Major Character’s Death Altered for ‘Harry Potter Deathly Hallows: Part 2’

For those of you who haven’t read the Harry Potter books and don’t want to be spoiled for the upcoming movie, be forewarned – there are MAJOR SPOILERS ahoy.

As with all of the Harry Potter film adaptations, changes have to be made from page to screen for a variety of reasons: time issues, medium differences, drama maximization, etc. Rarely, however, have the filmmakers altered anything so important as a major character’s death scene. Now, with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, it seems they have, and with the blessing of J.K. Rowling herself.

One last time, for those hard of hearing – there are MAJOR, MAJOR SPOILERS ahead. If you want to go into Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 completely unaware of what’s going to occur onscreen, exit your browser, turn off your monitor, and back away from your computer. Go watch television or something.

For everybody else…

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In the seventh Harry Potter book, Voldemort believes that Snape is the rightful owner of the Elder Wand – a wand he who shall not be named thinks is his only magical means to slay Harry Potter. Because Snape killed Dumbledore in book number six, thus making the wand his, Voldemort believes he must, in turn, kill Snape to once again transfer ownership. As such, he sets Nagini, his giant, evil snake, upon Snape, and voila – no more Severus Snape.

How exactly does the film differ? According to the art director, Andrew Ackland-Snow:

“We wanted to change a bit where Snape dies. In the book, he dies on the Shrieking Shack, and we wanted to get him out from, not a conventional interior, but from that kind of box, to do it in a more dramatic atmosphere. We asked J.K. if she agreed for that to happen in there, because we hadn’t really seen it before. We made a crystal house, and you can see what happens in the boathouse from there – Are you listening Harry? – but also the school is in flames…and she loved it. Besides, it’s a very romantic place to die. Snape dies in a extremely good way, I gotta say.”

I remember after reading the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, all anybody ever wanted to talk about was: Did Dumbledore order Snape to kill him, or is Snape actually a bad guy? Then we all had to wait two horrifically long years to learn the truth.

As I waited impatiently, I expected/hoped/prayed that something like 40% of the book would deal with Snape and the ‘good or bad’ plot thread. When 40% instead dealt with Harry, Ron, and Hermione trekking through the woods, and only something like…10% dealt with Snape, I was disappointed. Sure, it was great to learn that Snape was a good guy, but I wanted more. I wanted his death, and the ‘he was good all along!’ reveal, to be more climactic.

What I’m trying to say here is: I’m happy to hear that Snape’s ending has been changed for the big screen, at least in part. Snape is the tragic hero in the story of Harry Potter – he deserves a more fitting end. Perhaps his ending won’t be as drastically different as I hoped, but it’s still good to read things like “he dies in an extremely good way,”

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 hits theaters July 15th, 2011 in (sigh) 3D.

Source: Cine Premiere Mexico [via HPANA]

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Harry Potter’s ‘Deathly Hallows’ Epilogue Reshoot Complete; Adds ‘Severus’ Child-Actor

[Spoiler Alert!]

Back in June, we brought you images from the movie-epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2. Fan-reaction to the images was universally negative – since the aging make-up used made several franchise-favorite characters look like geriatric versions of the Jersey Shore cast. As a result, David Yates and company decided to reshoot the scene and improve the look.

Those Harry Potter reshoots wrapped this weekend, delivering a festive present for any news-hounds that were around the Leavesden set.

As previously mentioned, this article will contain MAJOR SPOILERS for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2. Please be sure that if you choose to read-on you’re either already familiar with the end of the Harry Potter saga or don’t mind being spoiled.

The original version of the epilogue scene was shot on location at King’s Cross station in London – where the Potters, Weasleys, and Malfoys are waiting to send their own children off to Hogwarts for wizard-schooling. However, the reshoots were performed in a much more controlled environment – on set at Leavesden Studios.

Hopefully the controlled lighting of Leavesden Studios and the improved age-prosthetics the filmmakers turned to for the reshoots will give the Harry Potter franchise a proper send-off when it concludes at King’s Cross (via silver screens around the world) this summer – or 2013 on ABC Family (if you prefer to do your movie-watching in the comfort of your own home).

In addition, ScreenTerrier is reporting the names of two child-actors who we’ll be seeing in the final chapter of the Harry Potter film franchise, Bertie Gilbert, who will be playing Scorpius, the son of Draco Malfoy in the epilogue, as well as Benedict Clarke who, according to ScreenTerrier, will play “Young Snape”.

Bertie Gilbert plays Scorpius Malfoy

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Benedict Clarke plays 'Young Snape'

It’s unclear at this time whether Clarke’s “Young Snape” will be a flashback version of the character played by Alan Rickman – or the future Potter progeny, Albus Severus Potter. A flashback version of Professor Snape wouldn’t be a total surprise – especially considering the elements from The Half-Blood Prince that Yates worked into Deathly Hallows, part 1.

That said, the timing of the news (at the same time as the epilogue wrapped – coupled with the casting mention for Scorpius Malfoy) could mean that Clarke is actually playing Harry’s son. Not to mention, Clarke could certainly pull-off the look of a Potter kid.

Of course, we’ll have to wait for official confirmation to come through the pipeline.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2 opens on July 15th 2011.

Follow us on Twitter @iambenkendrick and @screenrant and let us know what you think.

Source: ScreenTerrier [via /Film]

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‘Pan’ Snags Director of Animated ‘Deathly Hallows’ Sequence

Peter Pan is (sort of) returning to theaters in the form of a macabre thriller called Pan, which was originally set up as a directing vehicle for the ever-busy Guillermo del Toro (no connection to his Pan’s Labyrinth, sorry to say).

Social Capital Films and Energy Entertainment have acquired Ben Magid’s Pan screenplay and now have a director for the project in the form of Swiss filmmaker, Ben Hilbon.

Variety broke the story about Hilbon being brought onboard for Pan, which re-envisions J.M. Barrie’s literary classic about the boy who never grew up as a fantastical detective story – one in which the Captain Hook character is the protagonist and Peter himself is a vicious kidnapper. Pan will certainly present a different perspective on a much-beloved fictional character, though we doubt it’ll be quite as mind-bending as Disney’s Snow and the Seven, in which Snow White trains alongside Shaolin monks.

Hilbon’s name may not ring a bell for most moviegoers, but he was the man in charge of the animated “Deathly Hallows origin” sequence featured in Part 1 of the final Harry Potter movie. The visual design of that scene (which is reminiscent of David McKean’s work) certainly bodes well for the potential look of Pan, with Hilbon at the helm.

Some moviegoers will be interested in seeing a more sinister take on Peter Pan, though we doubt Pan will be as adult in tone as Alan Moore’s take on the story in his controversial graphic novel Lost Girls (sorry folks – not posting any pictures from that book here).

Peter Pan will be a much more sinister character in 'Pan'.

There are so many “updated” or “inspired by” takes on literary classics in the works nowadays that it boggles the mind just thinking about it. Besdes Pan, there are upwards of half a dozen different Wizard of Oz pics, multiple Treasure Island films, and a couple of Three Musketeers movies being developed.

What do you think? Does Pan sound intriguing? Or should it be tossed onto the increasingly large pile of unnecessary Hollywood “re-imaginings?”

Source: Variety

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‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows’ To Air On ABC Family In 2013

For any television viewer who has watched of ABC Family, you know that Harry Potter is very much a part of the network, with marathons of the franchise running multiple times a year. After opening to more than $125 million domestically, ABC Family has acquired the television broadcast rights to the finale two Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and 2.

With this acquisition, ABC Family now has the broadcast rights for the entire Harry Potter film franchise and will be able to run all eight movies back to back. Something that I’m sure will have any Harry Potter fan stupefied with excitement.

Unfortunately, such excitement will be accompanied by a lengthy simmer, as the two Deathly Hallows films are not expected to premiere until 2013. With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 just now premiering in theaters (read our official Deathly Hallows: Part 1 review), its television broadcast premiere will not be until early to mid 2013. The highly anticipated conclusion, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which is slated for release on July 15, 2011, won’t air on television until Winter 2013.

Considering that Deathly Hallows: Part 1 just had the largest opening for the beloved franchise, one has to wonder what exactly the television rights for such a film might cost. While no specific number has been released, we do have a basis for comparison.

When we previously reported that ABC Family had purchased the broadcast rights for Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland, it was revealed that a movie of that caliber – which opened to $116 million – often fetches around $24 million.

With Harry Potter being a major staple for ABC and the franchise providing more substantial broadcast opportunities and organized broadcasting events (read: marathons) than Alice In Wonderland, one could easily estimate that ABC Family paid anywhere from $60-$80 million combined, for the two films.

While a number such as that might seem a bit outrageous, one has to keep in mind that from the ad-rates that the network will change and the promotion that comes from being the sole network to air such popular films, it’s easily worth it.

The only thing ABC has to worry about is if the Mayan calendar and John Cusack’s filmography are correct and 2012 turns out to be a “rough” year.

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and 2 premiers on ABC Family, in 2013

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‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ Spoilers Discussion

While we do have a Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows review where you can leave comments, we’ve set up this as a place where you can discuss Deathly Hallows spoilers (and the ending) without concerns of ruining the movie for folks who haven’t seen it yet.

If you’re posting comments here, assume that anyone in the conversation has seen the movie – if you haven’t seen the movie, we recommend you don’t read the comments here until you have.

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What do you think of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?

Discuss away!

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