For Potter, eight is the magic number

‘Deathly Hallows’ film will be split to maintain integrity of novel

Matt Click Mast A&E Editor

For fans of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, the release of the boy-wizard’s final adventure, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” last July was bittersweet. But they can rejoice, for Potter mania will drag on into 2011.

Warner Bros. announced Thursday that the final film adaptation will be split into two feature-length movies—the first being released in November 2010 and the second in May 2011. Chiefly, this is being done for two reasons: to present the 759-page novel in its relative, faithful entirety, and to cash in on the Potter craze not once, but twice before it dies out. The two films will simply be called “Deathly Hallows: Part 1” and “Part 2.”

Rumors ran wild for several months over the possibility of a new director. Steven Spielberg and Guillermo Del Toro were the two major contenders thrown into the ring. Personally, I would love to see what Del Toro, who is responsible for many a fantastic film, could do with Rowling’s world. But he opted to direct “The Hobbit” (which is more exciting, honestly) and Spielberg is just... busy all the time.

So, David Yates, who directed “Order of the Phoenix” and the upcoming “Half-Blood Prince” (which is set to hit theaters Nov. 21), will return to the helm with screenwriter Steve Kloves, who has penned every Potter film except “Order of the Phoenix.”

I’ve never had any major problems with the Potter movies. In fact, I consider “Prisoner of Azkaban” and “Order of the Phoenix” to be legitimately great films—though that may be due to the presence of Gary Oldman, arguably one of the greatest actors of our time.

But many Potter fans have expressed to me their dislike for the “manhandling” of the source material. Many of the Potter books are epically long, and gargantuan chunks have been removed for the sake of runtime and relevance in the films.

The two feature-length films (which will, I’m assuming, run a combined four hours) will finally give Potter fans what they’ve been craving since “Sorcerer’s Stone” hit theaters in 2001: a truly whole, truly faithful adaptation of the novel.

AP Photo

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) as he will appear in the upcoming “Half-Blood Prince,” due out this November. The final installment in the franchise, “Deathly Hallows,” will be filmed as two separate movies.