Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Directed by David Yates
Produced by David Heyman
David Barron
Written by Screenplay:
Steve Kloves
Novel:
J. K. Rowling
Starring Daniel Radcliffe
Rupert Grint
Emma Watson
Michael Gambon
Jim Broadbent
Alan Rickman
Tom Felton
Helen McCrory
Music by Nicholas Hooper
Themes
John Williams
Cinematography Bruno Delbonnel
Editing by Mark Day
Studio Heyday Films
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date(s) 15 July 2009[1]
Running time 153 minutes[2]
Country United Kingdom
United States
Language English
Budget GBP£150 million
(USD$250 million)[3]
Gross revenue $126,036,627[4]
Preceded by Order of the Phoenix
Followed by Deathly Hallows
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.
Plot
The movie opens with the Death Eaters wreaking havoc in London and sinking the Millennium Bridge. They also succeed in destroying parts of Diagon Alley and kidnapping the wandmaker Mr. Ollivander. Later, Harry is taken by Dumbledore in order to recruit Horace Slughorn, a former potions teacher, to return to Hogwarts. Slughorn is at first reluctant but then changes his mind when he realizes Harry's fame and plans to "collect" him. Dumbledore then takes Harry to the Burrow where he reunites with his friends, Ron and Hermione. Harry also starts showing feelings for Ron's sister Ginny.
Meanwhile, Bellatrix Lestrange and Draco Malfoy's mother, Narcissa, go to ask Snape for help. Snape makes an Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco while he attempts to fulfill a task for Voldemort, and if Draco fails, to carry out the deed himself.
After visiting Fred and George's new shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Harry, Ron, and Hermione start following Draco and Narcissa as they go into Borgin and Burkes, but are forced to pull back after Fenrir Greyback, a savage werewolf and Death Eater, closes the shades. On the way to Hogwarts, Harry uses his Invisibility Cloak and some Peruvian Darkness Powder from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to spy on Malfoy, but ends up getting no new information. Draco realizes Harry is there and immobilizes him, breaks his nose, and leaves him hidden under his Invisibility Cloak. Shortly after, Luna Lovegood finds Harry using her Spectrespecs and gets him off the train in time.
Professor McGonagall informs Harry that since Snape is teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, he and Ron can take N.E.W.T. Potions with Professor Slughorn. The boys use spare textbooks for the class, and Harry sees his very old copy is filled with footnotes and revisions that allow him to excel in Potions. This eventually leads to him winning a vial of the luck potion, Felix Felicis. Hermione, still envious of Harry's success, looks to see who the book belongs to, finding only the alias of "The Half-Blood Prince".
In a private meeting in his office, Dumbledore shows Harry his memory of when he first met a young Tom Riddle. They learn from this that Voldemort likes to collect "treasures" from others. Dumbledore reveals that Slughorn has information valuable to Voldemort's downfall and asks Harry to get to know Slughorn better.
One day in the winter the trio witness Katie Bell being cursed by a necklace she was carrying up to the school. McGonagall and Snape learn that Katie was under the influence of the Imperius Curse; She was originally told to bring the necklace to Dumbledore. Harry is convinced that Malfoy is behind it.
Ron is a bundle of nerves at breakfast before a Quidditch match against Slytherin, where he is set to play the role of Keeper. Harry passes him some pumpkin juice. Luna sees that Harry had slipped something into Ron's cup and Hermione is incensed that Harry would use Felix Felicis when it is banned from organized sports. Gryffindor wins the game against Slytherin after Ron saves every goal, and he is a hero and the centre of attention at a party to celebrate their success. Harry explains to Hermione there that he only made it look like he slipped something into Ron's drink. After Lavender Brown kisses Ron, Hermione runs from the room, crying. She tells Harry that she knows that he likes Ginny, and that she has feelings for Ron. Later in the Library, Hermione and Harry discuss Slughorn's Christmas party. Hermione warns Harry to be wary of who he goes with: Romilda Vane has been trying to slip Harry a Love Potion all year because she believes that he is "The Chosen One." Harry goes to the party with Luna and Hermione goes with McLaggen, who proves to be an unwise choice. Snape comes to deliver a message to Harry from Dumbledore (he is traveling) and escorts Malfoy from the party after he "tried to crash the party." In the hallway, Snape berates Draco for not coming to him for help with his task.
At Christmas, Harry joins the Weasleys at the Burrow. He, Lupin, Tonks, and Mr. Weasley discuss what Harry overheard during Snape and Malfoy's conversation at the party. Remus adamantly insists that Dumbledore trusts Snape implicitly. Later in the night, Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback set a fire around the Burrow. As they intended, Harry, who still holds a vendetta against Bellatrix for killing Sirius Black, breaks through the fire and chases Bellatrix. Ginny manages to get past the fire and chases after him. Both Harry and Ginny are surrounded by the ambushing Death Eaters, but Tonks, Lupin, and Mr. Weasley arrive in time to block the attack in the field. Outnumbered, the Death Eaters leave; after Bellatrix sets fire to the Burrow.
Back at Hogwarts, Harry, in another private meeting with Dumbledore, is shown another memory in the Pensieve. It is a memory from Slughorn when a teenage Tom Riddle asks him about a rare magic. The memory turns out to have been tampered with by Slughorn, who is ashamed of the answer he really gave Riddle. Dumbledore tells Harry that he is the only one who can get the true memory from Slughorn, and he must. All of Harry's attempts to get the memory fail. Frustrated, he heads back to his dormitory. Once there, he finds that Ron is in a swoon, obsessively saying that he's in love with Romilda Vane. Apparently he ate some chocolates on Harry's bed, which were meant for Harry, laced with a very strong love potion. Harry brings Ron to Professor Slughorn to cure him. After Ron is cured, Slughorn offers the boys a drink of mead. Immediately Ron falls unconscious, poisoned. Harry manages to save him by shoving a bezoar down his throat. Later, in the hospital wing, it is revealed that the poisonous drink was intended to be given to Dumbledore. Lavender rushes in to be with Ron, but becomes outraged to see Hermione there. She and Hermione get into a yelling row until Ron mumbles Hermione's name in his sleep. Distraught, Lavender leaves. Everyone else decides to leave and let Hermione to tend to Ron.
In the Great Hall, Ron has been released from the hospital wing and Hermione is thrilled that Ron's relationship with Lavender has ended, but is crestfallen that Ron doesn't remember any of it. Harry talks to Katie Bell, who has recovered from being cursed, but doesn't remember anything useful for him. He notices Malfoy leaving apprehensively, and follows him into a bathroom where he finds him crying. Harry accuses him of cursing Katie Bell. They duel; Harry casts the Sectumsempra curse he found in the Half-Blood Prince's book. Harry sees the curse caused severe slashes on Malfoy's body. Snape sees Draco lying in a pool of blood and heals him.
Later, in the Gryffindor Common Room, Ginny suggests that Harry get rid of the book. He and Ginny go into the Room of Requirement to hide it. Ginny tells Harry to close his eyes so he can't see her hide the book and before he opens his eyes again, Ginny kisses him.
After Ron mentions Harry's bad luck on getting the memory from Slughorn, Harry remembers that he still has the Felix Felicis Harry takes the potion and meets Slughorn on his way to Hagrid's hut. Slughorn decides to escort Harry down to Hagrid's and they find him about to bury a recently deceased Aragog. They hold an impromptu funeral. After a few hours and several drinks, Slughorn again reminisces about Harry's mother. Harry goes on to tell Slughorn about his mother's sacrifice, that he accepts his role as The Chosen One and to not let Lily Evans' sacrifice be wasted. Slughorn gives in and hands Harry the memory.
The memory shows Professor Slughorn telling Tom Riddle about a dark piece of magic called a Horcrux. A Horcrux is an object used to keep safe a piece of one's soul that has been split away from the body. If one's body is destroyed, one does not truly die, as a piece of their soul is still alive. This explains why Voldemort survived the killing curse that rebounded upon him the night he killed Harry's parents. Dumbledore tells Harry that he believes that Voldemort split his soul and created six Horcruxes with the seventh piece being in his body. Two have already been destroyed: one being a ring that belonged to Voldemort's mother; the other being Tom Riddle's diary. Dumbledore reveals to Harry that he thinks he has found another Horcrux and that he cannot retrieve it alone.
Dumbledore and Harry apparate to a seaside cave to find the third Horcrux. Within an inner cavern, Dumbledore takes Harry to the middle of the lake where he thinks the Horcrux is hidden. On the island there is a basin filled with potion. In order to get the Horcrux Dumbledore drinks it. The potion causes him to experience unbearable pain. On Dumbledore's orders, Harry administers the rest of the potion to him and retrieves the Horcrux, which tuns out to be a locket. Dumbledore says he needs water. Harry attempts to fill the now empty bowl magically with water, but in such a dark place, no container will hold water conjured by magic. Dipping the cup in the lake Harry is pulled in by an Inferius. Dumbledore saves him by conjuring rings of blazing fire, protecting them and driving off the hoard of Inferi.
The two apparate back to the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts. Dumbledore tells Harry to go find Professor Snape, but Dumbledore hears someone coming and makes Harry go below and hide. Draco ambushes Dumbledore in the tower. He tells Dumbledore that Death Eaters breached Hogwarts by using the Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement. He explains that he repaired it and that there is another in Borgin and Burkes. He goes on to say Voldemort has chosen him to kill Dumbledore, and that if he doesn't, Voldemort will kill him. The Death Eaters arrive to the tower and goad Draco to kill Dumbledore. He manages to convince Draco that he doesn't need to kill him and that he can keep him safe; Draco begins to lower his wand.
However, Snape appears and fulfills his vow to Narcissa by casting the Avada Kedavra on Dumbledore, killing him. The Death Eaters and Snape immediately escape Hogwarts; as they leave, Bellatrix destroys everything in the Great Hall and sets Hagrid's hut on fire. Harry catches them up and attempts to duel Snape, but Snape easily overpowers Harry. Before Snape leaves, he reveals to Harry that he is the Half-Blood Prince. Harry returns to the base of the Astronomy Tower and cries over Dumbledore's body while Ginny consoles him, as the staff and students of Hogwarts raise their wands in respect to Dumbledore.
The next morning Harry and Hermione discuss that the locket is a fake and there is a note inside it:
"To the Dark Lord, I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more" signed by R.A.B.
Harry then says that he will not be returning to Hogwarts, but instead he will be looking for and destroying the rest of the Horcruxes. Hermione says that he will not be going alone, as Ron and herself will help Harry on his quest rid the world of the Dark Lord once and for all.
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. Actor Tony Coburn plays as young Lucius Malfoy in a Hogwarts flashback.
* Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley,[6] Ron's younger sister in her fifth year, with whom Harry forms a relationship.
* 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]
* 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.
* 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] Tony Coburn plays a young Lucius Malfoy.[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]
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. As such, the Death Eaters proceed through Hogwarts without any resistance with a crazed Bellatrix ravaging the Great Hall and setting fire to Hagrid's hut. Bill Weasley's bite from Fenrir during the battle as noted in the book is not present. 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 collapse of the fictional Brockdale bridge (drowning several car drivers in the river below) mentioned briefly in the book is transferred to the real Millennium Bridge in London (apparently done by three Death Eaters, who make the bridge sway more and more wildly (like Galloping Gertie) until it breaks) and serves as the film's opening sequence. However, 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.[64]
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, as can be seen in the trailers. 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.[64] Yates said they made the decision to compress the memories, but still "got some really cool ones".[65]
It is also made very clear in the seventh book that wizards are normally incapable of flight, only objects can be imbued with this power. The fact that Voldemort can fly is referenced as a clear mark of his mastery of magic but in the movie several death eaters are shown with the ability.
Characters who are cut include the Dursleys, Dobby, Bill and Fleur, Rufus Scrimgeour, the Gaunts, Moaning Myrtle, and the Muggle Prime Minister.[66]
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][67] while the US edition included an additional clip.[68] A 15-second teaser for the film was shown alongside the IMAX release of The Dark Knight.[69] The first full-length domestic teaser trailer was released on 29 July on AOL's Moviefone website.[70] 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.[71][72] Scenes from the film were aired during ABC Family's three day Harry Potter marathon, which aired during 5–7 December 2008.[73] On 5 February 2009, the first three promotional teaser posters were released, featuring Dumbledore and Harry.[74] On 5 March and 16 April 2009, new trailers were released by Warner Bros.[75]
Warner Bros and MSN ran an online Order of the Phoenix quiz, with the prize being a walk-on part in the film.[76] As with the previous films, EA Games will produce a video game based on the film.[77] On 10 March 2009, it was announced that there would be a video game soundtrack, which was released on 17 March 2009.[78] On 27 March six character posters were released: Harry, Dumbledore, Ron, Hermione, Draco, and Professor Snape.[74] An English version of the international trailer since a Japanese international trailer was released online 10 April.[79] On 8 May, CW Channel aired 30-second TV Spot, which focused on the romantic side of the film.[80] On 20 May, first clip from the film was released through The Ellen DeGeneres Show's official website, showing love-struck Ron.[81] Another clip of the film, showing Dumbledore visiting Tom Riddle's Orphanage was released on 31 May 2009 at MTV Awards.[82] 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, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Canada, United States, Australia, Taiwan, New Zealand, India and Brazil on 15 July 2009.[1][83] It was originally set to be released on 21 November 2008 (UK, US, CAN, IRE) and 11 December 2008 (AUS, NZ),[84] 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.[85] The box-office success of summer WB films Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and The Dark Knight also motivated the decision.[86] 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."[87] 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.[88]
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."[86] 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".[87] Several days after the announcement, Horn released a statement in response to the "large amount of disappointment" expressed by fans of the series.[89] Following the date change, Half-Blood Prince's release slot was taken by Summit Entertainment's Twilight.[90]
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.[91] 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.[92]
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.[93] The film's opening sequence featuring the destruction of the Millennium Bridge will be in 3D.[94] The film had been chosen to be screened at the 2008 Royal Film Performance on 17 November,[95] but was not shown. Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund chief executive Peter Hore noted he was "very disappointed" with Warner Bros' decision.[85]
Advanced ticket sales on fandago.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.[96]
The film is 153 minutes (2 hours 33 minutes and 19 seconds) long,[97] making this film the third longest of the series so far, coming behind Chamber of Secrets (161 minutes) and Goblet of Fire (157 minutes).
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.[98] 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%.[99] 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.[100] 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.[101]
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".[102] 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.[103]
Andrew Pulver of The Guardian wrote a positive review, and gave the movie 3.5 out of 5 stars rating.[104] 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".[105] 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".[106] 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".[107]
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.[108] 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.[109]
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.[110]
On BBC Radio Five Live, resident film critic Mark Kermode described the film as the "second best in the series", after The Prisoner of Azkaban.
Box office
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 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.[111]
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. [112] 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.
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