UPDATED: 16-Year-Old Explodes Due to Delay of 'Harry Potter 6'
One muggle just couldn't take it...
Photo: Warner Bros.
UPDATE: Alan Horn, Warner Bros. president and chief operating officer, told the Associated Press, "The picture is completely, absolutely, 100 percent on schedule, on time. There were no delays. I've seen the movie. It is fabulous. We would have been perfectly able to have it out in November." Just thought I would throw a little fuel on the fire as this is sure to upset Potter fans considering that means Warner Bros. is just holding on to a finished project and making the little muggles of the world three online petitions mad. Thanks HPANA for the heads up!
Flawed Hero, a commenter at the Harry Potter fansite HPANA who lists himself as a 16-year-old Potter fanatic, may not be with us too much longer. Upon yesterday's announcement of the delay of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to July 17, 2009 he said this on HPANA's message boards.
tell me this is a joke, someone- anyone! It makes no sense.
Its already in post production, what writing is even involved?? Its madness. And in the tiny chance this is true, what about the game and stuff?? Will all those be pushed back too or something? Its just rubbish and I refuse to believe it.
If its true I'm gonna explode!
From what I can tell this is the first instance of spontaneous combustion due to a release date change, but don't quote me on that. Flawed Hero is the only commenter suffering from such an ordeal while others are quick to call foul on the part of Warner Bros. citing stupidity or insisting it was purely for monetary gain.
Sprockets says, "Sorry Warner Bros, but that was very stupid." EmmaCIE (30-years-old) also isn't too excited as she says, 'That completely and utterly sucks. If they were doing it for artistic reasons, i.e. they wanted to spend more time on post-production to ensure that they release the best film possible, then fair enough. But it's so very obviously for financial reasons, and that makes me angry."
As angry as some of these Potter fans may be I can't agree with them in thinking this is solely a monetary decision, and even if it is I don't think it is 100-percent due to anticipated box-office receipts. The film had very little competition in the November '08 timeframe with Bolt and maybe Twilight serving as its only competition and to call those two films "competition" is silly. Of course even the WB execs say it has to do with reaching the widest possible audience, but there are more factors than that to consider.
Only a few days ago I ran an article saying how Warner Bros. was currently overloaded with films and hesitant to release the new Guy Ritchie film RocknRolla to more than 800 screens, which is 600 more screens than they tried with Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, but still a low number to be sure. Producer Joel Silver began shopping the film around. WB chief Alan Horn said of the decision, "Joel has an 800-screen deal, which we'll honor, but we might not be willing to spend the marketing money he wants us to." Marketing money can be tricky when you are trying to not only release the films Warner Bros. already had planned, but now New Line's and Warner Independent's as well. Perhaps they didn't want Half-Blood Prince marketing dollars mucking up the bottom line in 2008.
We also have to look at the fact that the two Potter films released during the summer season earned $292,004,738 for Order of the Phoenix and Prisoner of Azkaban brought in $249,541,069. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone made $317,575,550, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets made $261,988,482 and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire made $290,013,036 all in November. Sure, Order of the Phoenix is #2 on the list when it comes to Potter box-office, but only $2 million more than Goblet of Fire, but considering Order of the Phoenix was screened on approximately 400 more screens I would say it is pretty much a tie.
Perhaps it has to do with the success of The Dark Knight as Half-Blood Prince will now release on damn near the exact same day one year later. This new Potter looks extremely dark, as was The Dark Knight. Who knows, maybe Warner Bros. will farm out publicity like they did with Dark Knight and Voldemort will get his own Joker style marketing campaign. I doubt it, but the similarities are too obvious to ignore.
Maybe Terminator Salvation can't carry WB's summer. Maybe Half-Blood Prince didn't turn out too good and reshoots and additional effects work and editing need to take place.
How about this for far reaching, by getting Half-Blood Prince out of the way the 2008 marketing dollars that would have been spent pubbing Potter can now be spent on pubbing Body of Lies and The Dark Knight. No, I am not just talking theatrically, but also for Oscar. You do want Dark Knight nominated for Best Picture don't you? And uh, Ledger for Supporting Actor right? That's gonna cost dollars broham.
That doesn't work for you? How about the 2009 opening of "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" at Universal Orlando Resort? Theme park tie-in along with a feature film release based on the highly successful franchise of Harry Potter makes sense to me.
Yes, money may be the issue at hand, but perhaps it is how and when to spend it as well as how to make it.
However, no matter how you look at it, the Harry Potter audience is going to see a Potter film regardless of when it is released and just about as many times. Sure, Half-Blood Prince may end up becoming the highest grossing Potter film to date, but ticket prices are already on average 20 cents more than they were last year and $1.42 more than they were when Sorcerer's Stone was released in 2001. This would mean by comparison… same-same.
So, like you I am a bit bummed the new film won't be out for another 11 months after finally seeing that kick ass teaser trailer on the big screen recently, and on that note let's watch it one more time and pray for our dear Flawed Hero…
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