Warner Bros. President Alan Horn announced that the studio has pushed back the release date of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from November 21th 2008 to a worldwide bow of July 17th 2009.
"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."
Jeffrey Robinov, President of WBP adds: "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.'"
Current and future franchise director David Yates chimed in: "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."
Since the studios are light in blockbusters next year thanks to the 100 day Writers Guild of America, strike the move makes perfect sense.
No comments:
Post a Comment