In fact, many have called it the best of the series.
Since he was cool to talk about everything, we spent almost thirty minutes discussing all three films.
It’s a great interview and a must-read if you’re a “Harry Potter” fan.
CL
Warning: Spoilers are discussed.
Since the interview is quite long, here are some of the highlights:
Here’s the full interview.
DAVID HEYMAN: I know.
It’s…that’s why I say it’s a good day.
I thought it might do okay.
And so how did this thing turn out so good?
I mean with the Bonds, they have to invent new stories each and every time.
We don’t have to do that.
We have Jo’s books.
And I think people seem to be enjoying that.
You know, the romance and the relationships.
With like the Prime Minister and stuff?
HEYMAN: Oh, yes.
To then have the funeral felt like it was one step too many.
People still have the book to go back to.
HEYMAN: You know surprisingly few, oddly enough.
You know, putting his arm around celebrities.
There were probably around 25 or 30 of these and only a handful ended up in the final film.
So David Yates put together a little montage of all of those, which I think is a treat.
The awkwardness is quite voracious, aggressive, enthusiastic young girl is trying to get Ron’s attention.
It’s very funny.
How would you describe to people maybe the tone of Part 1 vs. Part 2?
Are you guys taking a different approach to the different parts?
HEYMAN: Well, I’d say that Part 1 is a road movie.
You know Harry, Ron and Hermione are on the run.
It’s quite naturalistic in the way it’s been shot.
And I think the 2ndhalf is more operatic with the huge, great battle for Hogwarts.
I really feel that way as we’re in it.
Probably shouldn’t say that with the 6thfilm out now but I really do feel that.
I have no problem hearing that.
Or are you sort of…
HEYMAN: Oh no, no, no.
Because it wouldn’t work that way for actor’s schedules, you know?
That’s one reason.
When do you actually film in the schedule the ending of the movie-of Part 2?
HEYMAN: That’ll be one of the last scenes we film.
I would imagine that would be a very emotional day on-set.
HEYMAN: Yes it will.
It will be an emotional day on-set.
We are a…I know it’s kind of boring but we are like one happy family.
He’s the post-production supervisor.
So, you know, people have grown up in this film-in this series-and it’ll be really sad.
It’ll be an emotional day when the shooting crew says goodbye for the last time.
I’m curious, the running time on Part 6 is 2-1/2 hours.
For me, I love it.
I have no problems with it.
HEYMAN: I don’t know is the honest answer.
I mean we have a finished script for Part 1 and we’re still working on Part 2.
And both scripts are 120 pages or so.
They will end up being the length they will be.
It’s funny, Steve the other day called me and said “You know what?
This actually almost material for three.
We don’t go in there with a length in mind.
Really that’s a fairly organic process.
The film finds it’s length.
HEYMAN: I have no idea.
We haven’t really talked about that.
I’m sure there’ll be all sorts of marketing maneuvers and opportunities that we’ll discuss.
Is it too much having films so close together, etc, etc.
So we began talking, having initial talks.
We had no decision or discussion about where the 1sttrailer’s going to be.
I’m sure the DVD’s will find themselves repackage every which way over the coming years.
And you got away with a PG rating on Part 6.
I mean it’s not like anything we went for or could have predicted.
It was just something that the rating board felt that the film deserved.
Maybe looser, the darkness may be leavened by the comedy.
I’m somewhat surprised that this didn’t too.
HEYMAN: I don’t think you go…we don’t discuss PG-13 or PG.
We try and get an indication of is this too dark?
Is this going to push us towards an R?
But anything less than an R we’re comfortable with.
An R is not acceptable, obviously.
The PG or PG-13 is fine.
It’s just whatever the film will abide.
You mentioned that your shoot for Part 7 is 250 days.
What was your shoot for movie 6?
How many days was it?
HEYMAN: I can’t remember exactly but it was over 130.
So for your 2-parter it’s pretty much just doubling everything?
With the 2 parts that you’re filming now, what is the longest part of the shoot?
Like what scene are you guys planning on spending the most time on?
HEYMAN: The final battle.
And how many days have you allotted?
I’m a huge fan of the book.
The ending of Book 7 is really climatic in so many ways.
Is that going to be like a 20-minute part of the movie or a 30-minute part of the movie?
Have you guys already started thinking about that?
I mean we’ve got a script version of it.
And there are 2 parts to the battle.
I know exactly what you mean.
HEYMAN: Yeah, so in a way there’s a couple of different parts to that battle.
And in the book, actually, Harry doesn’t do much fighting back.
I just said well, there’s more engagement in our version of the final battle.
It can go either way, you know?
HEYMAN: Well, you know I had a few films that came out last year.
Now I’m working on a few things.
There’s “Paddington Bear”, which is a classic British tale about an immigrant bear.
So I’m excited about that.
I’m actually not familiar with that.
And there’s various other projects, you know?
And that’s going to be really fun.
How has the economic uncertainty affected some of your future projects?
HEYMAN: Well, I think it certainly will affect the smaller independent ones.
You know you look at the specialty arms of the studios-they’re gone.
I think that’s real.
We really make an effort to tell good stories in the best way possible.
HEYMAN: Well I tell you what the fundamental difference is, we have incredible source material.
You know we have Jo Rowling.
And so we have a great story in both movies.
And I can assure you that there will be no quality compromised in any way at all.
HEYMAN: I have no idea.
I think we should just people enjoy 6 for awhile before we go out with the trailers.
It’s still November 2010 is a long way away.
HEYMAN: I know.
It has to give a nice little energy boost.
HEYMAN: It’s funny you say that because that’s exactly what David Yates said.
He said that to me today.
I spoke to him tonight.
He said, you know what?
And I think the cast and crew has been really galvanized by the response.
