New Harry Potter movie (The Half Blood Prince)

[ciderdrinker]

Ok so this isn't due out until November but there have been some hi-res promo stills become available recently

You can find them here:-

http://gallery.the-leaky-cauldron.org/picture/216913

(click on next for more there are 10 in total)

The Dumbledore and Draco ones are my favourites.

So anyone else really excited about seeing this, I am - especially after reading Empire Magazine's article about it (this is only an extract of the full article in the actual magazine):-

Spoiler:

If you recall, the sixth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, isn't the most action heavy of the series, dwelling more on inner turmoil than outer fisticuffs. This will not be the case for the film version.

"We're opening with a big attack," director David Yates told Empire when we visited the set. "It's talked about in the book, but we're going to show it. We'll bring a major London landmark crashing down. It should be quite spectacular".

The opening of the new Potter film will be just one of several scenes created to up the on-screen excitement in the latest movie. Another will be an attack by the Death Eaters (them's the bad wizards) on the Weasley home. But one of the most lasting images from Half-Blood Prince should be the introduction of the inferi, a swarm of undead creatures who guard an item that Harry very much needs to defeat Voldermort and who will turn up in the movie's third act.

"They're horrible," Says the boy wizard Daniel Radcliffe of the beings who look like humans made of only skin and bone and want to get their hands on Harry. "They made me think of bodies from concentration camps. It's that terrible look of a body that's wasted away, but not a skeleton. There will be child inferi too. They're probably the most frightening things of any of the movies so far".

[BlasterBoy]

Oooh, yay for more fast-paced action. Want to see that. Very nice promos.

[sherrilina]

So anyone else really excited about seeing this, I am - especially after reading Empire Magazine's article about it (this is only an extract of the full article in the actual magazine):-

Honestly? No! Well, except the Luna pic (b/c it's funny--too bad she's barely in this story!) and the one of Dan and Emma standing side by side....b/c they have so much chemistry it hurts! But in general Half-Baked Plot is by far my least favorite HP book (the one that threw the series off a cliff, IMO--I still can't believe that book exists, it's just so awful and boring! I've only read it twice (once listening on tape), and have never had the urge to re-read it, as I have with the others....

I personally think

Spoiler:

that the attack on the Weasley home is just stupid--and devoid of sense. If the DEs think to attack the Weasley home like that to catch Harry....well, why do they then leave the house alone afterwards? Plus if the scene I read is real, it's gonna be really cheesy and badly written....and I think the HUGE attack on Hogwarts--always the safest place ever--sufficiently gets the point that "nowhere is safe" across! It does however crack me up that they are adding this scene, since it just proves what I've been saying--that far too little happens in HBP to make a straight-up movie of it!

Also, the newest spoilers from the USA Today sneak peek this week

Spoiler:

look even sillier--like H/G romantic tension over her tying his shoelaces?! The hell? Why is she doing that in the first place? Unless for a shot of her kneeling in front of Harry in such a way that it makes the adults giggle....

[ciderdrinker]

Honestly? No!

It does however crack me up that they are adding this scene, since it just proves what I've been saying--that far too little happens in HBP to make a straight-up movie of it!

The article I quoted wasn't a complete article. In the actual Empire magazine it went into more detail, and this subject was covered. I can't remember an exact quote, but it went something along the lines that even die hard fans would be happy to skip this one as long as the

Spoiler:

death at the end is put in as a prologue to the final one. It also said something about that not being a spoiler because of the hype that went with the book. (Well you'd have to be on another planet not to know that happens in this book, really wouldn't you!)

Also they talk about the fact that this is the first movie to come out after the final book, so they can relax a lot more because they know what they can cut out and what they can embellish. The impression I got from it is that the producers are pleased to get away from JKR saying "No you've got to keep that in, it will become important later" to be able to make those decisions themselves for the flow/look/pace of the movie - kinda like how normal movies are produced, rather than keeping in plot points or scenes that the writer insists on. In my eyes that will make for a better film overall.

[sherrilina]

Well I have pretty low expectations for this movie, but the teaser trailer (which FINALLY came out today!) actually looks really awesome, though that's because it's only focusing on one scene, and the kid playing Young!Riddle is spot-on!

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx/?mkt=en-gb&vid=bc682eef-e76b-467a-9684-2ffebc997b91&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:559dc068-6410-4b44-b816-14f629c281dd,986e16ee-2961-4c52-a01c-90794bcf7ec3,3e1ccfe0-654d-4c6f-9b72-3835db18eb77&from=ENGB_msnvideo&tab=s1204298895071&from=today_u21&wa=wsignin1.0&vv=600

I suppose I have that scene to look forward too at least! If only they focused more on this rather than freaking so-called "romantic comedy!"

[doppelganger47]

Honestly? No! Well, except the Luna pic (b/c it's funny--too bad she's barely in this story!) and the one of Dan and Emma standing side by side....b/c they have so much chemistry it hurts! But in general Half-Baked Plot is by far my least favorite HP book (the one that threw the series off a cliff, IMO--I still can't believe that book exists, it's just so awful and boring! I've only read it twice (once listening on tape), and have never had the urge to re-read it, as I have with the others....

I personally think

Spoiler:

that the attack on the Weasley home is just stupid--and devoid of sense. If the DEs think to attack the Weasley home like that to catch Harry....well, why do they then leave the house alone afterwards? Plus if the scene I read is real, it's gonna be really cheesy and badly written....and I think the HUGE attack on Hogwarts--always the safest place ever--sufficiently gets the point that "nowhere is safe" across! It does however crack me up that they are adding this scene, since it just proves what I've been saying--that far too little happens in HBP to make a straight-up movie of it!

Also, the newest spoilers from the USA Today sneak peek this week

Spoiler:

look even sillier--like H/G romantic tension over her tying his shoelaces?! The hell? Why is she doing that in the first place? Unless for a shot of her kneeling in front of Harry in such a way that it makes the adults giggle....

i've heard from a lot of people that the 6th book is their favourite; personally, i think it's alright. i like learning about Riddle's past, but i didn't particularly like the many chapters on relationships of Cho, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and everyone else. i was worried the whole book will be like that. maybe it mostly was; it's been a while since last reading it (read it twice altogether).

and you're right; from the teaser, the movie actually looks quite exciting; well, that scene anyway...and the boy who plays young Riddle is perfect.

[Heather]

Honestly? No! Well, except the Luna pic (b/c it's funny--too bad she's barely in this story!) and the one of Dan and Emma standing side by side....b/c they have so much chemistry it hurts! But in general Half-Baked Plot is by far my least favorite HP book (the one that threw the series off a cliff, IMO--I still can't believe that book exists, it's just so awful and boring! I've only read it twice (once listening on tape), and have never had the urge to re-read it, as I have with the others....

I personally think

Spoiler:

that the attack on the Weasley home is just stupid--and devoid of sense. If the DEs think to attack the Weasley home like that to catch Harry....well, why do they then leave the house alone afterwards? Plus if the scene I read is real, it's gonna be really cheesy and badly written....and I think the HUGE attack on Hogwarts--always the safest place ever--sufficiently gets the point that "nowhere is safe" across! It does however crack me up that they are adding this scene, since it just proves what I've been saying--that far too little happens in HBP to make a straight-up movie of it!

Also, the newest spoilers from the USA Today sneak peek this week

Spoiler:

look even sillier--like H/G romantic tension over her tying his shoelaces?! The hell? Why is she doing that in the first place? Unless for a shot of her kneeling in front of Harry in such a way that it makes the adults giggle....

Spoiler:

That is an EXTREMELY premature - and somewhat immature, in my opinion - judgment, concerning the attack on the Weasley's. What evidence do you have that supports your theory that it'll be "really cheesy and badly written?" These are the same people who made the 5th HP movie and the general consensus on that film is that it was the best so far (except for a few exceptions). Not to mention, JK Rowling wouldn't allow them to add in these scenes if she didn't think it would fit or be well-done. Now, I do agree that them adding these two new scenes (the attack in England and the attack on the Weasley's home) just shows that there is more character development than action-flashy plot development but I have no doubt in my mind that these two scenes will be just as awesome as anything we've seen before.

Personally, I think you're letting your hatred of the Harry/Ginny relationship cloud your judgement when it comes to this movie as a whole - which, from the look and feel of the teaser trailer that was just released, is shaping up to be a really strong, dark film (even with the comedic relief in the form of relationships and whatnot). Just because your prefered ship didn't make the cut, doesn't mean that everything else that goes in the book is so horrible that the movie will end up just as bad. There are the new scenes, there will be interpretations of the scenes, flashy special effects, great acting, beautiful cinematography, etc...etc...Nobody knows how good or bad this movie will be until it's released and jumping to conclusions is bad for your sanity and mine because I then have to swoop in here and yell at you and smack you upside the head with heavy, heavy books (aka: Order of the Phoenix and/or Goblet of Fire). Just kidding.

And, to support doppelganger47, HBP is my second favorite Harry Potter book - right after Deathly Hallows. I enjoyed the character stuff and the last half of the book had me on the edge of me seat (especially when it came down to the big battles).

[sherrilina]

Spoiler:

That is an EXTREMELY premature - and somewhat immature, in my opinion - judgment, concerning the attack on the Weasley's. What evidence do you have that supports your theory that it'll be "really cheesy and badly written?" These are the same people who made the 5th HP movie and the general consensus on that film is that it was the best so far (except for a few exceptions).

Not actually that premature--I'm going off of a piece of allegedly leaked script which I think is probably accurate, given that this piece of script with the scene leaked before the news of this additional scene confirmed it. *shrug* Now maybe they'll change it, or maybe it will come out better in film (sometimes scripts do--I was very skeptical of the beginning of The Other Boleyn Girl script, but ended up liking the opening of the movie), but in my opinion the scene as written in the leaked bit of script I read

Spoiler:

was badly written and cheesy--so no, it's not really that premature or immature at all.....writing is writing!

Personally, I think you're letting your hatred of the Harry/Ginny relationship cloud your judgement when it comes to this movie as a whole - which, from the look and feel of the teaser trailer that was just released, is shaping up to be a really strong, dark film (even with the comedic relief in the form of relationships and whatnot).

Hey, I wish that this teaser trailer spoke for the movie as a whole--if so I think the movie might be really great. But according to all the interviews I've read,

Spoiler:

it sounds like they are focusing more on the so-called "romantic comedy" aspects of the book, and cutting down the memories--which would mean that it's not really "shaping up to be a really strong, dark film" at all.

Now if it turns out that all those interviews saying it's going to be the funniest, most light-hearted of the movies yet are wrong, but.....so far I don't entirely trust this teaser trailer as a result, as kick-ass and awesome as it is.

Just because your prefered ship didn't make the cut, doesn't mean that everything else that goes in the book is so horrible that the movie will end up just as bad. There are the new scenes, there will be interpretations of the scenes, flashy special effects, great acting, beautiful cinematography, etc...etc...

*deeeep sigh* Why is it that you people assume that critics of HBP are all just bitter shippers? I was prepared for my ship not to happen, what I wasn't prepared for was bad writing and characterizations and a slow, trivial plot (which is what I felt the book had outside of the Pensieve scenes, until the last end sequence!). Or for the extremely lame revelation that the reason LV is evil is that.....wait for it.....he was BORN evil! (Oh, the creativity and imagination! You slay me JK! ) That is as disappointing if not more so than silly ships, especially since it really flew in the face of the wonderful theme of being defined by your choices, not your family and background seen in previous books--it's hard to make choices when you're evil from birth because of inbreeding (family does matter after all I guess!). And then there's the annoying, "What is Draco Malfoy up to, even though the audience already pretty much knows he's up to something, but no one believes me!" storyline ending in the exciting pacing in front of a blank wall, and so much other crap (like Harry cheating, etc) IMO. I think what the added sequences show most of all is that there really was not enough substance to that book to support a film on its own--I wondered back when I read it how they could make a decent movie from it!

I know you don't agree with all I just said (but then everyone has different opinions on certain things, as seen here from the dicusssions to the games!), but I hope it is at least QUITE clear that it is NOT because of a ship not happening that I hate HBP--even the cheesily written (chest monsters? oi) H/G is only the tip of the iceberg of things I dislike about the book, and one of my greatest pet peeves is people refusing to acknowledge that there could possibly be any other problems with the book worthy of distaste besides ship!

Nobody knows how good or bad this movie will be until it's released and jumping to conclusions is bad for your sanity and mine because I then have to swoop in here and yell at you and smack you upside the head with heavy, heavy books (aka: Order of the Phoenix and/or Goblet of Fire). Just kidding.

You hit me I'll hit you back! In all seriousness though, you're right, jumping to conclusions can be bad, though my jumping based on what I've read so far is no difference than you're saying you thought the new Twilight film was looking disappointing so far.... Just an opinion at the moment!

And, to support doppelganger47, HBP is my second favorite Harry Potter book - right after Deathly Hallows. I enjoyed the character stuff and the last half of the book had me on the edge of me seat (especially when it came down to the big battles).

And to answer doppelganger37 myself--yeah, some like it, though I don't think most people think it's their fave at all (the most common three I hear are DH, PoA, and GoF). And I am not a lone voice--there are a LOT of people who think HBP is rather weak for a number of reasons, and we're not all just HHr-shippers or whatever! Even doppelganger47 herself admits she didn't think it was all that spectacular.....

[doppelganger47]

And to answer doppelganger47 myself--yeah, some like it, though I don't think most people think it's their fave at all (the most common three I hear are DH, PoA, and GoF). And I am not a lone voice--there are a LOT of people who think HBP is rather weak for a number of reasons, and we're not all just HHr-shippers or whatever! Even doppelganger47 herself admits she didn't think it was all that spectacular.....

yeh, despite not liking the love triangles/squares forming, i still enjoyed the action and main storyline. i never shipped any couples within HP, nor do i read fanfics or talk about HP alot, so i was very surprised about Ginny/Harry - shocked more like it. anyway, i generally thought the HP books got better as they went on...DH the best, then HBP, then OOP, then GOF, then PoA (which was actually really good, because enjoyed reading about James and his friends, who seem way cooler than Harry and co., except Neville, Neville's just awesome and finally became the character i knew he could in DH)...the first two books can tie for bottom place...
Order of the Phoenix was a very good book; almost as good as HBP, but i found the 5th movie to be quite boring. i actually haven't found any of the movies that exciting, but since the books get better, and the last movie being split into two to fit everything in, i'm assuming HBP and DH movies will be at least a bit better than the previous 5.

[Matt]

I just watched OotP and I noticed how much they missed out of it, some fairly important parts in my opinion and now they're adding the destruction of a building that wasn't even looked at in detail in the book? It seems to me like they should stick to the main plot before adding scenes that aren't needed.

That said and done I'm reasonably excited about this movie, I may actually go and see it in the theatres considering I've yet to see a HP movie there, but the trailer looks awesome and the guy playing young Tom looks perfect. Does anyone know if the dude who played him as a teenager in CoS is coming back?

I'm interested in this movie and the following two parter because of the story-telling elements to them, moreso in this one where it focuses a lot on carrying the story rather than action scene after action scene, but this isn't my favourite book of the series, so I guess I'll have to wait for the final product before making final decisions.

----------------

Okay, so this isn't getting released until July 2009 now, which kind of sucks.

Also, I saw that Bill and Charlie haven't been cast for this film, so does that mean there isn't going to be a wedding in the last two films? I heard something about it being replaced with a funeral.