KPBS-FM Film Feature: "Harry Potter: It all Ends" By Beth Accomando Air date: July 8, 2012 HOST INTRO: In exactly one week it all ends. Not the world, just the "Harry Potter" film franchise. KPBS film critic Beth Accomando checks in to see how Potterfans are preparing for the final chapter. POTTER (ba).wav 3:55 (Music out at 4:55) Tag: You can see two "Harry Potter" films a night at the AMC Mission Valley and Reading Clairemont starting Monday, July 11 and ending on FridayJuly 15 at 12:01am with the premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." TZPOTTER.wav It all ends next Friday. So if you want to be the first in line for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," you better buy your tickets soon. HARRY MEDVED: Not only are the tickets going fast for the midnight shows but there's also a ticket package if you want to see all 8 films in a row, you can spend 4 nights at the AMC Mission Valley 20 and that's a hot seller too. Fandango's Harry Medved talks with KPBS film critic Beth Accomando about what's been called the most eagerly awaited film of the summer. That's just ahead on Morning Edition. --------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIP These are dark times, there is no denying... When we last saw Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort had just stolen the one item that might spell defeat for Harry and his friends. CLIP Harry Potter, the boy who lived, come to die... PALOMA HERRERA: 1043 I came out of "Harry Potter 7" and it was glorious and beautiful and I just died in there a little bit it. Paloma Herrera was at the midnight screening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1" back in November of last year. Fans like Megan Hermer shared Herrera's opinion of the film but were also eager for the sequel that wouldn't arrive for another 9 months. MEGAN HERMER: I can't wait that long I need to get one of Hermione's time travelers to speed things up. Well the wait is almost over now. As the posters tease: It all ends next Friday with the release of the final installment of the franchise, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." CLIP Trailer HP 7.2 HARRY MEDVED: There is a bit of a frenzy for tickets right now. Harry Medved, spokesman for the online ticketing company Fandango. HARRY MEDVED: We've seen over 2000 sold out show times nationwide and in San Diego itself in San Diego County, for instance at the Edwards Mira Mesa Stadium, I counted about 12 to 13 sold out show times. This is for next Thursday night at midnight. Tickets for "HP 7.2" have been on sale for almost a month and have consistently been in the top five ticket sales on a daily basis. HARRY MEDVED: It is the most anticipated movie of the year according to a poll onFandango. It's very possibly going to be the biggest film of the year. We're also finding that we have this one price ticket for $45 where you get top see all 8 movies over 4 nights... and that's a hot ticket as well. A hot ticket for die-hard fans who want all the movies fresh in their minds as they head into the final film. It's hard to believe that it's been a decadesince audiences were first introduced to the cherubic young cast -- and yes they were adorable, round facedadolescents back in 2001 when "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" arrived in theaters. CLIP: HERMIONE: Holy cricket, you're Harry Potter. I'm Hermione Granger and you are? RON: Ron Weasley. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have, like the characters, grown up with their fans. That may be one of the reason that fans are so invested inJ.K. Rowling's books and the subsequent films. Now many of the people you find waiting in line overnight for the new films are no longer elementary school kids and tweeners but rather teenagers like 18-year-old Anjela Fajardo. ANJELA FAJARDO: I grew up with Harry Potter. I read my first Harry Potter book when I was 8. And she's been loyal to the books and movies ever since. Last November she celebrated her 18th birthday by being first in line for "The Deathly Hallows Part 1." Although fans were eager to see how the films would bring their beloved books to an end, they were also happy to prolong their agony,says Michelle Courtney. MICHELLE COURTNEY 1041 It's the last one it's such a complex book there's no way to do it in one movie. Well the filmmakers' motives may not have been completely altruistic. Warner Brothers was none to eager to see its highly lucrative franchise come to an end and was happy to extend the book to two parts. The studio and filmmakers have also waited until the last film for 3-D. So "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" arrives in IMAX and 3-D on July 15. VOLDEMORT: Only I can live forever... For KPBS, I'm Beth Accomando. Music out
In exactly one week it all ends. Not the world, just the "Harry Potter" film franchise. You can see two "Harry Potter" films a night at the AMC Mission Valley and Reading Clairemont starting Monday, July 11 and ending on FridayJuly 15 at 12:01am with the premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." Listen to my radio feature.
When we last saw Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort had just stolen the one item that might spell defeat for Harry and his friends.
VOLDEMORT: Harry Potter, the boy who lived, come to die...
"I came out of 'Harry Potter 7, Part 1'" said Paloma Herrera, "And it was glorious and beautiful and I cried and I just died in there a little bit it."
Last November, Herrera was at the midnight screening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1." Fans like Megan Hermer shared Herrera's opinion of the film but were also eager for the sequel that wouldn't arrive for another 9 months.
"I can't wait that long," said Hermer, "I need to get one of Hermione's time travelers to speed things up."
Well the wait is almost over now. As the posters tease: It all ends next Friday with the release of the final installment of the franchise, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2."
SNAPE: We kept him alive so that he can die at the proper moment.
"There is a bit of a frenzy for tickets right now," said Harry Medved, spokesman for the online ticketing company Fandango. "We've seen over 2000 sold out show times nationwide and in San Diego itself in San Diego County, for instance at the Edwards Mira Mesa Stadium, I counted about 12 to 13 sold out show times. This is for next Thursday night at midnight."
Tickets for "HP 7.2" have been on sale for almost a month and have consistently been in the top five ticket sales on a daily basis.
"It is the most anticipated movie of the year according to a poll onFandango," according to Medved, "It's very possibly going to be the biggest film of the year. We're also finding that we have this one price ticket for $45 where you get top see all 8 movies over 4 nights... and that's a hot ticket as well."
A hot ticket for die-hard fans who want all the movies fresh in their minds as they head into the final film. It's hard to believe that it's been a decadesince audiences were first introduced to the cherub-like young cast -- and yes they were adorable, round facedadolescents back in 2001 when "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" arrived in theaters.
HERMIONE: Holy cricket, you're Harry Potter. I'm Hermione Granger and you are?
RON: Ron Weasley.
HERMIONE: Pleasure. You two better get into robes I expect we'll be arriving soon.
"I grew up with Harry Potter," Fajardo told me back in November at the premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1." " I read my first Harry Potter book when I was 8."
And she's been loyal to the books and movies ever since. Last November she celebrated her 18th birthday by being first in line for "The Deathly Hallows Part 1." Although fans were eager to see how the films would bring their beloved books to an end, they were also happy to prolong their agony.
"Oh I'm glad. It gives us something to look forward to. It's the last one it's such a complex book there's no way to do it in one movie," said Michelle Courtney
Well the filmmakers' motives may not have been completely altruistic. Warner Brothers was none to eager to see its highly lucrative franchise come to an end and was happy to extend the book to two parts. The studio and filmmakers have also waited until the last film for 3-D. So "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" arrives in IMAX and 3-D on July 15.
