There’s always plenty of anxiety when another Harry Potter movie comes out, about what scenes will be left out and what minor characters will be dropped. But for November’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, there’s a whole new thing to worry about: a scene that’s not even in the book.
ComingSoon.net has it from the Australian fansite SnitchSeeker.com that a new scene has been added to the sixth film, to condense some details spread throughout the book into one segment. Producer David Barron told the site, “Jo (Rowling) was able throughout the quite lengthy book to keep dropping little snippets of what was happening in the outside world. The book is peppered with those moments, but we couldn't do that quite so easily in the film.”
What Barron is talking about, for the uninformed, is Muggles witnessing acts of wizard violence, or the parents of Hogwarts students pulling them out of school because they believe it’s unsafe. He’s right to say they’re short snippets, though the first chapter of the book is a meeting between the real English Prime Minister and the magical Ministry of Magic. Still, the details help bolster the sense of impending doom in the entire book (and hey, did we mention this was a kids’ movie?)
So the solution, Barron says, is to condense all these details into one scene. “[The extra scene] comes in the middle of the film and it just reminds us the world is no longer a safe place. Even in what would normally be considered the safe haven of the Burrow, nobody's safe.” Wait wait wait, The Burrow? I know that the Weasley home becomes the scene of a key battle in the seventh book, but how are they bringing it into the sixth one?
I understand the motivation behind doing this—those Harry Potter books are hard enough to condense as it is—but I worry that an added scene will throw off the whole balance of the book, especially getting the Burrow involved in violence before the seventh book. But what do you think? Am I just an obsessive fan, or is there a valid concern here?
Note: This website is not meant for use by minors. The views expressed in the comments section below are not our own. This section is intended for discussion of the topic in the post above. Disagreement is encouraged, however comments which attack, insult, or threaten the author in a personal manner won't be published. Similarly, comments that we deem to be poorly worded, or wildly off topic will also not be approved and may be mocked. For free, uncensored, unfettered, and possibly dangerous discussion visit our forum.
This site is operated by Cinema Blend LLC. For advertising inquiries, contact Gorilla Nation. CinemaBlend.com is a private, independently owned website which is intended only as entertainment. The views expressed on this website may or may not reflect those of its owner. Don't take us too seriously.