Warner Bros. released a new video clip from Harry’s Return to Hogwarts, which takes a look at Alan Rickman’s speech as Severus Snape in the Great Hall before his confrontation with Harry. Watch that below, thanks to Mugglenet:
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.
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02
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Harry Potter cast and crew give final farewells in new video
Harry Potter: The Quest has unlocked another new video, and in this lovely feature we see members of the cast and crew – Dan, Rupert, Emma, David Yates, Mark Williams and many more – look back on Harry Potter and give some farewell messages.
We have seen so many ‘goodbyes’ in the last year, but these clips are from the Leavesden set back when they were filming, so it must have been one of the first times these guys had reflected on ‘the end’. The video is nicely interspersed with old set pictures and stills from over the years.
Dec
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Second Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park to be built in Hollywood
Big news! Reports last night have revealed that a second Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park is to be built by Universal at their site in Hollywood, California.
The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times and Variety have all released some information ahead of an official announcement which they say is coming soon. From the Wall Street Journal:
“NBCUniversal is planning to expand its Los Angeles theme park with a section devoted to the “Harry Potter” franchise, according to people familiar with the matter, hoping to repeat the success of a similar attraction at NBCU’s Orlando, Fla., resort.
The new “Harry Potter” addition in the Los Angeles park, Universal Studios Hollywood, will likely resemble the one in Florida, these people say, which includes a Hogwarts Castle, roller coasters, and several Potter-themed restaurants including the Hog’s Head tavern, which serves butterbeer, as in the books.”
This attraction is likely open some time after 2015. They also say more HP parks could eventually spring up all around the world:
“If the new section succeeds, more “Potter” attractions could open in other parts of the world where Universal has theme parks, including Japan, Singapore, and Spain, say people close to Universal.”
Interestingly, there is currently very little space at Universal Hollywood, and the budget is reported to be $200 million, which is less than the $265 million that was spent on the original Orlando one. This could mean the new park isn’t on as big a scale as the existing one.
Good news? Not brilliant, in my opinion…
While the news will likely bring immense happiness to anyone around the west coast of the USA, I personally have rather mixed feelings about this development.
My fear is that a second park in America will reduce the novelty of the experience. The Orlando park is THE place to go for Harry Potter fans worldwide. Having a second park, which by the sounds of it will be very similar to the first, may cheapen it and make it all less special.
For the moment I’d rather see them putting all their resources into developing and expanding the Orlando park, and maybe try to improve the accessibility and affordability for the whole of America. Then I’d like to see them build a new Potter park in another corner of the globe, like the UK, or maybe more feasibly near Disneyland Paris. It would also be good if they developed a park in Asia, which seems likely as Universal already has a site in Singapore.
This way, there would be a park close enough to every Harry Potter fan around the world, whilst still maintaining the integrity, the novelty, and the special magical experience which has made the Wizarding World in Orlando such a huge success. Each of these three theme parks could then be the “Holy Grail” for Harry Potter fans in each third of the globe.
But alas, it doesn’t seem like they’re doing it my way.
