Production of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Encyclopedia
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the 2010/2011 two-part epic
finale of the Harry Potter film series
. Both parts, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
, are directed by David Yates
, written by Steve Kloves
and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling
. The films are produced by Rowling along with David Heyman
and David Barron
.
Principal photography for both parts began on and was completed on , with the final day of reshoots on 21 December 2010 marking the franchise's closure of ten years of filming. Part 1 was released in 2D and IMAX
formats on 19 November 2010, and Part 2 was released in 3D, 2D and IMAX formats on .
's final book into two parts came from the original declined proposal to split Goblet of Fire
in 2004. Deathly Hallows was shot back to back, and treated as if it were one film during principal photography. The idea to split the book into two films had been around since the middle of 2007, but only came into serious consideration after producer David Heyman
was able to talk to writer Steve Kloves
when the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
ended and Heyman had Rowling's approval. Kloves started his work on the script for the second part in April 2009.
According to Warner Bros.
executive Alan F. Horn
, it will allow "an extra hour and a half to celebrate what this franchise has been and do justice to all the words and ideas in the amazing story." Heyman described the workings behind the split: "Deathly Hallows is so rich, the story so dense and there is so much that is resolved that, after discussing it with J. K. Rowling, we came to the conclusion that two parts were needed." Kloves was not able to start work on the script until the WGA strike ended.
Before David Yates
was officially chosen to direct the films, others had expressed an interest in the job. Alfonso Cuarón
, director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
, had said that he would be tempted to return to direct. Guillermo del Toro
, who passed on Prisoner of Azkaban, had expressed interest in directing Deathly Hallows, but an increased workload over the production of The Hobbit ruled him out of the project.
Rowling was credited as producer on both parts alongside David Heyman and David Barron
, however David Yates noted that her participation in the filmmaking process did not change from the previous films. He stated that "it was time her name was up there" because she's "our biggest supporter" and "wants to be up there with us; it's a real privilege." Heyman noted that the films are a closer recreation of the books than the previous films because of the length a two-part adaptation entails.
Daniel Radcliffe
said that "This is a road movie, particularly in Part 1 of the film. People have been so used to seeing Harry Potter at Hogwarts and we're just not there for the first part of the film. That seems to have really freshened things up, and hopefully will get people seeing the films with fresh eyes again, because it's just a totally different look when you're not just sat in the same room the whole time." He also commented on the relationship between Harry and Voldemort in Part 2 saying that "Voldemort does absolutely kick six bells out of me, and that's what makes it effective, the fact that Harry's a kid having the crap beaten out of him. If it's Voldemort killing an adult – well, he does that loads in the films. To see him brutalising and desperately trying to kill a 17-year-old boy is hopefully going to shake some people up."
As maintained by producer David Heyman and director David Yates, Part 1 and Part 2 were treated as one film during production, but are ultimately two different films with separate tones and styles, connected only by the "linear narrative that runs through the middle". Yates commented on the contrast between the two parts, saying that Part 1 is a "road movie
" and "quite real", "almost like a vérité
documentary", while Part 2 is "much more operatic, colourful and fantasy-oriented
", a "big opera with huge battles."
Yates and Heyman have noted that some of the events of the seventh book had an effect on the way the sixth film
was written.
became the second studio location for shooting the seventh film. Bruno Delbonnel
, the Director of Photography for the sixth film, opted not to work on Deathly Hallows, as he was afraid of repeating himself. Eduardo Serra
was chosen to be the cinematographer
for Parts 1 and 2. Director David Yates said that the film will be shot with "loads of hand-held camera
s." He stated, "I want to shake things up every time I go into this world. I like experimenting as we go along." In October 2009, Ralph Fiennes
started filming his role as Lord Voldemort. Many of the adult actors also prepared for filming during that period. The crew also shot on location, with Swinley Forest
being the main outdoor filming area, along with the village of Lavenham
in Suffolk and the streets of the city of London.
On , filming finished in Pinewood Studios. However, Leavesden Studios was still occupied for further filming. Both Part 1 and Part 2 were filmed over a one and a half year period throughout the United Kingdom, finishing on 12 June 2010. Even though the shooting schedule was set at 250 days, the filming took 478 days to complete. Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson all openly wept on the last day, which seemed to end their ten years of work on the films. However, reshoots were confirmed to begin in the winter of 2010 for the film's final scene, "19 Years Later", which originally took place in London at King's Cross Station
. The filming was completed on 21 December 2010, marking the franchise's official closure of ten years of filming.
During production at Leavesden, Radcliffe's stunt double David Holmes
suffered a serious spinal injury during the filming of an aerial sequence, which left him paralysed. Holmes fell to the ground following an explosion which was part of the stunt.
shot a documentary highlighting the filmmaking process and the lives of the cast and crew on set. Producer David Heyman
said that "[It] shows the challenges of making the film – the tolls it takes on the actors and crew. It's not just pure gloss and everybody's happy. It's real. At the same time, it's really, really funny." Matthews had access to various creative departments behind the scenes as well as on set filming.
playing air guitar, production staff waving goodbye and the final scene of Daniel Radcliffe
, Rupert Grint
, and Emma Watson
. The last shot was of director David Yates
"getting into his car and driving away out of Leavesden" as confirmed by David Heyman.
Epic film
An epic is a genre of film that emphasizes human drama on a grand scale. Epics are more ambitious in scope than other film genres, and their ambitious nature helps to differentiate them from similar genres such as the period piece or adventure film...
finale of the Harry Potter film series
Harry Potter (film series)
The Harry Potter film series is a British-American film series based on the Harry Potter novels by the British author J. K. Rowling...
. Both parts, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 epic fantasy film directed by David Yates and the second of two films based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the eighth and final instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David...
, are directed by David Yates
David Yates
David Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
, written by Steve Kloves
Steve Kloves
Stephen Keith "Steven" Kloves is an Academy Award-nominated American screenwriter mainly renowned for his adaptations of novels, especially for the Harry Potter film series and for Wonder Boys...
and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling
Joanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series...
. The films are produced by Rowling along with David Heyman
David Heyman
David Jonathan Heyman is a British film producer and the founder of Heyday Films. He obtained the film rights to the Harry Potter series in 1999 and has produced all eight installments in the series of films.-Life and career:...
and David Barron
David Barron (film producer)
David Barron is a British film producer, best known for his involvement in the Harry Potter film franchise.-Career:David Barron worked as a producer on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2. He previously served as a producer on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry...
.
Principal photography for both parts began on and was completed on , with the final day of reshoots on 21 December 2010 marking the franchise's closure of ten years of filming. Part 1 was released in 2D and IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
formats on 19 November 2010, and Part 2 was released in 3D, 2D and IMAX formats on .
Development
The decision to divide J. K. RowlingJ. K. Rowling
Joanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series...
's final book into two parts came from the original declined proposal to split Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a 2005 fantasy film directed by Mike Newell and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fourth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman...
in 2004. Deathly Hallows was shot back to back, and treated as if it were one film during principal photography. The idea to split the book into two films had been around since the middle of 2007, but only came into serious consideration after producer David Heyman
David Heyman
David Jonathan Heyman is a British film producer and the founder of Heyday Films. He obtained the film rights to the Harry Potter series in 1999 and has produced all eight installments in the series of films.-Life and career:...
was able to talk to writer Steve Kloves
Steve Kloves
Stephen Keith "Steven" Kloves is an Academy Award-nominated American screenwriter mainly renowned for his adaptations of novels, especially for the Harry Potter film series and for Wonder Boys...
when the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
ended and Heyman had Rowling's approval. Kloves started his work on the script for the second part in April 2009.
According to Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
executive Alan F. Horn
Alan F. Horn
Alan F. Horn is the President & COO of Warner Bros. Entertainment. Horn also sits on the board of directors of Univision.Prior to Warner Bros., Horn served in various positions at 20th Century Fox and at Norman Lear's television production company, Tandem Productions...
, it will allow "an extra hour and a half to celebrate what this franchise has been and do justice to all the words and ideas in the amazing story." Heyman described the workings behind the split: "Deathly Hallows is so rich, the story so dense and there is so much that is resolved that, after discussing it with J. K. Rowling, we came to the conclusion that two parts were needed." Kloves was not able to start work on the script until the WGA strike ended.
Before David Yates
David Yates
David Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
was officially chosen to direct the films, others had expressed an interest in the job. Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
, director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a 2004 fantasy film directed by Alfonso Cuarón and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the third instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by Chris Columbus, David Heyman and Mark Radcliffe...
, had said that he would be tempted to return to direct. Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II, Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman, Federico Luppi and Doug Jones...
, who passed on Prisoner of Azkaban, had expressed interest in directing Deathly Hallows, but an increased workload over the production of The Hobbit ruled him out of the project.
Rowling was credited as producer on both parts alongside David Heyman and David Barron
David Barron (film producer)
David Barron is a British film producer, best known for his involvement in the Harry Potter film franchise.-Career:David Barron worked as a producer on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2. He previously served as a producer on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry...
, however David Yates noted that her participation in the filmmaking process did not change from the previous films. He stated that "it was time her name was up there" because she's "our biggest supporter" and "wants to be up there with us; it's a real privilege." Heyman noted that the films are a closer recreation of the books than the previous films because of the length a two-part adaptation entails.
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor who rose to prominence playing the titular character in the Harry Potter film series....
said that "This is a road movie, particularly in Part 1 of the film. People have been so used to seeing Harry Potter at Hogwarts and we're just not there for the first part of the film. That seems to have really freshened things up, and hopefully will get people seeing the films with fresh eyes again, because it's just a totally different look when you're not just sat in the same room the whole time." He also commented on the relationship between Harry and Voldemort in Part 2 saying that "Voldemort does absolutely kick six bells out of me, and that's what makes it effective, the fact that Harry's a kid having the crap beaten out of him. If it's Voldemort killing an adult – well, he does that loads in the films. To see him brutalising and desperately trying to kill a 17-year-old boy is hopefully going to shake some people up."
As maintained by producer David Heyman and director David Yates, Part 1 and Part 2 were treated as one film during production, but are ultimately two different films with separate tones and styles, connected only by the "linear narrative that runs through the middle". Yates commented on the contrast between the two parts, saying that Part 1 is a "road movie
Road movie
A road movie is a film genre in which the main character or characters leave home to travel from place to place. They usually leave home to escape their current lives.-History:...
" and "quite real", "almost like a vérité
Cinéma vérité
Cinéma vérité is a style of documentary filmmaking, combining naturalistic techniques with stylized cinematic devices of editing and camerawork, staged set-ups, and the use of the camera to provoke subjects. It is also known for taking a provocative stance toward its topics.There are subtle yet...
documentary", while Part 2 is "much more operatic, colourful and fantasy-oriented
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
", a "big opera with huge battles."
Yates and Heyman have noted that some of the events of the seventh book had an effect on the way the sixth film
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a 2009 fantasy film directed by David Yates and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the sixth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman and David Barron...
was written.
Filming
Pre-production began on , while filming began on at Leavesden Studios, where the previous six instalments were filmed. Pinewood StudiosPinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, approximately west of central London. The studios have played host to many productions over the years from huge blockbuster films to television shows to commercials to pop promos.The purchase of Shepperton...
became the second studio location for shooting the seventh film. Bruno Delbonnel
Bruno Delbonnel
Bruno Delbonnel is a French cinematographer.Delbonnel was born in Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France and graduated in 1978 from the ESEC ....
, the Director of Photography for the sixth film, opted not to work on Deathly Hallows, as he was afraid of repeating himself. Eduardo Serra
Eduardo Serra
Eduardo Serra is a cinematographer from Lisbon, Portugal, twice nominated for Academy Awards for Best Cinematography.From 1960 to 1963, Serra studied engineering at Lisbon's Instituto Superior Técnico, but he had to leave the country after his involvement in students' protests against Salazar's...
was chosen to be the cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
for Parts 1 and 2. Director David Yates said that the film will be shot with "loads of hand-held camera
Hand-held camera
Hand-held camera or hand-held shooting is a filmmaking and video production technique in which a camera is held in the camera operator's hands as opposed to being mounted on a tripod or other base. Hand-held cameras are used because they are conveniently sized for travel and because they allow...
s." He stated, "I want to shake things up every time I go into this world. I like experimenting as we go along." In October 2009, Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
started filming his role as Lord Voldemort. Many of the adult actors also prepared for filming during that period. The crew also shot on location, with Swinley Forest
Swinley Forest
Swinley Forest is a large expanse of English Crown Estate woodland mainly within the civil parishes of Windlesham in Surrey and Winkfield and Crowthorne in Berkshire.-Coverage:...
being the main outdoor filming area, along with the village of Lavenham
Lavenham
Lavenham is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It is noted for its 15th century church, half-timbered medieval cottages and circular walk. In the medieval period it was among the 20 wealthiest settlements in England...
in Suffolk and the streets of the city of London.
On , filming finished in Pinewood Studios. However, Leavesden Studios was still occupied for further filming. Both Part 1 and Part 2 were filmed over a one and a half year period throughout the United Kingdom, finishing on 12 June 2010. Even though the shooting schedule was set at 250 days, the filming took 478 days to complete. Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson all openly wept on the last day, which seemed to end their ten years of work on the films. However, reshoots were confirmed to begin in the winter of 2010 for the film's final scene, "19 Years Later", which originally took place in London at King's Cross Station
King's Cross station
King's Cross station may refer to::* London King's Cross railway station in London, England** King's Cross St. Pancras tube station for London Underground lines.** King's Cross Thameslink, a disused railway station in London, England...
. The filming was completed on 21 December 2010, marking the franchise's official closure of ten years of filming.
During production at Leavesden, Radcliffe's stunt double David Holmes
David Holmes (actor)
David Holmes is a former British actor and stunt performer.-Career:He was the stunt double for Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in the first six of the Harry Potter film series. Also goes by the name Taylor Potter Cividino while living in Eloy, AZ...
suffered a serious spinal injury during the filming of an aerial sequence, which left him paralysed. Holmes fell to the ground following an explosion which was part of the stunt.
The Deathly Hallows documentary
During filming of Deathly Hallows, British filmmaker Morgan MatthewsMorgan Matthews (filmmaker)
Morgan Matthews is an English, factual director. He is the founder of Minnow Films and has won many awards, including a BAFTA for his documentary ‘The Fallen’....
shot a documentary highlighting the filmmaking process and the lives of the cast and crew on set. Producer David Heyman
David Heyman
David Jonathan Heyman is a British film producer and the founder of Heyday Films. He obtained the film rights to the Harry Potter series in 1999 and has produced all eight installments in the series of films.-Life and career:...
said that "[It] shows the challenges of making the film – the tolls it takes on the actors and crew. It's not just pure gloss and everybody's happy. It's real. At the same time, it's really, really funny." Matthews had access to various creative departments behind the scenes as well as on set filming.
The Golden Board
Throughout the production of Deathly Hallows, the filmmakers formed a video which showed cast and crew members holding up a board which displayed how many days they were into production and how many days left until the end. Some of the footage included actor Robbie ColtraneRobbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane, OBE is a Scottish actor, comedian and author. He is known both for his role as Dr...
playing air guitar, production staff waving goodbye and the final scene of Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor who rose to prominence playing the titular character in the Harry Potter film series....
, Rupert Grint
Rupert Grint
Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint is an English actor, who rose to prominence playing Ron Weasley, one of the three main characters in the Harry Potter film series. Grint was cast as Ron at the age of 11, having previously acted only in school plays and at his local theatre group...
, and Emma Watson
Emma Watson
Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson is an English actress and model.Watson rose to prominence playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series. Watson was cast as Hermione at the age of nine, having previously acted only in school plays. From 2001 to 2011, she starred in all eight Harry Potter...
. The last shot was of director David Yates
David Yates
David Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
"getting into his car and driving away out of Leavesden" as confirmed by David Heyman.