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Exclusive: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - RT's Set Visit Preview
by Joe Utichi
Discuss Article
Page | 1 2
We were surprised by a few new additions to the film, injected by director David Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves in order to visually illustrate events only referenced in the book. "In the sixth book Jo talks about the Death Eaters attacking, kidnapping and striking terror into communities and she plays that idea backstage in the book," explained Yates. "You read about it but you don't experience it. We wanted to bring that experience to the fore for the audience so they kind-of felt what it was like and they could actually see what the Death Eaters were doing."

This was illustrated in two scenes glimpsed in the recent trailer: the Death Eaters attacking London's Millennium Bridge and a Christmas attack on The Burrow -- home to the Weasley family. In the trailer we see Harry running through the reeds surrounding The Burrow, perhaps an attempt to escape -- or confront -- this movie's new bad-guy Fenrir Greyback, described in the book as "the most savage werewolf alive."

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Yates prepares Michael Gambon's Dumbledore for a scene.

For Yates, though, it's the quieter, character-based moments that he finds the most exciting, with Harry's other nemesis - teenage hormones -- making an appearance. "Steve came up with this notion that, after Order of the Phoenix, Harry's in this quite intense, dark place and he's riding the trains to free his brain a wee bit and he meets this really attractive waitress who he really likes," he told us. "You immediately set up the notion that suddenly these characters are a bit more aware of the opposite sex. I thought it was a really charming, lovely idea."

Talking of hormones, we also met Ron's new love interest Lavender Brown, played by newcomer Jessie Cave. Cave told us that winning the audition was a real surprise. "I just screamed," she said. "The group in front of me thought I was ill. I really just didn't believe it."

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Hero Fiennes-Tiffin is the 10 year-old Tom Marvolo Riddle on the Orphanage set.

But is she anything like the boisterous Lavender? "I'm actually quite shy and I'm not a loud character," she told us. "It's quite fun to play someone who is, because I guess everyone has a loud character inside of them waiting to jump out. I'm not saying that I want to jump out and be loud, but people can imagine that's what they'd be like!"

As Harry Potter enters his penultimate year and the threats on his life become ever more real, perhaps it's comforting to know that not everything has to be darker and more intense. Join us again in July to read our full experience on set, as well as the rest of our in-depth interviews with Daniel Radcliffe, Jessie Cave and David Yates, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton and Bonnie Wright.

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Comments (1-8 of 8 posts) | Reply
Oblivioncry
Oblivioncry writes:
on Dec 15 2008 01:43 PM

could this film be the batman begins of harry potter and the last film a dark knight of the franchise???? ;)

HAHA

nah kidding, but i still ahve high hopes for the movey, the only problem i had with most of the HP movies was the flow of the film. the script was just too tightly packed, sometimes 20 new things are shown in 4 min while something boring is extended to 10 minutes....kinda like episode 1, where in the first 5 minutes enough stuff for a whole movie is shown but none of it exploerd correctly.

i hope this time around the movie moves along a steady wel timed pace.


(Reply to this)
JettaJameson
JettaJameson writes:
on Dec 15 2008 02:42 PM

Can't wait for July!!!

(Reply to this)
Handheldmidget
Handheldmidget writes:
on Dec 15 2008 05:27 PM

i saw the first movies when they all came out, enjoyed em....but just recently i read the books....holy **** that was a good series....and i am ****ing thrilled for this movie....july seems far, far away right now....if you haven't read the books, and by any chance you have the mentality i had a few years back...thinking these were just silly little kids' stories....and therefore have chosen not to read them....i would strongly suggest you check em out...the first couple are sorta kiddish....but by the time goblet rolls around, and then order of the phoenix....these stories get reeeeeeaaaaally F'n dark....anyway i will shutup now....like i said...new Harry Potter fan...so gotta' ramble a little bit.

(Reply to this)
fargo_viper
fargo_viper writes:
on Dec 15 2008 06:08 PM

abra kadabra.

There's no Hogwarts without you Hagrid.


(Reply to this)
tfortier
tfortier writes:
on Dec 15 2008 11:42 PM

Better than read the books, listen to the audiobook read by Stephen Fry. Its pure pleasure for a very long time! (you guys know Stephen Fry? he's a legend)

I still think the first movie did a very good job bringing all that little world together.


(Reply to this)
blattman
blattman writes:
on Dec 15 2008 11:55 PM

In reply to this comment (#2185789)
As much as I like movies (and they are a passion), books are a completly different medium and can not be compared. That said, I started reading this series just to see what all the hoopla was about. I was hooked and waiting in line for the last one the night it came out. The movies are fun, but can never cover the scope of this series.

(Reply to this)
celia h.
celia h. writes:
on Dec 16 2008 10:13 AM

I can't wait to see this movie. All of the HP films are brilliant and they haven't made over 5 billion dollars for nothing. Everyone LOVES these movies: adults, teens, and younger children. The movies definitley keep gettting darker which is excellent because millions of fans have grown up with them and are now in their late teens early 20s (including me), so it would be very disappointing if they the films didn't mature too.

I think the filmmakers do an amazing job with these films and you can really tell they care alot about the fans and that they really respect JK Rowling's creation...Each film just gets better and better and David Yates is a BRILLIANT director! I can't wait until July 17, 2009!!!! So that I can see the movie like 10 times!!!!


(Reply to this)
kodie131
kodie131 writes:
on Dec 17 2008 03:15 AM

I think it would be amazing if Deathly Hallows was R. Even though it would be horrible for Warner Brothers, even though they already have enough money from the series, and I think it would give the fans who grew up the series what they want. The last novel was so gritty and full of honesty that I think it could only be covered in a film that didn't hold back. It won't happen though.

(Reply to this)
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