So Warner Bros. has decided to delay the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to July 17, 2009. It had originally been scheduled to open on November 21. The studio justifies this bonehead move by claiming the writer’s strike delayed any other possible big summer releases for next year. First of all, you can never believe anything a movie studio says, so who knows the real reason behind it. But then screenwriter Steve Kloves did an interview with Entertainment Weekly and said, “I’m not going to lie to you. I do have some concern that because the books are over, the anticipation won’t be the same. It would be a complete car crash if no one showed up.” So if execs are worried about the Harry hype fading, why delay the release? Plus, don’t they realize that now that the books are over, the movies are all the fans have to look forward to? The last movie was huge! The final films will be as well. Plus, I finally got to see the teaser trailer for HP and the HBP on the big screen just yesterday and thought, “I can’t wait until November!” Now I have to wait until July 17, which is before Comic-Con. If they were so concerned, why not use Comic-Con to push it?! Oy, they make my scar hurt.
Well, they already have a record year. DK exceeded so many expectations for all involved. And they really are worried that they have NOTHING in their pipeline to even remotely compensate for it. Seriously, shareholders would bail. At least with moving Potter, and the subsequent press that came with it, there is now… more hype than ever! And a tent-pole film to soften the blow. Yes, it will not make the money DK made, but it will strengthen the fiscal year for 2009. It’s not all about making money… it’s about making money consistently!
You mean to tell me a corporate movie studio is turning DOWN the chance to have a record year? I find that hard to believe. Never believe a studio executive when he tells you why they moved a film. Besides, Harry Potter will NEVER do the business the Dark Knight did, and Warner Bros. must know that they’re upsetting all the fans…and you don’t want to upset some of these fans.
AnimateTed 08/18/2008 03:28 pm
WOW… Actually THE REAL REASON they pushed it exactly what WB said… though not in those words. They did push it because there is no big tentpole release for next year. BUT… that doesn’t mean anything in the business world. They pushed it because there was nothing that could come close to what the Dark Knight did THIS SUMMER, and if you look at the year to date earnings from this year to Next Summer, it would look like WB’s was in the toilet, and their stock would plummet. PLUS, with DK coming to DVD THIS Fiscal year, the studio doesn’t need any more money! LOL
You think it would be, HEY LETS TAKE IT ALL! but you can’t do that… that’s not how the business works. I’m in the same camp as all of you though. I need my Potter Fix too. But I understand the business reasons for the shift!
According to information on the Web, the two Deathly Hallows films will be released on November 19, 2010, and May, 2011. They won’t begin filming until February, 2009. The screenwriter had to delay writing the films because of the writer’s strike (at least that’s the official reason).
I don’t think the release date of this film will impact the release of the last films, since this one is done and in the can. They’ll be in the middle of filming “Deathly Hallows” when it comes out, which might leave the case scarce for publicity junkets. For practical purposes, they really can’t wait much longer or the principal cast will have gotten too old to play the roles.
Wow, this blows hose water. I was so excited about this because it was coming out around my b-day and not I have to wait till July? So does anyone know if this is gonna postpone the Deathly Hallows too?
There were protests and calls of boycott of the Harry Potter films over here when Equus was just being shown in the UK. I can’t imagine how people will react when it’s on Broadway. OMG! Harry Potter is really an actor…and a person with a career! No way!
The films have all been massive. There is absolutely no reason to think that HP mania is going to die down anytime soon. As far as franchises go, once you’ve established yourself past movie three, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ve got a hard-core fan base who will show up.
Ha! I was posting about this over in the forums while you were putting it up here.
The ACTUAL reason the film is being pushed back is that the release date ended up coinciding with Daniel Radcliffe’s run in Equus on Broadway. The speculation is that Warner Bros’ wanted to put a good deal of distance in-between sweet, chaste Harry Potter and a discussion of Daniel Radcliffe getting naked and mutilating horses on stage.
Warner Bros. Can Suck It
By Chance
August 16, 2008 at 7:51AM EDT
So Warner Bros. has decided to delay the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to July 17, 2009. It had originally been scheduled to open on November 21. The studio justifies this bonehead move by claiming the writer’s strike delayed any other possible big summer releases for next year. First of all, you can never believe anything a movie studio says, so who knows the real reason behind it. But then screenwriter Steve Kloves did an interview with Entertainment Weekly and said, “I’m not going to lie to you. I do have some concern that because the books are over, the anticipation won’t be the same. It would be a complete car crash if no one showed up.” So if execs are worried about the Harry hype fading, why delay the release? Plus, don’t they realize that now that the books are over, the movies are all the fans have to look forward to? The last movie was huge! The final films will be as well. Plus, I finally got to see the teaser trailer for HP and the HBP on the big screen just yesterday and thought, “I can’t wait until November!” Now I have to wait until July 17, which is before Comic-Con. If they were so concerned, why not use Comic-Con to push it?! Oy, they make my scar hurt.
Comments
Well, they already have a record year. DK exceeded so many expectations for all involved. And they really are worried that they have NOTHING in their pipeline to even remotely compensate for it. Seriously, shareholders would bail. At least with moving Potter, and the subsequent press that came with it, there is now… more hype than ever! And a tent-pole film to soften the blow. Yes, it will not make the money DK made, but it will strengthen the fiscal year for 2009. It’s not all about making money… it’s about making money consistently!
You mean to tell me a corporate movie studio is turning DOWN the chance to have a record year? I find that hard to believe. Never believe a studio executive when he tells you why they moved a film. Besides, Harry Potter will NEVER do the business the Dark Knight did, and Warner Bros. must know that they’re upsetting all the fans…and you don’t want to upset some of these fans.
WOW… Actually THE REAL REASON they pushed it exactly what WB said… though not in those words. They did push it because there is no big tentpole release for next year. BUT… that doesn’t mean anything in the business world. They pushed it because there was nothing that could come close to what the Dark Knight did THIS SUMMER, and if you look at the year to date earnings from this year to Next Summer, it would look like WB’s was in the toilet, and their stock would plummet. PLUS, with DK coming to DVD THIS Fiscal year, the studio doesn’t need any more money! LOL
You think it would be, HEY LETS TAKE IT ALL! but you can’t do that… that’s not how the business works. I’m in the same camp as all of you though. I need my Potter Fix too. But I understand the business reasons for the shift!
Ted
According to information on the Web, the two Deathly Hallows films will be released on November 19, 2010, and May, 2011. They won’t begin filming until February, 2009. The screenwriter had to delay writing the films because of the writer’s strike (at least that’s the official reason).
I don’t think the release date of this film will impact the release of the last films, since this one is done and in the can. They’ll be in the middle of filming “Deathly Hallows” when it comes out, which might leave the case scarce for publicity junkets. For practical purposes, they really can’t wait much longer or the principal cast will have gotten too old to play the roles.
Wow, this blows hose water. I was so excited about this because it was coming out around my b-day and not I have to wait till July? So does anyone know if this is gonna postpone the Deathly Hallows too?
There were protests and calls of boycott of the Harry Potter films over here when Equus was just being shown in the UK. I can’t imagine how people will react when it’s on Broadway. OMG! Harry Potter is really an actor…and a person with a career! No way!
The films have all been massive. There is absolutely no reason to think that HP mania is going to die down anytime soon. As far as franchises go, once you’ve established yourself past movie three, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ve got a hard-core fan base who will show up.
All right. I can buy that. I knew whatever the reason was, it wasn’t whatever the studio was saying to the press.
Ha! I was posting about this over in the forums while you were putting it up here.
The ACTUAL reason the film is being pushed back is that the release date ended up coinciding with Daniel Radcliffe’s run in Equus on Broadway. The speculation is that Warner Bros’ wanted to put a good deal of distance in-between sweet, chaste Harry Potter and a discussion of Daniel Radcliffe getting naked and mutilating horses on stage.
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