lupin. And, the last words Albus Dumbledore said to Lupin and Shacklebolt were..."Trust Harry. He is our last hope."
To celebrate 55,000 fans signing up for Warner Brothers' "Join the Final Battle" campaign, the official Harry Potter Facebook page released a new clip from Part 1. It's a FANTASTIC 90-second clip where Mad-Eye explains the Seven Potters plan, Harry resists the idea, and we see them all transform into Harry. Brilliant!
The tracklist for the Part 1 soundtrack is out. All of the songs were composed by Alexandre Desplat. Take a look at the list below. If the track names are any indication, it seems like the bulk of final book will be included in the first part of the finale.
Magic Is Might statue - There are plenty of overt comparisons in Deathly Hallows of Voldemort and his Death Eaters to Hitler and his Nazis, but none more visually obvious than the Ministry of Magic's "Magic Is Might" statue, which can be seen at 0:46. (In the books, the statue is described as wizards and witches standing on a platform held up by Muggles). The comparison is furthered by a red sash that all the Snatchers and Ministry officials wear on their arms with the Ministry logo. Thank you, Yates, for going there.
The Seven Potters - It's hilarious to watch Daniel Radcliffe act out seven different versions of himself at 1:04. This is going to be one of the comedic high points of a very dark film.
Voldemort kills Grindelwald - We don't actually see him deal the killing blow, but we can see a flash of Voldemort going after Grindelwald at 1:37 in his quest to find the Elder Wand.
Harry finds Godric Gryffindor's sword - Once again, it's only a brief flash, but at 1:54 you can see Harry diving below a pool of icy water, shirtless, to grasp Gryffindor's sword lying at the bottom. Now if only we could have seen the Patronus that had brought him to that point...
MAJOR Deathly Hallows news today! The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly features a cover story on the Part 1 film, which, at long last, reveals the split for the final installments of the film. So, here it goes: (*SPOILERS*)The film "will end at about Chapter 24 of the book, with Voldemort gaining possession of the Elder Wand, one of the three Deathly Hallows that allow the bearer to conquer death."
The report also features a number interviews with the cast and never before published information about the film. There are also a ton of new pictures. High Res scans of the entire EW feature can be found right here thanks to RupertGrint.net.
So, what do you think of the split? I was actually quite surprised that this was the spot they picked. The Forest of Dean scene, escape from Gringotts, and Malfoy Manor all seemed like logical spots to me, but this is definitely an interesting choice. The ending will certainly act as a cliffhanger for the audience, filled with just the right amount of suspense one would expect. It also leaves Part 2 totally dedicated to the Battle of Hogwarts and Harry's final confrontation with Voldemort. It seems like both films will be vastly different as well. The first will have a huge emphasis on the trio's search for the Horcruxes and a lot of the relationships that are detailed and challenged in the first half of the book, such as Harry and Ron, Harry and Dumbledore, and Harry's trip to Godric's Hallow. The second film will be all action and all emotion - the final battle, Snape's tale, Harry's walk into the forest, AND King's Cross! Ah! Can you imagine!?!? Bring tissues people!!
As always, your thoughts are invited! Except, don't hate me for revealing the split! There's no way you would have made it until November knowing that the info was out there and you didn't check it. Trust me, I spent a good 10 minutes debating if I wanted to click on the story, but, alas, I gave in. And, now we have something to talk about for the next 98 days!
Today, July 31, 2010, we are celebrating the birthday of the boy who we've spent countless hours reading about, Harry Potter! Celebrating his 30th birthday today, The Boy Who Lived currently serves as the Head of the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic. He is married to Ginny Weasley with three children - James Sirius, Albus Severus and Lily Luna - and is godfather to Teddy Lupin. It was exactly nineteen years ago today that Harry discovered he was a wizard and we have not looked back since! Happy Birthday, Harry! Not only does July 31st mark the birthday of Mr. Potter, we're also celebrating the birth of the woman behind the all magic, J.K. Rowling! She turns 45 today. Happy Birthday, Jo! Cheers to the brilliant mind who brought the wonderful Harry Potter books into our lives.
The launch of Deathly Hallows merchandise has begun! Check out the new t-shirt available at Hot Topic. The black shirt has an "Undesirable No. 1" poster on it with Harry's face and name. A similar shirt appeared at this year's Comic Con and was given out to those who attended the Warner Brothers panel. The description of the event on the Comic Con program is: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" - Every saga has a final chapter. Kick off the year of Harry Potter with a first look at the coming screen adaptation of J. K. Rowling's final book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", with a program created just for Comic-Con fans. One way. One hero. One destiny. Don't miss it!
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!
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!
