Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 opens today

The Beginning of The End is here...
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 opens today in Iloilo City theaters, and in theaters around the world as well. Today, November 18, 2010 is the official international release date of the first of the two-part final chapter of the Harry Potter series.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a 2010/2011 two-part epic fantasy film directed by David Yates, written by Steve Kloves and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film is produced by Rowling along with David Heyman and David Barron. The two parts form the seventh and final installment in the Harry Potter film series, with the story following Harry Potter on a quest to find and destroy Lord Voldemort's secret to immortality - the Horcruxes. The films star Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, alongside Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry's best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

No 3-D for Harry Potter 7

Warner Bros. axes new 'Harry Potter' in 3D
'Deathly Hallows, Part 1' will now only be released in 2D
By Gregg Kilday

Warner Bros. has scuttled plans to release its newest "Harry Potter" in 3D after deciding that it could not complete a successful 2D-to-3D conversion in time for the movie's release next month.

The studio said Friday that when "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1" arrives in theaters on Nov. 19, it will be in 2D, in both conventional theaters and Imax theaters, but that "we will not have a completed 3D version of the film within our release date window."

Warners still plans to release the final installment in the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" in both 2D and 3D when it opens July 15.

In a statement, the studio said: "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."

Director David Yates added: "This decision, which we completely support, underscores the fact that Warner Bros. has always put quality first." While producer David Heyman said, "For 10 years, we have worked alongside [Warners president] 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."

Working closely with the filmmakers, the studio had begun the conversion process, and according to Dan Fellman, Warners domestic distribution chairman, "the quality was exceptional," but with the clock ticking, it realized it would have to rush the work to complete it in time. "We made the decision because we want to protect the integrity of the franchise by making the best quality film we can," Fellman said.

Since the two installments of "Hallows" were shot back to back, the studio expects that it will have enough time to complete the conversion on "Part 2."

Recent 2D-to-3D conversions have been controversial, with many moviegoers and critics complaining about the look of the same studio's "Clash of the Titans," which underwent a similar conversion for release earlier this year.

While some fans expressed disappointment that the first part of "Hallows" won't be in 3D, others applauded the decision. "I'm REALLY GLAD that WB decided to not release it in 3D rather than a crappy post conversion and ruin the good name of HP," wrote one of the posters at Potter fan site theleakycauldron.com.

Warners experimented with the last two Potter movies by releasing Imax versions that did contain select 3D sequences. For example, the Imax version of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" featured a 15-minute opening sequence in 3D.

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows poster and trailer

All you Harry Potter fans have got something here to wet your pants with, and that's the cool teaser poster for Harry Potter (part 7) and the Deathly Hallows. And not only that, the trailer for the movies has been released too. This final chapter of the Harry Potter series is divided into two movies; Part I will be released on the 19th of November 2010 and Part II on the 15th of July 2011. Both parts will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures in 2D and 3D formats on their individual release dates. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be the first-and-only entry from the series to be entirely in 3D.

HARRY POTTER and the DEATHLY HALLOWS is directed by David Yates who helmed the previous two movies. David Heyman and David Barron serve as producers for the film and the screenplay is written by Steve Kloves, the screenwriter of the first four and sixth entries.

On the issue of dividing the final chapter of the Harry Potter saga into two parts, scriptwriter Steve Kloves has this to say:

"Years ago, we briefly — and seriously — considered doing Goblet of Fire as two films. So this concept is not altogether new. As for Deathly Hallows, I intuited — almost from the first moments I began reading it and certainly once I'd finished — that to realise the story in a single film was going to be a tall order. Others in 'the group' felt similarly. So the idea of two films began to get kicked around as early as late summer of 2007. We didn't take it lightly. But ultimately everyone felt that despite the challenges it would present, it was the most sound creative decision.

I'm sure some will think we're crazy. My wife looked at me cross-eyed when I first mentioned it. But I'm really excited about it because it should allow us to stretch a bit with the characters and give them the proper send-off. The story is highly emotional and those moments deserve time to breathe. And, personally, I feel we owe it to [author] Jo [Rowling] — in order to preserve the integrity of the work — and the fans — for their loyalty all these years — to give them the best and most complete experience possible."

It is interesting to note that this teaser poster is like a consistent contrast to the poster of the first movie; and the poster does spell it literally; "It All Ends Here"