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.
Feb
08
When the March issue of Tatler Magazine hits newsstands this month, all Potterheads should rejoice because Bonnie Wright is featured. Below is a photo of Wright wearing an embroidered coat and jewelled belt designed by Prada. Wright briefly talks about her favorite fashion choices (she loves wearing Vans) and places to shop, her favorite being her parents jewelry shop ”Wright & Teague”. Thanks goes out to so-bonnie.net for the photo!
Feb
07
As we found out at the end of last year, not only is there a second HP theme park to be built in Hollywood, there are also set to be some exciting new developments at the original Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Orlando.
We’ve posted a bit of information regarding this on the site over the last few weeks and months, but we’ve slightly neglected you of all the details. So here is everything that is known or rumoured so far. The information comes via Hypable.com and their sources Screamscape.com, InsideTheMagic.net and BehindTheThrills.com, who have all been following this closely.
Get the whole story »
Feb
07
Our second Time-Turner Tuesday post comes from a CBBC Newsround article (via the archives of Snitchseeker.com) from 23rd June 2003, 2 days after the release of the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
The article breaks the news that the book has become the fastest selling on record.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fastest-selling book ever.
Five million copies of the book were sold in the US in the first day. One million were sold in Britain, more than twice as many as Prisoner of Azkaban sold in its first year!
It’s smashed records as fans all over the world race to get their hands on book five.
One US bookstore, a branch of Barnes and Noble, said the book was flying off their shelves at a rate of more than 80 per second!
‘Barmy’
It looks like OOTP is going to be 10 times more popular than the Goblet Of Fire, their spokesman said.
All around the UK, booksellers have described the mayhem surrounding OOTP as “barmy” and “manic”.
Bookshops everywhere opened their doors at midnight on Friday so the desperate fans could get hold of the book as soon as it went on sale.
You can read the whole thing right here. Come back next week to reminisce on another special something from ‘Potter’ history.
Our second Time-Turner Tuesday post comes from a CBBC Newsround article (via the archives of Snitchseeker.com) from 23rd June 2003, 2 days after the release of the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
