It should be a fun forthcoming week in Harry Potter’s world.
Tuesday, the 29th, the Half-Blood Prince Trailer will be appearing exclusively on AOL. It will be our first live-action look at the new film. I really enjoyed what Yates did with Order of the Phoenix, but I have to admit I’m a bit nervous about this one. There’s only so much he can do with Gambon’s performance of Dumbledore, and this is Dumbledore’s show. The saving grace of the movie should be that we’ll get a lot of Severus Snape, which means a lot of Alan Rickman’s brilliance. Thoughts? Are you expecting a great movie or a letdown?
Then, Thursday, we have Harry Potter’s birthday. And, of course, J.K. Rowling’s birthday. I’m planning something a little extra-special for that day, so stay tuned. The HP Alliance will be wrapping up its “11 Days of Breaking Out of the Muggle Mindset” series that day (I happen to think if we all just practiced their Day 7 exercise more often, we’d all be more magic and less muggle). Got any plans to celebrate the day? (We Harry Potter people are in the process of creating our own calendar, it seems.)
If you haven’t had a chance yet, be sure to check out PubCast #56, which has the audio from the Jim Dale Press Conference at Portus 2008. Jim Dale is the voice of the U.S. Harry Potter audiobooks.
Joivre on 
kjn on 
Ally on 
Travis Prinzi on 
diva_alix on 
Arabella Figg on 
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{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I think that Sir Michael Gambon will give a fantastic performance in Half Blood Prince!
However, as Travis points out, Gambon’s performance may not correspond all that closely to the canon Dumbledore.
It would be interesting to see Gambon’s performance although I’m also nervous. I definitely can’t wait for the trailer tomorrow. As far as Thursday, I’ll probably wear my Gryffindor shirt and watch the first movie as well as lift a glass to J.K. Rowling and The Boy Who Lived. I already did my reread of Deathly Hallows so I can’t do that again…or maybe I can, hahaha.
I’ll refrain from commenting on Gambon’s performance, since I only expect to be disappointed.
I hadn’t planned anything special for Thursday. I guess I’m not as attuned to the HP liturgical calendar as others. If only there were some lexicon like thing online or in print that I could use as a reference guide to these things.
revgeorge, I think you’re being a little optimistic. I expect not only to be disappointed, but disappointed in different and more dreadful ways than I was before. I fear that Gambon will finally get interested in his character, and start interpreting it in ways which will make me want to look away.
That’s one of the few times I’ve been called an optimist!
Personally, I’m of your opinion, Red Rocker, but I was trying to exercise some restraint & keep myself from devolving into another anti-Gambon tirade. It’s hard.
I actually like Gambon’s performance as Albus Dumbledore. I think he portrays Dumbledore’s mischievous side marvelously. I look forward to seeing him in Half-Blood Prince.
I guess how you feel about Gambon’s performance depends on whether you interpret the look in his eye as a mischievous twinkle or a baleful stare of malevolent cluelessness. And whether it’s a friendly love-tap or a sadistic blow he gives to Ron’s (injured) leg in PoA. Or if you think the way he grabs Harry and tries to drag him away from Cedric’s body at the end of GoA is an expression of loving concern or the annoyed impatience of a man trying to move a recalcitrant sack of potatoes. Or whether you think he acts the part of a powerful wizard, at the top of his game, outplaying his opponents every step of the way, or the part of a confused and frightened bureaucrat yelling at his subordinates to cover his growing helplessness.
Devolutionary enough for you, revgeorge?
It’s fine for me, Red Rocker. But then I never said I like his performance.
I’ll guess we’ll have to wait & see how the last three movies turn out. But I don’t have high hopes unless something drastically changes in Gambon’s performance or in Yates’ direction of the character.
My opinion on Sir Michael Gambon’s role as Dumbledore reflects much of what has been given by everyone. Travis I have the same concern as you in what we can expect from him in HBP.
He improved slightly in OOTP, but I can’t help thinking back to the part in GOF after Harry’s name was chosen by the Goblet as a champion. At the gathering of all the headmasters in Dumbledore’s chamber we see Gambon go completely ballistic questioning Harry and how his name ended up in the cup! In the book as we all know Dumbledore asks Harry “calmly” whether he placed his name in the cup. This scene alone shows that either Gambon has never read the books or at least not completely and the possibility that he just wants to portray Dumbledore in his own fashion.
I’m kind of surprised that Jo didn’t step in during the editing and say wait a minute, that’s not the Dumbledore from my books.
This involves a major character to the finality of the story.
I think I’m an eternal optimist when it comes to the films… Although I completely agree with the opinions about Gambon’s performance, and completely expect him to dissapoint me in his portrayal of Dumbledore, I am just as certain that the rest of the cast will outdo themselves as always, Alan Rickman in particular.
I agree with David, above, being fairly surprised Jo didn’t say anything to the directors regarding Dumbledore’s character!
I am very much looking forward to the trailer tomorrow nonetheless!
As for Harry’s (and Jo’s!) Birthday, I plan to wear my Fizzing Whizbies t-shirt and have a glass of Butterbeer, (or possibly Elf-made wine!) to celebrate…since all my Potter friends are online
That particular scene in Goblet of Fire where he’s angry at Harry, well I thought it was a brilliant change to the character. Dumbledore actually shows a proper bit of emotion for once. And when he’s troubled in his office… I mean seriously troubled. Again, brilliant characterization.
Of course all of that is merely my own opinion of his acting and you’re more then welcome to continue bashing him. I must concur that in The Order of the Phoenix with the fight with Voldemort, when the sparks first start to fly he does rather look like he just accidently pushed some button or other and doesn’t know what to do now that everything is crashing down around him.
Shane,
It is a matter of opinion, in many regards. For me, mainly, I just kind of like to have a beloved & well known character from a book somewhat resemble that character in the movie. While some people may like Gambon’s Dumbledore, it’s not the Dumbledore of the books. The effect would be somewhat equivalent to having Watson play Hermione as a dumb blonde. Or something along those lines.
I guess I just connect with the more eccentric side of Dumbledore I see in the books, which I also see in Gambon.
I definitely see your point though.
-Shane
revgeorge has nailed it; whatever anyone thinks about Gambon, it seems that all are agreed – his Dumbledore is not the Dumbledore of the books.
What makes Dumbledore Dumbledore is that he doesn’t get rattled in difficult situations.
I don’t think anyone’s saying Gambon’s a bad actor. I agree with Shane that he’s a good one, and that, of course, liking or disliking his Dumbledore is a matter of “opinion.” But I don’t think anyone’s simply “bashing” Gambon; I think many (including myself) are seriously disappointed in his portrayal of Dumbledore, because he’s fundamentally changed the character in ways that make him unrecognizable. I do agree with you that Gambon looks like he’s quite confused in that final battle scene with Voldemort in Order.
David, he was a bit easier to handle in Order, but I walked out of the theatre saying, “Yates knows Gambon has severely altered Dumbledore, and he almost wrote him out of the film altogether.” He sort of subdued him quite a bit and gave him a smaller role.
David and Chelsea – what’s fascinating to me is what things Rowling chooses to intervene on, and what things she lets go. Cuaron drops the whole Marauders subplot in PoA? Nothing from Rowling. Yates doesn’t show Lily’s intervention in “Snape’s Worst Memory” in Order? Nothing from Rowling. There’s a line in the screenplay of HBP where Dumbledore mentions a girl he loved? Rowling corrects it. Odd.
Chelsea, despite my hesitations, I’m with you. I’m an eternal optimist about the films, too. Part of that is because I think I’ve finally learned to let a film be a film. I thought Order in particular was really good as a stand-alone film. And I can watch the first two anytime just to watch Richard Harris’s performance.
I’m not of the opinion, by the way, that Gambon is a good Deathly Hallows Dumbledore either. Certainly he’s a bit rougher around the edges and more obviously flawed, but he’s not subtle in the least.
I guess I just connect with the more eccentric side of Dumbledore I see in the books
Shane, that’s definitely a fair point, and I think those who were unhappy with Harris’s Dumbledore cited the same reason (that Harris was a bit too calm, and not quirky enough).
Now that’s an interesting concept: the more eccentric side of Dumbledore.
What does that mean, exactly? The emotional side? The flippy side? The confused, uncertain side? The careless, callous side?
I do see a dark side to Dumbledore – I think many of us do – the secretive, untrusting, manipulative, deceitful, callous and conniving side. I think that JKR put that in the text – at least, I like to believe it, although sometimes I think all that is a plot requirement – and I think that dark side comes out in all sorts of ways- his refusal to disclose any personal information, his determination to play a lone hand even when the truth would be very helpful to his allies, taking secrets to the tomb that his champion really needs to know about. If Gambon would show that side, I would be happy. That would mean the character had depth.
But that’s not the side Gambon shows. The side that he does show – the emotional, out of control, uncertain, frightened Dumbledore of GoF and OotP – is not in the books, as far as I can see. Is that how Gambon understands the script he’s given? Does he see a confused man, a senile Lear, when he should be seeing a Claudius, an Iago, or at the least a Julius Caesar?
Red Rocker ‘ear, ‘ear
While some people may like Gambon’s Dumbledore, it’s not the Dumbledore of the books. The effect would be somewhat equivalent to having Watson play Hermione as a dumb blonde.
Rev George Now, that would be the day ! ;P
I completely agree Travis, you’ve echoed my thoughts! Michael Gambon is a wonderful actor, he’s just not portraying Dumbledore the way he is in the books, but are we putting too much of the blame on him?? Is it not the director’s vision that we are seeing here? Or does Gambon truly have the freedom we have assumed he has?
Either way, the movies are the movies, the books are the books, and as long as my HP fix is satisfied every few years, I will always be excited to see more!
Victoria: Well said! Lol!
Red Rocker: Exactly! The loss of control he displays in GoF is not the “dark side” of Dumbledore that I want to see.
I agree with Chelsea: any decent director will have a very strong vision of how they want the film to look and feel, how they want the audience to experience the journey.
The actors are there to serve the director, not the other way round.
Surely the director must get at least 50% of the blame and / or credit for an actors performance?
Speaking of the HP Liturgical Calendar, we haven’t done anything to celebrate the birthday of the Almost Chosen One, Neville Longbottom, born July 30th!
Well, it’s still the 30th, so here’s a toast to Neville, the Snake Slayer! Hip, Hip!!
Seajay, you said the actors are there to serve the director. And yes, that’s the way it should be. But we all know many stories throughout film history of actors clashing with directors. I don’t think Gambon’s clashing with Yates, but might not Yates be a little reluctant to give too much explicit direction to someone who’s been knighted for their acting skills?
hi,
nobody seems to come onto this site anymore, right?
or maybe i’m wrong…
anyway, i’m trying to find a decent harry potter and the order of the phoenix book picture which is slightly wider than the usual ones..
let me know if you know where i can find one!