The future of the HP movies (was Re: Why on earth...)

[therealmarajade]

Okay, this is my first post in this group, but when I read this 
particular discussion, I just had to add my two cents (or knuts ;)).

BTW, my name is Debora, a.k.a. TheRealMaraJade or TRMJ, and besides 
being a HP fan, I'm a HUGE Star Wars fan too. =)

About the actors' ages and the possibility of them being replaced in 
future movies. I don't think that will happen because of their age, 
but it could possible happen if they are offered other jobs 
(especially if the money is better), as someone already said. I do 
hope that they continue to work in all seven HP movies, but it might 
not happen. But I don't think that their aging will interfere with 
they being cast (all the examples you guys used apply here). It's up 
to them, really. Their age isn't really a problem. And I was sure 
that all the actors (including Richard Harris) only signed for the 
first 2 movies, but I may be wrong.

And I'm sure that you heard that PoA is going to be released in 2004. 
That would give us a hiatus of two years between the screening of the 
movies, and perhaps between the actual filming too. And that could be 
a good thing. First, the actors wouldn't age too much (if 12 years 
old Draco can be played by 14 years old Tom Felton, why can't 14 
years old Ron be played by 16 years old Rupert?), and then not only 
the actors but also the director Chris Columbus could have a break 
from the HP movies. I read somewhere that Columbus wanted to direct 
all movies, but that he wouldn't be able to unless he had a break 
between movies. He said he needed that break to spend some time with 
his family in America, which is completely understandable. 

As for me, I hope Chris Columbus directs all the movies. I know he 
directed some bad movies, like `Bicentennial Man'. But he did some 
amazing work too. I mean, he did the scripts for `Gremlins' and that 
young Sherlock Holmes movie, and those were pretty good! They were 
fun and they had also some kind of darkness around them. Therefore I 
think Chris could handle the growing darkness of HP pretty nicely. 
And we already know that he is as faithful to the books as possible. 
Imagine if Steven Spielberg directs the third movie. As much as I 
like Spielberg, and IMHO he is a great director, his talent can only 
be truly shown and appreciated in his own movies. Look at A.I for an 
example. He wanted to do it as close to Stanley Kubrick's work as 
possible, but he failed. The end of the movie had too much of 
Spielberg in it. If it were a Spielberg movie from the start, it 
could have had a different impact upon me. But it was a Kubrick 
project. And I felt disappointed. Besides, Spielberg probably 
wouldn't accept Rowling's interference as well as Columbus.

Besides, during this two years hiatus, Daniel, Rupert, Emma and the 
rest of the cast could make other movies. That way it would become 
less likely that they would leave the HP movies franchise.

And, at last, about GoF. They have to do it in two parts. It's 
completely impossible to make a 2.5 hours movie and tell everything 
that happens in the book. I was considering where they could cut the 
book in two parts, and I think they could do it after the First Task. 
It's the exact middle of the GoF British edition, and it would not 
only have a very exciting end with the dragons but also a happy end. 
After all, it's after the First Task that Ron and Harry talk to each 
other again. =)

Well, just some random thoughts. I hope my grammar was okay. English 
isn't my first language, but I made an effort to write it correctly. 
=)

Debora

"That was bloody brilliant!" 
-- Ron Weasley, `Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' --