Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Premieres Friday at Midnight
By Kelsey Carper
Fans of the Harry Potter franchise across the U.S. have a special treat lined up for this Friday at midnight: November 19 marks the premiere of part one of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”
The film is an adaptation of the final installment of the Harry Potter series, a book which sold a record of 8.3 million copies on opening day alone and around 44 million copies in its first year. The decision to divide the seventh book into two parts was originally conceived in 2004 for a previous film. Producer David Heyman said in an interview with The Times in London that “Deathy Hallows is so rich, the story so dense, and there is so much that is resolved that, after discussing it with [author] J.K. Rowling, we came to the conclusion that two parts were needed.” He further noted that the films will be a closer adaptation of the books than the previous films because of the length that a two-part adaptation entails.
A test screening of the film on August 26 gained rave reviews, labeling it as "amazing", "dark", and "the most perfect Harry Potter film to date". Part two will be released on July 15, 2011. Loyola University junior Arianna Valle is looking forward to seeing part one. “I’m going with a bunch of friends at midnight. I can’t wait to see it!” she said. Another student, junior Shiv Beverley, is also excited to see the film at the midnight showing. “I wish we didn’t have to wait eight months for the last one, but it’ll be nice to see such a faithful adaptation of my favorite book in the series.”
The film will be shown in a number of Baltimore-area theaters at midnight, including AMC Loew’s White Marsh 16, Rotunda Cinemas, and AMC Towson Commons 8, as well as the IMAX Theater at the Maryland Science Center. The times and sales information can be found at www.fandango.com.
