The Guardian has
released a very in-depth look at
Half-Blood Prince, including an intrinsically-detailed set tour and interviews with Dan Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), Jim Broadbent (Slughorn), David Yates, David Heyman, and David Barron.
The session took place in April 2008, when they were filming a scene with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny for
Half-Blood Prince atop the Astronomy Tower, where Harry is heard saying:
Quote:
"I'm not coming back, Hermione ... I have to finish what Dumbledore started."
A new photo of Dan and Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) on set is attached to the article, which can be seen
below:
David Yates speaks about his young actors, most notably Frank Dillane, who plays teenage Tom Riddle:
Quote:
"I had a weird feeling with James and Anamaria and I've got it with Frank, too. He's just special." Yates thinks the best performances come when the cast feel safe. "You don't get good performances by treating actors like puppets. And actors generally trust me."
"As the kids get older, they're more fun to be around. They constantly amaze me. Given that they're at the centre of this extraordinarily popular-cultural event, they're really centred, level-headed, perceptive, funny. Really, they're fabulous."
Bonnie Wright voices how awkward it was to kiss co-star Dan in the sixth film, with a grin-and-bear-it perspective: "just got on with it". Tom Felton takes note of the fact that the series is coming to a close and vows to "take loads of photos and make sure I stay in touch with everyone ..."
Dan, who at the time had worked night-shoots for
Half-Blood Prince, explains how they have thrown him a bit off-balance:
Quote:
"Around 3am is the mental, laugh-at-anything hour. That's when I become a stand-up comedian because the least funny jokes will still get a laugh."
When asked if he still dreams about Harry Potter, Dan states:
Quote:
"I probably dreamed about him when I was younger, but these days my most common dream is falling off buildings and onto trampolines, which is great fun. I used to have one recurring dream where I killed people and got killed. I don't know what my subconscious is trying to tell me ..."
Dan separates
Half-Blood Prince, describing how it is different from its predecessors:
Quote:
"The Half-Blood Prince is funnier than the previous books, which has given me the reins to be a bit more stupid. But I actually prefer doing the slightly darker side of stuff. I'm not so comfortable with being funny. One of David Yates's jobs on this film is to make me see that it's not always about the darkness in the scene; I have in my head that darkness in a character equals credibility and of course that's not the case."
David Yates commends his young lead on his comedic ability, which is important for the somewhat light-hearted sixth film:
Quote:
"Dan has a got a very dry sense of humour, so he's actually quite good at light comedy. The Half-Blood Prince is much lighter than Order of the Phoenix; it's much more of a romantic comedy."
David further goes into detail as to how
Half-Blood Prince is more of a romantic-comedy, with some dark elements:
Quote:
"Yes, absolutely! It is a romcom of sorts. It's a delightful look at teenage sexual politics, really. It may end with an apocalyptic battle of the dead but it starts as a romcom. I think the audience need to feel they're not getting the same experience each time." Does he have fun directing the Potters? "Oh God, yes. I have too much... I have a lot of fun. And this one will feel tonally different. It will feel more playful, more magical, more emotional. We're very excited about this one. We feel as though we're moving it on again."
Jim Broadbent, for whom
Half-Blood Prince was his first turn in the Potter series, finds himself relieved that his young co-stars are grounded and good-natured:
Quote:
"It was an extraordinary thing to be part of. The main sets feel so permanent, having been there since the start, which means it's very easy to get drawn into the world of Hogwarts. It was rather daunting turning up on set with all these young actors; it could so easily have been a nightmare, given that the five films have had such huge success. But the kids turned out to be terrific. There was no brattish behaviour or starry, Fame Academy behaviour; they just get on with it."
Choosing cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel for
Half-Blood Prince gave the story a more mature and artful feel, according to Yates:
Quote:
"The only major run-in we've had since I came on board is regarding the look of this film. We had a fairly major negotiation about its look. Bruno Delbonnel, who was also cinematographer on Amelie, made it look very distinct and different to the previous Potters by using all these monochromatic washes. The studio wanted more colour added to it and we obliged. And actually it's no less artful with the new grade; it looks more beautiful, more inviting. When you're sending 28,000 prints around the world to goodness knows how many cultures, you need a show that pulls you in."
UPDATE: Scans of the feature can now be seen
here; they include two new behind-the-scenes photos: the first showing a scene with the trio in Diagon Alley and the second, a scene in the Great Hall with Slughorn and Snape. Thanks to
RG.net!
New Half-Blood Prince photos & interviews in The Guardian (UPDATED) 
)!
x12
*Grrr*
Watson
