Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a film adaption based on J.K. Rowling's sixth book. This will be the sixth out of eight movies. Steve Kloves, who wrote the screenplay first four films, is again writing the screenplay for HBP, while David Yates, who directed the Order of the Phoenix, is also directing this movie. HBP will be the fourth film released around guy fawkes and halloween time i.e. late October/early November, and will be released in IMAX. However, it is unclear whether it will be released in IMAX 3-D like the fifth film.

The film began filming on September 24, 2007 and finished filming in at the beggining of May 2008.It has been confirmed harry will wear his blue shirt worn in GoF and the end of OotP in the cave scene over a red sweatshirt, as seen in the first Promo picture. Even though the film is not yet rated, we can almost be certain it will be PG-13, as two films before it were.

Synopsis
Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates! And then there’s Hermione, simmering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

Development
Before David Yates was officially chosen to direct the film, many others had been offered the job, and previous directors had expressed an interest in returning. Alfonso Cuarón, the director of the third film, stated he "would love to have the opportunity" to return. Goblet of Fire director Mike Newell declined a spot to direct the fifth film, and was not approached for this one either. Terry Gilliam was Rowling's personal choice to direct Sorcerer's Stone. However, when asked whether he would consider directing a later film, Gilliam said, "Warner Bros. had their chance the first time around, and they blew it."

Matthew Vaughn and James McTeigue were reportedly approached, and M. Night Shyamalan also declined. Shyamalan stated that he would like to try his own hand at writing an adaptation of a book before attempting to take on Harry Potter. Access Hollywood reported that Michael Hoffman was in talks to direct, though the rumour was quickly denied. It was not until May 2007 that Yates was announced as the director, making him the second director to helm two films in the series.

Yates has retained composer Nicholas Hooper, costume designer Jany Temime, visual effects supervisor Tim Burke, creature and make-up effects designer Nick Dudman, and special effects supervisor John Richardson from the fifth film. Since February 2007, Stuart Craig, the production designer of the first five films as well, has been designing sets, including the cave, and the astronomy tower, where the climax of the film takes place. Academy Award nominated Bruno Delbonnel is the film's cinematographer.

Yates and Heyman have noted that some of the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows may influence the script of the film, and that there will not be as many memories in the film as in the book. Yates noted: "We're making a decision right now to compress those a wee bit, but we've still got some really cool ones." Quidditch will also be featured, much to the annoyance of Radcliffe and other cast and crew members. Steve Kloves, who wrote the first four films, returned for the sixth adaptation. Rowling has read Kloves' script and crossed out a passage in which Dumbledore recalls a past female love, penning in the margin "Dumbledore is gay."

Filming
Filming began on 24 September 2007, with one week of rehearsals, and principal photography ended May 2008. Some sources stated that filming may move from the UK, where all of the previous five films have been shot. This is North Scotland reported filming will take place in New Zealand, due to the "more agreeable economy and climate" and lack of Scottish funding. The Sunday Business Post in Ireland has noted that the film's producers and WB executives have been scouting there, specifically Leinster and Munster because they "believe they have now exhausted possible locations in Britain." They are "particularly keen on Ireland, as the landscape is similar to Britain and will appear similar to the settings of the previous films." The crew also scouted around Cape Wrath in Scotland, for use in the cave scene. Filming is scheduled to return to Glen Coe and Glenfinnan, both locations that have appeared in the previous films, to preserve the continuity of the landscape.

On the weekend of 6 October 2007, the crew shot scenes involving the Hogwarts Express in the misty and dewy environment of Fort William, Scotland. A series of night scenes have been filmed in the village of Lacock and the cloisters at Lacock Abbey for three nights starting 25 October 2007. Filming took place from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily, and residents of the street were asked to black out their windows with dark blinds. On set reports indicated that the main scene filmed was Harry and Dumbledore's visit to Slughorn's house. Further filming took place in Surbiton railway station in October 2007, Gloucester Cathedral, where the first and second films were shot, in February 2008, and at the Millennium Bridge in London in March 2008.

Though Radcliffe, Gambon and Broadbent started shooting in late September 2007, some other cast members started much later: Watson did not begin until December 2007, Rickman until January 2008, and Bonham Carter until February 2008. Principal photography wrapped up on May 17 2008.

Returning Cast Members

 * Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter
 * Rupert Grint - Ron Weasley
 * Emma Watson - Hermione Granger
 * James Phelps - Fred Weasley
 * Oliver Phelps - George Weasley
 * Tom Felton - Draco Malfoy
 * Bonnie Wright - Ginny Weasley
 * Matthew Lewis - Neville Longbottom
 * Evanna Lynch - Luna Lovegood
 * Natalia Tena - Nymphadora Tonks
 * David Thewlis - Remus Lupin
 * Helena Bonham Carter - Bellatrix Lestrange
 * Michael Gambon - Albus Dumbledore
 * Maggie Smith - Minerva McGonagall
 * Katie Leung - Cho Chang
 * Mark Williams - Arthur Weasley
 * David Bradley - Argus Filch
 * Robbie Coltrane - Rubeus Hagrid
 * Warwick Davis - Filius Flitwick
 * Alan Rickman - Severus Snape
 * Julie Walters - Molly Weasley
 * Timothy Spall - Peter Pettigrew

New Cast Members

 * Jim Broadbent - Horace Slughorn
 * Helen McCrory - Narcissa Malfoy
 * Jessie Cave - Lavender Brown
 * Hero Fiennes Tiffin - Tom Marvolo Riddle (age 11)
 * Frank Dillane - Tom Marvolo Riddle (teenager)
 * Freddie Stroma - Cormac McLaggen
 * Louis Cordice - Blaise Zabini
 * Anna Shaffer - Romilda Vane
 * Georgina Leonidas - Katie Bell
 * Isabella Laughland - Leanne
 * Robert Knox - Marcus Belby
 * Scarlett Byrne - Pansy Parkinson
 * Dave Legeno - Fenrir Greyback
 * Suzanne Toase - Alecto Carrow
 * Ralph Ineson - Amycus Carrow
 * Tom Moorcroft - Regulus Arcturus Black
 * Charlie Bennison - Sanguini
 * Tom Coburn - Lucius Malfoy (teenager)

Filming Information
Current Filming Status:

(7/4/08)


 * WB has officialy released nine new pictures of the movie and the video game site, which includes the teaser trailer to the video game.

(5/25/08)


 * Emma Watson has posted on her website that filming for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is COMPLETE. Special Effects and such are still to be added.

(5/24/08)


 * 18-year-old Robert Knox, one of the movies extras, was stabbed to death after he tried to protect his younger brother when he was threatened by a group of men in a pub. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

(3/15/08)


 * Crews have finished filming a scene at Millenium Bridge in London, and more on-location shoots are planned.

(2/1/08)


 * Over 80 days of filming have been completed, primarily at Leavesden Studios. Filming is set to begin at Gloucester Cathedral within the next few weeks.

(1/1/08)


 * The trio, as well as Jim Broadbent (Slughorn) are filming scenes at Leavesden studios.

(12/07)


 * Crews have completed shoots in Wiltshire, England where Dumbledore and Harry go to speak with Slughorn at his home. Some principal filming has also been completed.

Filming Locations
As of October 20, 2007, it was confirmed that the Gloucester Cathedral will be returning for the backdrop of Hogwarts Castle in the sixth film. Since then, most of the filming there has ceased, or finished.

Trailers and Sneek Peeks
The HBP trailer has sparked much discussion throughout the Harry Potter Fandom. Take a look at predictions of when the next clip will appear near you!

Teaser Trailer
The Teaser Trailer is just a "tease" of the movie, was expected to come out alongside of many movies, however, it has not come out yet. Many fans are now speculating whether there will be a teaser trailer, or if they will cut right to the chase. However, according to MuggleNet, on August 1, 2008 The Mummy will be comming out. Rumour states that there will be a teaser with it, to give a little kick to ticket sales, instead of an International with TDK. But please treat this as a rumour.

International Trailer
The International Trailer, which is longer and gives much more of a prievew has not been released yet. It is expected to be released alongside of:


 * 1. The Dark Knight (July 18, 2008)
 * 2. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (August 2008)

Sneek Peeks and marketing
The special edition two-disc DVD for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix contained two sneak peeks of the film, while the US edition included an additional clip. Warner Bros and MSN will run an online Order of the Phoenix quiz, with the prize being a walk-on part in the film. As with the previous films, EA Games will produce a video game based on the film. You can see the teaser trailer on the official site or on youtube.com.

Screenshots


As of July 3, 2008, there are eleven pictures from HBP. Ten of the eleven are released officially from WB but the eleventh is a leaked one, and hasn't been officially released by WB.

On July 2nd and 3rd, 2008, USA Today, AOL Moviefone, and Empire released many new pictures from the HBP movie, including a long-awaited look at Slughorn (played by Jim Broadbent), Luna (Evanna Lynch) in her Spectre Specs, a bloodied Harry, and Ron under the influence of Romilda Vane's love potion-filled chocolates. Empire also had many new bits of info on the Inferi and Greyback.

Many more pictures are expected as we draw nearer to the opening day.



"Leaked Picture Friday"
Every Friday since the beginning of May 2008, and ending around the middle of June, WB has "Leaked" pictures of the sixth movie. They are not officially released until a few weeks later. Fans and fansites, including MuggleNet, seem to think WB is releasing pictures and getting fans hyped for the Trailer.

The leaked picture Friday is said to have continued with the releases of nine new pictures back to back in HD from WB, but fans are saying there will be no more "leaked" pictures, because all of the pictures we get, WB releases them.

Cuts
Rumors say that many things will be cut in HBP, from the Tonks/Lupin to Fleur/Bill romances. However, Tom Felton said in an interview that was on the OotP DVD that there was "no noticeable cuts from the books". This brings about many discussion amoung the hardcore fans that would love to see a great film.

Moaning Myrtle
Moaning Myrtle was last seen in The Goblet of Fire, as a cameo along with Daniel Radcliffe. Sadly, Hamilton Hodell, the acting agency that represents Moaning Myrtle actress Shirley Henderson, has confirmed to SnitchSeeker that her character will not be included in the upcoming Half-Blood Prince movie witch means there will be no interaction with her and Draco.

Fleur Delacour
Fleur Delacour was last seen in the fourth film, and again, Clémence Poésy's part has been removed from HBP witch may mean Bill could be cut from the final fight and confrontation with Fenrir Greyback. However, this does not mean that her and Bill's wedding won't be mentioned, or cut, from The Deathly Hallows.

Pensieve
For running time purposes, there will not be as many memories as in the book.

The Burrow Attack
In the book, it was easy for J.K. Rowling to write that it was difficult for characters to cope with the harsh conditions of the war, so the writers added an aditional scene to remind us of just that.

A Big Boom?
David Yates had stated that he was opening with a Big Boom, reffering to the bridge collapse from the book. This means, as of the end of June, the opening scene will be the bridge collapse.

Quidditch
The famous wizarding game will make a return! Along with that, Ron Weasly will learn how to fly.

Katie Bell
Georgina Leonidas will play Katie Bell, the Gryffindor Chaser who is injured by a cursed necklace.