ComingSoon has posted an article that contains interviews with David Heyman, David Yates and Daniel Radcliffe discussing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II’s chances at winning an Oscar. Some snippets may be read below.
“The film was so brilliantly received–we were probably one of the best reviewed movies of the year by a long way–and for a big, popular commercial film to get that great a response is really encouraging and heartening and I think it gives us all a bit of confidence for the Oscar campaign,” he told us. […] Yates continued to tell us why he thinks the last film was special. “It’s the last film in the series and we all put so much into it and Stuart Craig and the visual FX, Tim Burke did all the visual FX, and I think Dan, it’s probably the best performance in the whole run of the eight films, and Emma and Rupert did really well. I think David Heyman’s achievement, 8 films across 11 years is an extraordinary journey, and to manage it all so brilliantly.”
“I think it’s a great film,” Radcliffe told to us in a brief interview. “It’s stirring, it’s epic, it pulls a lot of loose ends together, which is not an easy thing to do when a story still had to go at such a pace, but it’s the advantage of splitting it. It meant we took all that time in film 1 setting up film 2, so when we got into film 2, it could just be that non-stop ride. I haven’t watched it since the premieres but I’ve never liked a ‘Harry Potter’ film as much as I liked this one. Part 2 is the one I’m proudest of.”
Heyman feels mutually about his director. “I think David really pushed the envelope. One of the things I’m very proud of is that we were always pushing to make each film better than the last, and I think that David with four films never tired of that, and Stuart Craig (production designer) and Jany Temine (costume) and Tim Burke, all of whom worked on many films—Stuart on 9, Jany on 3, the make-up people on 8, Nick Dudman (special make-up FX) on 8, Alexandre on 2. It’s a real family, but nobody ever settled. I think Alexandre’s score on Part 2 is a much stronger score than Part 1, because I think he felt safe and he pushed and he let go, and I think he was sort of nervous. I look at David Yates’ first film, the fifth, which I think is a fantastic film, but it’s quite tight.”
The Hollywood Reporter also has an article on Harry Potter’s chances at taking home the coveted award. One exciting tidbit is as follows:
Comments one prominent Academy member, who asked not to be named though he has no connection to the film: “It may not exactly be my kind of film — I’m hardly a Potter aficionado — but I think it should win. In a marketplace where the movies’ connection to audiences is more tenuous than ever, the adulation and enduring love that a generation has for this series stands apart. It’s powerful. For us as an industry not to give it that level of honor is injurious. It’s not embracing what there is about the art form that truly endures.”
Today we have some more behind the scenes footage from Ron and Hermione’s long awaited kiss! In the video David Yates, David Heyman, Rupert and Emma talk about the kiss and we also see a new angle of the shot.
This morning Warner Bros have sent over some official footage from the Harry Potter Celebration that was held at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter this weekend. The video includes interviews with the various cast members in attendance and highlights from the weekend. The film was released on DVD in the US last week and will come out in the UK on December 2nd!
US fans may order the movie through the following links:
A list of the Harry Potter cast and crew attending the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Celebration this coming weekend has been announced by WB! They will be attending press conferences, a red carpet premiere, the opening gala on the evening of Sunday, November 13, and fan meet and greets and panel discussions.
• Rupert Grint
• David Heyman
• David Yates
• David Barron
• James Phelps (Fred Weasley)
• Oliver Phelps (George Weasley)
• Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy)
• Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley)
• Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood)
• Katie Leung (Cho Chang)
• Alfie Enoch (Dean Thomas)
• Devon Murray (Seamus Finnigan)
• Stanislav Ianevski (Viktor Krum)
• Nick Moran (Scabior)
• Warwick Davis (Flitwick/Griphook)
• Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasley)
• David Bradley (Argus Filch)
• George Harris (Kingsley Shacklebolt)
• Jessie Cave (Lavender Brown)
Thanks SS!
Variety reports that the Harry Potter creative team will be receiving the Cinematic Imagery Award at ADG’s 16th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards on February 4th. The creative team consists of J.K. Rowling, producers David Heyman and David Barron, director David Yates, screenwriter Steve Kloves, art director Neil Lamont, production designer Stuart Craig and set decorator Stephenie McMillan.
“Their phenomenal success is due to a unity of vision and the masterful wizardry of the franchise’s creator, producers, screenwriter and art direction family,” said ADG President Thomas A. Walsh.This is the first time the ADG has given this award to a film series.
As part of Harry Potter: The Quest fans have unlocked another special video! This one shows Rupert, Emma Watson, David Yates and David Heyman talking about Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger’s relationship throughout the films. This will be featured on the Part 2 DVD.
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