It’s all my weary fingers can do to type another word about the blockbuster final installment of the Harry Potter film series, but here goes: Aren’t you going to miss Ron Weasley? Harry’s Hogwarts sidekick and Hermione’s adoring foil, the awkward man-child facing maturity by fire in this weekend’s climactic Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 . Oh — and the dumbfoundedness. Alllllways ready with the dumfoundedness.
‘It’s really hard to say bye,’ one fan tells MTV News. By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Brian Phares Daniel Radcliffe in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” Photo: Warner Bros. “Goodbye, childhood.” Those two words, which one fan left behind for director David Yates during an early screening of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” probably describe the sentiment felt by many Potterheads after they walked out of Thursday night’s midnight screenings. MTV News took to the streets to find out what viewers thought of the final installment of the epic film franchise, and the response was as overwhelmingly positive as the critics’ . “I feel like it was a worthy completion,” said one fan, who was clad in a Gryffindor sweatshirt. “From the start it just grabs you by the neck and takes you along for the ride, and really for the last film, you can’t ask for anything more.” His female friend agreed, saying, “It’s really hard to say bye,” before becoming choked up. The tears were shared by both the male and female fans interviewed after the screenings of “Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” It’s a sentiment that even the “Harry Potter” stars felt , though leading man Daniel Radcliffe was glad to hear the movie got the fans choked up as well. Favorite scenes in the film ranged from seeing Harry surrounded by all his loved ones to Neville Longbottom’s epic scene with a certain snake. One girl in Slytherin garb said she was glad that the Weasleys didn’t disappoint this time around, and particularly liked seeing Harry and his friends defending Hogwarts in the movie’s final act. “It was bittersweet to see it end because it encompassed so much of my life,” one female fan shared with MTV. The man she was with agreed. “It was everything you could want to cap off, in our lifetime, one of the greatest film sagas ever that I’ve experienced,” he said. “It’s not one of those things where I’m sad that it’s ending, because I know it’s not really going to end,” another fan said. “But at the same time I know it’s like closing the final chapter on my childhood.” Send us your video review of “Deathly Hallows, Part 2” and we just might use it on MTV News! Related Videos Scenes From ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ Related Photos ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Opening-Night Madness
‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ could break $158.4 million opening-weekend record of ‘The Dark Knight.’ By Gil Kaufman Daniel Radcliffe and Ralph Finnes in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” Photo: Warner Bros. It takes a powerful wizard to defeat “The Dark Knight,” but based on early media reports, all indications are that the final episode in the onscreen Harry Potter saga, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” is on track to beat the $158.4 million opening-weekend record set by “The Dark Knight” in 2008. Thanks to a combination of breathless, nostalgic anticipation for the last installment in the series, a raft of sold-out midnight screenings on Thursday and higher ticket prices for the first 3-D installment in the $6 billion franchise, experts are predicting that a series of records could fall by Sunday. According to the Los Angeles Times , thanks to 10,000 midnight screenings on Friday (July 15) and nearly sold-out IMAX shows through Saturday, the movie had already rolled up an estimated $45 million box office by Thursday before the doors had opened for a single showing. To put that into perspective, that’s a shade under the $53 million that “Green Lantern” made over the course of its entire opening-weekend last month. “Potter” is opening in 4,575 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, and Deadline Hollywood predicted that based on the early tracking, it could smash the “Dark Knight” high-water mark and possibly reach $180 million in opening-weekend grosses. Another record almost sure to crumble is the biggest single day ever, which was set by “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” which pulled in $72 million, a figure that could be eclipsed (pun intended) by an estimated $80 million that “Hallows” is projected to collect between the $40 million in midnight screenings and an additional $40 million on Friday. Look for “Hallows” to also take the biggest foreign opening-weekend crown, a record recently set by “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” which boosted $260 million earlier this summer. “Potter” studio Warner Bros. expects the film to smash that figure, though it’s unclear if it will be able to beat the worldwide seven-day opening-gross mark set by “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” which raked in $402 million in its first week in June. A good sign, though, is that “Hallows” has already broken records Down Under. The Hollywood Reporter noted that following its midnight opening on Wednesday, it took in more than $7.4 million in its first 24 hours in Australia, smashing the previous mark of nearly $1.8 million in the first 24 hours for “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos Scenes From ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ MTV Rough Cut: ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Related Photos ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Brings The Magic To New York Premiere
Before saying goodbye to the series, check out our handy guide. By Terri Schwartz Daniel Radcliffe in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” Photo: Warner Bros. It all ends Friday (July 15), as “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” marks the last time a “Harry Potter” movie will premiere in theaters. Almost a decade ago, MTV News was writing about how “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” had beaten Eminem’s “8 Mile” at the box office and about the exciting news that Gary Oldman, known as Count Dracula at the time, had joined the cast of “Prisoner of Azkaban.” Our news coverage of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” began three years ago with the announcement that the big-screen adaptation of the final “Potter” novel would be split into two movies, and it’s strange to think that after all that time the film series has finally come to an end. To honor all the time we’ve spent covering “Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” we’re taking a trip into the MTV News archives to cover the entire history of the flick for our latest MTV News cheat sheet. Filming the Final Parts MTV News caught up with leading man Daniel Radcliffe in late 2009 when the cast was knee-deep in shooting both “Deathly Hallows” films, and he said that the set was “absolutely madness.” That makes sense considering the combined running time of both movies is around five hours and they feature some of the most emotional and climactic moments in the entire series. Radcliffe dreaded shooting the big scene where he walks into the forest to face Voldemort, while Tom Felton was really looking forward to filming the epilogue. When he finally did shoot the scene, Felton was lucky enough to have his real-life girlfriend Jade Olivia play his onscreen wife . But it was the final battle sequences that were most emotional for co-stars Evanna Lynch and Bonnie Wright , the former of whom was brought to tears by the scenes on set. Robbie Coltrane agreed with them, saying that they were among his favorite scenes in the movie. Composer Alexandre Desplat was chosen to create the score for the final film, and he chatted with MTV News about his creative process. Finally, on June 14, 2010, filming on the “Harry Potter” set wrapped for the last time . The Decision to Shoot 3-D But production wasn’t done yet. In keeping with the popular cinematic trend, the creative team behind “Deathly Hallows” decided to post-convert the film to 3-D . Producer David Heyman spoke to MTV News during 3-D week and said he was optimistic about the change, adding that he thought the films would be “even more epic” in 3-D. “Deathly Hallows, Part 1” didn’t end up getting converted in time, so “Part 2” marks the first time a “Harry Potter” movie has been released entirely in 3-D. There is also the hope that all the “Harry Potter” films could be converted to 3-D and receive a re-release. Getting the Epilogue Right Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and the cast of young stars who played the next generation of wizards were brought together again months after filming ended to reshoot the pivotal epilogue scene because the original scene that was filmed was not considered to be good enough. Felton was lucky enough to have his first time filming be done up to par, though, so he and Olivia did not have to shoot a new scene. A few other new stars, including Kelly Macdonald of “Boardwalk Empire,” were cast in roles that had to be added in post-production and became the final few castmembers to join the “Harry Potter” franchise. An early cut of “Deathly Hallows, Part 2” was screened to fans in February and was received well, reducing many viewers to tears. Radcliffe’s response to that news? “Good!” The Trailers Arrive The first “Deathly Hallows” trailer hit the Web on June 28, 2010, and it teased both of the final “Harry Potter” installments. It would be 10 more months before a trailer specific to “Part 2” premiered , and then new trailers came fast and furiously. Warner Bros. released one of the opening scenes from “Deathly Hallows, Part 2” back in April, and then MTV was able to premiere an exclusive clip from “Part 2” during the 2011 MTV Movie Awards that was received well by fans. Saying Goodbye to “Potter” The “Harry Potter” films have been released over the course of a decade, so it’s no surprise that the stars of the franchise are finding it hard to say goodbye. Watson planned on having a “really big brunch” after the last New York “Potter” premiere, while Grint walked out of the London premiere screening because the movie was too emotional for him. But the man finding it hardest to say goodbye is Radcliffe, who plays the series’ namesake. “I think that we proved in doing ‘Potter’ that you can bring integrity and perpetual growth to a franchise. It doesn’t have to be a law of diminishing returns after the first film comes out,” Radcliffe reflected to MTV News . Check out everything we’ve got on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos Scenes From ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ MTV Rough Cut: ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Related Photos ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’
A fully formed, corporeal Patronus takes the form of an animal; Harry’s Patronus is a stag, like his father’s. Hermione‘s is an otter, and Ron‘s is a dog. You can find yours through a new application on the Warner Bros. website, as well as on Facebook. So, as Harry Potter told Dumbledore’s Army, clear your mind, focus on something happy, and “make it a powerful memory, the happiest you can remember.” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2” closes out a decade of Hogwarts in Hollywood. H
“We made that decision and I involved Chris and Lea and they thought that was a good idea,” says Murphy. “They both trust the writing and trust me and felt that it would be great to have an open and closed experience for them to go out while they were on top.” Glee stars Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Cory Monteith will don caps and gowns at the end of the fall season and won#39;t be returning for the fourth season. Other characters also will be graduating from high school and their identities
‘I related to Peter Parker so much because I felt like someone else inside,’ the actor reveals to mag. By Terri Schwartz Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man on the cover of Entertainment Weekly Photo: Entertainment Weekly It’s been more than six months since the world first saw the new “Amazing Spider-Man,” Andrew Garfield, in his Spidey suit . Now, fans are getting another look as he graces the cover of Entertainment Weekly in anticipation of next week’s trailer premiere and San Diego Comic-Con panel. Perhaps more important, the entertainment magazine has confirmed that “Pirate Radio” star Rhys Ifans will play Spider-Man foe the Lizard in the upcoming flick. Up until now, it had only been rumored that Ifans had been cast to play the famous villain. On the EW cover, fans get a fuller view of Garfield himself; the special characteristics of his Spidey costume seem to be secondary in the latest image. The story gives an inside look at the set and some new photos, as well as interviews with castmembers and director Marc Webb. Specifically, Garfield admits that the part is one he’d always dreamed of playing. “I related to Peter Parker so much because I felt like someone else inside,” he says of Spider-Man’s alter ego. “I loved the comic books and the animated TV series and I even dressed up as Spider-Man as a kid.” Webb adds, “Ultimately, what this movie is about is a kid who grows up looking for his father and finds himself. And that’s a Spider-Man story we haven’t seen before.” When MTV News spoke to Garfield’s “Spider Man” co-star Emma Stone in June, the actress said she was impressed by how good he looked in his costume. “He looks like Spider-Man, ya know?” she laughed. “It’s pretty exciting.” In other exciting “Amazing Spider-Man” news, SuperHeroHype.com is reporting that a full-length trailer for the movie is set for release next week. The site is operating under the assumption that this trailer will be the same one Sony Pictures unveils at the “Spider-Man” San Diego Comic-Con panel on Friday. But it may also run in front of select screenings of “Captain America: The First Avenger” in its July 22 opening weekend. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Amazing Spider-Man.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Photos ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’
‘The images of me still haunt me,’ Rupert Grint tells MTV News of his flash-forward makeup. By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” Photo: Warner Bros. Though the story of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” ends with Harry’s battle against Voldemort, the real goodbye to the franchise comes through an epilogue sequence at the end of the movie. It’s a scene MTV has been talking to the cast of the “Harry Potter” films about for many years, especially after the creative heads decided to age the stars using makeup instead of cast a new set of actors. Now that the film is less than 24 hours away from being released, the stars were ready to open up about how they felt about the final “Harry Potter” scene. “With the way it ends, it definitely got balanced right, it was believable, but it was a weird scene to film,” Rupert Grint told MTV News. The actor better known as Ron Weasley had to shoot the epilogue sequence twice after director David Yates decided that the first attempt didn’t work as well. In the scene that is used in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” Ron has gained a pot belly and some stubble, but the first version also featured a serious receding hairline and some unflattering jowls. “The images of me still haunt me,” Grint admitted with a traumatized look on his face. “It was like this monster Donald Trump kind of mixture. It was scary.” His co-star Tom Felton agreed that Grint had not looked particularly attractive the first time, but he wasn’t entirely happy with how his character, Draco Malfoy, turned out either. His real-life girlfriend, Jade Olivia, played his onscreen wife in the sequence and he got to wear a muscle suit — “It was quite cool, I felt quite ripped” — but despite his “lovely goatee” and longer hairstyle, Felton wasn’t entirely satisfied with the results. Unfortunately for the “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” star, he and Olivia “nailed it” the first time, and thus weren’t called back for reshoots. “They were pretty cruel, don’t you think?” Felton asked. “Nineteen years, they were supposed to base it on Jason Isaacs! I look like Jason Isaacs’ dad! I mean, come on.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Scenes From ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2’
Actor also auditioned to be Ron Weasley before landing the part of Draco Malfoy. By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy Photo: Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros. With the “Harry Potter” film series ending this Friday, it’s hard to imagine actors other than Daniel Radcliffe or Rupert Grint playing the roles of Harry Potter or Ron Weasley. Tom Felton , best known as Draco Malfoy in the films, says that very easily could have been the case, though. He apparently originally auditioned for the role of Harry and then went on to try out for Ron before finally landing the role of Draco. He admitted to MTV News that he would have been a “very different individual” had he been cast as either of the other two characters originally. “I’m very grateful I am in the film at all, but even more grateful that I got the character of Draco,” Felton said. “I think Rupert and Dan, there’s no question in my mind, there’s no one else in the world that, A) could have played the character better, but B) could have handled the behind-the-scenes pressure those guys have dealt with over the last decade.” Felton said there was never any sense of jealousy or rivalry on the set of “Harry Potter” after he, Radcliffe, Grint and the rest of the ensemble were finally cast in the roles they would hold for more than a decade. Instead, the crew became a family. “There was a great sense of kind of being on a team, and Daniel kind of flew that flag from day one,” Felton explained. “He was always the most excited, the most eager, he had the most fun on set, and through that, I think everyone just kind of latched on to him and sort of followed his lead. So he’s definitely been like the godfather over the years, and he’s definitely been the one that’s been the most inspirational, for sure.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Related Photos ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’
