Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - The Spence Edit

[spence]

Hi all!

I'm a casual Harry Potter fan, I hadn't seen most of the movies since they originally released, except for Prisoner of Azkaban, which I think is brilliant. Recently, my wife and I decided to rewatch the entire series. I was struck by the last story being split into two parts, specifically because neither part works all that well on its own. So I came over to FE to see who has done an edit, and other than Q2 and the extended editions, there really aren't many that combine the movies into one. So I decided to try and tackle it as a little break from Children of Dune (which I'm still working on, just burned out on it).

I started thinking about how, at the script level, this could've been one movie. The clear answer to me is that one of the Horcruxes has to go, as each one eats up a huge chunk of time. Unfortunately, the only one that doesn't really add much to the overall plot is the Gringott's Vault. It's undeniably a great sequence, but we don't really lose anything plot related by cutting it.

Again keep in mind I'm not a huge superfan of Potter, nor do I care if I follow the books. I'm just trying to make this into one entertaining movie.

The other obvious thing to get removed is the trip to Godric's hollow, which doesn't add any new information. It has a nice scene between Harry and Hermione, but the tent scene is stronger and serves a similar purpose.

Planned changes:
- Cut the opening in the Ministry of Magic.
- Cut the opening chase sequence. The Snape scene at Malfoy manor will now be reframed as if they're talking about the wedding, not moving Potter. Harry finds out Moody is dead when they're at the Ministry of Magic.
- Remove the subplot about Voldemort's wand not working to kill Harry. He is just looking for the most powerful wand because he's a bad guy.
- Cut Ginny and Harry moment while getting ready for the wedding. We don't need it anymore. I may try to retain this but as of right now it's gone.
- Cut some of the Harry stuff at the wedding because it's no longer relevant to the plot, since Godric's Hollow is being cut.
- Cut the fight scene in the cafe. Harry and co. now go straight to the Black house.
- Some minor trims to the Ministry of Magic sequence for pacing.
- Cut some of the meandering in the woods. Ron no longer sees Harry and Hermione together, it's just the horcrux getting to him.
- Cut all sequences in Godric's Hollow, and the subplot of Harry's wand breaking.
- Trimmed some of Ron's return to make Hermione less harsh and childish toward him. She knows the necklace had a lot to do with how he was behaving.
- Trims to remove mention of Godric's Hollow from the Lovegood residence scene.
- Cut Griphook the Goblin from all scenes in the film. He's been cut around at the Malfoy manor.
- Added a shot of the sword disappearing from Malfoy Manor, using footage from Chamber of Secrets
- Added a vision/dream for Harry after the escape from Malfoy Manor that shows him the final Horcrux hints (Ravenclaw, the snake, and himself)
- Trimmed conversation with Ollivander, he no longer inspects Bellatrix's wand, just Draco's.
- Entire Gringott's bank subplot has been completely removed.
- Moved the opening scene of Part 2, with Snape at Hogwarts, to right after Ollivander conversation, then have Harry and Co. go straight to Hogsmeade from there.
- Trimmed a most of the Dumbledore family backstory to focus on Aberforth testing Harry's determination.
- Trims throughout to make Ron less of a jerk. He doesn't pick on Luna, and he doesn't question going back for Draco.
- Trimmed the Rowena Ravenwood stuff to it's bare minimum to get the plot moving.
- Lots of little action trims for pacing and action clarify toward the end of the film.
- Removed the scene between Voldemort and Malfoy at the boat dock.
- Snape no longer gets attacked by the snake a ridiculous amount of times.
- Eliminated most of the dialogue from the ghosts scene.
- Trimmed some of Voldemort and co. in the woods.
- re-ordered and upped the pacing of the Voldemort/final battle. We jump around to different locations less frequently now, staying with one narrative through line then moving to the next. I removed the weird part where Voldemort has Harry tangled up, I never understood why he didn't just kill him at that point.
- I kept the epilogue, but removed Harry's conversation with his son. It's now more of a montage of them watching the next generation head to Hogwart's.

Current runtime is about 2:55 with credits. 2:47 without.

Let me know your thoughts!

 

[ArtisDead]

Very excited to see this project complete!

 

[Heavisyde]

this sounds pretty good. i never cared much for the horcrux hunting tbh, they were just a series of mcguffins after all. some of them were good, but others felt tacked on - including the bank vault one. and never got the whole "this wand doesn't want to kill X" stuff either, perhaps because I also never read the books.

- Added a vision/dream for Harry after the escape from Malfoy Manor that shows him the final Horcrux hints (Ravenclaw, the snake, and himself)

this sounds very interesting, I'd like to see how you handle this.

 

[spence]

this sounds very interesting, I'd like to see how you handle this.

Here's a WIP of that moment. I want a shot of the sword of Gryffindor disappearing, but the only one I have to work with has Griphook's hand on it. I cropped it but it's kind of hard to tell what it is. I need to figure that out.

 

[Heavisyde]

Very cool. I didn't notice the cropping of the sword myself, and the glimmer made it apparent what it is.

 

[ArtisDead]

Here's a WIP of that moment. I want a shot of the sword of Gryffindor disappearing, but the only one I have to work with has Griphook's hand on it. I cropped it but it's kind of hard to tell what it is. I need to figure that out.

Maybe, you could digitally remove the hand? I think heavisyde may be correct. It might not matter.

 

[addiesin]

- Possibly remove the epilogue (I hate how silly they all look).

Yes, an easy disconnected chunk of time to remove, also IMO it sets too much in stone, even in the books it's like saying "and nothing interesting happened to any of them ever again, here look at their kids".

 

[The Danger Zone]

Good to see you and I have something in common, Spence, as I, too, am a casual Potterhead.

 

[Gaith]

and never got the whole "this wand doesn't want to kill X" stuff either, perhaps because I also never read the books.

IIRC, it doesn't make any sense there, either - the last book makes a whole big deal out of wands not working properly for other users unless they've been won in wand combat, which doesn't remotely jibe with what the series had established before.

Yes, an easy disconnected chunk of time to remove, also IMO it sets too much in stone, even in the books it's like saying "and nothing interesting happened to any of them ever again, here look at their kids".

"Except for the super-dramatic two-part play that happens right after this epilogue, that is!" The epilogue was terrible on the page, and terrible on the screen. The only way to even halfway redeem it would be to reshoot it once the actors have reached the correct ages, as then it would at least have some degree of authenticity and interest.

...

...

BUT, the reason I came to this thread is to say, Spence, I will unilaterally award you all the points if you remove the entire Harry "death"/Mobil Avenue/insta-resurrection cr*p, and simply have Harry Avada Kedavra the f*** out of Voldy as soon as they face each other in the big battle.

 

[spence]

IIRC, it doesn't make any sense there, either - the last book makes a whole big deal out of wands not working properly for other users unless they've been won in wand combat, which doesn't remotely jibe with what the series had established before.




"Except for the super-dramatic two-part play that happens right after this epilogue, that is!" The epilogue was terrible on the page, and terrible on the screen. The only way to even halfway redeem it would be to reshoot it once the actors have reached the correct ages, as then it would at least have some degree of authenticity and interest.

...

...

BUT, the reason I came to this thread is to say, Spence, I will unilaterally award you all the points if you remove the entire Harry "death"/Mobil Avenue/insta-resurrection cr*p, and simply have Harry Avada Kedavra the f*** out of Voldy as soon as they face each other in the big battle.

I'm keeping the Voldemort battle for sure, as I like a lot of it, especially when they're blending together while flying/falling. Dramatically, it's a cool moment.

There will definitely be some trims/cuts to the resurrection stone stuff. I don't really get why he needs a pep talk from everyone that's died ever, and a pep talk from Dumbledore immediately after.

 

[spence]

@ArtisDead made some cool art for this!

 

[plurmonger]

I'm a big fan of taking two movies that never should have been more than one into a single film, and I love a ruthless cut. My only complaint with what you're proposing here is that this cut wouldn't sit happily with the rest of the film series since the previous film is clear on the number of horcruxes. Is there a way to retain the number of horcruxes while shortening the sequenc(es)? It's been a while since I watched these, so I don't have much in the way of suggestions, I'm afraid, other than to say I'd be happy with a slightly longer cut that doesn't contradict the film before it or leave the hanging thread of the seventh horcrux.

 

[spence]

I'm a big fan of taking two movies that never should have been more than one into a single film, and I love a ruthless cut. My only complaint with what you're proposing here is that this cut wouldn't sit happily with the rest of the film series since the previous film is clear on the number of horcruxes. Is there a way to retain the number of horcruxes while shortening the sequenc(es)? It's been a while since I watched these, so I don't have much in the way of suggestions, I'm afraid, other than to say I'd be happy with a slightly longer cut that doesn't contradict the film before it or leave the hanging thread of the seventh horcrux.

I literally just watched the whole series and don't remember them putting a number on it. Is it in that flashback scene?

Honestly, this is part of the problem with these last few films to me. You have to have the seven Horcruxes, but you also have to have the three hallows. But also you already have a hallow that doesn't even get used again, but also you are a Horcrux. It's too much McGuffin for one story!

 

[Gaith]

Honestly, this is part of the problem with these last few films to me. You have to have the seven Horcruxes, but you also have to have the three hallows. But also you already have a hallow that doesn't even get used again, but also you are a Horcrux. It's too much McGuffin for one story!

Indeed. As I once wrote in my critique of Years 5-7, "believe it or not, this actually turns out to be a major set-up for the climactic battle: how does the ghost of one of Hogwarts' founders feel about a piece of jewellery her mother once owned?"

 

[addiesin]

"What is a Horcrux" is the main drive of most of 6. Can't lose Horcrux as a concept. But you could probably remove the Hallows or at least their significance.

Harry Potter and the Horcrux Hunt

 

[spence]

"What is a Horcrux" is the main drive of most of 6. Can't lose Horcrux as a concept. But you could probably remove the Hallows or at least their significance.

Harry Potter and the Horcrux Hunt

I'm toying with that. It just creates more issues, I then have to cut The Lovegoods completely out as there's no reason to go see her dad, so there's no reason for her to be captured.

 

[plurmonger]

I literally just watched the whole series and don't remember them putting a number on it. Is it in that flashback scene?

Honestly, this is part of the problem with these last few films to me. You have to have the seven Horcruxes, but you also have to have the three hallows. But also you already have a hallow that doesn't even get used again, but also you are a Horcrux. It's too much McGuffin for one story!

It's mentioned at least once, in this scene:

It may be mentioned elsewhere, but this is the scene I remember.

 

[spence]

It's mentioned at least once, in this scene:

It may be mentioned elsewhere, but this is the scene I remember.

Let's all just pretend Spence made a fanedit of Half Blood Prince and just changed that line of dialogue to not be specific.

 

[spence]

anybody better at effects stuff want to try and make me an opening title that doesn't have the "Part 1" in it?

 

[addiesin]

There's a trailer for the two films without "Part" anything in it. Lemme see if I can dig it up. It's short, very short. But now using Flowframes you may get it to useable length. Should be on one of the Deathly Hallows Blu rays.

Edit: this is the one