'Deathly Hallows - Part 2' passes 'Prisoner of Azkaban,' has grossed $834 million worldwide

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 brought in $48 million over the weekend here in the United States, coming in behind Captain America: The First Avenger.

The film dropped 72 percent at the box office, the worst for any Harry Potter film.

However, according to Box Office Mojo, the fall is due more to the film's record-setting opening than how movie-goers felt about the film.

The final installment is still topping the charts overseas, and through Sunday has made $834 million worldwide, passing Prisoner of Azkaban

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Emma watson and harry potter scans

Harry potter and the deathly hallows part2 movie review

The “Boy Who Lived,” or the boy who died? At last, the second-part finale of the famed Harry Potter novels, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, finishes the series with its final, majestic spell.

With time drawing near to the final confrontation, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is trapped within a warring society, imprisoned within the confines of his own destiny in a war he cannot fight alone. His only hope for justice lies in destroying the horcruxes, which secure the immortality of Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). However, at every corner comes deceit, and, when knowledge is questioned and the truth is revealed, Potter’s life spins into the insanity of the battlefield. Nowhere is safe.

This Harry Potter film is riveting, relentlessly plunging through uncertainty with smooth accuracy, flawlessly transitioning between scenes. With beautiful imagery and pronounced 3D effects, the movie allows us to fully appreciate the beauty and malice that come at the expense of magic itself, while distinctly maintaining and capturing the dark essence of the magical abyss. The film’s attempt at 3D is executed superbly, giving life to the magic on screen and adding realism in the final battle between good and evil.†

As well, the film itself captures the severity of the war through the masterful enhancing of the Hogwarts set to a war-torn, ravaged castle. The castle’s destruction is hauntingly beautiful, provoking a powerful emotional response. Through this, Harry Potter is able to drive the war to an entirely different emotional level, producing a mood that is deadly and nerve-wracking

The acting is phenomenal. Pushed to this dramatic climax of the series, the actors plunge through scene after scene, executing performances that are sharp and emotionally engaging. As well, the companionship depicted through the acting displays precision and mastery of emotions and character, remaining faithful to the novel and to previous films.

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe)† himself exhibits a heroism that is touching, maintaining the character’s reputation for integrity and honour. Through pain and sorrow, Radcliffe powerfully conveys Potter’s anguish, pain, and the maturity gained from death and life in his struggle to attain freedom and peace from evil’s apocalyptic grasp.†

Impressively conducted music that was enchanting and gripping flowed throughout the movie. Delivered in nothing short of excellence, the musical score excels in creating fear, never failing to capture the unyielding emotions of humanity through intense dynamics.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 proved to be an enjoyable and thrilling film, concluding the world-renowned series with a magical triumph.

Emma Watson's star burns bright

NEW YORK - The Harry Potter film franchise will not go gentle into that good night.

And Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the hugely successful movies, couldn't be happier about the tone of the sign-off.

Opening worldwide July 15, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is a rousing finish to an iconic film series, poised to beat The Dark Knight's $158.4-million US opening-weekend record in North America.

"The quality is amazing, and it's darker, and the movie really gave me a chance to stretch myself as an actress," said 21-year-old Watson at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel before the Manhattan Deathly Hallows: Part 2 premiere.

In the David Yates-directed swan song, the action picks up where Part 1 left off. Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) has raided Dumbledore's tomb to obtain the Elder Wand, one of three Deathly Hallows items that will grant him immortality.

Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) continue on their journey to locate and destroy the magical Horcrux objects, which contain bits of Voldemort's evil soul.

When their mission leads the trio back to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a showdown looms: The eye-popping wand battle between Harry and Voldemort counts as the climactic tour de force.

Part 2 isn't all manic action, however. Images of friends and family from previous adventures show up in ghostly form. So does the dearly departed Dumbledore, who reveals a few secrets.

One Hogwarts scene with Harry, Hermione and Ron near the conclusion was especially emotional for Watson.

"I was able to use a lot of my genuine emotion that I felt about loss, and all of it coming to an end," she said of the series and the sequence.

"The set was actually built looking out over Leavesden Studios, which is where I grew up, essentially. I spent the last 12 years there. So, yeah, not much acting required, really."

On the lighter side, let's not forget the much-discussed kiss between Ron and Hermione, and their blossoming relationship. "Everybody wants to talk about the kiss," she said.

Meanwhile, there is her life after Potter.

The self-confident Watson said she's returning to London to attend Oxford University in the fall, taking a break from her studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

"I haven't left Brown," she said. "I'm still enrolled at Brown, so I'll go back to the States to do my last year."

Besides her duties as "the new face" of Lancome, she has a few non-Potter films on her agenda.

She co-stars in My Week with Marilyn, which stars Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe, and is set to open in November. She also just wrapped the film version of the Stephen Chbosky novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which has Watson playing an against-type party girl.

"Which was just the most incredible experience," Watson said. "I'm very excited about that movie. Having an experience like that outside of Harry Potter is what really convinced me that acting is what I should be doing."

She's even come to grips with the unrelenting fame from the Potter series, including speculation that she was leaving Brown University because of bullying. "Not true," she said.

Mostly, she's lived her life in front of cameras, either acting in Potter productions or promoting the films.

"Once I sort of came to terms with it (fame), it definitely helped me deal with it," Watson said.

Indeed, she's been famous, and a little bit isolated, for longer than she's been anonymous.

"So I feel fortunate, in that I've never really known what it's like to have total freedom. It's not as though I had it and all of a sudden it was taken away from me. Fame's something I grew up with, something that happened gradually, and I haven't really known anything else."

The daughter of British lawyers, Watson moved from Paris to Oxfordshire, England, with her mother after her parents' divorce.

A young Watson attended the Oxford branch of the Stagecoach Theatre arts program, where she performed in amateur productions, but never anticipated what would follow when she auditioned for the role of Hermione.

"We knew almost from the first moment we saw her that Emma was going to be our Hermione," said Potter producer David Heyman.

Now, Watson has made the transition from a nine-year-old girl to a young adult.

"And I have a career, and I've learned how to be an actress, and how films are made, and I still managed to maintain my own sense of identity away from something that potentially could have been overwhelming," said Watson. "So, I guess that I'm glad that I have that. I was quite a stubborn young girl, I guess." Still, the determined actress said she's "a little apprehensive" about the future.

"Change is always scary, but I feel very excited, and I feel like I'm entering a new chapter and getting a fresh start."

Daniel Radcliffe's world is a stage apart from Harry Potter

Harry Potter star tries and succeeds on Broadway

NEW YORK - The Broadway show must go on for Daniel Radcliffe.

In recent interviews with the British media, Radcliffe offered his farewells to the Harry Potter franchise and praised co-star Alan Rickman as an Oscar contender for his role as Severus Snape in the final film. But Radcliffe was missing in action during weekend interviews promoting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which opens to a great deal of anticipation on July 15.

While mates Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were getting nostalgic over the David Yates-directed Potter finale at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Radcliffe was singing, dancing and emoting 15 blocks away at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

The Tony-nominated musical, which Watson and Grint caught on Saturday night, has been playing to sold-out shows since opening on Broadway in March with Harry Potter's alter ego playing the ambitious J. Pierrepont Finch.

"Dan is so ballsy, just amazing," said Watson, who plays Hermione opposite Radcliffe's Harry and Grint's Ron in the Potter films.

Would Watson like to give it a try? "I would love to do something on Broadway," she said. "I love to sing, but I think I would need to pluck up some more courage."

Grint was impressed with his buddy's abilities on stage, as well. But he's sure that he will stick to film work.

In an earlier video conference with British newspapers, Radcliffe had high praise for his longtime friends performances in Deathly Hallows: Part 2, but singled out Rickman's turn as the tormented Professor Severus Snape.

"I think he (Rickman) should get nominations for best supporting actor because it's so touching and beautiful what he does," said Radcliffe. "I'm really thrilled to share the screen with him."

Potter also called the final instalment of the series "light years" ahead of the rest and said he'd miss certain perks of playing the famous boy wizard.

"I will miss getting to do some of the stuff I get to do as Harry," he said. "I'm not naturally an action hero so it's kind of a gift for a young actor. I got to do a 40 foot free-fall when I was 14! I got to burst out of the water surrounded by a ring of fire! I will never get to do that again."

Meanwhile, the five-foot-six actor is resigned to the fact that he's not the sex symbol Twilight's Robert Pattinson has become (since his cameo as Cedric Diggory in the fourth film, Goblet of Fire).

"There's more of a sexual energy behind Twilight fans," Radcliffe told the British edition of GQ. "Because people have mostly grown up with me, they tend to think of me as an older brother kind of figure."

Sexy or not, he does confess in the magazine that he's dating (Potter Producer David Heyman's stepdaughter Olive Uniacke). "She's just really, really cool and lovely and sane, which is what I'm after."

The 21-year-old Radcliffe was just nine when he was selected from thousands of other hopefuls to star as the boy wizard in 2001's The Philosopher's Stone.

He matured with millions of other fans in the eight films, based on the seven best-selling books by J.K. Rowling. The franchise will likely set worldwide box-office records, potentially earning an estimated $7.5 billion US theatrically.

Promoting Deathly Hallows: Part 1 in London last November, Radcliffe had already moved on, focusing his energies on the How to Succeed musical.

At the time, he said he was confident that his singing would be adequate enough for the Broadway production but he had concerns about his ability to dance.

"Dancing is something that I've never done before," said Radcliffe. "Generally, I've been doing about nine hours a week of (dance) training, so if I screw up it's not through lack of trying."

Based on most reviews of the musical, he hasn't. The Potter cast and crew, who know him intimately, aren't surprised.

Potter director Yates said that his headliner is as single-minded as he is earnest to challenge himself.

"Dan wants to prove he can go beyond the world of Potter," said Yates. "He's desperate to prove there is so much more to him and he has the workaholic appetite, and the ambition, to do just that."

Wisely, Radcliffe had been preparing himself, and fans, for his post-Potter phase long before the Deathly Hallows finale.

He was at his cheeky best playing an over-sexed version of himself in a well-received 2006 episode of the Ricky Gervais' series Extras.

The next year he managed the demanding portrayal of a dysfunctional orphan in the independent feature December Boys, and he starred in My Boy Jack, a TV biopic about Rudyard Kipling's son.

Bravely, he took a huge risk with his occasionally nude role in the 2007 West End revival of the play, Equus, earning the tabloid moniker of "Dirty Harry."

Ironically, that performance led to his gig in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

"It was bizarre," said Radcliffe. "It came about because Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the producers of How To Succeed, came backstage after Equus one night, They said, 'You can sing.' I said, 'Well, I can sing the Milky Bar theme to you,'" Radcliffe told them, referring to a funny moment in Equus.

Still, Radcliffe wasn't convinced he could handle the lead in such a demanding musical, especially on Broadway.

"It's a testament to their persistence," he said of the producers. "Gradually, I started falling in love with it and now I can't imagine myself doing any other thing as my first musical."

 

New Scans and Photos of Emma watson

Emma Watson's latest interview

‘This just took up my life, all of my time-my life revolved around Harry Potter’

How are you feeling now that the films are coming to a close?

I still don’t really know how I feel about it. I’m still processing it. I have days where I feel relieved, and I have days where I feel very sad. And I have days where I’m like, “I’m so excited.” Because this just took up my life, all of my time—my life revolved around Harry Potter. That was the focal point of my existence. And it’s exciting now that I can accept other things. I mean, I know the grass is always greener, but there were moments when I was making this when I was like, “God, I wish I could go and do that.” So, it’s exciting too. I swing kind of like a pendulum back and forth between all these different emotions.

Is there any particular scene in any of the films that you would like to go back and reshoot, even as a different character?

Ooh, that’s interesting. I actually had a really good time playing the evil Hermione in Ron’s vision, so I’d quite like to go back and play a bad guy for once. I think that would be fun.

You seem to take the media stuff in stride.

It’s experience. I’m 20 years old now and I was nine when I went into my first press conference, so you just get used to it. It takes too much emotional energy to get upset every time something’s written that you don’t want to see. You just have to let it go. I would be a crazy person.

Did you realize that early on?
It took me a while to figure that one out, actually. I mean, I would be lying if I said I didn’t still get upset. I do still get upset. But I don’t care quite so much, which is good. I mean, I still get misquoted all the time. And there’s so much information out there about me, you think it would be very easy to check facts, but …
So would you still think of an acting career, or is it still up in the air for you?
No, definitely, this film’s given me a lot of confidence. I just did a movie called “My Week with Marilyn,” which is a Weinstein production with Eddie Redmayne and Michelle Williams, and that went really well. And I think I will keep acting. I think I’d like to make maybe one movie a year or something.
This movie really gives all of you a chance to really act. What does David Yates bring to that?
The thing about working with David Yates is that you always hear this word, “truth” and finding the truth and being honest and real. He really hates anything false; he wants it to be from the heart. And so I think that made me a better actress.

Emma Watson Wows Again

God forbid you try and travel anywhere in London last night as the phenomenal and final Harry Potter premiere, oh and the biggest crowds we’ve ever seen outside Glasto, hit Trafalgar Square last night. Our eyes, naturally, were peeled for a glimpse of the lovely Miss Emma Watson who emerged in a divine Oscar de la Renta creation and a darker, more structured version of her now famous pixie crop which we reckon she’s currently growing out. We loved her very natural Lancôme make up look, especially those perfectly defined dark brows (very A/W '11), which had the entire Grazia beauty team considering dye jobs to transform our altogether invisible blonde brows. What are your thoughts?

Oooh and talking of brows, we’ve just got wind of the fact that La Watson is a fan of our fave Blink Brow Bar saying, ‘I love Blink Brow Bar and won’t trust anyone else with my brows!’ Wowzer. We’re booking in and you should too.

And as for those mini tears? Being the consumate professional that Mizz Watson is, we don't even need to ask if she wore appropriately resistant mascara.

Emma Watson Dazzles, Rowling Disappoints At ‘Harry Potter’ Premiere (PHOTOS)

The final Harry Potter film is set to be released in theaters this week. In anticipation for the release of The Deathly Hallows Part 2, the stars of the film — Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, author J.K. Rowling, and other cast members — stepped out to have the United Kingdom premiere of the movie this past Thursday. As per usual, the dedicated fan base of the film were ecstatic to see the film stars, especially since the upcoming film is the last movie before they likely move on from the Harry Potter franchise. Radcliffe, for example, was only able to stay in London for just over a day because he had to fly back to New York City in order to work on his Broadway show.

According to the BBC, over 3,000 fans of the book and film camped out at London’s Trafalgar Square in order to get up-close-and-personal with their idols. Of note at the award show, Emma Watson sported her short hair that she cut years back, but went back to a light brunette after she went for a dark blonde at the MTV Movie Awards last month. She wore a very puffy gray Oscar de la Renta ball gown. Many critics say they loved her dress. What they weren’t a big fan of, however, was what J.K Rowling decided to wear — Oscar de la Renta, like Watson. But many have been criticizing the dress as looking like she is wearing a green tablecloth with pink flowers on it rather than a proper dress for the final world premiere of one of the biggest movie franchises in recent memory

Daniel Radcliffe talks of acting insecurities

Daniel Radcliffe admits acting doesn't "come naturally" to him.

The 21-year-old star was cast in the Harry Potter movies when he was just 11 years old and he admits one of the main reasons why he and co-stars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson were cast was because of their appearances, rather than their talent.

He said: "I think there's a perception that we got the parts because we looked right. I think that's probably quite fair.

"Also, acting is something that I don't necessarily think comes naturally to me. Certainly not as natural as it does to, say, Haley Joel Osment or Dakota Fanning, who were just giving full-blown adult performances at the age of 10."

Despite his insecurity about his talent, the 'Harry Potter' cast and crew are quick to praise Daniel's work ethic, insisting he is more committed to the project than many other stars.

Producer David Heyman told Britain's GQ magazine: "On the first day of shooting the very first film Dan had these coloured contact lenses in. And they were causing him so much pain but he never complained.

"There are people who have nowhere near his talent or celebrity who don't show that commitment. I think he missed maybe two or three days through sickness in the entire eight films."

The Trio at Harrypotter world premiere

Emma Watson dons fairytale gown as the magic begins at the long-awaited final Harry Potter premiere

More images from the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2 Premiere

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - the final premiere

To watch three entire premiere, click here

Deathly Hallows Press Conference and Photocall and promos

Today was the final London press conference and photocall for Harry Potter. Emma Watson and just about every one of the principal cast and crew were there, including Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, Tom Felton, James and Oliver Phelps, Domhnall Gleeson, Jason Isaacs, Ralph Fiennes, Natalia Tena, David Thewlis, Nick Moran, Michael Gambon, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Julie Walters, Helen McCrory, director David Yates, and producers David Heyman and David Barron. Noticably absent was Daniel Radcliffe. A shame he couldn’t make it. We have a selection of photos for you to look at in the gallery, and I’ll have some highlights from the conference up later.

question for emma: compare the kisses between ron and harry. and would you like to have kissed tom felton. media laughs.

this is really difficult. i need to be diplomatic. well dan isn’t here so it makes it slightly easier. kissing harry for that scene.. it was a figment of ron’s imagination so the kiss had to be passionate. i was half naked and covered in silver paint so that was pretty awkward.

kissing rupert was also awkward. we had just been soaked by a giant bucked of water. we had to pretend it wasn’t coming. both dan and rupert were complete gentleman. *sighs* it’s hard to put our personal history to one side. i don’t think they don’t mind me saying.. kissing gets quite boring if you do it multiple times.

jason reminds emma: and tom?

no, i don’t think i would. my 12 year old self yes. 21 year old self.. no.

question for emma: how much pressure is it being a role model for so many children?

i think hermione is such an incredible young woman. growing up alongside her definitely pushed me and i think she made me a better person and she made me work harder. i feel so privileged to play her. in terms of a role model, “the cleanest way to live as a human and artist to be true to yourself” was said to me by someone important to me. i was try to do that first and foremost.

favorite lines: i’m going to bed before either of you come up with another idea or wose expelled. she recited it as if she was in the film.

question for emma: what was the best memory you’ve liked to take away? what was most challenging thing? what’s hermione mean to you?

best memory: when helena bonham carter was torturing me. we had so much fun. really enjoyed working with her.

most challenging: i was lucky in a way because the last two films were really challenging. particularly with the last one i was so emotional anyway because of it ending. the film deals with loss. i was going through my own grieving. saying goodbye to dan/harry.. it was mirror imaging. it allowed me to bring my feelings to the role.

what does hermione mean to me: what doesn’t she mean to me? she’s been my sister. she feels so real to me. i will miss being her. getting to come into work everyday and be this girl that lives in this magical amazing world. that part is quite devastating. i’ll miss wandering around stuart craig’s sets.

i really would love to own a pensive. the idea to be able to walk around in other people’s memories.. the tool is incredible and would be for the world as a whole. to walk around in hitler’s childhood to see who he is..