So the sixth Harry Potter film is set to release in cinema’s on July 17th this year. It has the same director, David Yates, that worked on most of the previous films which almost guarantees a huge success, or does it…
As far as I have heard, a few of the fans have been treated to a pre-screening where they got to see the film and, once they left the cinema, they commented that the movie “SUCKED!” That’s right. Apparently they complained that too much of the action and adventure scenes were left out in order for the storyline to focus more on the romance between Ron and Hermione and Harry and Ginny. This, being something that was rarely concentrated on, should be a welcomed gesture, but the makers of the film stated that certain scenes were dropped in order to avoid duplicating some scenes from the next two films (The Deathly Hallows, which will be split into two films).
J. K. Rowling is, of course, laughing all the way to the bank, as fans are now preferring to read her books instead of watching the movies, but I still think it will be a big box office hit just like its five predecessors.

But what exactly have been changed from the book to the screenplay? Well, I can tell you that there are quite a few changes as I read online in several fan sites and mostly, the all informative Wikipedia; According to those reliable sites, most of the ending has been changed and, the chapter of ‘The White Tomb’ has been completely removed. The film starts with the collapse of the bridge, which is only briefly mentioned in the book but I suppose it’s would suffice just as well as anything else. Also, scenes of Diagon Alley has been added as the Death Eaters run rampage and destroy everything in their path. Only two scenes of the pensieve have been included in the film, those being the flashback of Tom Riddle and later on, when Riddle asks his potions teacher, Professor Slughorn, about horcruxes, made it to the cut.

Then, to my dismay, several characters including: the Dursleys, Kreacher, Dobby, Bill and Fleur, Rufus Scrimgeour, and the Muggle Prime Minister have been removed from the film. I really thought they contributed greatly to the story. I would especially have liked to see Dumbledore talk down to the Dursleys and I was very curious to how the new Minister for Magic would be portrayed.

On the upside, quidditch, which hadn’t made it to the last two films, returns once more. This probably because it plays a key role in the Harry-Ginny romance. There is no word yet about the felix felicis potion, which gave the characters luck in their battle against the Death Eaters. In the movie, Bellatrix Lestrange is present during the battle at the astronomy tower, which she wasn’t even mentioned in that part of the book. Also, Harry is rescued by Luna Lovegood, instead of Nymphadora Tonks (as in the book) when a killing curse swerves by. There are several reasons for that but still somewhat disappointing.

However, even though I did not enjoy the previous film so much (as I sat in the cinema with my sister going, ‘Where’s that part?’ and ‘Where did that scene come from?’) but it wasn’t terrible. I found that, people who haven’t read the books took to the film better than those who have and I, unfortunately, have read them all and were very disappointed but it was a good film in the end and I am sure the Half-blood Prince would be no different.

What do you think?