The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that ABC has acquired the television rights to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I and II. This means they will be the first to show the films on basic cable. They will be able to air Part I in Spring 2013, and Part II in Winter 2013 on ABC Family. A while ago we also reported that ABC Family would be the first to air Half-Blood Prince; that will air in late 2011.
“Our viewers have come to know ABC Family as the television destination for the ‘Harry Potter’ films,” Tom Zappala, exec vp of program acquisitions at ABC Family. “They’re enormously beloved by our audience and the world over. We’re thrilled to extend our long-standing relationship with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution to include the final two installments.”
“ABC Family identified very early that the ‘Harry Potter’ movies were destined to become an enormously popular franchise, and they committed to making ABC Family the television home for ‘Harry Potter,’” said Ken Werner, president, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. “This strategy has paid huge dividends for them and all ‘Potter’ fans. We are thrilled by our collaboration over the years and excited to extend the relationship through the final two films.”
Myspace has posted a new interview with the cast of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I. They interview Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Tom Felton and talk about Deathly Hallows’ darker theme.
Harry Potter stars Matthew Lewis, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps and John Hurt have done drawings for the Willow Foundation that will go up for auction on November 26th. The Willow Foundation raises money to provide special days for seriously ill 16 to 40 year olds throughout the UK. Their drawings may be found below.
‘Special days aim to give seriously ill 16 to 40 year olds a break from the stress and difficult realities of diagnosis and treatment. They offer the chance to spend quality time with family and friends doing something they will all enjoy and creating precious memories.
The charity defines seriously ill as any condition that is life-threatening. This includes cancer, motor neuronedisease, cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Huntington’s, organ failure and many others. All applications must meet the charity’s medical criteria and be endorsed by a medical professional involved in the individual’s care.
Willow strives to create a unique and unforgettable day that is tailored to the needs and dreams of every beneficiary. He or she chooses exactly what they would like to do on their special day and Willow aims to meet and, wherever possible, exceed their expectations, making the day truly special and memorable.’
Neville really steps up to the plate in Part 2 – have you been looking forward to that?
“Definitely. I spoke to Jo Rowling at the premiere of Harry Potter 5 and she said she’d written some great stuff for Neville in the new book and I was like, ‘I don’t want to hear anything – don’t tell me!’ And I read the book and I was like, ‘Bloody hell’. You don’t know what they’re going to keep in the film but you just think it could be incredible. There was so much in there for me. There was still the typical Neville bumbling around but he’s a bit more adrenalised and reckless and trying to be a hero – there’s a lot of action in here as well. There’s also some really heavy emotional stuff. A few moments when he’s on his own and can stop being this heroic leader for a moment and he just looks very tired and people are dying around him. There’s a scene when he’s carrying a dead child and I hope it’s still in the film because that’s when it hits home that it’s pretty horrible stuff they’re dealing with.”
It must have been good to have that transformation from a bumbler to hero…
“That’s why I think he’s such a great character. As an actor every year I’ve had to come back and add a little bit more depth and there’s something different in it. For me that’s great because it’s kept it fresh over the years rather than playing the same guy.” Was there a moment when you realised how big Harry Potter had become? Oliver: “Because we’re so close to it we don’t see the size. We always knew it was a big production, but at the first premiere there were a lot of people there and it’s just got bigger and bigger and bigger. When we first went in there was a big press in the Odeon in Leicester Square. The last premiere it took over three cinemas and there were about six or seven thousand people.” James: “We were outside for three hours meeting people. It was absolutely hammering it down with rain as well and people had stayed out for all that time. I think they said there were about seven or eight thousand people in Leicester Square at the last premiere. That’s like, ‘Wow, this is big’, but I remember we were out on holiday in Mexico and I was in the sea and this middle-aged lady swam out and asked, ‘Are you in Harry Potter?’ I said ‘Yes’ and she said ‘OK’ and just swam away. That was a bit surreal.”
Thanks to RG.us we have a new interview with Rupert Grint that was on SkyNews. In the interview he talks about a bunch of topics including Ron’s role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I.
