In a new interview with the NZ Herald News a bunch of the cast talk about filming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Matthew Lewis, Daniel Radcliffe, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Felton and David Heyman were interviewed.
“We were all aware that this great juggernaut was reaching the end of its journey, so we wanted to give it and the characters the proper send-off they deserved,” says producer David Heyman, describing the rationale for the split.
“The only way to do that and preserve the integrity of the work was, we felt, to have two parts because Deathly Hallows is so rich, the story so dense and there’s so much that is resolved.”
Daniel Radcliffe had campaigned from the start to break the story into two movies. Unlike the earlier books, which had secondary plot lines that could be omitted, Deathly Hallows had few details to drop, Radcliffe says.
“It’s just the three of them on the road, and that’s what you’re focusing on, that’s where everything happens. So there’s very little you can actually cut without changing the story,” he says.
“There was no way you could do justice to the book and really capture the story in one film, unless you made that film six hours [long].
“And while I know there are some Potter fans who would be quite happy to have a six-hour Harry Potter film, we do want to make films not just for the huge fans of the books, but also for the other people, regular cinema-goers, who perhaps haven’t read them. So it was essential to make it palatable for sort of everyone, while also remaining true to the book, and to do that, you have to make it into two films.”
Similarly, to ensure cinematic continuity, director David Yates – who previously helmed Half-Blood Prince and Order of the Phoenix – was re-enlisted for both parts of Deathly Hallows. That decision became a life-saver during filming, says Matt Lewis, who plays Neville Longbottom.
“Not only was it a really long shoot, it was also really tricky because we didn’t film them back to back,” he reveals. “We shot them simultaneously, like Lord of the Rings, so it got really confusing. If we didn’t have such a good crew and David directing us, it could have got completely out of control because the schedule for the last year was crazy. I literally don’t know what film each scene was in, or how they fit together. But we all just buckled down because it’s the last one and we wanted to make it as memorable and epic as possible.”
Parade has posted a new interview with Rupert Grint where he discusses Harry Potter, Wild Target and more!
“We had like a big wrap party when we finished and it was really nice to see everyone again from all the films. I haven’t quite adjusted to life without Harry Potter. I’m really sad actually, I’ve missed it. But I think it’s a good time really to kind of move on. It has been a long time. After ten years, I do kind of want to stretch a bit more and explore different characters and do different things.”
“I don’t age gracefully in the last film when all of us get older. My hair is still red but I have a lot less of it. It was quite a shock when I saw myself in the mirror. I felt like I was looking at Donald Trump because they gave me that comb over that he has. I did get a lot of ribbing from everyone, I must admit.”
Two new TV spots for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows have aired recently and may be watched below. In the first we see some more lighthearted scenes such as the wedding, Harry and Ginny’s kiss, a disguised Harry and more. The second is more fast paced and we see a new clip from the Seven Potters scene, entering the Ministry, dancing, attacking and more!
Don’t get sold out! Buy advance tickets for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
The LA Times has posted a quick interview with Tom Felton as part of their Hero Complex countdown to Deathly Hallows.
“My favorite, story wise, was the ‘Chamber of Secrets’; there’s something about that concept that I find very intriguing and then, as far as filming, my favorite was the ‘Half-Blood Prince’; it was the most fun to make,” Felton said. “But, without question, these two are going to blow all of the rest of them away. I really believe that. They are going to be no disappointments. The last two will not disappoint, that’s something you can rest assured about.”
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