Would Columbus get rid of Cuaron?

[tiggereh1987]

Hi All,

A couple comments in reply:

Keith said:
Getting critical raves and an Oscar nod will mean NOTHING to Warner -
 they're ONLY interested in the bottom line!
Now Me:
An Oscar nod certainly will mean something to Warner Brothers.  How 
can it not?  It would legitimize the entire Harry Potter franchise 
and prove that it's not just a kid's book turned into a movie to 
make more money.  It would show that it is truly a good film by 
itself.

Keith Said:
If the movie does badly (and it could very well do badly, Cuaron is 
taking one hell of a risk by radically departing from JKR's set 
story line) even Curaon's getting the Best Director Oscar is not 
going to make a difference to Warner - they'll see to it that Curaon 
gets the boot together with the imprint (you know where) faster than 
Daniel Radcliff can say "Firebolt"!

Now Me:
How do we know that Cuaron is departing from JKR's set story line?  
PoA is a very involved book, with several different story lines.  
Just because Wood and Flint are not part of the cast doesn't mean 
that he has changed everything.  Also, I thought Kloves was the 
writer, not Cuaron. Cuaron may have a say in the final edit, but my 
understanding is that JKR has the final say about what stays and 
goes in the movies (as she is the only one who knows how the series 
ends.)  IMHO, JKR would NOT allow a radical departure from the 
established canon.  I'm sure it's in the contract that JKR and WB 
have that JKR has final say about the script.  And lastly, why would 
Warner spend time and energy fighting with JKR?  That just doesn't 
make sense.  JKR owns the concept; Warner strictly owns the rights 
to the movies.  She has created one of the biggest phenomenons of 
the modern age and seems to know what she is doing!  

Keith said:
The problem with the Harry Potter property (and you can be sure that 
Warner Bros. treats as such) is that the money lies with the massive 
number of patrons who've read the book and want to see what they've 
read faithfully rendered on screen - because if this, all of the 
four movies have an instant audience - and this is the massive 
audience that Columbus made use of. 

Me again:
While I enjoyed the first two movies, I do not think that Columbus 
is the be all and end all of all movies Harry Potter!  He is a 
talented director, but he is certainly not the greatest director who 
ever lived.  Warner was smart in using him for the first two movies, 
as Columbus has more experience with franchises, but I have never 
thought he is the only director who would make a Harry Potter 
Movie.  As far as Warner Brothers treating Harry Potter as a 
property
it is!  Something as big as Harry should only be treated as 
such, IMHO.


Keith Said:
If Curaon pleases the audience, this is no big deal, 
Now Me:
Of course it's a big deal
it will show that another director is able 
to bring Harry to life on the screen.

Keith:
BUT if he displeases that preset audience, even critical raves and 
an Oscar nod's not going to make an iota of a difference! 

Me:
Sure it will.  Warner is gambling a LOT of money on Harry Potter.  I 
doubt that the audience will be displeased with the movie.  Does it 
matter that Quidditch is not a major aspect of the movie?  Yes and 
no.  Yes, because it is part of the book.  No, because the longest 
running time that Warner will be able to get away with is 3 hours 
(maybe a smidge over) and I would rather see less Quidditch than 
less Sirius, or less of the dementors, or less of the time turner, 
or less of Lupin.  I think the only way the majority of the audience 
would be displeased would be if JKR herself said that the script 
deviated too much from the book and she doesn't like what was done.

Keith Said (I've abbreviated it for space)
I've seen another little movie (made by the gr8 Curaon himself) 
called "Great Expectations" and a fine mess he made of that one; 
Curaon made changes so drastic that he even saw it fit to change the 
name of the protogonist from Pip to Finn 

Now Me:
Well, again, I think that this is an unfair statement.  Cuaron 
didn't WRITE the screenplay, he directed it.  Besides, many classic 
stories have been modernized and have been very good (or very bad – 
no one is perfect).  

Keith said:
In any case, this Harry Potter fan is afraid, very afraid!

And lastly, me:
I'm sorry you are afraid
I am looking forward to a new director's 
take on the Harry Potter world.  We can only hope that the film is 
as well done as the first two films, but that could be said about 
any of new director. 

Leigh
"It is not our abilities that tell us what we truly are ... it is 
our choices. " Albus Dumbledore
"Snakes...why'd it have to be snakes?"  Indiana Jones
"Why spiders?  Why couldn't it be 'follow the butterflies?'" Ron 
Weasley
"You ought to be more careful. People with think you're.. up..to 
something." Severus Snape 
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus