HP and the Happy Ending

[joanne0012]

No: HPFGUIDX 32542

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., corrie71 at a... wrote:
>  When JKR was originally a young powerless author shopping 
> the HP books around to the publishers, she would have had to present a 
> synopsis of the entire series (including the projected ending).
> 
> >    It occurs to me that  WB  probably asked some very pointed 
> >  questions about the planned ending of the series before 
> >  committing to make movies of all seven books. Big money 
> >  producers don't like unhappy endings. (Further discussion of 
> >  this should go to HP_Movie)

Neither WB nor Rowling's original publisher (Bloomsbury) made commitments to 
produce all 7 of the stories (either books or films). 

Even though WB has the rights to produce all 7 films, this does not oblige them 
to follow through -- they will do whatever makes sense financially. Hollywood is 
always buying up rights that are never used -- the advantages are that (usually) 
rights bought far in advance of a hit are cheaper (this was certainly the case for 
WB) and furthermore then if something does become a bestseller, nobody else 
can buy it at any price!  

The decision to publish HP/PS was based on the first ms and the premise of 
others for Hrry's later school years, not on a revealing synopsis of the entire 
series.

http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/faq/faq_rowling.html#Origin%20of%20t
he%20Harry%20Potter