Us poor Muggles are just going to have to be patient. I know it's tough, what with the seventh book having hit shelves a while ago and the only chance of a new Harry Potter treat being the impending release of the sixth movie of the franchise, but we'll all just have to wait until July 2009 to satisfy our Harry Potter needs. Warner Bros Pictures has decided to push back the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to July 17, 2009 (it had been scheduled to hit theaters in November 2008).
Apparently the studio's 2009 summer schedule was looking a little bare and bumping Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince made sense in that it gives Warner Bros Pictures a guaranteed summer hit.
In a statement issued by the studio, Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer of Warner Bros said, "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."
But don't worry Harry Potter fans - this news doesn't alter the plans for films seven and eight. Jeff Robinov, President of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, stated, "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."
Director David Yates added his support to the decision to bump Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to 2009. "It has been a joy to work on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Dan, Rupert and Emma and all our returning young cast continue to blossom, and our new cast members bring fresh color and life to Hogwarts. Even as we put the finishing touches on this latest film, we are already beginning preparations on the final two films—we start filming in February—and I am excited to bring this remarkable series to the exciting and moving conclusion its loyal fans deserve."
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Official Synopsis
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. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.
Source: Warner Bros Pictures
