Warner Bros. will release Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in two installments to be directed by David Yates (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince). In dividing the screen adaptation into two parts, the studio will be able to capture more of the magic of J.K. Rowling’s final Potter chapter, and, more importantly, get a bit more mileage out of a property that may have reached its end.
Screenwriter Steve Kloves, who worked on the last five Potter films, is banging out a screenplay and producer David Heyman, who first brought the property to Warner Bros. in 1997, will finish out a successful run as producer of all of the pics in the series. David Barron will also continue as producer.
‘Over ten years ago, we made a commitment to Jo Rowling that, above all else, we would be faithful and true to the spirit of her books, and ever since we have endeavored never to compromise on the creative ambitions of the films,’ Heyman comments. ‘The Deathly Hallows is so rich, the story so dense and there is so much that is resolved that after discussing it with Jo, we came to the conclusion that two parts were needed to do it justice.’
Part one of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will open during the 2010 holiday season, with part two to follow closely in the summer of 2011. Both parts will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
