With the massive push to get Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 into the awards race, especially the 2012 Academy Awards, two top execs at Warner Bros recently commented on their marketing strategies and reasoning behind wanting to ensure that the finale of the series got some recognition. The Los Angeles Times spoke to Warner Bros. film group President Jeff Robinov and worldwide marketing President Sue Kroll on why they are pulling for Deathly Hallows: Part 2 for the Oscars and other awards races, which specific categories they are aiming for, and the politics behind the awards season as a whole. That can be read here.

Winning an Oscar isn't going to sell another ticket or DVD for Harry Potter. So why are you putting so much into this campaign?
Jeff Robinov: The films have been of a really high standard, and a lot of the academy attention has been on the technical side, which overlooks their quality. We believe if you look at what [director] David [Yates] has done with this last film, if you look at the critical reception and pure execution, and if you look at the scale and depth and entertainment value, it's worthy of academy recognition. It feels to me like if you look at what has been released this year, "Harry Potter" is deserving of consideration as one of the best films and directorial efforts.

Are you really campaigning for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2" or did you save your big academy push for this year in hopes of rewarding the series as a whole?
Sue Kroll: The strategy is not to reward the history of the franchise but to recognize this very singular achievement on behalf of David Yates and all the people in the movie. We didn't decide to do it until after the film was released.

It got a 97% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an A+ CinemaScore from moviegoers. We devised this campaign very much on the basis of this specific film because we think it is worthy.

You have a large ensemble cast. How does that influence your campaign for actors?
Kroll: It's very tough with an ensemble like this, but there are a few performances people are talking about. Daniel [Radcliffe], of course, and Ralph Fiennes. Also Alan Rickman. His performance was so well received. You'll see us campaigning broadly with the cast, but I think certain performances will emerge more so than others.

Do you feel like you understand how the best picture nomination process will work this year and how it affects your chances?
Robinov: It's always a surprise from my point of view which films the academy chooses to recognize. Some are shoo-ins, I suppose, but there are a fair amount of surprises every year, and this year that will probably be more true than ever since we don't even know how many nominees there will be.

Order the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 DVD and Blu-ray sets, out today in the U.S. and December 2 in the UK, at the Amazon links below, or through the official Warner Bros Shop.

Amazon.com (US) - Deathly Hallows 1-disc DVD | Deathly Hallows 1-disc Blu-ray | Deathly Hallows 3-disc Blu-ray triple play | The Complete 8-Film Collection DVD | The Complete 8-Film Collection Blu-ray

Amazon.co.uk (UK) - Deathly Hallows 1-disc DVD | Deathly Hallows 3-disc 3D Blu-ray | Deathly Hallows 3-disc Blu-ray triple play | Deathly Hallows 2-disc DVD | The Complete 8-Film Collection DVD | The Complete 8-Film Collection Blu-ray | The Complete 8-Film Collection BD limited edition

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