Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Director: David Yates
Release Date: 17 July 2009
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton, Helen McCrory
Language: English
Country: United Kingdom, United States

Here you can find comprehensive database of movies with film synopses, reviews, casts and characters, theatrical trailers and photos of upcoming films, production notes, official sites and photos from new releases, as well as exclusive interviews and articles, news, Read movie reviews of current films from top critics and many other sources.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is an 2009 fantasy-adventure film, based on the novel by J. K. Rowling. It is the sixth film in the popular Harry Potter films series. It is directed by David Yates, the director of the fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. David Heyman and David Barron are producing the film, and Steve Kloves, writer of the first four films (but not the fifth), has returned as screenwriter for this film.

Filming began on 24 September, 2007 and the film was originally planned for a UK and U.S. release on 21 November 2008, but on 14 August 2008, it was announced that the release date for the film was to be pushed back to 17 July 2009. Like the previous film, the sixth film will be simultaneously released in regular cinemas and IMAX 3-D.

In December 2007, Warner Bros. released its official plot summary:

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself increasingly drawn to Ginny, and so is Dean Thomas. Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hasn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates. Then there’s Hermione, simmering with jealousy but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

There are a number of changes from the book in the film. Much of the book’s ending has been changed, with the climatic battle and Dumbledore’s funeral being removed. Heyman commented that the end battle was removed to “avoid repetition” with the forthcoming adaptation of Deathly Hallows. The funeral was removed as it did not fit with the rest of the film. The collapse of a Muggle bridge mentioned briefly in the book serves as the film’s opening sequence.

An attack on the Burrow by Bellatrix Lestrange and werewolf Fenrir Greyback was added, as can be seen in the trailers. All but two of the memory scenes, including that of the Gaunts, have been cut. Only the flashbacks of Tom Riddle at the orphanage and Riddle asking Slughorn about Horcruxes (shown twice) remain. Yates said they made the decision to compress the memories, but still have some really cool ones. Characters who are cut include the Dursleys, Kreacher, Dobby, and the Muggle Prime Minister. However, Quidditch, being excluded from the previous film, returns.

Cast:

  • Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, who is now entering his sixth year at Hogwarts, with the wizarding world at war.
  • Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, one of Harry’s two best friends. He develops a relationship with Lavender Brown.
  • Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, one of Harry’s two best friends. Watson considered not returning for the sixth film, but eventually decided that “the pluses outweighed the minuses” and could not bear to see anyone else play Hermione.
  • Sir Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore. The legendary wizard and headmaster of Hogwarts. The revelation of Dumbledore’s sexuality prompted Gambon to “camp up” around the set when off camera, but his on-screen performance is expected to remain unchanged from the previous films.
  • Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn, the newly appointed Hogwarts Potions master. Broadbent described his costumes as “tweedy”, and his character as “comic”, while Radcliffe noted that “Slughorn’s tragedy will outweigh the comedy”.
  • Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, the former Potions master, who finally achieves his goal of becoming Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
  • Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, a classmate of Harry, whom Harry suspects of carrying out a task for Voldemort across the year. Son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy and nephew to Bellatrix Lestrange. Unknown actor Tony Coburn will play young Lucius Malfoy in a Hogwarts flashback.
  • Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley, Ron’s younger sister in her fifth year, for whom Harry develops intense romantic feelings.
  • Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom, a slightly nerdy friend of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Luna.
  • Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood, a dreamy girl with odd ideas and a friend of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Ginny.
  • Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Harry’s first friend from the magical world.
  • Dame Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall, the Hogwarts Transfiguration teacher, deputy headmistress and head of Gryffindor. McGonagall is a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
  • David Thewlis as Remus Lupin, former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Lupin is a werewolf and a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
  • Natalia Tena as Nymphadora Tonks, a spunky member of the Order of the Phoenix.
  • Helen McCrory as Narcissa Malfoy, Draco’s mother and younger sister of Bellatrix. McCrory was originally cast as Bellatrix Lestrange in Order of the Phoenix, but had to drop out due to pregnancy.Naomi Watts was previously reported as having accepted the role, only for it to be denied by her agency.
  • Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange, one of Voldemort’s principal Death Eaters, older sister of Narcissa Malfoy, aunt to Draco, and cousin of Sirius Black, whom she murdered in the previous film.
  • Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew, former member of Harry’s father James’s group of friends, he betrayed Harry’s parents to Voldemort. Now one of Voldemort’s principal Death Eaters.
  • Mark Williams and Julie Walters as Arthur and Molly Weasley respectively, Ron and Ginny’s parents. They treat Harry like another son.
  • Jessie Cave as Lavender Brown, Ron’s new girlfriend. Watson described her as “perfect for the role,” although Cave did not attend the open auditions. An open casting call was held for the part on 1 July 2007. Over 7,000 girls turned out for the audition and read from a scene with Madam Pomfrey, Hermione, and Ron. Yates tested Grint with the top five choices for Lavender, reading certain lines and kissing, to see which pairing had the best chemistry.

Realated sites links: