An extra Potter flick

I’m not particularly invested in the HARRY POTTER series (Cuaron’s entry was the only one that captured my interest yet), but that seems to put me in the minority. No doubt the millions upon millions of Harryheads or Potterites, or whatever they are labeled or call themselves, will be thrilled by the prospect of yet more boywizard.

It’s been rumored for a while, but is now official: the final book HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS shall be cleft in twain for its adaptation to feature film(s). The pair of Potters, simply subtitled PART I and PART II, will hit screens in November 2010 then May 2011. Director David Yates returns again for both halves. The formerly penultimate movie, HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, zips in on magic broom this November.

Producer David Heyman insists the decision wasn’t to squeeze more bucks from the franchise: “I swear to you it was born out of purely creative reasons. Unlike every other book, you cannot remove elements of this book. You can remove scenes of Ron playing quidditch from the fifth book, and you can remove Hermione and S.P.E.W. and those subplots . . . but with the seventh, that can’t be done.“