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AUGUST 14, 2008 at 4:20 PM
Posted by GERI
Source: Business Wire
Warner Bros. has just announced
that the release date for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been pushed back and will be released on July 17, 2009 instead of this coming November. This news has been confirmed to HPANA by Warner Bros.
Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. stated:
Our reasons for shifting Half-Blood Prince to summer are twofold: we know the summer season is an ideal window for a family tent pole release, as proven by the success of our last Harry Potter film, which is the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first installment. Additionally, like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers’ strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films—changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of. We agreed the best strategy was to move Half-Blood Prince to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer.
Jeff Robinov, President of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, confirmed:
The release date change does not alter the production schedule for this or future Harry Potter films. Post-production on Half-Blood Prince was completed on time, and the studio’s release plans for the two-part Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will not be affected by this change. We know Harry Potter fans are eagerly anticipating seeing the final chapters unfold onscreen. In fact, the good news for them is that the gap will now be shortened between Half-Blood Prince and the first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
While producer David Heyman offered:
When Jeff Robinov explained the rationale behind moving the release date of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to July 2009, it was immediately apparent that this offered us the potential to reach the widest possible audience. I am extremely proud of this latest film and of the work of David Yates and our incomparable cast; I believe we have developed and pushed the series further still. We are all looking forward to sharing it with Harry Potter fans around the world, even if we have to wait just a bit longer.
UPDATE: The official Potter site has been updated with the new release date.
UPDATE II: We don't normally do this, but fan reaction to this news is understandably heated (to put it mildly) and we thought it would be fun to post links to petitions that will try to convince WB to rethink their decision. (No offense, but it will have no effect whatsoever except to make them feel bad -- momentarily -- before going back to counting money --Ed., Cheeser.) Feel free to send links to any petitions you find!
UPDATE III: IMAX was apparently caught by surprise. They've just released a very short statement concerning the change:
Reflecting today's announcement that the release date of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has moved to July 2009, IMAX Corporation confirmed it is already exploring alternative titles for this year's holiday season and is confident it will secure a solid film for the IMAX(R) theatre network.
UPDATE IV: Hold on to your hats, folks. Studio head Alan Horn told the Associated Press today after the announcement:
"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."
UPDATE V: 16-year-old explodes due to delay of 'Harry Potter 6'
Reader Comments (289)
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Professor
Points: 1054
dracolady says:
I'm so disappointed.
I was really looking forward to seeing the movie this Christmas...
I can't wait that long...
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 5:48 AM EST
Prefect
Points: 387
wilson84 says:
They "love" us so much that I highly doubt we were even a factor in this decision. My icon is what Horn really meant.
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 12:31 PM EST
Wizard
Points: 874
Silly Dragon says:
While it is perfectly clear that Warner Bros. is predominantly concerned with making money, and the writers' strike should very little affect a movie that already has a scenario, I remain sceptical as to the potential profit of a summer release. Harry Potter's commercial success is guaranteed, and fans will come whatever the season. Strategy experts seem too cautious, the gain, if any, will probably be limited.
Now let us all sign the petitions in the hope to obtain a November release-or an invitation to Mr Horn's private show.
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 12:52 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 6
number1fanHP says:
Its just not fair all they care about is the money.
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 1:00 PM EST
Witch
Points: 746
SheylaLove says:
ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!!!!!
I'm without internet for a few days in this happens!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
I HATE YOU WB! I HATEYOU!
I throw flaming beanie babies in your general direction!
May you all burn in the fiery depths of hades as repentance for your sins against the fandom!
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 1:11 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2351
Skitch says:
Aww man. Why did I just now hear about this? I read the darn EW article about HP yesterday. I got all excited. This is sad news. But, whatever makes WB more money, they're gonna do.
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 1:24 PM EST
Witch
Points: 605
Sahara says:
While I have already expressed my views on WB's asinine move, I wanted to add that they have not even bothered to remove the November date from the trailer that is running on their web site. They have just tacked on the revised release date on the bottom of the screen. What is going on with your sub standard actions? Guys you better get it together. You are dropping the ball on this on BIG TIME!
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 2:35 PM EST
Magical Sanitary Supplier
Points: 2518
5225 says:
Am I reading it incorrectly? There will be movie6 and movie7a released closely? Well, if I had read it incorrectly, then boo WB!!!
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 2:58 PM EST
Squib
Points: 142
hungarianhorntail1 says:
HEY! How much you wanna bet that Alan Horns e-mail adress is alan.horn@warnerbros.com OR alan.horn@warnerbros.co.uk wherever hes from ... SEND EMAILS TO WB!FLOOD THEM WITH EMAILS MAKE THEM WISH THEYD NEVER BEEN BORN THREAGHTEN THEM TELLING THEM THAT YOURE NEVER GOING TO SEE ANOTHER WB MOVIE AGAIN SEND THEM LETTERS EGG THEIR CARS EGG THE STUDIO BLOW IT UP SET IT ON FIRE PROTEST IN FRONT OF THE MOVIE THEATRES PARTICULARELY ON NOVEMBER 21ST 2008 GET ALL THE TWILIGHT FANS MAD KEEP THEM OUT OF THE MOVIE DO WHATEVER IT TAKES.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!IVE SENT ABOUT 10 EMAILS TO complaints@warnerbros.co.uk AND SOME TO SUSAN FLEISMAN OR WHATEVER AND SIGNED EVERY PETITION I COULD FIND AND IM WORKING ON FINDING A RED ENVELOPE TO TO THAT HOWLER PETITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM SOOOOOOOOO ANGRY AT WB RIGHT NOW I AM GOING TO KILL THEM!!!MOVE TWILIGHT INSTEAD OR AT LEAST RELEASE HARRY POTTER IN DECEMBER BUT 99 DAYS BEFORE ITS RELEASE THEY CHANGE IT
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 3:06 PM EST
Points: 1
derbil says:
Warner Brothers have made a huge mistake!! My family and friends will not go to a theater to watch any WB movies, including "Twilight". I hope they have enjoyed our money as they will not get any more. They are holding the movie hostage for the greed factor..The fans made Harry Potter the icon he is, not WB.. SOOOOOOOO Angry!!!!
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 3:12 PM EST
Squib
Points: 158
elfyears18 says:
What?! You've got to be joking?!
Why the heck in 17th of July?! >_<
This is ridicious!
Grrrrrrrrrr!! I was so happy looking towards it in November..
Blllllllaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!! Well, I guess not anymore.
I wonder how the cast feels about it.
=\
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 3:14 PM EST
Twilight Princess
Points: 2567
xXHpFreak4lifeXx says:
"we know the summer season is an ideal window for a family tent pole release"
So they're also trying to reach a larger audience? Really, there is no larger audience except for the Bible! o.O
Warner Brothers was screwing us over with this movie before, and now this is just the final straw. Extremely disappointing. :S
~Lauren~
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 3:24 PM EST
Head Girl
Points: 482
mrsharrypotter4500 says:
HOW COULD THEY DO THIS TO US!!!!!!!!!!!????????????????
they really are holding the movie hostige!!!!! Thats another 11 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im gona die from anxiety!!!!!! WB IS NOT MY FAVORITE MOVIE COMPANY ANYMORE!!!!!!!!
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 3:53 PM EST
Squib
Points: 142
hungarianhorntail1 says:
Nothing we do is going to make them change their minds. No matter what we do the release date is going to be July 17th 2009. But it doesn't mean we still can't be angry and boycott other WB films!!But they aren't going to change their minds.
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 8:47 PM EST
Prof. of Cultural Literacy
Points: 4469
PowerGranger says:
Wow, I can't believe I was on vacation for this news and unable to get here to see what everybody was saying about the change!
Anyway, while I can see what's going on with WB, that doesn't mean I like it. We are right to feel toyed with, definitely, as they are obviously taking advantage of our loyalty to the HP franchise, knowing (assuming?) we will take our Potter however/whenever we can get it. There is no win at all for HP fans in this -- I like how the execs tried to spin it saying we'll be happy to have less time to wait between HBP and DH 1 & 2. Er, we've been gearing up for HBP already! Too late!
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 9:56 PM EST
Magical Me
Points: 8420
Nutty4Harry says:
I can hardly believe this!! Noooooo!! The only thing that possibly makes up for this fact is the fact that Twilight will be coming out sooner now. *sigh* But that's a small consolation.
Posted Aug 17, 2008 at 10:43 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 2nd Class
Points: 1763
hufflepuff_babe says:
Wow this is disappointing. I guess WB decided (with less than 100 days remaining) that they needed to make more money. They changed the date to next summer so that more people could go and see it and therefore would earn them more money. Sad...like they haven't made enough money on the first FIVE movies with FOUR (shouldn't be NINE total) remaining!! The only thing that I hate about HP is how commercialized things have become. JKR sold HP's soul to WB.
Posted Aug 18, 2008 at 12:36 AM EST
Squib
Points: 108
Ron~Hermione=<3 says:
Grrrrrr! Why does WB have to be so greedy?! My friends & I were really looking forward to watching it the day it comes out. Now we have to wait almost a whole year?! That's ridiculous! Shame on you WB for not caring about the fans!
P.S. I wonder what J.K. Rowling thinks of this. Does she have some kind of fan mail thing? I really want to know what she thinks of this. She'll definitely go along with us. Right?
Posted Aug 18, 2008 at 4:33 AM EST
Witch
Points: 788
Gone Marauding says:
I absolutely can NOT believe this! It's absolutely ridiculous! I read that Twilight is being moved to november instead, and I pretty much vowed not to see it What is the deal?!
Posted Aug 18, 2008 at 9:55 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1412
awsomearies4potter says:
Hey, we should all boycott WB movies! Hit them where it hurts! THe wallet.
Posted Aug 18, 2008 at 11:50 AM EST
Muggle
Points: 19
Garnie says:
THIS IS absolutely DISGUSTING!!!!!!!
i don't think i have ever been this angry! What makes me more angry is the fact that WB wont even look at the petitions or even give a damn about what we have to say!!
THEY WILL SO GO TO HELL WHEN THEY DIE!!!!
Posted Aug 18, 2008 at 5:24 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 2nd Class
Points: 1647
Hermione's younger sister says:
Preposterous.
Utterly preposterous!
Posted Aug 18, 2008 at 6:31 PM EST
Points: 217
Theo Murpse says:
Does anyone else buy this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/15/naked-daniel-radcliffe-de_n_119250.html
Posted Aug 18, 2008 at 9:14 PM EST
Head Girl
Points: 495
ayashe says:
This is obsurd. If they wanted to change the release date they should have done it earlier, not 3 months before it was supposed to come out.
Posted Aug 18, 2008 at 10:54 PM EST
Squib
Points: 175
PadyPadfoot says:
Riiiiiight...because I am soooo going to see this instead of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
Screw that, everybody should just not go see it, or pay money for one movie then go see Harry Potter instead, that way Warner Brothers suffers like that. They already had a hit with The Dark Knight (which is a much better movie than any Harry Potter) and if that's not enough for them then they can take my ticket and shove it up their rears.
Posted Aug 19, 2008 at 2:43 AM EST
Auror
Points: 2363
Nataly says:
Disappointing action.. very sad move! Hope this move is good.. i really wanted to see the movie in November..:(
Posted Aug 19, 2008 at 5:01 AM EST
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