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.
The first official trailer for The Sweet Shop, a drama filmed over a year ago by Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis, is finally being released by filmmakers. The story shows how a singer finds solace in his hometown and a local sweet shop girl, portrayed by Gemma Atkinson, only to be found out by a nosy reporter, portrayed by Lewis. At the moment, however, the film has no set release date in theaters or DVD/BD.
A near half-hour interview with director David Yates and producer David Heyman has appeared online. In this excellent, relaxed, friendly interview the two discuss pretty much everything surrounding their work on the Harry Potter series. Watch that all right here:
The 2011/12 awards season is now in full swing, with nominations and winners being announced in the run up to the Oscar climax.
After this year’s mega-earning, critically acclaimed, grand finale, Deathly Hallows Part 2, Potter fans were hoping the series would finally get the recognition it deserves and pick up a few big Academy Awards, and distributor Warner Bros. has been putting on a big campaign to try and help it along.
And while you will find Harry Potter scattered through the nomination lists released thus far, it’s mainly in the usual second tier technical categories. Of course everyone would be very grateful for recognition in these areas (art direction, visual effects, sound, etc), but many people, including surely the critics who gave it 96% positive reviews, thought this year we could break into the big ones – directing, writing, best picture.
We’ve also heard people crying out that the likes of Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Maggie Smith and Dan Radcliffe deserve to take home acting awards.
But those names are all absent so far, and these early awards are usually a good indication of where Oscar votes will go too.
Anyway, here are the nominations we have at this moment in time:
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The 2011/12 awards season is now in full swing, with nominations and winners being announced in the run up to the Oscar climax.
