Thursday, March 13, 2008

Final Potter film 'split in half'



The seventh and final Harry Potter novel will be adapted for the big screen in two parts, reports suggest.

Producer David Heyman told the Los Angeles Times it had been impossible to cram Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows' 608 pages into a single movie.

"Unlike every other book, you cannot remove elements of this book," he said.

Fans of the series have been left disappointed in the past when key scenes, including Quidditch matches, were excised for the film adaptations.

Star Daniel Radcliffe told the Los Angeles Times that splitting the final book in two was the only sensible option for the film-makers.

'Pounding story'

"There have been compartmentalised subplots in the other books that have made them easier to cut - although those cuts were still to the horror of some fans," he told the paper.

"The seventh book doesn't really have any subplots. It's one driving, pounding story from the word go."

According to film trade paper Variety, the final two films will be shot back to back.

The first will reportedly be released in November 2010, with the second part hitting screens the following May.

The Kill Bill strategy of releasing two instalments will also boost profits at film studio Warner Bros.

The first five movies have made $4.5 billion (£2.2 billion) worldwide - making it the biggest film franchise in box office history, surpassing both James Bond and Star Wars.

Filming for the sixth chapter in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, began in September last year.

It is being directed by David Yates, who will also helm the final two films.

BBC News.

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