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Increasing danger for the teen wizard
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July 3, 2009
The eagerly anticipated Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, delayed sixth film in the series of adventures centred on the bespectacled boy wizard with the lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, is set for a South African release on July 15.
This time around, Potter's nemesis, the evil Voldemort, will be tightening his grip on both the Muggle (human) and wizarding worlds, and Potter's school, Hogwarts, will no longer be the safe haven it once was.
Potter, played by Daniel Radcliffe, suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Professor Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) is more intent on preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching.
Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defences and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant, Professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), whom he believes holds crucial information.
Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts.
Potter finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright), but so is Dean Thomas (Alfie Enoch). And Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave) has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn't counted on the chocolates of Romilda Vane (Anna Shaffer).
And then there's Hermione (Emma Watson), simmering with jealousy, but determined not to show her feelings.
As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.
David Yates, who directed the 2007 summer blockbuster Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, returned to direct Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Screenwriter Steve Kloves, who scripted the first four instalments of the film franchise, adapted the screenplay based on the book by J K Rowling.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince again stars Rupert Grint as young wizard Ron Weasley, who also faces new challenges and dangers in the wake of Lord Voldemort's return.
Returning cast members include Helena Bonham-Carter, David Bradley, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Natalia Tena, Julie Walters and David Thewlis, as well as Evanna Lynch and Matthew Lewis.
Two-time Oscar-nominee Bruno Delbonnel (A Very Long Engagement, Amelie) served as the director of photography, marking his first Harry Potter film.
Returning veterans of the hit film franchise include production designer Stuart Craig, editor Mark Day, costume designer Jany Temime, and creature and make-up effects designer Nick Dudman.
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