 Theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | David Yates |
|---|---|
| Produced by | David Heyman David Barron |
| Screenplay by | Michael Goldenberg |
| Based on | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling |
| Starring | Daniel Radcliffe Rupert Grint Emma Watson (See below) |
| Music by | Nicholas Hooper |
| Cinematography | Sławomir Idziak |
| Editing by | Mark Day |
| Studio | Heyday Films |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 138 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $150 million[1] |
| Box office | $939,885,929 |
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a 2007 fantasy film[1] directed by David Yates and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fifth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Michael Goldenberg and produced by David Heyman and David Barron. The story follows Harry Potter's fifth year at Hogwarts as the Ministry of Magic refuses to believe the return of the evil Lord Voldemort. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, alongside Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry's best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and is followed by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Live-action filming took place in England and Scotland for exterior locations and Leavesden Film Studios in Watford for interior locations from February to November 2006, with a one-month break in June. Post-production on the film continued for several months afterwards to add in visual effects. The film's budget was reportedly between £75 and 100 million ($150–200 million).[2][3] Warner Bros., the distributor of the film, released it in the UK on 12 July 2007, and in North America on 11 July, both in conventional and IMAX theatres, and was the first Potter film to be released in IMAX 3D.
Order of the Phoenix is the unadjusted 18th highest-grossing film of all time, and a critical and commercial success, acclaimed as "the best one yet"[4] by Rowling, who has consistently offered praise for the film adaptations of her work.[5][6][7] The film opened to a worldwide 5-day opening of $333 million, fourth all-time, and grossed nearly $940 million total, second to Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End for the greatest total of 2007.
Plot
Further information: Plot of the novel
The Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization founded by Albus Dumbledore, inform the now 15-year-old Harry Potter that the Ministry of Magic is in denial of Lord Voldemort's return; under the Ministry's influence, The Daily Prophet
has launched a smear campaign against Harry and Dumbledore due to
Harry's supposed encounter with Voldemort at the end of the previous
year. This encounter has had a huge psychological effect on Harry – he
has nightmares not only about what happened in the graveyard but also
about the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic. While at the
Order's headquarters, 12 Grimmauld Place, Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, mentions that Voldemort is after an object which he didn't have last time.Upon arrival at Hogwarts, Harry learns that Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge has appointed a new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor: Dolores Umbridge, a senior Ministry official who refuses to teach practical magic due to her belief that Dumbledore is forming a rebellion against the Ministry. Umbridge and Harry immediately clash, as she refuses to believe that Voldemort has returned and forces Harry to carve 'I must not tell lies' into the skin on the back of his hand through a cursed quill. When Ron and Hermione notice these scars, they are outraged but Harry refuses to go to Dumbledore as he has distanced himself from him since the summer. As Umbridge's control over the school increases, Ron and Hermione aid Harry in forming a secret group to train students in defensive spells, calling themselves "Dumbledore's Army". The Slytherin students are recruited by Umbridge to uncover the group. Meanwhile, Harry and Cho Chang develop romantic feelings for each other and begin a relationship during Christmas, Cho being Harry's first kiss at the last DA meeting before the holidays. However, Harry discovers that his behaviour is becoming erratic and possibly more similar to Voldemort's.
Harry has a vision involving an attack upon Arthur Weasley in the Department of Mysteries, from the point of view of Arthur's attacker. Fearing Voldemort will exploit his connection to Harry, Dumbledore instructs Professor Snape to give Harry Occlumency lessons to block his mind from Voldemort's influence. These lessons increase Harry's psychological problems, as he is forced to relive everything bad that has ever happened to him. During one lesson, Harry got annoyed at what he saw and requested a break but Snape refused and forced Harry to continue the lesson. This only got the spell reversed on him by Harry where Harry sees the Vision on why Snape hates his father, James, who often had bullied him. The connection between Harry and Voldemort leads Harry to distance himself from everyone, and he pushes not only Ron and Hermione but Ginny, Neville, the Weasley twins and Luna away, as he feels "so angry all the time". Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius' deranged cousin, escapes from Azkaban along with nine other Death Eaters. At Hogwarts, Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad uncover Dumbledore's Army after illegally interrogating Cho with Veritaserum. Dumbledore covers up for Harry, but escapes as Fudge orders his arrest. With Dumbledore gone, Umbridge becomes the new Headmistress. Harry's relationship with Cho falls apart, mostly due to Cho having betrayed Dumbledore's Army to Umbridge (unknown to Harry, however, is that Cho was under the influence of Veritaserum, a truth potion).
During an O.W.L. exam, the Weasley twins revolt and set off fireworks in the Great Hall, causing chaos for Umbridge. During this event, Harry has a vision of Sirius being tortured by Voldemort within the Department of Mysteries. Harry, Ron and Hermione rush to Umbridge's fireplace to alert the Order via the Floo Network, since it is the only one not being monitored, but Umbridge stops them before they can do so. When she threatens to use the Cruciatus Curse to get information out of Harry about the trio's intentions, Hermione deceives Umbridge into entering the Forbidden Forest in search for Dumbledore's "secret weapon". She and Harry lead her to the hiding place of Hagrid's half-giant brother, Grawp, only to be confronted by centaurs who kidnap Umbridge after she attacks them. When Umbridge tells Harry to make the centaurs let her go and that she means no harm Harry says, "Sorry, Professor. I must not tell lies". Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Neville and Ginny fly to the Ministry of Magic on Thestrals in an attempt to save Sirius.
The six enter the Department of Mysteries where they uncover a prophecy involving Harry and Voldemort, the object Voldemort was after. However, they are ambushed by Death Eaters including Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. Lucius reveals that Harry only saw a dream of Sirius being tortured; it was not an actual situation, rather a method to lure Harry into the Death Eater's grasp. Lucius attempts to persuade Harry to give him the prophecy, telling him it will reveal why Voldemort could not kill Harry when he was an infant. Harry refuses and a fight between Dumbledore's Army and the Death Eaters ensues. The Death Eaters take everyone except Harry as hostages, threatening to kill them if he does not surrender the prophecy. Harry obliges just as Sirius and Remus Lupin arrive with Order members Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Mad-Eye Moody. They attack the Death Eaters and Lucius drops the prophecy, destroying it. Harry and Sirius duel him. Just as Sirius defeats Lucius, Bellatrix kills Sirius. Despite Remus trying to hold him back, Harry goes after Bellatrix, who runs away continuously saying "I killed Sirius Black" in a song-like manner. Harry chases and corners Bellatrix in the Atrium and attempts to torture her with the Cruciatus Curse, but to little avail (it knocks her down). Voldemort appears, but Dumbledore arrives through the Floo Network moments before Voldemort can kill Harry.
A duel between Voldemort and Dumbledore ensues while Bellatrix escapes. After the two prove evenly matched, Voldemort possesses Harry in order to try to get Dumbledore to sacrifice Harry in the hope of killing him, but the love Harry feels for his friends and Sirius makes it impossible for Voldemort to remain in his body. Ministry officials arrive before Voldemort disapparates; Fudge is forced to admit that Voldemort has returned and resigns as Minister. Dumbledore returns as headmaster of Hogwarts after he and Harry are vindicated. Dumbledore explains that he distanced himself from Harry all year hoping it would lessen the risk of Voldemort using their connection. Harry comes to terms with the prophecy; "Neither can live while the other survives." As Harry and his friends head towards the Hogwarts Express, Harry tells his friends that even though a war is beginning, unlike Voldemort, they have something worth fighting for.
Casting
Casting began as early as May 2005, when Radcliffe announced he would reprise his role as Harry.[15] Across the media frenzy that took place during the release of Goblet of Fire, most of the main returning actors announced their return to the series, including Grint, Watson, Lewis, Wright, Leung, and Fiennes.[16][17][18][19][20][21]The announcements of the casting of the rest of the new characters to the series was spanned across 2006. Evanna Lynch won the role of Luna Lovegood over 15,000 other girls who attended the open casting call,[22] waiting in a line of hopefuls that stretched a mile long.[23]
The inclusion or cutting of some characters sparked speculation from fans as to the importance of the characters in the final book of the series, which was released just ten days after the film. In April 2006, representatives of Jim McManus said he would be playing Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus' brother and the barman of the Hog's Head, in which Harry and his friends found the D.A. A week later WB announced that the role was "very minor", allaying some of the speculation to the significance of the role, which, before the final book, was not even a speaking part.[24] MTV reported in October 2006 that Dobby the house elf, who appeared in the second film, Chamber of Secrets, and in the fifth book, would be cut, opening up "plot questions" as to how the role of the elf would be filled.[25] MTV also reported about a month before the release of the final book that Kreacher, the Black family's house-elf, was cut from the film in one draft of the script. However, after Rowling prodded the filmmakers to include him, saying, "You know, I wouldn't [cut him] if I were you. Or you can, but if you get to make a seventh film, you'll be tied in knots", he was added back into the script.[26]
Other minor roles were cut with subsequent drafts of the script. At the U.S. premiere of Goblet of Fire, series producer David Heyman said that former Hogwarts professor Gilderoy Lockhart, played by Kenneth Branagh in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was in the first draft of the script for Phoenix.[27] However, neither Branagh nor the character of Lockhart appears in the final version. Tiana Benjamin was scheduled to return for the film in the role of Angelina Johnson, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but she had to withdraw due to a commitment to playing Chelsea Fox in EastEnders. The character, as well as the entire Quidditch subplot, was ultimately cut from the film. She did, however, record sound clips for the Order of the Phoenix video game.[28]
The family of footballer Theo Walcott made a cameo appearance in the film. They were signed on by director David Yates, who is the partner of Yvonne Walcott, Theo's aunt.[29][30] Theo himself was due to appear alongside his family, though his commitments to Arsenal Football Club forced him to pull out.
Production
British television director David Yates was chosen to direct the film after Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire director Mike Newell, as well as Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Guillermo del Toro, Matthew Vaughn and Mira Nair, turned down offers.[32][33] Yates believed he was approached because the studio saw him fit to handle an "edgy and emotional" film with a "political backstory", which some of his previous television projects including State of Play, Sex Traffic and The Girl in the Café demonstrated.[33] Producer David Heyman supported Yates' comments about the film's political theme, stating that "[Order of the Phoenix] is a political film, not with a capital P, but it's about teen rebellion and the abuse of power. David has made films in the UK about politics without being heavy handed."[34] On the film's political and social aspects, Emma Watson stated that "somehow it talks about life after 7 July, the way people behave when they’re scared, the way truth is often denied and all the things our society has to face. Facing the fact that the authority is corrupted means having a non-conformist approach to reality and power."[35]Steve Kloves, the screenwriter of the first four Potter films, had other commitments. Michael Goldenberg, who was considered to pen the first film in the series, filled in and wrote the script.[36]
Rehearsals for Order of the Phoenix began on 27 January 2006, filming began on 7 February 2006 and finished at the start of December 2006.[4][37][38] Filming was put on a two-month hiatus starting in May 2006 so Radcliffe could sit his A/S Levels and Watson could sit her GCSE exams.[39] The film's budget was reportedly between GB£75 and 100 million (US$150–200 million).[2][3] The largest budget of the other films in the series has been the £75 million it cost to make Goblet of Fire.[40]
Mark Day was the film editor, Sławomir Idziak was the cinematographer, and Jany Temime was the costume designer.[41] Choreographer Paul Harris, who has previously worked with David Yates several times, created a physical language for wand combat to choreograph the wand fighting scenes.[42]
Set design
Stuart Craig returned as set designer, having designed the first four films' sets.[43] There were a number of notable new sets in this film. The atrium in the Ministry of Magic is over 200 feet in length, making it the largest and most expensive set built for the Potter film series to date.[43] Craig's design was inspired by early London Underground stations, where, he said, architects "tried to imitate classical architecture but they used ceramic tile", as well as a Burger King on Tottenham Court Road in London, where "there's a fantastic Victorian façade which just embodies the age".[44][45] The set of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place contains the Black family tapestry spread across three walls; when the producers told Rowling they wanted to visualise the details of each name and birth year, she faxed them a complete copy of the entire tree.[46] The set of the Hall of Prophecies was entirely digitally built. During a fight scene which occurs there, prophecies crash to the ground and break; had it been an actual physical set, the reset time would have been weeks.[47]The set used for Igor Karkaroff's trial scene in Goblet of Fire was doubled in size for Harry's trial in this film, while still protecting its symmetry.[45] New professor Dolores Umbridge, though she teaches in a classroom that has appeared in films two through four, inhabits an office vastly different from those of her predecessors. The set was redressed with "fluffy, pink filigree" and a number of plates upon which moving kittens were animated in post-production.[48] A 24-hour photo shoot was held to photograph and film the kittens for use on these plates.[49] The quill which Umbridge gives Harry to write lines is designed by the set designers.[48]
Filming
Locations in England included the River Thames, for the flight of the Order of the Phoenix to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, and the flight of Dumbledore's Army to the Ministry of Magic.[53] This sequence also includes such landmarks as the London Eye, Canary Wharf, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the HMS Belfast.[54] Filming at Platform 9¾ took place at King's Cross Station, as it has in the past.[55] A telephone booth near Scotland Yard was used as Harry and Arthur Weasley enter the Ministry,[56] while the crew closed the Westminster tube station on 22 October 2006 to allow for filming of Arthur Weasley accompanying Harry to his trial at the Ministry of Magic.[57] Other scenes were filmed in and around Oxford,[58] specifically at nearby Blenheim Palace in Woodstock.[59]
In Glenfinnan, the Hogwarts Express crosses a viaduct, as it has in the past films.[60] Aerial scenes were shot in Glen Coe, in Clachaig Gully,[60] and Glen Etive, which, at the time of filming, was one of the few places in Scotland without snow, making it ideal for a backdrop.[61]
Director David Yates stated in an interview that he had originally shot a three hour film of Order of the Phoenix. However, some material had to be cut out in the final edit, as the movie was 45 minutes too long.[62] Therefore, several locations which were used for various scenes do not appear in the final cut of the film. In Virginia Water, scenes were shot where Professor McGonagall recovers from Stunning Spells,[63] and Burnham Beeches was used for filming the scene where Hagrid introduces his fifth-year Care of Magical Creatures class to Thestrals.[64] Harry skips stones in front of the Glenfinnan Monument in Glenfinnan in another cut scene.[60]
Visual effects
The film required over 1,400 visual effects shots, and the London-based company Double Negative created more than 950 of them. Working for six months on previsualisation starting in September 2005, Double Negative was largely responsible for sequences in the Room of Requirement, the Forbidden Forest, the Hall of Prophecies, and the Death Chamber.[65]A new character in the film, Grawp, Hagrid's giant half-brother, came to life by a new technology called Soul Capturing, developed by Image Metrics. Instead of building the character from scratch, the movements and facial expressions of actor Tony Maudsley were used to model Grawp's actions.[65][66]
Music
Main article: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (soundtrack)
Nicholas Hooper was the composer for the soundtrack of the film, following John Williams, who scored the first three films, and Patrick Doyle, who did the fourth. In the new score, Hooper incorporated variations on "Hedwig's Theme", the series' theme originally written by Williams for the first film and heard in all subsequent ones.[67] In March and April 2007, Hooper and the London Chamber Orchestra recorded nearly two hours of music at Abbey Road Studios
in London. The score, like the film and book, is darker than previous
instalments in the series. To emphasise this, the two new main themes
reflect the sinister new character Dolores Umbridge, and Lord
Voldemort's invasion of Harry's mind. A Japanese Taiko drum was used for a deeper sound in the percussion.[67] The soundtrack was released on 10 July 2007, the eve of the film's release.[68]
For his work on the film, Hooper was nominated for a World Soundtrack
Discovery Award. The trailer prominently features the cues "Divine
Crusade" by X-Ray Dog and "DNA Reactor" by Pfeifer Broz. Music.The film also featured the song "Boys Will Be Boys" by The Ordinary Boys.
Differences from the book
At 766 pages in the British edition and 870 in the American edition, Order of the Phoenix is the longest book in the Harry Potter series.[69] Screenwriter Michael Goldenberg described his task to cut down the novel as searching for "the best equivalent way to tell the story. My job was to stay true to the spirit of the book, rather than to the letter".[70] Goldenberg said that Rowling told him, the producers, and Yates that "she just wanted to see a great movie, and gave [them] permission to take whatever liberties [they] felt [they] needed to take to translate the book into a movie she would love".[70] Cutting down the book to meet the time frame of the film, Goldenberg explained, became "clearer when [he] figured out that the organising principle of the screenplay was to narrate Harry's emotional journey".[70] He and Yates "looked for every opportunity to get everything [they] could in there. And where [they] couldn't, to sort of pay homage to it, to have it somewhere in the background or to feel like it could be taking place off-screen".[71]One cut Goldenberg had to make, which he "hated" to do, was the absence of Quidditch, the Wizarding sport.[71] "The truth is that any movie made of this book, whoever made it, that had included the Quidditch subplot would have been a lesser film", he said.[70] In the book, Ron grows as a character by trying out for the Quidditch team. "Ron facing challenges and coming into his own in the same way that Harry is, we tried to get that into the film in other ways, as much as possible. So, you feel like, if not the details of that story, at least the spirit of it is present in the film".[70] The change disappointed actor Rupert Grint who had been "quite looking forward to the Quidditch stuff".[72]
In a significant scene in the book, Harry sees a memory of his own father humiliating Snape in their school days, and Snape insulting his mother after she stood up for him. In the film, it is abbreviated to an "idea", in Goldenberg's words. "It's an iconic moment when you realise your parents are normal, flawed human beings. ... Things get trimmed out, but I kept the meat of that in there – and that was what really gave me the coming-of-age story."[70] Young Lily Potter did not appear at all, but promotional screenshots show unknown teenager Susie Shinner in the role.[73]
The scene at St Mungo's, the hospital where Harry and friends run into classmate Neville Longbottom and learn that his parents were tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange, was cut because it required the construction of a new set.[70] The main purpose of the action of the scene was relocated to the Room of Requirement after one of the D.A. lessons. Also, to speed up the film's climax, several events in the Ministry leading up to Harry's battle with Voldemort were removed, including the brain room.[69] Mrs. Weasley's encounter with a boggart at Grimmauld Place, Ron, Hermione and Malfoy becoming prefects, the appearance of Mundungus Fletcher (member of the Order, and the thief who eventually steals Slytherin's locket discarded in Grimmauld Place), and Firenze teaching Divination followed suit.[72]
The character of Kreacher the house-elf, who was included in the script only at Rowling's request, has a larger part in the book than the film. In the novel, he is seen saving some of the Black family's artefacts which the Order of the Phoenix throw away, one of which is a locket which becomes extremely important in the seventh book.[74] "It was kind of tricky to raise that in our story, because it's for so much later", Yates said. "We figured we can probably introduce it later, and that's the approach we took".[26] Whilst Kreacher remained, all scenes involving Dobby were cut, and his important actions given to other characters.[69]
Rita Skeeter, the journalist played by Miranda Richardson in Goblet of Fire, was also removed. In the book, Hermione blackmails her into writing an article that supports Harry as the rest of the Wizarding world denies his claims.[69] Richardson noted that "it's never gonna be the book on film, exactly. ... They'll take certain aspects from the book and make it something that they hope is going to be commercial and that people want to see".[75]
Distribution
Marketing
Three posters released on the Internet that showed Harry accompanied by six classmates, including Hermione Granger, generated some controversy by the media. They were essentially the same picture, though one advertised the IMAX release. In one poster, the profile of Hermione, played by Emma Watson, was made curvier as the outline of her breasts was enhanced. Melissa Anelli, webmistress of noted fan site The Leaky Cauldron, wrote:[79]
| “ | Emma Watson is playing a 15-year-old girl, and she herself is under 18. I get the full heebie jeebies thinking about the person who sat there thinking, 'Now, if we cinch her waist a bit, and inflate her bust a bit, and give her some dramatic lighting and more blonde hair, this would be a much better picture.' | ” |
The video game version, designed by EA UK, was released 25 June 2007.[81] Lego produced just one set, a model of Hogwarts, the lowest amount of sets for a film so far.[82][83] NECA produced a series of action figures,[84] while a larger array of smaller figures was also produced by PopCo Entertainment, a Corgi International company.[85]
Release
The film was the third Harry Potter film to be given a simultaneous release in conventional theatres and IMAX. The IMAX release featured the full movie in 2D and the final 20 minutes of the film in 3D.[86] According to estimates in March 2007, by Warner Bros., the film would debut on over 10,000 theatre screens during the summer.[87]The film was released in most countries in a two-week period starting 11 July 2007. WB has tried to stick with day-and-date releases for most countries, except the Middle East and a few minor markets which were to be in holidays at that point. The set of summer releases, even though the films are typically released in the winter, "really maximises our opportunity", said a representative for WB.[87]
Previews of the film began in March 2007 in the Chicago area.[88] Under tight security to prevent piracy, WB had security guards patrol the aisles, looking for cell phone cameras or small recording devices, at a preview in Japan.[89] The world premiere took place in Tokyo, Japan on 28 June 2007.[90] MySpace users could bring copies of their online profiles to gain free admission to sneak previews in eight different cities across the country on 28 June 2007.[91] The UK premiere took place on 3 July 2007 in London's Odeon Leicester Square, during which author J. K. Rowling made a public appearance.[92] The U.S. premiere took place on 8 July in Los Angeles.[93] After the premiere, the three young stars of the film series, Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson, were honoured with a ceremony where their handprints, footprints, and "wandprints" were placed in the cement in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre.[94]
Originally, Warner Bros. set the Australian release date as 6 September 2007, nearly two months after the majority of other release dates. However, after complaints from the Australian community, including a petition garnering 2,000 signatures the date was pulled back to 11 July 2007.[95] The release dates of the film in the UK and U.S. were also moved back, both from 13 July, to 12 and 11 July, respectively.[96][97]
Even though the book is the longest in the series (over 700 pages), the film is 138 minutes long (2 hours and 18 minutes), the second shortest in the entire film series.[98]
Home media
The DVDs included additional scenes, a feature showing a day in the life of Natalia Tena, who played Nymphadora Tonks, an A&E documentary about the films and books, and a featurette on film editing in Phoenix. The DVD-ROM features a timeline and a sneak peek of the next film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009). The HD DVD and Blu-ray contain additional features, such as the "in-movie experience", a video commentary in which members of Dumbledore's Army share their favourite moments from the production of the film, and "focus points" featurettes on how certain scenes of the film were made.[99][100] The HD DVD also include an exclusive feature called "community screening", which enable owners of the HD DVD to watch the film together over the internet.[101] Order of the Phoenix was the seventh best-selling DVD of 2007, with 10.14 million units.[102] The high-definition DVDs had combined sales of 179,500 copies,[102] with more units coming from the Blu-ray version.[103]There was also a third DVD with extras featuring a behind the scenes look at the sets of the movie. This can only be found in those purchased at Target stores (Future Shop in Canada) as it is a Target exclusive. The package included a one-time-only code that activated a digital copy of the film, which may be played on a computer with Windows Media Player. The digital copy however is not playable on Macintosh or Apple Inc. iPod devices. This issue was partially addressed, as the film was made available on the iTunes Store in the UK, but not the US.[104]
Reaction
Critical reception
Imelda Staunton's performance as Dolores Umbridge and Helena Bonham Carter's as Bellatrix Lestrange were widely acclaimed; Staunton was described as the "perfect choice for the part" and "one of the film's greatest pleasures", "coming close to stealing the show".[112] The Daily Mail described Staunton's portrayal of Umbridge as a "refreshing addition", with the character herself described as "a cross between Margaret Thatcher and Hyacinth Bucket".[113] Bonham Carter was said to be a "shining but underused talent".[114] Variety praised Alan Rickman's portrayal of Severus Snape, writing that he "may have outdone himself; seldom has an actor done more with less than he does here".[115] Newcomer Evanna Lynch, playing Luna Lovegood, also received good word from a number of reviewers including the New York Times who declared her "spellbinding".[116]
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone also lauded the three principal actors' achievements, especially Radcliffe: "One of the joys of this film is watching Daniel Radcliffe grow so impressively into the role of Harry. He digs deep into the character and into Harry's nightmares. It's a sensational performance, touching all the bases from tender to fearful". Rolling Stone's review also classified the film as better than the previous four instalments in the series, by losing the "candy-ass aspect" of the first two and "raising the bar" from the "heat and resonance" of the third and fourth.[117] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called the film "the best of the series so far, [with] the laughs, the jitters and the juice to make even nonbelievers wild about Harry".[117]
Leo Lewis of The Times (London) expressed disappointment that the three main actors were not able to fully advance the emotional sides of their respective characters, weakening the film.[114] The San Francisco Chronicle complained about a "lousy" storyline, alleging that the first twenty minutes of the film, when Harry is put on trial for performing magic outside of school and threatened with expulsion, but is cleared of all charges, did not advance the plot.[118] Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Phoenix is "quite possibly the least enjoyable of the [series] so far", and that despite "several eye-catching moments", "the magic – movie magic, that is – is mostly missing". The review also criticised the under use of the "cream of British acting", noting the brief appearances of Helena Bonham Carter, Maggie Smith, Emma Thompson, David Thewlis, Richard Griffiths, and Julie Walters.[119]
Box office
The film opened to a worldwide 5-day opening of $333 million, the eighth-biggest opening of all time, behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Marvel's The Avengers, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Spider-Man 3, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. In the United States, tickets for hundreds of midnight showings of the film, bought from online ticket-seller Fandango, were sold out, making up approximately 90% of the site's weekly ticket sales.[120] In the U.S. and Canada, midnight screenings (very early morning on 11 July) brought in $12 million[121] from 2,311 midnight exhibitions making the showings "the most successful batch of midnight exhibitions ever".[122] In one-night earnings, Phoenix is behind only At World's End, which had debuted four hours earlier on its date.[123]In the U.S. and Canada, Phoenix earned an additional $32.2 million on Wednesday, post-midnight showings, making it the biggest single-day Wednesday gross in box office history, with a total of $44.2 million from 4,285 theatres.[124][125] That amount topped Sony Pictures' Spider-Man 2, which had held the record since 2004 with its $40.4 million take on a Wednesday, until this record was broken in 2009 by Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen with $62.0 million.[126] It was also the fifth-biggest opening day for a movie in history, at the time, surpassing At World's End's $42.9 million. It earned $1.9 million from a record-breaking 91 IMAX screens, the highest opening day ever for any IMAX day of the week, beating Spider-Man 3's $1.8 million. In the U.K. the result was similar. The film made £16.5 million during its opening 4-day run, breaking the U.K. box office record for the biggest 4-day opening weekend ever.[127]
Phoenix's gross is at $292.0 million in the U.S. and Canada, making it the fifth highest-grossing film of 2007 in these regions,[128] and at £49.2 million,[129] or $101.4 million in the U.K.[130] Overseas, it has grossed $647.8 million, the seventh highest-grosser ever overseas,[131] for a worldwide total of $939.8 million[1] making it the second highest-grossing film of the year closely behind Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End's $961 million gross.[132] It became the sixth highest grossing film in history at the time, the second-highest grossing Potter film worldwide,[133] and the second Potter film to break the $900 million mark.[134] It is the seventeenth-highest grossing film of all time[135] as well as the fourth highest-grossing Potter film in the franchise behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2's $1.327 billion,[136] Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone's $974 million,[137] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1's $955 million[138] and the highest grossing 2007 film in Australia and the UK.[139][140] IMAX Corporation and Warner Bros. Pictures announced that the film has made over $35 million on IMAX screens, worldwide, with an impressive per-screen average of $243,000 making it the highest grossing live-action IMAX release in history.[141] In South Africa the film opened at number 1 with a total of $944,082.00, being screened at 87 theatres.
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