April 14, 2004
8:18 PM
8:18 PM
Harry Potter the way it's meant to be: as a holiday movie.
So I'm not that annoyed about Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban being released on June 4 – I mean, it's kind of cool that we won't have to wait until the winter to see the next one – but I still think of the HP movies as something best enjoyed around the holidays. There's something wonderful about coming out of one of those movies just as the snow is beginning for fall, or going to see one with your younger relatives after a big holiday dinner. That's why I'm happy that next year, according to this story at scifi.com, Harry Potter and the Epic Wait for a Potty Break Goblet of Fire is set to be released on November 18. Yay!
Warner Brothers had originally planned to do a once-a-year release for the Harry Potter pictures -- thereby keeping their young actors aging at about the right pace for the characters. Once they finished the first two (and Chris Columbus stepped out of the director's chair), they realized they couldn't keep it up. Which is why Azkaban -- which should have been released last winter -- was held until this summer. Same reason Goblet of Fire is being given an 18-month buffer.
They had tried to maintain their pace by running productions concurrently, with different directors attached to each, but even that's proving a little much. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if little Harry's pushing 30 by the time he graduates.
Of course, given Rowling's rate of publication, that may happen anyway.
Heh. Good call. Do you know who's supposed to be directing the next one (which I just realized is awkwardly abbreviated as GoF?)
Yeah, Azkaban is being directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Y tu mamá también), and GoF is being directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral). Order of the Phoenix does not yet have a director attached (at least not as far as I know).
Ah. That would explain these rumors I've been hearing about the GoF director deviating from the books and having Harry chug a quickgrowth serum in the first ten minutes, thus enabling the good Mr. Potter to be played by Hugh Grant for the remainder of the film...
"Um, I say, Ron, um, that is, um..."
::shudder::