Movie News

Continuous Casting for "Harry Potter"

Sure, he's lately been seen naked and smoking cigarettes on the London stage, but Daniel Radcliffe has just signed a contract that will fill out his involvement in the "Harry Potter" film franchise.

Early in the history of the series (way back in 2001) there was some speculation as to whether a single child actor would be able to fill the role over the course of the time it would take to film all the books (this also came at a time before J.K. Rowling had even delivered the fifth installment, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", to bookstores.) This certainly has been true of directors; the series has been helmed by Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron, Mike Newell, and David Yates, who directed the upcoming adaptation of "Phoenix." But given that Harry ages between each installment, and with Rowling's "Deathly Hallows" coming this summer to close out the series, it is now possible to seal Radcliffe in as Potter for the entire series, allowing for visual continuity at least.

The sixth film in the series, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," will begin filming this fall for a 2008 release. Though Radcliffe will be playing Potter, directorial duties have again switched hands: this time, Anand Tucker will helm. Pre-production on "Deathly Hallows" could likely begin in 2008, as filming wraps on that film.

Source: Reuters.