by Athena Appleton » Thursday 8 April 2004 4:41:04pm
I'm not suprized they're cutting the Dursleys from GOF... I'd hate to not see Richard Griffiths and Fiona Shaw, because I think they're great, but, truth be told, the Dursleys is the one scene in GOF that is strictly there for humor. The only thing of consequence is that Fred and George ton-tongue Dudley, and that could just as easily be slipped in without showing it (aka. they're still in trouble for it, or they do it to someone else, but I think they'll still just be in trouble for it, and it's mentioned that way). Oh yeah, and they're scared of Sirius, but that could easily be done in just a little comment... ("Did your aunt and uncle give you a hard time this summer, Harry?" "No, they were too afraid of Sirius finding them if I said they did anything wrong.")
I think GoF will probably start at the Burrow, very shortly after Harry arrives. That way, we get some introduction to where they're going, but it'll be a short scene, probably meeting Bill and Charlie there or just meeting them at the World Cup. If they're there at all (and they BETTER be).
I'll still go see it, though, because I trust the writer (still the same guy with lots of help from Rowling) to do it justice, even if they have to cut out the big scenes. It's obvious, I think, that they had to. I mean, I've heard lots of the arguement that LOTR were long movies. Well, LOTR was an older target audience. And the two two-hour movies sound too much like what Matrix tried (and failed). I think trimming the story down to one two-and-a-half hour movie is the smartest thing.