Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a 2009 fantasy-adventure film based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the sixth film in the Harry Potter film series. It is directed by David Yates, the director of the fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. David Heyman and David Barron produced the film,[5] and Steve Kloves, screenwriter of the first four films, returned as screenwriter for this film.[6] Filming began on 24 September 2007, and the film was released in cinemas worldwide on 15 July 2009. Unlike the previous film, the sixth film was not simultaneously released in regular cinemas and IMAX 3-D in all countries, due to a Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen several week commitment.[7] The film will instead be released in IMAX 3D on 29 July, two weeks after its original release, in these countries.[8] The film opened to critical acclaim and commercial success, and breaking the records for biggest midnight opening gross of all time as well as biggest single-day worldwide gross of all time. The film is dedicated to the memory of actor Rob Knox, who portrays Marcus Belby in the film and was killed in May, 2008.
Plot
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Scarred by his experience at the Ministry of Magic with Voldemort, Harry is reluctant to return to Hogwarts. Dumbledore encourages him to continue, after taking him to see a former professor, Horace Slughorn, hoping that Slughorn would return to Hogwarts and take Harry under his wing.
Meanwhile, Death Eaters begin to wreck havoc both towards Muggles, destroying the Millennium Bridge, and Wizards, kidnapping the wandmaker Mr. Ollivander and destroying his Diagon Alley shop. Bellatrix Lestrange entreats Severus Snape to enter a Unbreakable Vow with Draco Malfoy's mother, Narcissa, assuring that he will complete the task assigned to Draco should Draco fail. Harry, Ron and Hermione, while in Diagon Alley, spot Draco entering Borgin and Burkes and taking part in a ritual with other Death Eaters, and become suspicious of his actions.
At Hogwarts, the school is under tight security to prevent the Death Eaters from entering the school. With Slughorn back to teach Potions, Snape is given Defense of the Dark Arts. Harry and Ron are encouraged by Professor McGonagall to take up Potions now that Slughorn, with lower standards, is teaching the class; however, as neither were prepared to take it, they are given textbooks. Harry's book is heavily written in with more exacting instructions to complete potions, giving him an edge up on the other students, and finds that it once belonged to the "Half-Blood Prince", a term Hermione cannot figure out. Meanwhile, Ron becomes the successful Gryffindor's Quidditch goalie, attracting the love of Lavender Brown, much to Hermione's chagrin. Harry is also upset over Ginny's attraction to Dean Thomas. During the Christmas break, Death Eaters attack the Weasley household while Harry, Lupin, Tonks and Mr. Weasley are discussing events; while the Weasleys and guests are safe, their house burns to the ground.
Dumbledore reveals to Harry through the Pensieve memories of Tom Riddle—Voldemort's original name—including a false memory from Slughorn, when Riddle asked him about a certain resistricted Dark Art. The memory fails to reveal this art, and Dumbledore believes that the key to defeating Voldemort is to learn what Dark Art Riddle asked about, and instructs Harry to further confide himself to Slughorn. Using a Luck potion he won earlier in the school year, Harry is able to bring Slughorn to be intoxicated with Hagrid and convinces the professor in his stupor to give him the true memory. This memory reveals that Riddle inquired about the creation of Horcruxes, devices that store a portion of the creator's soul to allow them to live indefinitely. Dumbledore reveals that Riddle's diary and his mother's ring were two of seven Horcruxes that Riddle had created, and that they must track these down and destroy them to make Voldemort mortal.
Meanwhile, Harry continues to be suspicious of Draco's actions, following him around the school but no success in determining what he seeks. Harry believes Draco to be behind two indirect attempts on Dumbledore's life, one through a cursed necklace that Katie Bell, under an Imperius Curse, was bringing to Dumbledore as a gift, and another through a bottle of poisoned wine that Slughorn, similarly cursed, planned to give to the professor. The latter is discovered accidently when Ron ingests the poison; though he recovers with medical treatmen, he unconsciously admits his true love for Hermione in front of Lavender, sending her away crying. After this incident, Harry corners Draco and casts the Sectumsempra curse from the Half-Blood Prince's book, severely harming Draco. Ginny convinces Harry to hide the book in the Room of Requirement to prevent him from using it again; there, they discover, unknown to them, a Vanishing Cabinet, which Draco has been attempting to repair, but think nothing of it further. Ginny also reveals her love for Harry, no longer interested in Dean, and they kiss after she hides the book.
Dumbledore implores Harry to help him recover another Horcrux, the location of which he recently learned. The two apparate to a seaside cliff, and enter a cave where the Horcrux is located. On a small crystalline island, Dumbledore forces Harry to make him drink a mind-altering liquid in order to reveal the Horcrux. While Dumbledore recovers from the liquid, Harry recovers the Horcrux, a small pendant. Harry tries to help Dumbeldore recover, but they are attacked by numerous Inferius. Dumbledore recovers in time to set them aflame, and the two return to the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts.
Dumbledore, still weakened by the trial, instructs Harry to go get Snape. However, before Harry can go, footsteps are heard, and Dumbledore tells Harry to hide on the lower floor. The footfalls belong to Draco, who prepares to kill Dumbledore, but cannot come to do so. Meanwhile, with the Vanishing Cabinet fixed, Bellatrix and other Death Eaters are able to invade Hogwarts through a similar cabinet at Borgin and Burkes, and join Draco in the tower. Snape silently arrives on the lower floor, indicating to Harry to stay quiet, and then goes upstairs, joining the other Death Eaters. Snape then casts the Avada Kedavra spell on Dumbledore, throwing him over the side of the Tower and killing him. Snape, Draco, and the other Death Eaters depart the school, Bellatrix casting the Death Eaters' sign over the school, destroying the Great Hall and setting fire to Hagrid's hut in glee. Harry tries to stop them with the Sectumsempra spell, but Snape deflects it and stuns him. As Snape departs, he explains that he was the Half-Blood Prince.
The school mourns for Dumbledore's death. Harry reveals to Ron and Hermione that the Horcrux they got was a fake, containing a message from an "R.A.B." that sated he had already taken it, but also seeking to end Voldemort's life. Harry tells his friends that he does not plan to return next term, instead seeking out R.A.B. and the other Horcrux' so that he may put an end to Voldemort; Ron and Hermione remind Harry that they are his friends and will help alongside him in his goal.
Cast
- Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, who is now entering his sixth year at Hogwarts, with the wizarding world at war.[5]
- Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, one of Harry's two best friends.[5] Although he begins flirting obviously with Hermione, he develops a shallow relationship with Lavender Brown which he abandons later in the movie.[9]
- Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, one of Harry's two best friends, who has feelings for Ron and becomes jealous of his girlfriend.[5] Watson considered not returning for the sixth film,[10] but eventually decided that "the pluses outweighed the minuses" and could not bear to see anyone else play Hermione.[11]
- Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore.[6] The legendary wizard and headmaster of Hogwarts. The revelation of Dumbledore's sexuality prompted Gambon to "camp up" around the set when off camera,[12] but his on-screen performance is expected to remain unchanged from the previous films.[13]
- Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn, the newly appointed Hogwarts Potions master. Broadbent described his costumes as "tweedy", and his character as "comic",[14] while Radcliffe noted that "[Slughorn's] tragedy will outweigh the comedy".[15]
- Alan Rickman as Severus Snape,[6] the former Potions master, who finally achieves his goal of becoming Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.
- Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy,[6] a rival of Harry's, whom Harry suspects of carrying out a task for Voldemort across the year. Son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy and nephew to Bellatrix Lestrange.
- Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley,[6] Ron's younger sister in her fifth year, with whom Harry forms a relationship. Other than Chamber of Secrets, this is the first time the character has had screen time matching the size of the role in the book.
- Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange, one of Voldemort's principal Death Eaters, older sister of Narcissa Malfoy, aunt to Draco, and cousin of Sirius Black, whom she murdered in the previous film.[6]
- Helen McCrory as Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother and younger sister of Bellatrix. McCrory was originally cast as Bellatrix Lestrange in Order of the Phoenix, but had to drop out due to pregnancy.[16] Naomi Watts was previously reported as having accepted the role,[17] only for it to be denied by her agency.[18] Coincidentally, Bonham Carter took the role of Bellatrix for Phoenix, only to be pregnant during the filming of Prince.
- Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid,[6] the Hogwarts gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Harry's first friend from the magical world.
- Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall,[6] the Hogwarts Transfiguration teacher, deputy headmistress and head of Gryffindor. McGonagall is a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
- David Thewlis as Remus Lupin,[6] former Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Lupin is a werewolf and a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
- Natalia Tena as Nymphadora Tonks,[6] a member of the Order of the Phoenix, who is in a relationship with Lupin in this film.
- Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew, former member of Harry's father James's group of friends, he betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort. Now one of Voldemort's principal Death Eaters, despite being weak magically. He goes by the nickname "Wormtail".[19]
- Mark Williams and Julie Walters as Arthur and Molly Weasley respectively,[6][20] Ron, Fred, George and Ginny's parents. They treat Harry like another son.
- James and Oliver Phelps as Fred and George Weasley, Ron and Ginny's elder twin brothers.
- Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom,[6] a friend of Harry, Ron, and Herminone, who helps them in times of need. His role was notably diminished in the film.
- Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood,[6] a dreamy girl with odd ideas and a friend of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Ginny.
- Jessie Cave as Lavender Brown,[9] Ron's new girlfriend. Watson described her as "perfect for the role,"[21] although Cave did not attend the open auditions.[22] An open casting call was held for the part on 1 July 2007. Over 7,000 girls turned out for the audition and read from a scene with Madam Pomfrey, Ron, and Hermione.[23] Yates said he planned to test Grint with the top five choices for Lavender, reading certain lines and kissing, to see which pairing had the best chemistry.[24]
Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Frank Dillane each play Tom Riddle, the child who becomes Lord Voldemort, at age eleven and as a teenager respectively.[6] Tiffin is the 10-year-old nephew of Ralph Fiennes, who plays the adult Voldemort in the fourth and fifth films.[25] Christian Coulson, who played Riddle in Chamber of Secrets, expressed an interest in returning;[26] Yates responded that Coulson was too old, nearing 30, to be playing the role.[24] Jamie Campbell Bower, who appeared in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, previously noted that he had his "fingers crossed" he would be cast as a young Riddle.[27] Bower was, however, later cast as the teenage Gellert Grindelwald in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. An open casting call was held for the part in July 2007, with applicants reading from a scene involving Riddle trying to persuade Horace Slughorn to explain what Horcruxes are.[28]
Dave Legeno appears as Fenrir Greyback, a savage werewolf who is greatly feared in the wizarding world. Ralph Ineson plays Amycus Carrow and Suzanne Toase plays Alecto Carrow,[29][30] while Lord Johnpaul Castrianni and Rod Hunt play Yaxley and Thorfinn Rowle respectively. Tom Moorcroft portrays Regulus Black.[31] [32]. Gemma Jones appears for the first time since the Chamber of Secrets, playing Poppy Pomfrey although she has no lines.
Both Clémence Poésy and Chris Rankin were interested in returning,[33][34] but in October 2007 Poésy noted that she will not be reprising her role of Fleur Delacour,[35] and Rankin has stated that he thinks Percy Weasley will be cut.[36] After Bill Nighy expressed an interest in appearing,[37] Yates confirmed that Nighy would be his first choice for the role of Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour, providing the character made it into the final screenplay.[38] Yates told Wizard that he was "struggling with [fitting Scrimgeour in the script] at the moment, and he's in one moment and he's out the next."[38] Scrimgeour's character was ultimately cut from the film, but Nighy has been confirmed in the role for Deathly Hallows.
Early auditions took place in England in April 2007, though reports would not state for which role the audition was. One actor who auditioned for the role was Icelandic Jón Páll Eyjólfsson, who went to school with screenwriter Steve Kloves.[39] Official casting news was scarce even as filming began.[27] It was reported that Jack Davenport, Stephen Rea, Peter Rnic, Stuart Townsend, and Joseph Fiennes were each offered unspecified roles,[17][40] although representatives of Townsend and Fiennes denied the reports.[18] Warner Bros. announced in a press release on 16 November 2007 that casting for the film had been completed.[6][28]
Production
Development
Before David Yates was officially chosen to direct the film, many directors had expressed an interest in taking the helm. Alfonso Cuarón, the director of the third film, stated he "would love to have the opportunity" to return.[41] Goblet of Fire director Mike Newell declined a spot to direct the fifth film, and was not approached for this one.[42] Terry Gilliam was Rowling's personal choice to direct Philosopher'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."[43]
From the fifth film, Yates retained composer Nicholas Hooper, who, judging by the background music on the Official Harry Potter website, included a reworking of John Williams's Hedwig's Theme, which has recurred in all scores including Patrick Doyle's. Also maintained were 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 third film.[6] 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.[44] Academy Award nominated Bruno Delbonnel is the film's cinematographer.[6] David Yates remarked Bruno's work on the film as "The choice of angles, the extreme close-ups, the pacing of the scenes...It's very layered, incredibly rich."[45]
Yates and Heyman have noted that some of the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows may influence the script of the film.[46]
Sets
The film's production designer is Academy Award winner Stuart Craig. Several new sets have been introduced in this film, including Tom Riddle's Orphanage, Astronomy Tower and the Cave. In one of the sneak peeks for the film, Stuart Craig said that Tom Riddle's Orphanage is based on buildings in Docklands, Liverpool and it is designed from Victorian-Georgian architecture. The interior of the Orphanage uses Victorian glaze bricks, to give the set a very harsh appearance.[citation needed]
He noted that the film used several CGI sets, noticeably the interior of the Cave where Harry and Dumbledore both go for hunting Horcruxes. The exterior of the cave scene was filmed in Cliffs of Moher in the west of Ireland. The interior of the cave is made up of geometric crystal formations. Craig noted "Apart from the point at which Harry and Dumbledore first arrive and the island formation on which everything inside the cave happens, the set is entirely virtual, designed in the computer. We'd had our first totally virtual set on the last film, so we approached this one with a bit more confidence."[47]
Filming
Following a week of rehearsals, principal photography began on 24 September 2007 and ended on 17 May 2008.[48] Before filming commenced, there was belief that filming might move from the UK, where all of the previous five films have been shot. This is North Scotland reported that the filming would take place in New Zealand, due to the "more agreeable economy and climate" and lack of Scottish funding.[49] The Sunday Business Post in Ireland noted that the film's producers and WB executives had 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."[50] The crew also scouted around Cape Wrath in Scotland, for use in the cave scene.[51] Filming returned to Glen Coe and Glenfinnan, both which have appeared in the previous films, to preserve the continuity of the landscape.[52]
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.[52] A series of night scenes were 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.[53][54][55] On set reports indicated that the main scene filmed was Harry and Dumbledore's visit to Slughorn's house.[55] Further filming took place in Surbiton railway station in October 2007,[56] Gloucester Cathedral, where the first and second films were shot, in February 2008,[57] and at the Millennium Bridge in London in March 2008.[58]
Though Radcliffe, Gambon and Broadbent started shooting in late September 2007, some other cast members started much later: Grint did not begin until November 2007, Watson did not begin until December 2007, Rickman until January 2008, and Bonham Carter until February 2008.[59][60]
Visual effects
Tim Burke and Tim Alexander are visual effects supervisors for the film. Tim Alexander said completing inferi-attack scene took several months. He said, "It's certainly much bolder and scarier than we imagined that they'd ever go in a 'Potter' movie. Director David Yates was cautious of not making this into a zombie movie, so we were constantly trying to figure out how not to make these dead people coming up look like zombies. A lot of it came down to their movement — they don't move fast, but they don't move really slow or groan and moan. We ended up going with a very realistic style." He also noted that inferi are skinnier, waterlogged and grey.[61]
About Dumbledore's ring of fire, he noted that the effect would look as if someone sprayed propane and then lit it. He added, "We did a lot of research on molten volcanoes, which have a lot of heat going on but no actual flames, and collected a bunch of other references, including flares that burn underwater, and showed them to the Potter folks." The visual effects team emulated these six fire parameters: heat ripples, smoke, buoyancy, viscosity, opacity, and brightness. Since the whole fire scene was very time consuming, computer graphics artist Chris Horvath spent eight months finding a faster way to conjure flames.[62]
Differences from the book
Much of the book's ending has been changed, with the climactic battle and Dumbledore's funeral being removed. Heyman commented that the end battle was removed to "(avoid) repetition" with the forthcoming adaptation of Deathly Hallows. The scene where Harry, Ron, and Hermione using the invisibility cloak to sneak away from Arthur and Molly Weasley into Knockturn Alley to follow Malfoy was cut. The Death Eaters proceed through Hogwarts without any resistance with a crazed Bellatrix ravaging the Great Hall and setting fire to Hagrid's hut. The funeral was removed as it was believed it did not fit with the rest of the film.[63]
In the book, it is only hinted at that Hermione knows about Harry's feelings for Ginny. Also, Harry only realises his feelings for Ginny later on in the book, though it is hinted at that he is attracted to her. In the book, the Amortentia love potion reminds Harry of "something flowery" from the Burrow, which is revealed to be Ginny. The potion makes scents which attract the person smelling it. In the movie, Harry starts to realise his feelings much earlier on. Also, the movie seems to focus a lot more on the relationship between Harry and Ginny than the book and includes several scenes showing their relationship that were not in the novel.
The destruction of the fictional Brockdale bridge mentioned briefly in the book is transferred to the real Millennium Bridge in London, which is made to fluctuate more and more wildly until it breaks; this serves as the film's opening sequence. Given the book's timeline of 1996-1997, the Millenium Bridge would have yet to exist, construction having begun in 1998 and opened in 2000.
A few additional scenes were included. Instead of awaiting Dumbledore's arrival at the Dursleys' like in the novel, our re-introduction to Harry is inside a railway station cafe, where he is shown reading a Daily Prophet article about Lucius Malfoy's imprisonment and subsequently flirting with a waitress. Correspondingly, Dumbledore's arrival is a surprise to him. Also, scenes of Diagon Alley being demolished by Death Eaters and an attack on the Burrow, known as "The Burning of the Burrow" by Bellatrix Lestrange and werewolf Fenrir Greyback are added. During their attack on Diagon Alley, the Death Eaters are seen abducting the wandmaker Ollivander. All but two of the memory scenes, including that of the Gaunts, have been cut. Only the flashbacks of Tom Riddle at the orphanage and Riddle asking Slughorn about Horcruxes, shown twice, remain. Yates said they made the decision to compress the memories, but still "got some really cool ones".[64]
Characters who are cut include the Dursleys, Dobby and Kreacher, Bill and Fleur, Rufus Scrimgeour, the Gaunts, Cornelius Fudge and the Muggle Prime Minister.[65] All scenes involving these characters are either removed or replaced. Bill and Fleur's engagement is left out, as well as any mention of Rufus Scrimgeour taking over for Fudge as Minister of Magic (However the a shot of the Daily Prophet shows that there is a new Minister of Magic). Dobby and Kreacher never tail Malfoy for Harry, the memories of Voldemort's mother's family (the Gaunts) are excluded (save for one mention of Merope Gaunt and her ring by Dumbledore), and the Death Eater attack scenes and the train station scene replace both a Fudge-Muggle Prime Minister conversation and a scene with the Dursleys, where Harry learns from Dumbledore that he inherited Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place in Sirius's will.
[edit] Marketing
Warner Bros. has spent an additional estimated $155 million to market and distribute the film.[3] The special edition two-disc DVD for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix contained two sneak peeks of the film,[20][66] while the US edition included an additional clip.[67] A 15-second teaser for the film was shown alongside the IMAX release of The Dark Knight.[68] The first full-length domestic teaser trailer was released on 29 July on AOL's Moviefone website.[69] An international teaser was released on 26 October and the U.S. theatrical trailer was released on 14 November. Another trailer was screened on the Japanese TV station Fuji TV during a screening of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on 18 January 2009.[70][71] Scenes from the film were aired during ABC Family's three day Harry Potter marathon, which aired during 5–7 December 2008.[72] On 5 February 2009, the first three promotional teaser posters were released, featuring Dumbledore and Harry.[73] On 5 March and 16 April 2009, new trailers were released by Warner Bros.[74]
Warner Bros and MSN ran an online Order of the Phoenix quiz, with the prize being a walk-on part in the film.[75] As with the previous films, EA Games will produce a video game based on the film.[76] On 10 March 2009, it was announced that there would be a video game soundtrack, which was released on 17 March 2009.[77] On 27 March six character posters were released: Harry, Dumbledore, Ron, Hermione, Draco, and Professor Snape.[73] An English version of the international trailer since a Japanese international trailer was released online 10 April.[78] On 8 May, CW Channel aired 30-second TV Spot, which focused on the romantic side of the film.[79] On 20 May, first clip from the film was released through The Ellen DeGeneres Show's official website, showing love-struck Ron.[80] Another clip of the film, showing Dumbledore visiting Tom Riddle's Orphanage was released on 31 May 2009 at MTV Awards.[81] Also a short clip featuring the Weasley twins' shop Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was released on 22 June.[citation needed]
Release
The film was released in the United Kingdom, United States, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, New Zealand, India, Brazil and Spain on 15 July 2009.[1][82] It was originally set to be released on 21 November 2008 (UK, US, CAN, IRE) and 11 December 2008 (AUS, NZ),[83] but was pushed back by eight and seven months to 17 July, despite being completed. Warner Bros. executive Alan Horn noted that the move went ahead "to guarantee the studio a major summer blockbuster in 2009," with other films being delayed due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike.[84] The box-office success of summer WB films Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and The Dark Knight also motivated the decision.[85] An unnamed rival studio executive told Entertainment Weekly that the move was to "stop next year's profits from looking seriously underwhelming after the phenomenal success of The Dark Knight," as "they don't need the money this year anymore."[86] Dan Fellman, WB head of distribution, said that the studio had considered the date change for three to four weeks prior to the announcement, but gave it serious consideration a week before they came to their final decision.[87]
The date change was met with a heavily negative reaction by Harry Potter fans, as the Los Angeles Times noted: "Petitions were circulating, rumors were flying and angry screeds were being posted on Internet sites within minutes of the Thursday announcement."[85] The move was mocked by Entertainment Weekly which had Half-Blood Prince on the cover on its "Fall Preview Issue". Despite each being owned by Time Warner Inc., EW was unaware of the change until it was publicly announced by WB and noted that readers would now be in possession of a "Dewey Defeats Truman collectible".[86] Several days after the announcement, Horn released a statement in response to the "large amount of disappointment" expressed by fans of the series.[88] Following the date change, Half-Blood Prince's release slot was taken by Summit Entertainment's Twilight.[89]
Three months before its release in July, the date was again changed by 2 days from 17 July to 15 July in the United States and Canada.[90] It was later confirmed the same date change applied to the UK as well. The Australia and New Zealand release dates which were then 16 July, were also changed to 15 July. The premiere dates for the film were 6 July in Japan, 7 July in the UK (Leicester Square, London) and 8 July in the US. The Belgium premiere was on 11 July.[91]
The sixth film did not simultaneously release in regular cinemas and IMAX 3D, due to a conflicting agreement in which Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will be given a four week window by itself in IMAX. Therefore, the IMAX 3D version of the film will be released on 29 July 2009. However, it is releasing in India, Mexico and Australia in both 2-D and 3-D simultaneously, on 15 July.[92] The film's opening sequence featuring the destruction of the Millennium Bridge will be in 3D.[93] The film had been chosen to be screened at the 2008 Royal Film Performance on 17 November,[94] but was not shown. Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund chief executive Peter Hore noted he was "very disappointed" with Warner Bros' decision.[84]
Advanced ticket sales on Fandango.com for Half-Blood Prince surpassed advanced ticket sales for Transformers 2 at the same point in sale cycles. It is also MovieTickets.com's top 25 advance sellers of all time, promising a very successful cinematic run.[95]
The film is 153 minutes (2 hours 33 minutes and 19 seconds) long,[96] making this film the third longest of the series so far, coming behind Chamber of Secrets (161 minutes) and Goblet of Fire (157 minutes).
[edit] Reception
[edit] Critical reception
Based on 199 reviews, as of 18 July 2009, the film has an overall approval rating from critics of 84% on the film review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, dropping down from the 96% rating it held on its first day of release, with 168 "Fresh" reviews, and 32 "Rotten" reviews [97], with critics having a consensus of "Dark, thrilling, and occasionally quite funny, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is also visually stunning and emotionally satisfying." Among Rotten Tomatoes' Cream of the Crop, critics from newspapers, websites, television, and radio programs, the film also holds an overall approval rating of 89%.[98]
By comparison, Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from critics, the film has received an average score of 78, which represents Generally Favorable Reviews, based on 34 reviews.[99] The film has been praised for its cinematography, visual effects, production design and art direction, improved acting, as well as the darker theme.
BBC News's Tim Masters has praised the film's cinematography and special effects, as well as the film's darker plotline.[100]
Another early review came from the UK tabloid The Sun, whose anonymous reviewer called the film "masterful" and "very emotional". The reviewer praised David Yates' directing and called Jim Broadbent's portrayal of Horace Slughorn "perfect".[101] Devin Faraci of Chud.com called the film not only the best Harry Potter film yet, but also one of the best films of the year.[102]
Andrew Pulver of The Guardian wrote a positive review, and gave the movie 3.5 out of 5 stars rating.[103] Todd McCarthy of the trade magazine Variety said that the film is "dazzlingly well made" and "less fanciful than the previous entries". He praised Alan Rickman's performance and he described Helena Bonham Carter as "mesmerizing" and Jim Broadbent as "grand eccentric old professor".[104] The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt noted that the film's first half is "jerky and explosive", but in the second half, the film finds better footing. He adds, "Composer Nicholas Hooper, cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel and designer Stuart Craig deliver a singularly muscular and vigorous chapter".[105] Screen Daily called the film "[s]tunningly shot by Bruno Delbonnel in metallic hues leavened by buttery tones and the thumping beats of Nicholas Hooper’s score bear little resemblance to the original and the overall effect is much less tween, much more grown-up".[106]
Chris Tilly of IGN UK commented on the length of the movie, saying "while on occasion it drags, the 153 run-time never feels too long, thanks in no small part to the astonishing visuals and (largely) marvellous performances," and goes on to say, "This is by far the best-looking of the Potter films thus far," commending the "beautiful" Quidditch match and the "stunning" finale.[107] However, Dave Golder of SFX Magazine found some aspects of the film to be a disappointment, largely due to the large amount of opportunities the director had sacrificed to devote "huge swathes of the film to subplots of Harry and his chums' teenage romances," but nevertheless found the film to be a large enjoyment, praising the performances of Jim Broadbent and Alan Rickman.[108]
David Stratton, of Margaret and David At The Movies, gave the film a 2.5 out of a possible 5 stars, remarking, "For non-readers [of the Harry Potter series] the films are now borderline incomprehensible", and that the movie was "a little tedious" and "generally less interesting visually than its predecessors." On the flipside, he praised the cast, describing them as "consummate", adding Michael Gambon "really makes Dumbledore an imposing character" and Jim Broadbent was "wonderful". Margaret Pomeranz, the co-host of the television show, gave the film 3 out of 5 stars.[109]
Box office
Along with its critical acclaim, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has so far been a major commercial success. The film broke the record for biggest midnight showings, making $22.2 million in 3,000 theatres. It beat previous record-holders The Dark Knight, which made $18.5 million during its midnight runs only a year earlier, and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which made $16.9 million in 2005. Half-Blood Prince opened in the same Wednesday slot that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix did in 2007, which grossed $12 million in midnight runs, on its way to $139.7 million in its five-day debut in the US.[110]
The film grossed $58.2 million on its opening day in North America, the second-highest Wednesday opening of all-time behind Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. It is also the fourth-highest single-day gross of all time, and the highest for a film in the Harry Potter franchise so far. [111] It earned an additional $46 million overseas for a worldwide total of $104 million, breaking the record for highest single-day worldwide gross, previously held by The Dark Knight.[112]
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