This July, the most successful film franchise in history comes to an end after 8 films, 10 years and over $6 billion in revenue worldwide. Given that the entire Harry Potter series has been leading up to the ultimate showdown between Harry and that evil Lord Voldemort, you can pretty much bet that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 will be fairly epic in scope (director David Yates has described it as “operatic”). If you’ve read the books, you know that more than a few characters we’ve grown to love over the series meet their end, and it looks like one of those death scenes is getting a change for the film version.
Apparently author J.K. Rowling approved a change in the death scene of one of the major characters for the film. If you’ve yet to read the final book in the series, obviously a MAJOR SPOILER lurks below. If you have, by all means hit the jump to check out the details on the change.
Again, this is a MAJOR SPOILER for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. If you don’t want to know about a hugely significant death in the film, do NOT read any further.
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Still with me? Okay, good. The death scene in question is that of Professor Snape, played by Alan Rickman in the films. Harry Potter News and Rumors nabbed this portion of an interview with art director Andrew Ackland-Snow in which he discussed said change:
“We wanted to change a bit where Snape dies. In the book, he dies on the Shrieking Shack, and we wanted to get him out from, not a conventional interior, but from that kind of box, to do it in a more dramatic atmosphere. We asked J.K. if she agreed for that to happen in there, because we hadn’t really seen it before. We made a crystal house, and you can see what happens in the boat house from there – Are you listening Harry? -, but also the school is in flames…and she loved it. Besides, it’s a very romantic place to die. Snape dies in a extremely good way, I gotta say.”
Yes, more than a bit of that statement is confusing (Why is he talking to Harry?), but the gist is that Snape’s death scene has been moved from the Shrieking Shack to some sort of crystal house. Personally, I’m relieved to hear that the filmmakers are changing up Snape’s demise. I always felt that his death in the book was surprisingly anti-climactic for such a significant character. It’s good to know that David Yates and company are giving him the kind of grandiose death scene he deserves.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 hits theaters on July 15th in 3D. Start mentally preparing yourself now. And if you missed it, be sure to check out Steve’s extensive visit to the set of Deathly Hallows last year
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I preferred his death scene in the shrieking shack, it was where he went to rescue Harry in the third book (and movie), showing his good intentions and yet even then Harry was against him. The crystal house or w/e just doesn’t really make any sense within the story.
But I guess they just want another chance to show off the pretty cg, especially since I am assuming this one will be in 3D.
The important thing is not where he dies, but the revelations made after his death (which I’m not going to spoil here). Are the movie makers going to be faithful to that?
When he says
- Are you listening Harry –
is that the part where, after Snape is killed (presumably in the shrieking shack now some floating see-through box (?)) Voldemort thinks he has the Elder Wand fully able to work? Because he uses his [wand] to make his voice ten times louder to tell Harry that he must give up by twelve or he will enter the battle himself.
That picture of Hogwarts burning looks very cool…
What is MUCH worse, is the change, according to the trailer, of the final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort, they now make them plummet down to a ruined Hogwarts Hall and play long distance “My wand’s better than yours”!!! NOT the brilliant eye ball to eye ball, “It all depends on who the Elder Wand, sees as its master” book ending. Why can’t they leave alone!!!
Snape’s death should have been before Fred’s. after Fred dies, alot of people will be less inclined to care about Snape, its uncoplimentary of both characters. Snapes death is very sad, but you pay less attention after having just witnessed the death of major comic relief in Fred, your too busy waiting to see George’s reaction, which, by the way, never comes. if any changes should be made, snape should die, and THEN fred, and most importently Georges reaction should come to the forefront of the aftermath.
i like to say a scene in the deathly hallows part-2. but it could be rumour. the scene was harry,s last duel with voldemort. when harry spoke all the horcrux of the tom riddle is killed to voldemeort. voldmort gets feared. harry asking voldemort to near him in order to know other horcruxes or wand place. voldemort moved to him . suddenly harry grabbed him and begin to fell from a tower or bridge of hogwarts.Thats all. the result is unknown. who knowes harry could die in this film.
As I said above,, this is NOT how JK Rowling wrote it. The script writers thought that the original was too complex for the US audience they are desperate for, to understand, so substituted the usual “action, bang, bang, flash, flash” c**p that the US seems to need. Lord knows what they have done to the limbo world (railway station) scene where the ‘killed’ Harry meets Dumbledore and see’s the remnant of Voldemort’s soul, cringing on the ground – probably a fast food shop with Dumbledore saying “Have a good day”
Well the thing here is,. and I haven’t see the movie yet, but the Shrieking Shack was significant to the story as it’s where Severus Snape at the age of about 14 or 15 was lured to the Shrieking Shack by Sirius Black to potentially die at the fangs and claws of Remus Lupin whilst he was in the Werewolf transformation. He survived because James Potter, as much as he disliked Snape, thwarted the possible attack and saved S. Snapes life. The Shack also was where Snape encountered Sirius and Lupin in the POA in a moment of revenge that went wrong.. it, I feel was symbolioc that he in the book died in the S. Shack, to have him die elsewhere.. well whatever. I’m sure the moviemakers did it up splendidly. I just hope that they convey the under/back story to its fullest so that people can understand the significance of Snapes subterfuge and his hidden protection of Harry.
In addition to the change in the death scene location for Snape, what is even worse is that, fundamentaly, the entire ending of the book was rewritten and rearranged in the movie, which I found to be extremely disappointing. In particular, the rewrite of the scene in the book where, when Voldomort first entered the courtyard and Harry was presented as dead and all seemed lost, Neville not only challenged Voldomort’s call for surrender (which the movie did show) but also, in a brilliant and sudden move, pulled the sword of Gyyfindor from the sorting hat before Volomort knew what was happening and cut off the head of Nagini (which the movie did not show), is mystifying. THAT ACTION was a CRUCIAL piece of the story and one of the most, if not the most, dramatic actions of the entire series of books because it was the true rallying cry for the defenders of Hogwarts in the face of what appeared to be total defeat. Remember, both of Neville’s parents, just like both of Harry’s parents, had been killed as a result of Voldomort’s prior reign and so it was fitting, proper and truly inspiring for Neville to have stepped in at that moment to destroy the last Horcrux. That is the kind of scene that makes good books – and even good movies – great. To have changed that dramatic and pivotal action into one where Neville later cuts off Nagini’s head as part of the general pandemonium in an action to save Ron and Hermoine from the snake’s pursuit was a major substantive change and reduced that action from the pivotal rallying cry it was to just another of many heroic actions in the final battle. I for one am mystified why any movie maker would have changed that scene or why any self respecting author would have allowed such a change in their work.