David Yates talks HRH final scene, J.K. Rowling in new interview
Potter director David Yates recently spoke with Manila Bulletin about his experience making four of the HP movies, about Dan, Rupert and Emma's final scene together, J.K. Rowling, and his future plans. Here are some excerpts (he gives a bit of a spoiler about the end of Deathly Hallows Part 2):
You came into the series at sort of that middle point. When did you realize the magnitude of the fan base. And what did you think about it? It was probably a phase in the cycle around about this stage when you do your interviews and you meet the press and walk up the red carpet. Obviously, you notice the fact that it’s globally popular, but it’s just when the fans come from Mexico or Argentina and camp out all night, you realize what it means to them. And it’s a huge responsibility, actually. Also, there are massive expectations on every movie, and in a curious way, you do your very best with the film. And I’m very proud of this film.
On the last day with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, when they were on set together and filmed their final scene, what was that like? We shot the scene on the viaduct, outside Hogwarts, and it was really peaceful. It was a really sunny day. It was all backlit. And it’s a very tender scene where they sort of reflect on everything that’s happened, all the battles and everything, and they hold hands, and the camera falls away. It’s a really tender, lovely scene. I said to them, ‘Look, guys, this is the last scene we’re all going to do with you three together in front of the camera. So, it’s not just the last scene of these three characters in the movie, this is your last scene in this series of films. That’s what today is about.’ And it infused it with a kind of emotion which was really moving actually.
Did you ever talk to Jo Rowling about adapting these books and the choices you made, particularly in terms of its contemporary feel? We never had a big conversation about that because it was very present in the book. She read the script and she was totally cool about the way we’d adapted it. She was always just very enthusiastic about the whole first script, generally. But she’s been really helpful and we had a good chat about a couple of scenes in Part 2. I asked her, ‘What were you thinking when you wrote these scenes?’ And she was really helpful.
Jo was a producer on this film, so how was that? How was her expanded role on it? You know, it hasn’t really changed from the other movies, honestly. She’s just always our biggest supporter. And always very graceful and kind and I think, because she’s been there throughout, it was time her name was up there. She wants to be up there with us; it’s a real privilege.
Do you have another movie brewing after all this? I’ve got so many scripts coming in, I can’t tell you. In fact, I told them to stop sending them. [Laughs] Because I haven’t read any of them. They’re just all piled up. But I’m so ambitious, I can’t tell you. It’s a strange thing about Harry Potter because I don’t feel any sense of ownership, in a way. I don’t feel territorial about it. I feel it’s a bit of a national treasure that I’m curating. For everything I can enter, I try and do my very best. And I’m very proud of the work I’ve done. But post-Potter, my career sort of starts again really. And I won’t feel like I’ve made four of the biggest films in the world. I’ll feel like, ‘Well, that’s it. I’ve done Potter now.’ And I’ll have all these beautiful scripts and I can begin in a way. That’s my plan. And I’m going to do big things and tiny little things. And they won’t have wizards in them.
No wizards? No wizards. You can read the whole interview
here. Thanks to Snitchseeker for the tip.
Mar
07
Emma Watson has updated her website to officially confirm that she is to star in Bling Ring.
The film, which has been rumoured for the last couple of weeks, will be directed by Sofia Coppola and is based on a true story about a group of teenagers who commit a string of celebrity burglaries.
Emma notes that she will be taking the third term out of her studies at Worcester College, Oxford University, in order to take part in the film. Here’s what she had to say in the brief message on her site: Get the whole story »
Mar
06
Due to such a successful run at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum, the museum has decided to extend its run of Harry Potter : The Exhibition by an extra three weeks. The exhibition will run through Easter to April 9, 2012. Harry Potter: The Exhibition has given Powerhouse Museum some record-breaking traffic with last summer being their best ever. More than 325,000 visitors came to the museum in the summer of 2011 and it has prompted a boost in tourist visitation, with almost half of the visitors coming from outside of Sydney’s city limits. The museum’s biggest month ever to date was December 2011 with over 109,00 visitors. The busiest day for paid entry in the museum was 7,140 on Friday, January 6, 2012 and January has surpassed the December record with over 153,000 visitors.
Here is what Powerhouse Museum’s Director Dr. Dawn Casey had to say about the exhibition:
We have been absolutely delighted by the incredibly positive response from visitors and are pleased to announce a three-week extension. As a museum for inspiring and engaging young minds, it was so fitting and such a wonderful opportunity for the Powerhouse to stage this unique exhibition, and we hope to inspire future generations of writers, filmmakers, and costume designers!
In partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Global Experience Specialists, Inc. (GES) created the 1,400 square meter exhibition, allowing visitors to get up close and personal with many aspects from the Harry Potter films. Visitors can be sorted into a Hogwarts House by the Sorting Hat, toss a quaffle around on the Quidditch pitch, pull a Mandrake out of its pot, and can even tour Hagrid’s hut and sit in his over-sized chair. Some special things were added to the Sydney leg of the exhibition. The Deathly Hallows case, which features the Resurrection Stone, the Invisibility Cloak, and the Elder Wand; and the Horcrux case, which includes five of the items that were so essential in containing parts of Voldemort’s soul; made their debut at Powerhouse Museum.
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Mar
06
Rupert Grint’s new World War II film Into the White had its world premiere on Sunday in Oslo, Norway (the country where it was made). Take a look at some photos from the event, along a with another new clip of the film, right here. Note: Into The White still doesn’t currently have worldwide releases confirmed.
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Emma Watson has updated her website to officially confirm that she is to star in Bling Ring.
