Theme park takes Potter fans for a ride Time for Harry to fly to the rescue So, after the first four films took $3.5 billion ( 1.75bn) worldwide, the question remains: how good is the fifth?
Early previews suggest the adventures of Harry Potter and friends are far from running out of steam. According to Aintitcool.com, the cult film website seen as a barometer of audience reaction, the latest outing is nothing short of epic.
The cinematography was phenomenal, a sneak preview reports. Very classy old-school approach that really takes advantage of widescreen. Think Dr Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, etc.
David Yates, a first-time director, begins the action with the fast-paced pursuit of Harry and his fat cousin by the Dementors, while the latest recruits to the vintage British cast, Imelda Staunton and Helena Bonham Carter, clearly relish their villainous roles as Dolores Umbridge and Bellatrix Lestrange. Sitting at a table laden with gnarled broomsticks in the marble-lined debating chamber at London County Hall, Daniel Radcliffe, 17, recalled his West End debut in Equus, which included a full-frontal nude scene. He joked that his first onscreen kiss was a doddle compared with stripping naked onstage.
He has a love scene under the mistletoe with his fellow Hogwarts pupil Cho Chang, played by Katie Leung, in the new film. He said: Once you ve been onstage naked in front of 1,000 people you really feel you can do most anything without inhibition. Being naked was possibly not as complicated as kissing although belt buckles can give everybody a bit of trouble at times but kissing Katie was a very comfortable experience, especially when compared to being naked onstage.
Leung, 19, revealed she was nervous about the kiss in case her parents will not approve: Hopefully they will find it really sweet as well. The kissing scene took 30 takes to get right. Radcliffe paid tribute to the support he had received from his family and friends.
It has been seven years since he was picked to play the be-spectacled hero, whose adventures have sold 350 million books worldwide, and have broken every fiction record. He said: All my friends are completely honest with you all the time. They stop you from becoming arrogant.
Radcliffe added that he had long been determined to avoid the Lindsay Lohan school of childhood stardom, where 325m actors are pictured on the town more often than onscreen. He said: We ve all been pretty set on the idea of not giving them [the press] that. Asked about the downside of being a celebrity, he said: Our culture is very much centred around the celebrity thing .
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