Harry Potter Fan Zone

Bellatrix Lestrange ‘Deathly Hallows: Part 1’ poster

17 October 2010 at 06:07 GMT

Check out a new poster for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 featuring Bellatrix Lestrange and the tagline, “the hunt begins”.

You can see more of the “hunt begins” character posters by clicking here.

Check out Dobby in a new ‘Deathly Hallows: Part 1’ poster

14 October 2010 at 23:11 GMT

Warner Bros. has released a new promotional poster for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, this time featuring Dobby the house-elf.

Exclusive interview with Andy Linden, Mundungus Fletcher in ‘Deathly Hallows’

12 October 2010 at 11:22 GMT

I recently had the pleasure of chatting to Andy Linden, the actor who will portray Mundungus Fletcher in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Although Mundungus appears in a number of the Harry Potter books, this is the first time we’ll see him brought to life on screen.

Harry Potter Fan Zone (HPFZ): How did you come to be cast as Mundungus Fletcher?

Andy Linden (AL): I’ll be brutally honest with you; a bit of nepotism came into play there as it does with showbiz. I’ve worked with David Yates before. I did an art house movie with him many years ago when the world was flat [laughs]. Then I had a small role in State of Play, a quite successful TV series, so he [kept] me in mind for Mundungus Fletcher.

HPFZ: Were you a Harry Potter fan at all? Had you read the books or seen the films?

AL: I’d read the last book actually. The thing is you see I’m pushing fifty-seven, so at my time of life it was more Lord of the Rings in terms of fantasy. I was in my forties [when the first Harry Potter book was released] and I wouldn’t have known about Harry Potter, but in my youth it was Tolkien really.

HPFZ: Did you read up on the books once you’d been cast or go back and check what your character got up to?

AL: Yes, I did. I read the last one – the one that I was involved in – and I started watching the movies just to get a feel and shape of things to come.

HPFZ: When did you start filming Deathly Hallows?

AL: That would have been late February/early March 2009. I do believe mine was the very first scene [shot].

HPFZ: Was that the Seven Potters scene?

AL: No, that was later on. This was a scene in Diagon Alley. The scene is set where it’s absolutely chucking it down. It’s [raining] relentlessly. Needless to say, I was quite the big drip all day.

HPFZ: Could you talk about what other scenes Mundungus appears in? There’s another scene in the book where he gets attacked by a house-elf.

AL: Yes, Dobby and Kreacher attack him in the kitchen. I do believe it’s Kreacher that brings him back from Diagon Alley because he stole the [locket]. Eventually, he’s questioned by the three of them regarding it. There are three very good scenes and it’s a lovely little cameo. I had such a great time doing it.

HPFZ: Does Mundungus appear in Deathly Hallows: Part II at all?

AL: No, alas, Mundungus is not in Part II which is a shame really, but he’s a joy to play.

HPFZ: What was it like doing special effects scenes for example transforming into Harry?

AL: Time consuming [laughs]. It’s all highly technical so consequently all the scenes are broken up if you know what I mean. You’re kind of acting to nothing really. It’s hundreds of little series of eye liners and pulling faces and trying to anticipate what’s coming next.

HPFZ: Daniel Radcliffe mentioned that that sequence took ninety-five takes to film.

AL: Yes, and that really wasn’t the inability of the actors. It was technical. It was [the crew] having so much coverage that they’re spoiled for choice if you know what I mean.

HPFZ: Did you get to ride on a broom as well?

AL: Yes, I did [laughs] but in the guise of Harry Potter. By then everybody had taken the Polyjuice [Potion]. Consequently, we’re all decoys. That particular scene took a long, long time simply because Daniel had to replicate all our different expressions and movements.

HPFZ: It sounds like it was a pretty intense process.

AL: Yeah, somewhat elongated shall we say. But I had a great time on Harry Potter. I thought the cast were wonderful; the crew are fantastic as well. You’ve got a crew there that know exactly what they’re doing. They’ve been doing it for ten years and you’re in good hands.

HPFZ: Finally, in the books, Mundungus is a big one for hoarding souvenirs. Were you able to take any souvenirs away from your experience on Harry Potter?

AL: I would love to say yes, but I couldn’t really. They’re quite precious when it comes to props and costume. Even script, you’ve got to guard it with your life. I’ve taken away from it some good memories.

Harry Potter Fan Zone would like to thank Andy for his time in putting together this interview.

Four new ‘Deathly Hallows’ character posters

12 October 2010 at 06:43 GMT

Warner Bros. has released four new character banners promoting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I.

‘Deathly Hallows’ orchestrator provides new soundtrack info

11 October 2010 at 00:27 GMT

Conrad Pope, the orchestrator for the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I soundtrack, has provided another update via his Facebook page. The score, which is composed by Alexandre Desplat, is due for release on November 16th. Recording began in September.

Back in L.A. after working on HP7 for Alexandre Desplat. The score adds a new dimension to Potter. Wish I could be more specific and share all my thoughts and news but I’ve promised the producers my silence until the picture is released. So, everyone with questions: please know they’ll be all answered soon enough. For me, it’s on to the next panic…. I mean project! (Actually HP was a delight, as these things go)

Last month, Pope also provided information regarding some of the themes we should expect in the score.

27 August: Working on Alexandre Desplat’s new score for the next “Potter”. Exciting, vigorous music! Harry flies, fights and conjures. All accompanied by the distinctive, definitely non-generic voice of Desplat. Those who love melodies, harmonies and emotions in their film scores should be pleased. Reminds one of the old days. Stay tuned.

24 September: Just finished the first week with the LSO of recording Alexandre Desplat’s score to “HP7”. Harry Potter now occupies a new musical universe. For Lovegood AD has written a charming, “groovin'” theme. Dobby, too, is given a new “voice”. The emotional music reaches its climax in Ron’s speech in the “wilderness” where the poetry of AD conveys the emotion in a single chord’s voicing. Stay tuned.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I will be released on November 19.

‘Deathly Hallows: Part I’ won’t be in 3D

8 October 2010 at 23:27 GMT

Warner Bros. today announced that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I will not be released in 3D.

Warner Bros Pictures has made the decision to release “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” in 2D, in both conventional and IMAX theaters, as we will not have a completed 3D version of the film within our release date window. Despite everyone’s best efforts, we were unable to convert the film in its entirety and meet the highest standards of quality. We do not want to disappoint fans who have long-anticipated the conclusion of this extraordinary journey, and to that end, we are releasing our film day-and-date on November 19, 2010 as planned. We, in alignment with our filmmakers, believe this is the best course to take in order to ensure that our audiences enjoy the consummate “Harry Potter” experience.

Producer David Heyman said, “For 10 years, we have worked alongside Alan Horn and the studio, whose priority has always been to preserve the integrity of Jo Rowling’s books as we have adapted them to the screen, and this decision reflects that commitment.”

Director David Yates continued, “This decision, which we completely support, underscores the fact that Warner Bros. has always put quality first.”

As scheduled, on July 15, 2011, we will deliver to conventional and IMAX theaters our final installment of the film franchise, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,” in both 2D and 3D formats.

Evanna Lynch talks Luna Lovegood on the set of ‘Deathly Hallows’

7 October 2010 at 11:27 GMT

Following on from our set visit piece the other day, we can now bring you the full interview with Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) from the set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We’ll have more with Evanna (part two related quotes) next year.

Question: I’m curious if you could talk a little bit about when you first got the seventh book. Where were you? What was your reaction to reading it?

Lynch: Yeah, I was invited to J.K. Rowling’s big thing in the History Museum in London. I went all dressed up and everything as usual and didn’t get recognised. Lucky. And, yeah, I read it in my hotel really quickly. My reaction, yeah, I was a bit overwhelmed. You know when you’re a fan you want to take it all in but you feel guilty when you put the book down because it’s like, “there’s stuff I don’t know in there”. I read it in a rush and sort of cried for ages after.

Question: You’re sort of the ultimate dream come true fan because you became a character in the films and now you’re seeing it to the end here. What’s that like for you? I mean, this was kind of your first acting job. You’ve been with this franchise for a while now and now it’s coming to an end, what does that feel like for you?

Lynch: Yeah, weird I know. Someone asked me on set, “do you still get excited coming on?”. I don’t get used to it at all. And I feel really sad because I don’t feel like I was one of the actors. I feel like I was a really big fan. You know, sure I could act but I don’t know what will happen, whether I’ll be back in films again. I hope so. It is like it’s a dream. What’s going to happen after? My whole life has been structured around it.

Question: Has it sunk in quite yet?

Lynch: It did a while ago because in all the interviews we do people ask us how you are feeling now that it’s ending. But then one of the days we were watching the Half Blood Prince DVD and there was just loads of scenes of us together and I just started crying and I just couldn’t stop … We were in the Room of Requirement and it feels like there was sort of symbolism because my first scene when I started was in the Room of Requirement and I was just really shy and everyone was learning. That’s the thing. Everyone has their wands [casting] the Patronus and that time we were doing the last scenes in the Room of Requirement and I just feel that it’s like a room where they learn everything, where they all grow up. They all leave the room, they are all sort of going into battle. To me it seems like leaving childhood, like leaving Harry Potter and going out into the adult world and battling. So yeah that really upset me.

Read the full article.

Seven new ‘Deathly Hallows character banners

7 October 2010 at 00:21 GMT

Warner Bros. has released seven new character banners from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows via the Harry Potter UK Facebook page.