In The News
Steve Kloves: Says They Almost Split "Goblet of Fire," Began Thinking of Two "Deathly Hallows" Films Late Summer 07
DH FilmThere is more news today on the decision to make two movies out of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Screenwriter Steve Kloves has given a new interview to the Baltimore Sun, where he discusses the decision to split the book into two films, and says they had been considering to do this originally for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire . In an email to the paper Steve Kloves says “Years ago,” he writes, “we briefly — and seriously — considered doing Goblet of Fire as two films. So this concept is not altogether new.”
Steve Kloves, who is the screenwriter for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and will pen the scripts for both of the “Deathly Hallows” movies, continued on to explain that early after the release of book seven they started thinking of splitting the seventh Harry Potter book for two films. Quotage is as follows: “As for Deathly Hallows, I intuited — almost from the first moments I began reading it and certainly once I’d finished — that to realize the story in a single film was going to be a tall order. Others in ‘the group’ felt similarly. So the idea of two films began to get kicked around as early as late summer of 2007. We didn’t take it lightly. But ultimately everyone felt that despite the challenges it would present, it was the most sound creative decision. I’m sure some will think we’re crazy. My wife looked at me cross-eyed when I first mentioned it. But I’m really excited about it because it should allow us to stretch a bit with the characters and give them the proper send-off. The story is highly emotional and those moments deserve time to breathe. And, personally, I feel we owe it to Jo — in order to preserve the integrity of the work — and the fans — for their loyalty all these years — to give them the best and most complete experience possible. I’d love to do it in three parts!” And for good measure, Kloves adds that working with Order of the Phoenix director David Yates on the currently filming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince “was a brilliant experience, so this should be a treat!”
As we’ve reported here and here, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” will be made as two films. Starring Dan Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson and under the direction of David Yates, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One will be released in theaters “holiday” 2010, with Part Two due May or Summer of 2011. The sixth film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is currently in production in England, with a release date set for November 21, 2008.
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I think it is a great decision. I’m glad they decided to do this. I don’t think I would have liked GOF as two movies though.
cool.
Will be interesting to see how this turns out. I’m especially interested in Harry’s “death” scene and some of the stuff with Snape and the Locket.
But the cynic in me must ask: does “preserve the integrity” actually mean we get bookRon and bookHermione, or PINKPOWERRANGERHermione….
And whats up with having to wait two years and a half to see it. I mean, it’s three years from now!
Cool. I’m glad they didn’t split GOF because there’s not much that was left out so there wouldn’t have been a reason to split it. But I’m so excited that they’re spliting DH!!!! I wonder if they ever considered doing OOTP as two films.
may be it would’ve been a better movie, or at least they could’ve cut the episode with that bloody dragon in a half, it was NOT supposed to be flying!
Ah Steve you wonderful man! I’m so happy that he’s doing the 3 last films. He’s brilliant!
thegriffpuff,
well, its really about production.
They won’t start work on it until next year, 2009. Plus each of these movies has taken a very long time to shoot (9 or more months each). So now muliply that by 2 films, plus all the post production time for special effects, marketing etc.
@thegriffpuff
Well obviously they have to finish HBP first and do all the promotion for that and then Dan has to do Equus on Broadway. And then they have to do all the pre-production stuff for DH and scout locations to film. Because there is going to be a whole lot of on-location filming for DH because the trio travel so much. And then they have to actually film the movie which is going to be like 6 hours long so that’s going to be like almost 2 years of filming and then they have to do all the post-production stuff like editing and touch ups. So yeah 3 years sounds about right.
Finally- the source material and the HP fandom are being treated with the respect that The Lord Of the Rings received from New Line and PJ.
This should be great -and -for what its worth, I agree with those people who feel the obvious break time is the burial of Dobby -with Harry expressing the resolution to complete the task ! (ie -similarly to Sam’s speech at the end of The Two Towers. film)
I’m glad they did not split Goblet in 2, the weakest book of them all. I actually felt the same after reading Hallows, there is no way you can put all of that in 2.5 hours. Now they have between 4.5 and 5 hours to play with. I just hope they don’t recast the parts for those last five minutes of the film.
Well put Mr. Kloves. I hadn’t even thought about them trying to give the trio the proper send off. That will make the entire experience that much more enjoyable.
wow!! big news!! I dont know how i feel about it. But at least they wont leave a lot of details out!!
Kloves is right, they do owe it to Jo to split Deathly Hallows up into 2 movies and do the author and the story justice, not to mention give us fans a treat. This is capital news. Well done!
Even though comments have been posted through out the day about how thrilled everyone is that Warner Bros. has decided to do Deathly Hallows in two parts, I am even happier to hear this news from the mouth of the screenwriter. :) The statement, “I’d love to do it in three parts!” is also reassuring because I think he will truly fight to keep nearly everything from the book . . . and I’m not as worried now about there just being 2 shorter films rather than 2 full-length (min. 2 hour) movies that will contain the emotional and physical elements which are so important to the final book.
Overall, I’d say it’s a good day to be a Harry Potter fan . . .
I would really love it if they do two titles, instead of deathly hallows part 1 and 2.
if they split the movie up at say the lovegood’s house, call the first part the deathly hallows, and the second part after one of the two other titles jk rowling considered, Harry Potter and the Elder Wand.
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Thanks Steve, I feel like chewing some Double-Mint gum!