Guardian.co.uk has a new article about Harry Potter that includes a new photo from the Half-Blood Prince filming. The article shows us a behind the scenes view of Harry Potter filming. The article has interviews with Dan Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Bonnie Wright, Jim Broadbent, David Yates, David Heyman, and David Barron. See the photo here in the gallery.
It is indeed fascinating to watch the young cast grow up on screen – have a look at early interviews on YouTube and you’ll notice their feet dangling above the ground – and Yates has also got around the potential problem of being lumbered with an existing cast by giving cameos to older actors with whom he’s previously worked. One of the best things about the Potter films has always been the appearance of national acting treasures such as Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, David Thewlis and, in The Half-Blood Prince, Jim Broadbent.
I ask Broadbent about his experience of playing Horace Slughorn, Potions Master and head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts, and it seems that he, too, has been bitten by the Harry bug. “It was an extraordinary thing to be part of. The main sets feel so permanent, having been there since the start, which means it’s very easy to get drawn into the world of Hogwarts. It was rather daunting turning up on set with all these young actors; it could so easily have been a nightmare, given that the five films have had such huge success. But the kids turned out to be terrific. There was no brattish behaviour or starry, Fame Academy behaviour; they just get on with it.”
And perhaps this is the key to the success of the films: producers David Heyman and David Barron have created what the latter describes as “our reality”. The young cast have never been allowed to develop attitude. Each new director has had to stay within the perimeters of the world so carefully set up at Leavesden; accordingly, there’s no room for an individual director to take off on a flight of fancy. And the continuity of cast and crew is impressive, too; although Radcliffe initially signed on for the first two films and seriously debated doing three and four, he did finally sign up till the end.
Canal 5 is having a contest for a fan to win a trip to the Deathly Hallows set in England. Starting June 21st, Canal 5 will begin airing the first four Harry Potter films; during commercials they will ask three questions about the Harry Potter series. If 12 questions are answered correctly, there is a final test to be passed. Of those winners, one will be chosen as a guest on the Deathly Hallows lot later this year.
A large Half-Blood Prince IMAX poster, spanning about 13 metres by 10 metres, is being given away in a competition set up by the National Media Museum. The contest will run until August 3, 2009. The winning poster must be picked up at the museum, in London, and the winner must pay for their own travel. To participate, email the answer to the following question:
Which of these Harry Potter characters is the largest?
Thanks to Oclumencia we have even more scans from the Panini Sticker book! In the scans we see Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Dumbledore, Blaise Zabini, Luna, Ginny, Slughorn, Young Tom Riddle and more!
In a new Half-Blood Prince video game demo, Tom Felton guides us and Dan Radcliffe, Bonnie Wright, Emma Watson, Kelvin Tuite (Art Director), Jonathan Bunney (Executive Producer) and Chris Roberts (Lead Designer) talk about it.
In an interview with CBBC Newsround Matt Lewis, Tom Felton, and James & Oliver Phelps discussed their thoughts on Half-Blood Prince.
Draco Malfoy actor Tom Felton said the new film is definitely much funnier. “There’s lots to look forward to,” he said. “I was laughing through the whole two hours.”
And it’s probably no surprise to fans of the Harry Potter books that Matthew thinks the story of the Half-Blood Prince isn’t that nice, in terms of what happens in it. “Every year, we always say ‘it’s much darker, this one’, but this one really is. It gets pretty heavy in parts,” he said. But the balance they’ve achieved with the comedy… the timing is wonderful. Jim Broadbent [Professor Slughorn] is superb, Rupert Grint [Ron Weasley] is on top form and it is very very funny.”
Meanwhile, away from Hogwarts, Fred and George Weasley have opened their own joke shop, but what was it like filming away from the famous school? “It was really cool because we got to work in probably the best set there,” said Oliver. “The set Fred and George have is so insane we weren’t disappointed to be away from Hogwarts at the time,” added James. “But when we saw the film I realised how much I missed the shoots in the Great Hall and on the quidditch pitch.”
Also, I asked Matthew Lewis yesterday if he had plans on going to the NYC premiere on July 9th and sadly his answer was, “I think I’m going straight off on a European tour with the film instead of NYC”. (Credit Lewis Lovers if this is reposted)
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