Next 'Harry Potter' film delayed

Hogwarts fans looking for something to do this holiday season will have to settle for the December release of J.K. Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard.

Warner Bros. announced Thursday that it is delaying the release date for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until next summer. The film had been expected to be released later this year.

"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," Warner Bros. President Alan Horn said in a statement. "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."

Warner Bros. pictures group president said the release change, to July 17, 2009, will not affect the production for any future Potter films. The studio plans to do the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as a two-part movie.

On the bright side, scientists are apparently closer to developing a real invisibility cloak.

[ywkhgqo]

BOOOOOOOOO

[toddvj]

aww, that's ****** ********.

[Im4everawesome]

What about those that were planning to attend the November Premiere Screening (and already bought airline tickets to fly to London), What about every one who saw the "November" at the end of the trailer after Mummy (and got really excited), what about all the world release date that WB had just sent out a week or two ago, what about the Half Blood Prince Video game being released in November (are they going to move that back too, even while the new trailer for the game that was released yesterday said "November"), what about all us loyal Harry Potter fans who have been anxiously counting down the days until November 21st (and now we have to wait an extra 8 months)! Why this late WB, why not have made the decision earlier this year? We know it's all for the money but I mean seriously how much more would you make from a Summer Release. WHY WB, WHY?!

[blakestar]

"The studio plans to do the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as a two-part movie."

Milk it, milk it!

[tom_n_terrihand]

The reasoning (and I agree) for making the last book into two movies is because of the complexity of the storyline and the amount of stuff that just can't be glossed over like they've done with the past movie adaptations.

But I think announcing one date and then delaying 8 months is really a sorry thing to do for the loyal fans of the franchise. And truth be told: I couldn't give a &*^% about the Bard story.

[this1!]

why the hell is this on cnet

[The_Decider]

The best way to complain is to organize mass boycotts next summer. But you Potter nerds will cave in, go see it and break box office records.

No wonder businesses pull BS like this, you let them get away with it!

[dgs368]

The best way in not to boycott the film (cut your nose off to spite your face) but to boycott all Warner Brothers films! save some money and .... Horn

[illbhis4eva]

that's ridicilous for at least 2 reasons... one, im a very big harry potter fan, and was counting down the days til opening night, it was a big slap in the face when i saw these articles on the internet. also, i recall last summer, wb wouldn't changed the date of harry potter OotP for the book to be released on 7-7-07, because the said they can't have the book and the movie open in the same week and that wb wouldn't change their date. THAT'S BS! if they couldn't change the movie date for the book, then why can they movie this movie, for NO REASON, besides them getting more money. and to tell the truth, they won't get more money. it's harry potter, people. the fans were deffenitly watch it no matter what!

and no, sadly boycotts wont work.
but i would deffenitly boycott, just for the fact that the last movie sucked.

[Rialtus]

Geez, from the rabid fan reaction, you would have thought that Paramount had announced that the next Star Trek movie was delayed after they had announced a released date.

Oh wait...

[ev61]

Well, after seeing what TDK did with a summer release, it really isn't surprising.

[The_Decider]

The biggest grossing films are almost always in the summer, TDK isn't some new rule.

[SactoGuy018]

The only thing that does worry me is that the release date of "Half-Blood Prince" could be literally right in the middle of principal photography for both "Deathy Hallows" movies, and that could be PR disaster for Time Warner since they might not be able to use Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint on world premiere showings outside of satellite feeds from the studios used to film "Deathly Hallows."

[The_Decider]

That worries you? Amazing.

People are going to see it regardless of where these kids are photographed or even if they are.

Harry Potter is the epitome of mediocrity which is why it is so successful. The world worships mediocrity and shuns originality.

[MuscialJeans]

OMG how unfair is that???? Fair enough if they really HAVE to delay it, but a whole 8 months?!?!?! That's so mean and awful!! They're letting down all those fans for nothing, the film's made, why does the Writer's Strike effect it? Honestly...

[sterlingcoo]

Bummer, was really looking forward to it. Oh weeeeellllll, I can wait. This is my fav movie series, maybe it's a good thing that the eventual end of it has been delayed also.

[betsyg7]

Go to the warnerbros.com website and post a comment under FEEDBACK in the bottom right. You can also go to www.petitionspot.com and sign the petition. Don't let the suits do this--money hungry morons!

[The_Decider]

You can post and whine all you want on the internet, but unless boycotts can be organized that seriously impact the grosses, nothing will change.