Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers, particularly for those who haven’t read the books. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 was an in-between moment of a movie, a picture that left many fans of this most unusual movie franchise — not to mention the books they’re based on — feeling adrift and forlorn. By necessity, it was only a story half-told: Adapting the seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling’s series required splitting the story into two parts. Now, with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 , director David Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves guide the story to a graceful and satisfying end. The movie’s final moments are the equivalent of the half-jubilant, half-mournful thrill you get when you close the cover of a book you’ve savored.
‘It is really sad,’ he tells MTV News of ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2.’ By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Rupert Grint Photo: MTV News Spoiler alert: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” is a tearjerker. While fans already expected to walk into the theater Friday with a box of tissues in hand, the “Potter” stars were a bit surprised to find that watching the final film in the series could bring them to tears — or at least make them choke up. Viewers will likely find the movie emotional on two levels, because the story itself has tragic elements and because its release marks the end of a decade-long film series. Even though the actors finished filming the movie more than a year ago, they said there were still scenes in “Deathly Hallows, Part 2” that made them fight back tears. Rupert Grint said that, despite the fact he’s seen the movie twice, he had to walk out of the theater during the London premiere last week. “I caught a bit. It is really sad,” he told MTV News.”There’s a scene where all three of us are on the bridge after the battle, the castle is on fire … there’s a weird parallel between that and our lives. That always gets me.” For Tom Felton, it was the epilogue scene that concludes the movie that almost brought him to tears. That scene has especial emotional resonance for him because his real-life girlfriend, Jade Olivia, plays the wife of his character Draco in the flash-forward sequence. But it was actually Daniel Radcliffe’s scene between Harry and his children at King’s Cross station that affected him the most. “There was something really nice about seeing Daniel with his kids at the end. I really thought Daniel did a marvelous job of being older. I got a bit emotional about that,” Felton said. “Even though it’s funny, it was really quite sad to think that, ‘Christ, our lives have flashed before our eyes. We’re old!’ ” Radcliffe also told MTV News that he found scenes in the film “heartbreaking,” especially Alan Rickman’s performance during Severus Snape’s flashback sequence . Beyond the film, Felton said he nearly cried during Radcliffe, Grint and Emma Watson’s heartfelt goodbye speeches at the London premiere last week. He had to talk himself through it, saying, “Just keep it together, Tom, just keep it together,” but according to the “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” actor, it was a close call. “[The speeches] were really quite special,” he said. “I was really touched by that. I could have easily let myself go.” 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’ ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Red-Carpet Highlights Scenes From ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ Related Photos ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Brings The Magic To New York Premiere ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’
‘It wasn’t a sense of nostalgia and emotion caused by my own personal relationship with the films, I was a wreck because of the film itself,’ actor says at NYC premiere. By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Daniel Radcliffe at the U.S. premiere of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images NEW YORK — The “Harry Potter” film series celebrated its last U.S. premiere Monday night after a decade on the big screen, but leading man Daniel Radcliffe said that not all the tears he shed that night would be sad. “It’s a celebration,” the “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” star explained. “It’s 10 years of wonderful stories and storytelling, and it’s a celebration of 10 years work for us, so yeah we’re celebrating tonight, not mourning.” Radcliffe, who was “sweating like a pig in labor” on the hot July evening in NYC, will spend the next couple of weeks saying goodbye to the franchise that made him a star as he promotes the final installment, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” which hits theaters Friday. It will be an emotional journey for the stars and crew, as well as the fans who have been watching the movies since “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” opened in 2001, and who now have to accept that the “Potter” series has finally reached its end. Despite the fact that he has spent literally half his life in front of the camera filming the “Harry Potter” flicks, Radcliffe told MTV News on the red carpet that he still found himself emotionally affected by watching “Deathly Hallows: Part 2.” However, he seemed a bit surprised by the parts of the movie that left him in tears. “What I was impressed by was that it wasn’t a sense of nostalgia and emotion caused by my own personal relationship with the films, I was a wreck because of the film itself,” Radcliffe said. “You’ve got to have a heart of stone to not find part of it — especially Alan Rickman’s performance — heartbreaking, so yeah, I’ve done my fair share of crying already.” With “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” doing well on Broadway and his next flick, “The Woman in Black,” already wrapped, Radcliffe seems like he is trying to branch out as much as possible in his post-“Potter” life. Still, the 21-year-old actor said that he’s not willing to rule out returning to a film franchise just yet. “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 explained. “Providing a script is good enough. I would absolutely do another, but it’s not something I’m looking for in the next couple of years, certainly.” 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 ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Red-Carpet Highlights Scenes From ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ Related Photos ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Brings The Magic To New York Premiere ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’
Debris rains down what appear to be crumbling Gotham City buildings in first poster from Christopher Nolan’s Batman threequel. By Eric Ditzian “The Dark Knight Rises” teaser poster Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures In December 2009, a teaser poster for Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” hit the Web. It featured a row of skyscrapers looming above disastrous floodwaters and the promise that the sci-fi flick was the brainchild of “the director of ‘The Dark Knight.’ ” That image, it seems, became something of an inspiration for the brand-new teaser poster for Nolan’s third “Batman” film, “The Dark Knight Rises.” The new poster focuses on another collection of buildings, presumably in Bruce Wayne’s hometown, Gotham City. And once again, there is an ominous air of destruction in the urban environment: The buildings appear to be crumbling, debris raining downward — a stark visual contrast to the film title’s single tweak since the previous installment: the addition of the word “rises.” None of this is to suggest the “Dark Knight Rises” poster is some “Inception” knock-off; Nolan’s beloved “Batman” films hardly need to draft off his Oscar-nominated 2010 dream-heist flick. There are, of course, as many differences as there are similarities between the two. First and foremost, in the “Dark Knight Rises” poster, the tops of the buildings outline the unmistakable form of Batman’s symbol. And whereas Leonardo DiCaprio is front and center in the “Inception” poster (and up to his knees in flood waters), Christian Bale as Batman or Bruce Wayne is nowhere to be seen in the new poster. For now, the only person we’ve officially seen in character is Tom Hardy as Bane . In May, a photo of Bane — shot from behind, a menacing mask over his head — popped up online after Warner Bros. launched a viral marketing campaign. The poster debut comes just days before we’re reportedly set to get our first glimpse of the “Dark Knight Rises” teaser trailer, which is supposed to debut in front of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” when it opens on Friday. With a reported running time of one minute and 33 seconds, hopefully, there will be peeks not only at Bane in motion, but Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle (and possibly in full Catwoman gear). But who knows? Production only kicked off in May, so it’s anybody’s guess how much footage Nolan will deliver in the trailer. If the first “Inception” trailer is any indication, we’ll peep a lot of footage, but likely remain clueless as to what the whole freaking thing is about. And that’s just how we like it. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Dark Knight Rises.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com .
‘It’s a vote for ambiguity,’ Alan Rickman says at ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ premiere. By Kara Warner Alan Rickman Photo: MTV News After 7.4 million votes cast and over three weeks of intense, head-to-head wizard combat action in MTV’s “Harry Potter” World Cup, conflicted, calculating and beloved antihero Severus Snape has emerged a champion. It is an impressive feat indeed, with Snape having overcome heavy hitters and fan favorites Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter himself. MTV News was lucky enough to present the fancy World Cup trophy to Alan Rickman, the man responsible for bringing life and suspense to the complex character, at Monday’s New York premiere of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” “You’re lying, aren’t you?” Rickman said upon learning the news of Snape’s victory. “I gotta get this on the plane tomorrow?” he joked. “Well, thank you, and it doesn’t weigh nothing,” he added, commenting on the prize’s weight. “Is it chocolate, I hope? Thank you very much.” When asked what the victory means to him, Rickman took it seriously and further thanked the character’s fans for recognizing the many aspects of Snape’s magical journey. “It’s a vote for ambiguity and things where you don’t quite know how they’re going to turn out,” he said of Snape’s is-he-evil-or-good story line. “And also, it’s [Snape’s] values that you can’t talk about without ruining the film, but things like courage and determination and loyalty and love, actually.” “Thank you,” Rickman reiterated before heading into the premiere. “I appreciate it; that’s an American thing.” Rupert Grint, whose Ron Weasley was our second-place finisher, was not surprised to learn that Snape triumphed over his character. In fact, he had predicted it. “I knew it,” he said with a smile when we broke the news to him. “It’s the right choice,” he admitted. Check out everything we’ve got on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Harry Potter” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Red-Carpet Highlights Scenes From ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ The ‘Harry Potter’ World Cup Related Photos The ‘Harry Potter’ World Cup Players ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Brings The Magic To New York Premiere
‘It’s a vote for ambiguity,’ Alan Rickman says at ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ premiere. By Kara Warner Alan Rickman Photo: MTV News After 7.4 million votes cast and over three weeks of intense, head-to-head wizard combat action in MTV’s “Harry Potter” World Cup, conflicted, calculating and beloved antihero Severus Snape has emerged a champion. It is an impressive feat indeed, with Snape having overcome heavy hitters and fan favorites Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter himself. MTV News was lucky enough to present the fancy World Cup trophy to Alan Rickman, the man responsible for bringing life and suspense to the complex character, at Monday’s New York premiere of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” “You’re lying, aren’t you?” Rickman said upon learning the news of Snape’s victory. “I gotta get this on the plane tomorrow?” he joked. “Well, thank you, and it doesn’t weigh nothing,” he added, commenting on the prize’s weight. “Is it chocolate, I hope? Thank you very much.” When asked what the victory means to him, Rickman took it seriously and further thanked the character’s fans for recognizing the many aspects of Snape’s magical journey. “It’s a vote for ambiguity and things where you don’t quite know how they’re going to turn out,” he said of Snape’s is-he-evil-or-good story line. “And also, it’s [Snape’s] values that you can’t talk about without ruining the film, but things like courage and determination and loyalty and love, actually.” “Thank you,” Rickman reiterated before heading into the premiere. “I appreciate it; that’s an American thing.” Rupert Grint, whose Ron Weasley was our second-place finisher, was not surprised to learn that Snape triumphed over his character. In fact, he had predicted it. “I knew it,” he said with a smile when we broke the news to him. “It’s the right choice,” he admitted. Check out everything we’ve got on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Harry Potter” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Red-Carpet Highlights Scenes From ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ The ‘Harry Potter’ World Cup Related Photos The ‘Harry Potter’ World Cup Players ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Brings The Magic To New York Premiere
Find out the winner during MTV News’ live stream at the ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2′ red carpet, starting at 4:30 p.m. ET. By Eric Ditzian Alan Rickman as Professor Snape Photo: Warner Bros. In the beginning, there were 64 wizards, witches, elves and ghosts. Each one had been thrown into a cutthroat online tournament, decided by the public and subject to the passions and prejudices of die-hard fans, all to come up with the definitive answer to the question: Who is the greatest “Harry Potter” character of all time? Now that fantastical conundrum is down to just two people: potions master Severus Snape and Gryffindor great Ron Weasley. As of this writing, the two wizards are locked in the heated final match of MTV News’ “Harry Potter” World Cup . Voting is still going on, and the winner will be announced on Monday evening (July 11) during our live stream of the New York red-carpet premiere of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” which begins at 4:30 p.m. ET. It’s a remarkable feat that both men are left standing, considering that over 7 million votes have been cast throughout the four weeks of the tournament. Who would have guessed that Harry Potter himself would get chucked from the tournament in the Elite Eight, a victim of Snape’s fanbase and his remarkable character arc? Big bad Lord Voldemort didn’t even make it that far, losing in the third round to onetime Azkaban prisoner Sirius Black! And Cedric Diggory, hardly a first-tier character, was nonetheless thought to be a potential Cinderella story (given that Robert Pattison portrayed him onscreen). Yet “Potter” fans appeared to unite and overwhelm the “Twilight” set , sending Cedric to a third-round ouster. After upsets, crushing defeats and overwhelming victories, the Final Four fell into place late last week: Snape vs. Hogwarts witch Hermione Granger , and Ron Weasley vs. Black . Hermione may have been the smartest witch of her age and Ron’s cherished gal pal, but none of that was enough to vanquish Snape — the man who killed Dumbledore but is ultimately redeemed by the series’ end. Snape ended up with 62.7 percent of the vote, compared to Hermione’s 37.3 percent. The competition between Ron and Black was much closer. One wizard is Harry’s best friend; the other was Harry’s dad’s best friend. And in the end, barely one percentage point separated the two characters, with Ron ultimately surging forward for the win. So where does that leave us in the final matchup? Snape obviously has the momentum, given his commanding victory over Hermione. Ron has got to be looked at as weakened, considering how he barely survived his Final Four matchup. But he’s the last of the Big Three still alive, and fans of Hermione could well shift their allegiances to Ron. Anything can happen, though Rupert Grint, who plays Ron , isn’t holding out much hope. When we caught up with the actor on Sunday, before the finals had been solidified, he expressed skepticism that Ron could ever defeat Snape. “I don’t think I could do that — I mean, Snape is a great character,” he laughed. We’re streaming live from the red carpet at the New York premiere of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” on Monday (July 11) at 4:30 p.m. ET. Visit MTV.com to watch interviews with the stars and see the winner of the “Harry Potter” World Cup announced live. Tweet your questions for the cast @MTVNews using the hashtag #AskPotter. Check out everything we’ve got on Related Videos The ‘Harry Potter’ World Cup Related Photos “Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2”
50 talks to MTV News about G-Unit’s newest signee on set of Tony Yayo’s ‘Haters’ video. By Rob Markman, with reporting by James Smith Kidd Kidd, Tony Yayo, Shawty Lo and 50 Cent Photo: MTV News When 50 Cent was infamously shot nine times in May 2000, his violent reality was just too much for his first label, Columbia Records, so they dropped him. This past June, G-Unit’s newest signee Kidd Kidd was shot six times in his native New Orleans, but instead of backing out of the deal, it drew 50 closer to the youngster. “Them boys down in New Orleans, they’re active,” 50 told MTV News. “It’s a lot goin’ on down there, and because I experienced it, I didn’t move away from it. I actually ID’d with the situation a little more. He got hit six times, he got a bag on now,” 50 said as Kidd Kidd lifted his shirt to reveal a colostomy bag on the set of Tony Yayo’s “Haters” video. “Columbia, when that situation took place with me, they walked away from me just because they’re not familiar with the actual environment and what happens at different points,” he continued. “It don’t make me no difference: I understand it.” Kidd got his start as a part of Lil Wayne’s Young Money camp and even appeared as a guest on Tha Carter III single “Mrs. Officer.” Now that he is with G-Unit, the NOLA spitter has since collaborated with Fif on his own single “Better Walk” as well as the title track of 50’s upcoming album. “It’s a blessing getting down with Fif. It’s real, it’s all love,” Kidd said. “There ain’t too many real people in the industry, period. I’ve been around a lot, and right now it’s time. I never felt like this before.” Related Artists 50 Cent Kidd Kidd
Actress tells MTV News at ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ premiere that she hopes to ‘sleep and reflect on the whole thing.’ By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Emma Watson Photo: MTV News In the midst of a mass of screaming fans, many of whom had camped out overnight, the beloved cast of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” walked a lengthy red carpet at their final film’s premiere on a rather hot and steamy night in New York City. MTV News was right in the middle of the action, catching up with the billion-dollar franchise’s brightest stars. Aside from commentary about the heat and humidity on the star-studded red carpet, a lot of chatter centered on the bittersweet end of the “Potter” road — and, more importantly, what each castmember might be up to next. During our live-stream coverage, when we chatted with Emma Watson — who we most recently caught up with in the middle of filming an epic dance-party scene on the set of her next film, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” — we asked the lovely lady if dancing might again be on her mind later in the evening. “Yes!” she exclaimed. “I’m like, ‘Get me to that dance floor,’ that is exactly what I need right now,” she said, hinting that she’ll be getting down at the afterparty. And what will she be up to tomorrow? How will she relax and wind down now that everything “Potter” is complete? “I’m usually working and going on to the next thing, but it really is over now, so I don’t know,” she admitted. “I think I’ll go and have a really big brunch. A really big brunch, and sleep and reflect on the whole thing.” 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 ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Red-Carpet Highlights MTV Rough Cut: ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Scenes From ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ Related Photos ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ Brings The Magic To New York Premiere “Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2”
