Warner Bros. President Apologizes to Harry Potter Fans
Warner Bros. President Alan Horn has issued an apology to disappointed Harry Potter fans after the studio decided to delay the release of Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince until 2009.
Warner Bros. announced last week that the sixth installment of the wizard’s adventures had been pushed back eight months.
The movie was originally slated for release in November this year but now won’t hit cinemas until July 2009.
The move infuriated fans of the magical franchise, with over 12,000 signing an online petition, demanding that Warner Bros. rethink their decision to delay the film.
One fan said, “They are doing this for no other reason than to make money.
“We don’t want to be pacified. We want the movie, as promised, this November.”
Horn said in a statement, “Many of you have written to me to express your disappointment in our moving Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to Summer 2009.
“Please be assured that we share your love for Harry Potter and would certainly never do anything to hurt any of the films. Over the past 10 years, we have nurtured and protected each film, and the integrity of the books upon which they are based, to the best of our ability.
“The decision to move Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was not taken lightly, and was never intended to upset our Harry Potter fans. We know you have built this series into what it is, and we thank you for your ongoing enthusiasm and support.
“If I may offer a silver lining: there would have been a two-year gap between Half-Blood Prince and the much-anticipated first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which opens in November 2010.
“So although we have to wait a little longer for Half-Blood Prince, the wait from that film until Deathly Hallows will be less than 18 months. I am sorry to have disappointed you now, but if you hold on a little longer, I believe it will be worth the wait.”
Although Horn gave no reason for the delay, various reports have suggested the real reason is that the film’s star, Daniel Radcliffe, 19, will be getting his kit off on Broadway in the play Equus in November.
And studio chiefs do not want Radcliffe’s saucy grown-up image to be associated with his innocent boy wizard alter ego.
Totally disgusted with warner bros “didnt mean tohurt us” my ar*e! warner bros wdnt b where it is without its fans and they are taking full advantage of us just to fill their own pockets.