http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7293513.stm
Last Updated: Thursday, 13 March 2008 Final Potter film split in half The seventh and final Harry Potter book will be adapted for the big screen in two parts, Warner Bros has confirmed. The announcement comes after producer David Heyman admitted it was impossible to cram Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows' 608 pages into a single movie. "You cannot remove elements of this book," he told the Los Angeles Times. Fans of the series have been left disappointed in the past when key scenes, including Quidditch matches, were excised for the film adaptations. Star Daniel Radcliffe told the Los Angeles Times that splitting JK Rowling's final book in two was the only sensible option for the film-makers. "There have been compartmentalised subplots in the other books that have made them easier to cut - although those cuts were still to the horror of some fans," he told the paper. "The seventh book doesn't really have any subplots. It's one driving, pounding story from the word go." In a statement, Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros, added that the split release was "the best way to do the book, and its many fans, justice". 'Exhilarating journey' The Kill Bill strategy will also have the benefit of boosting profits at the film studio. The first five movies have made $4.5 billion (£2.2 billion) worldwide - making it the biggest film franchise in box office history, surpassing both James Bond and Star Wars. Filming for the sixth chapter in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, began in September last year. It is being directed by David Yates, who will also helm the final two films. "I consider it a great privilege to continue to bring Jo's extraordinary world to the screen, and to be the director to complete this epic and exhilarating journey," he said. The first instalment of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows is due in autumn 2010, with part two scheduled for the following summer.
