Late last week Warner Bros. announced it was bumping Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince off its Fall 08 release date, and moving it to Summer 09. Fan reaction so far has been, well, what can only be described as a release date hissy fit.

Potterphiles across the internet are on message boards bubbling with anger and resentment. Useless petitions have been started, including one with nearly 40,000 signatures here. Some are even taking their outrage into the real world, planning, believe it or not, pickets outside Warner Bros. studios. From the reaction, you’d think Warner Bros. called someone a retard.

In an attempt to calm down the wand waving masses, Warner Bros. has sent out a statement from the studio’s president Alan Horn, appealing to fans for some semblance of sanity. Here’s what Horn has to say:

Many of you have written to me to express your disappointment in our moving "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" to Summer 2009.

Please be assured that we share your love for Harry Potter and would certainly never do anything to hurt any of the films. Over the past 10 years, we have nurtured and protected each film, and the integrity of the books upon which they are based, to the best of our ability.

The decision to move "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" was not taken lightly, and was never intended to upset our Harry Potter fans. We know you have built this series into what it is, and we thank you for your ongoing enthusiasm and support.

If I may offer a silver lining: there would have been a two-year gap between "Half-Blood Prince" and the much-anticipated first part of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," which opens in November 2010.

So although we have to wait a little longer for "Half-Blood Prince," the wait from that film until "Deathly Hallows" will be less than 18 months. I am sorry to have disappointed you now, but if you hold on a little longer, I believe it will be worth the wait.

Alan Horn
President, Chief Operating Officer
Warner Bros.

Look, there’s no doubt that the WB’s move was motivated entirely by selfish greed. There’s been a lot of talk lately over their shortage of tentpole releases for next summer, and obviously the Potter shift was a move to cure that. And yes, it’s kind of annoying. Aside from the fact that it means waiting nearly half a year to see the movie, Harry Potter has always seemed like it fits best in the fall. Harry Potter movies should never be watched wearing shorts, and so far the franchise’s box office has reflected that. The series’ fall releases have made more money than its summer ones.

So I get it, if you’re a Harry Potter fan it’s an annoying move. It's a jerk move. It's not the first jerk move like this a studio has pulled either. Paramount has done much the same thing to Trek fans, and you don't see them out there taking days off work to wave around picket signs in the Klingon language. After all, you may want those days off to wait in line or practice your broom riding, whenever the movie finally is released.

It's frustrating, it's disappointing, but it’s not the end of the world. It just means waiting a few more months. It’s going to be Oscar season soon, and there's plenty of other movies out there for you to see. I hear this Twilight thing is the next Harry Potter. Why not give that a shot? Or stay home and nash your teeth. Either way, you know you’ll be there next summer, in your short-shorts, watching Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Warner Bros. knows it to. Forget the fan protests, the studio has no reason to listen. The Muggles win. Be thankful you're not a Watchmen fan, those poor sots may never even get to see their film, and they've already been waiting a lot longer than you.