A week ago we looked at the highest 10-day grossers of all time, now I bring you sort of a sequel to that list, the top 10 fastest films to ever reach $300 million in North America. Now as is with most sequels, there might be more than a few similarities, after all, sequels come from a lack of original ideas, right? But you’ll notice a few changes like, for example, the complete absence of a certain web crawler that was featured twice last time around. And yes, The Hunger Games has a spot on this top 10.

10. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) – This took 19 days to reach $302.8 million and ended up with $352.3 million. Interestingly, Dark of the Moon just barely missed the last top 10 with $223.3 million in 10 days ($225.1 million was the number for 10th place).

9. Toy Story 3 (2010) – The 3rd entry in the Pixar animated series needed 18 days to get to $301.8 million. That’s like 3 weekends and a day, very impressive and hopefully, when Toy Story 4 comes out (and as long as it’s just as good), it will get there faster. Toy Story 3 finished with $415 million.

8. Shrek 2 (2004) – Another film that wasn’t in my last top 10, Shrek 2 made it to $300 million in 18 days but unlike Toy Story 3, it got there with $302.6 million. Box office wise, this was the highpoint of the franchise with a total of $441.2 million.

7. Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith (2005) – 17 days to reach $300.3 million and it ended up with $380.2 million. While this is the fastest in the series to reach that mark, it’s only 3rd when taking into account the overall totals (if we don’t include re-releases, it’s 2nd after Phantom Menace).

6. The Hunger Games (2012) – The newest film on this list, it got here in 17 days with $302.4 million. Since every single film found here ended up with at least $350 million, it’s safe to say The Hunger Games should at the very least match that number at the end of its run.

5. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) – 16 days with $311.3 million and this one finished with $423.3 million. It remains by far the highest grossing film in the franchise.

4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) – The last Harry Potter adventure needed 15 days to hit $303 million and finished with $381 million. This was only the 3rd Potter film to pass $300 million and it got there much faster than The Philosopher’s Stone (52 days) and Half-Blood Prince (77 days).

3. Avatar (2009) – The current highest grossing film of all time got to $308.8 million in 15 days and didn’t stop before $749.7 million (during its initial run). What’s more surprising than the success of this film is the fact we doubted James Cameron again, just like we did when Titanic was on the verge of release. While I don’t think Avatar 2 will match the total of the original, it should reach $300 million much faster.

2. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) – Here stands probably the most hated film on this top 10. Trashed by everyone, Revenge of the Fallen still managed to hit $305.5 million in just 14 days and was out of juice at $402.1 million, where it stopped.

1. The Dark Knight (2008) – Batman got to $313.7 million in only 10 days, absolutely trashing every gross speed record by a wide margin. The film went on to a $533.3 million total, making it (at the time) only the 2nd film to ever pass the $500 million mark. This summer The Dark Knight Rises has a lot to live up to and I’m hoping it can deliver.

A few last words are supposed to come here and since I’m all out of ideas, I’ll finish this in a very factual way while trying to maintain my serious face in the process. You see, only 37 films have made it past $300 million in North America and while The Dark Knight was the fastest (10 days, in case you skipped to the end, cheater), Forest Gump came in last place (193 days). Also for the Lord of the Rings fans out there (I’m one) that might be wondering why there’s no film from the trilogy on here, well, they were a few years ago. Now Return of the King is the highest of the franchise in 14th with 24 days to hit 300 million.

I promise I’ll do a fastest to $400 million top 10 as soon as we have a new film reach that mark. What film you think will be the next to make $400 million?

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The first 10 days of a film’s release usually cover the debut weekend and the following week up to the end of the 2nd weekend. The Hunger Games made $248.4 million in that time and while it’s a lot of money, other movies made more. I thought this would be an interesting chart to look at so today I give you the top 10 highest 10-day grossers of all time in North America, unadjusted for inflation. Interesting fact, The Hunger Games is the only non-sequel you’ll find in this top 10.

10. Spider-Man 2 (2004) $225.1 million ($373.5 million total) – Spider-Man films have always made a lot of money in a short amount of time, so obviously the 2nd one was no different. It should be noted this opened on a Wednesday, so it had a different gross pattern compared to other films found here.

9. Toy Story 3 (2010) $226.8 million ($415 million) – The 3rd and, at the time, supposedly last Toy Story, was a huge success. With its 10-day accounting for only 54.7% of the total gross, Toy Story 3 has no other equal on this chart when it comes to box office legs.

8. The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) $230.9 ($296.6 million) – The fastest selling Twilight is not the biggest. New Moon was a very frontloaded flick that in fact made 77.9% of its total in the first 10 days of release. For reference, the first Twilight made $119.7 million in 10 days, or about 62.1% of its $192.7 million total.

7. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) $236.9 million ($380.2 million) – Can’t have a “top something of all time” without a Star Wars flick, now can we. Take The Phantom Menace, that was the biggest 10-day grosser of all time for a good 2 and a half years. Then Revenge of the Sith held that same title for about 1 year and 2 months.

6. Spider-Man 3 (2007) $240.2 million ($336.5 million) – Notice how this one was $15 million ahead of Spider-Man 2 after 10 days yet it finished $37 million lower, ouch. This year in July Sony is rebooting the series with The Amazing Spider-Man. Expectations are high and it won’t be an easy task for that film to match previous incarnations of the friendly neighborhood spider.

5. The Hunger Games (2012) $248.4 million ($248.4 million, still running) – Oh look, something that isn’t a sequel! Really impressive for Katniss Everdeen’s first adventure and I’m looking forward to seeing Catching Fire or the two part Mockingjay crack this top 10 in the future.

4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) $258.3 million ($423.3 million) – Arghhh, there be pirates here matey, one is Jack Sparrow, nay, Captain Jack Sparrow! The 2003 origin was one of the most popular films of that year, both with audiences and critics, so a sequel was expected to perform well. Funny that On Stranger Tides made less in its entire run than Dead Man’s Chest made in just 10 days. Those Pirates aren’t as popular as they used to be.

3. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) $269 million ($402.1 million) – Like Pirates, this came after a very successful first entry. But, while Dead Man’s Chest isn’t exactly a favorite among Pirate fans, although still decent, Revenge of the Fallen is considered the black sheep of the Transformers series.

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011) $273.5 million ($381 million) – The final chapter in the most popular movie franchise of all time, Deathly Hallows Part 2, for the most part, did not disappoint. Interesting enough, at one point Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) was the biggest 10-day grosser of all time, for about 6 months. That’s one thing the final Potter could not achieve.

1. The Dark Knight (2008) $313.7 million ($533.3 million) – If you didn’t see this one coming, then you are a terrible liar. With The Dark Knight Rises just 3 and a half months away, I can’t wait to see where that will fall into this top 10. My best bet is at the very least 4th with a chance of 1st.

With movies making more money and faster than ever before, these kinds of charts change all the time so over the years the title of highest 10-day grosser of all time went to films that aren’t here anymore. In order we’ve had Jurassic Park (1993) with 120.1 million ($357 million), then stolen by Independence Day (1996) with $124.2 million ($306.1 million) and after that The Lost World: Jurassic park (1997) with $138.9 million ($229 million).

If you have any favorites on this list, maybe even contributed to their gross by purchasing a ticket, which one was it?

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With the big show only a few days away, I’ve compiled a list of predictions to give you an edge in the bets against your friends. Of course, these are just my best guesses, so don’t come looking to me for reimbursement if you lose twenty bucks.

Best Picture

The Artist is undoubtedly the frontrunner this year, having won almost every Best Picture award it has been nominated for. There isn’t much else to say about this category. Hugo has the tiniest fraction of a snowball’s chance in Hell because Martin Scorsese is so well-respected and it is the film with the most nominations. The only other film that is worth putting on the ballot, in terms of probability, is The Descendants, which won the Best Drama at the Golden Globes.

Best Bet: The Artist
An Oh-So Distant Second: Hugo
If Something Crazy Happens: The Descendants
My Personal Pick: The Help

Best Director

In keeping with this year’s theme, the directing race is another battle between The Artist, the brain-child of Michel Hazanavicius, and Hugo, helmed by Martin Scorsese. The advantage clearly goes to Hazanavicius, however, simply due to the overwhelming historical correlation between Best Picture and Best Director winners. If The Artist is the Best Picture heavyweight, Hazanavicius is, by default, the directing favorite.

Best Bet: Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Possible Surprise Upset: Martin Scorsese (Hugo)
If Something Crazy Happens: Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)

Best Actor

This one is going to come down to the wire. Both George Clooney (The Descendants) and Jean Dujardin (The Artist) have won a number of awards this year. Each of them went home with a Golden Globe, Dujardin nabbed the SAG and BAFTA awards, and Clooney snatched The National Board of Review and Critic’s Choice awards. Dujardin’s wins are more recent, which, together with the overall awards power of The Artist, gives him a slight edge. Still, I won’t be surprised if Clooney walks away with his second acting Oscar on Sunday night.

Best Bet: Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Close Second: George Clooney (The Descendants)
If the Votes Split and a Surprise 3^rd Grabs the Gold: Brad Pitt (Moneyball)

Best Actress

Like the Best Actor category, Best Actress has turned into a two-horse race that is hard to predict. In one corner we have the most esteemed living actress, Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady), who has an astonishing 17 Oscar nominations in total. In the other corner we have Viola Davis who received her second nomination in three years for The Help. Fun fact: Davis’s first nod came for her work in Doubt, in which she only had one scene, which she shared with none other than Meryl Streep, who was also nominated that year. Early on, Davis looked like the one to beat, but it seems as though voters suddenly recalled that, while Streep receives a staggering number of nominations, she hasn’t won an Oscar in almost thirty years—not since she won for Sophie’s Choice way back in 1983. The factor that tips the odds towards Davis is The Help’s box office and critical success, compared to the flop that is The Iron Lady.

Best Bet: Viola Davis (The Help)
Close Second: Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Plummer (Beginners) had better be practicing his acceptance speech. Like Christoph Walz (Inglorious Basterds), Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight), and Christian Bale (The Fighter) before him, Plummer is as close as you can get to a lock.

Best Bet: Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Mind-Blowing Surprise: Max Von Sydow (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close)

Best Supporting Actress

Like the Supporting Actor category, this one is all but sewn up. Octavia Spencer (The Help) has cleaned up the awards season this year. The Academy Award will almost certainly be another trophy she has to make room for.

Best Bet: Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Shocking Spoiler: Berenice Bejo (The Artist)

Best Documentary Feature

This category is often difficult to predict, as documentaries are rarely as popular or as circulated as features. Without the presence of a Bowling for Columbine or The March of Penguins, it’s hard to confidently pick out a frontrunner. With that in mind, I’m leaning toward Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, which documents the West Memphis Three, a trio of teenagers convicted of the murders of three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, and who were recently released due to new forensic evidence that indicates they may be innocent. Paradise Lost 3 is, as the title suggests, the third in a trilogy which has been documenting the investigation, trials, and media surrounding the West Memphis Three for over a decade. Because of the role these movies have played in the high profile case, and the number of celebrities and musicians who have publicly supported the West Memphis Three, it seems reasonable that Paradise Lost 3 could take home the statuette. That being said, any of the five nominees has a reasonable chance, as many critics have noted.

Best Bet: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Another Safe Bet: Undefeated

Best Animated Feature

Without The Adventures of Tintin or a Pixar candidate, this category is suddenly much more open-ended. Either of the two European nominees, A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita, could shake things up, but the Johnny Depp-voiced Rango is the likeliest winner in such a lackluster group.

Best Bet: Rango
Surprise Upset: Chico & Rita
If All the Academy Voters are Secretly Cat Lovers: Puss in Boots or A Cat in Paris.

Best Foreign Language Film

Iran’s A Separation has consistently taken home this award all season long. However, this category has a history of seeing the favorite fall to an underdog. If that were to happen, Poland’s In Darkness is most likely to be the film that revels in Oscar glory.

Best Bet: A Separation
Underdog: In Darkness
Because I’m Canadian I’m Cheering For: Monsieur Lazhar

Best Visual Effects

There wasn’t an Inception or Avatar that took visual effects to a shocking new level this year, but there was Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which made audiences forget that the titular apes were not, in fact, real. Transformers: Dark of the Moon is making a last-minute bid for the visual effects prize by releasing some behind-the-scenes videos online. You can see those here. Of course, it would be silly to count out the beloved Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, if for no other reason than the franchise hasn’t managed to garner a single Oscar win, despite several nominations, and this year is its last chance.

Best Bet: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Possible Monkey-Killer: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
But Don’t Count Out: Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Best Cinematography

There are several very strong nominees in this category. Steven Spielberg has received much critical acclaim for the aesthetic and cinematographic aspects of War Horse; and while half of audiences wanted their money back after viewing The Tree of Life, the other half has been shouting Malick’s praises ever since, demanding Oscar recognition in this category; finally, the two heaviest hitters of this year’s awards, Hugo and The Artist, have each been consistent nominees cinematography nominees all season long, with The Artist picking up a BAFTA a couple weeks ago. This is definitely one of the hardest categories to call, as there seems to be very little consensus among critics as to who will win. My guess is that Hugo’s technologically advanced yet conventional style will appeal to Academy voters, but with The Tree of Life taking home top honors from the American Society of Cinematographers, it’s far from a sure thing.

Best Bet: Hugo
Strong Contender: The Tree of Life
Possible Spoiler: The Artist

Best Adapted Screenplay

My personal wish is that The Ides of March, written by George Clooney, Beau Willimon & Grant Heslove, would finally get some love and win the only category it managed to get a nomination in, but I’m not getting my hopes up. Instead, George Clooney’s other big film, The Descendants, written by Nat Faxon, Alexander Payne & Jim Rash, is the one to place money on. It has five nominations, but almost zero chance at winning anything except this category, which gives it that much more clout. It has some serious competition, however, from Aaron Sorkin, Steve Zaillian & Stan Chervin, the writers of Moneyball.

Best Bet: Nat Faxon, Alexander Payne & Jim Rash (The Descendants)
Strong Contender: Aaron Sorkin, Steve Zaillian & Stan Chervin (Moneyball)
Possible Surprise Upset: Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)

Best Original Screenplay

This is yet another category too close to call with any real certainty. Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris) is the marginal favorite, but Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) could very well swoop in and steal this one away from him. I’m also not completely writing off Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo (Bridesmaids), and am not-so-secretly crossing my fingers for them to surprise everyone with a win.

Best Bet: Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)
Strong Contender: Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Possible Surprise Upset: Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo (Bridesmaids)

Best Original Score

Part of me thinks that voters will make up for snubbing The Adventures of Tintin from the Animated Feature category by rewarding John Williams’ score with a statuette, but that’s not likely to be the case. Rather, I’d look at Ludovic Bource’s work in The Artist. Since The Artist is a silent film, it relied much more heavily on the score than its competitors, which gives Bource a distinct advantage. Critics are split over who the potential spoiler could be, but I have a hunch that Howard Shore (Hugo) may walk away with his fourth Oscar.

Best Bet: Ludovic Bource (The Artist)
Potential Spoiler: Howard Shore (Hugo)
Out-of-left-field Upset: Alberto Iglesias (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)

Best Original Song

There is very little to say about a category that only has two nominees, other than complaining about the fact that there should have been more songs to choose from. Deservedly, “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets by Bret McKenzie has almost certainly got this one in the bag.

Best Bet: “Man or Muppet” (The Muppets)
The Only Other Nominee: “Real in Rio” (Rio)

Best Makeup

With only three nominees, the makeup battle seems to have filtered itself down to fight between The Iron Lady, which did a freaky job of making Meryl Streep look like Margaret Thatcher, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, which is looking to get some recognition for all those years of making Ralph Fiennes’ nose disappear. The uncanny man-makeup on Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs doesn’t seem to be in contention.

Best Bet: The Iron Lady
Possible Upset: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Best Art Direction

If any category offers HP 7.5 a reasonable chance at its long-absent Oscar victory, it’s this one. This is the franchise’s fourth nomination in the Art Direction category, and with its extremely large fan base already pissed that the final film was snubbed from the Best Picture race, if Harry Potter goes eight movies without a single Oscar win, Potterphiles may lose their collective mind. Even still, it’d be a big stretch to call it the frontrunner, especially when it is up against four Best Picture nominees, including Hugo and The Artist.

Best Bet: Hugo
Strong Contender: The Artist
An Offering to Appease the Masses: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Best Costumes

Hello, period pieces. This is the category where the past reigns, and 2012 is no different. All five nominees are period pieces. The two films fighting it out this year for the top spot are Jane Eyre and The Artist, both which impeccably replicated their respective eras.

Best Bet: Jane Eyre
Strong Contender: The Artist

Best Film Editing

When it comes to some of these technical categories that are paid less attention to, it is often safest to go with the most technically spectacular of the big hitters, which in this case is Hugo. However, this year The Artist throws a curveball in the Film Editing department. For, while it doesn’t have to deal with the incredible CGI that Hugo does or the baseball scenes in Moneyball, it beautifully replicates the style of the 1920’s silent films. This makes it not just a technical skill, but also an art.

Best Bet: The Artist
Don’t Count Out: Hugo

Best Sound Mixing

Keeping in mind the statement above, Hugo appears to be the frontrunner for Sound Mixing and Editing, as it combines the technical proficiency of a box office blockbuster with the critical acclaim of a Best Picture nominee. That being said, you can’t ignore the complicated monstrosity of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Whether or not you liked the story or the acting, you cannot deny the massive complexity of the sound design.

Best Bet: Hugo
Strong Contender: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Keep an Eye On: War Horse

Best Sound Editing

Best Bet: Hugo
Strong Contender: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Might Surprise Everyone: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Short Documentary

Saving Face, which follows a cosmetic surgeon who repairs the faces of Pakistani women disfigured by acid, is the likely winner here. The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, also has a good shot at taking home the trophy.

Best Bet: Saving Face
Strong Contender: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
Surprise Upset: God is Bigger Than Elvis

Best Animated Short

In a year fuelled by the nostalgia of The Artist, a silent short that pays homage to Buster Keaton seems like a surefire win. Such is the force behind The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. Of course, the power of Pixar should not be scoffed at, which makes La Luna a viable candidate for the award.

Best Bet: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Strong Contender: La Luna

Best Live Short

There is very little agreement on the frontrunner in this category. The Shore has popped up on a number of critics’ lists and is the flashiest of the five shorts. But Tuba Atlantic has a guy trying to blow of seagulls, so…

Best Bet: The Shore
Possible Spoiler: Raju
Has My Vote: Tuba Atlantic

And that does it. Sound off in the comments below with your own predictions.

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Last month The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced 15 films had been selected for consideration for Achievement in Visual Effects for the 84th Academy Awards. Today those 15 movies were narrowed down to 10.

Here are the movies still in the race:

“Captain America: The First Avenger”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
“Hugo”
“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”
“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”
“Real Steel”
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
“The Tree of Life”
“X-Men: First Class”

For those wondering, the 5 movies no longer in the race are Thor, Sucker Punch, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Cowboys & Aliens, and Super 8.

On January 19th the 5 official nominations will be selected after members of the Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee view 10-minute excerpts from each film. The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. Billy Crystal will host the actual ceremony on Sunday, February 26, 2012.

Which movies do you think should get a VFX nod?

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced the 15 films that have been selected for consideration for Achievement in Visual Effects for the 84th Academy Awards.

In early January members of the Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee will narrow the list down to 10, and then on January 19th the 5 official nominations will be selected after members view 10-minute excerpts from each film.

Here’s the list of films in alphabetical order:

“Captain America: The First Avenger”
“Cowboys & Aliens”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
“Hugo”
“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”
“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”
“Real Steel”
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”
“Sucker Punch”
“Super 8″
“Thor”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
“The Tree of Life”
“X-Men: First Class”

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. Billy Crystal will host the actual ceremony on Sunday, February 26, 2012.

Which movies do you think should get a VFX nod?

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Warner Bros. continues to push Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 for some awards recognition with the release of a new ‘For Your Consideration’ trailer.

The studio released a short trailer earlier this month which featured voice-overs from Dumbledore and Lily Potter and focused on the love elements in the final film. This second trailer still aims to pack an emotional punch, but focuses more on the battles and spectacle.

Watch below (via SnitchSeeker):

For those wondering, the music is called ‘Evey Reborn‘ and comes from the V for Vendetta soundtrack by Dario Marianelli.

You can check out the ‘For Your Consideration’ site for Deathly Hallows: Part 2 here.

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Filmonic reviewer/reporter Joe Belcastro covers the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 release event live at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

On the weekend of the home video release (11/11/11) of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, an assortment of the cast and crew from the Harry Potter realm all gathered at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida, to yap with the worldwide press and mingle with fans in attendance throughout the three-day event.

Friday was the press conference as everyone from actor Rupert Grint to director David Yates – who helmed the last four Potter flicks – all descended upon the theme park that was inspired by J. K. Rowling’s literary gems in conjunction with the vision of the respective filmmakers, which was brought to life these last eleven years.

Saturday saw a massive red-carpet spectacle that ran through the entire re-created world, with the cast all going up on stage at the base of Hogwarts, while a firework display went off celebrating all they have accomplished.

So without any further ado, yours truly chatted with just about everyone at the presser and the red carpet.  Read some quotes and take a listen to a portion of the press conference below:

On whether the cast is sad that it is all officially wrapping up…

“I don’t whether sad is quite the right word,” says Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick & Griphook).

“I mean, it’s sad the paychecks aren’t coming through anymore,” he says with a grin.  “I suppose the thing that might be sad is not seeing everybody so often.  We are all used to going to work and hanging out; certainly with members of the cast together, and also the fantastic crew we had at the studios.  Going to that place every day felt secure.”

The animated Mark Williams (Mr. Weasley) added, “People ask us that question and we hesitate to reply and I think the reason is that this has never been done before.  And we are kind of struggling to understand what’s being achieved.  But I think celebration is a good word, I’d go with that one.”

Also reflecting on the moment was director David Yates; who in his gentle voice chimed in with this…

“It was always a very family atmosphere when we made these movies.  A real sense of community.  And I think that what we all will carry that forward with us, as well as the pride in the work.  It’s hard to get an angle on it; we’re so close to it.  It was such an extraordinary amount of work that we did together.  It’s hard to really contextualize it at the moment.  I think Rupert used the word surreal; it feels a little surreal at this point because we are that close to it.  But I think we’ll see each other whenever we pass and we’ll always be grateful for the experience and they will be relationships that will continue.”

The family theme came up a lot in all of their response.  Mainly because they all realized that this was going to be special.  As Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) succinctly put it…

“We all felt like we were privileged to work there.”

Isaacs also had an interesting response when people come up to him and say they are the biggest Harry Potter fans…

“The biggest fans of Harry Potter that I have ever met are at this table and the table before,” (referencing all the cast & crew that took part in the press conference).

A prime example of that is Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood); who admittedly came from the fan world and she is still in awe of being a part of something she loved so much.

Stanislav Ianevski (Viktor Krum), also a fan, gave a deep response to what’s going on in his mind…

“To be honest, it’s very difficult for me to take in the moment that it’s come to an end.  I’d rather believe that it’s never going to come to an end, because Harry Potter and everything that’s done – for over eleven years now – you know, I think is going to live on forever in people’s hearts.  I’d rather think that, we are going to live in their hearts forever.”

That thoughtful answer put Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasley) in an interesting spot (for he was next to answer), as in: how do I follow that?

“Yeah, what he said (smiling).  It’s amazing.  So good to see everyone again, he says laughing.”

Focus shifted to David Yates and he revealed what his personal goals were when taking over the franchise…

“I think we had to absolutely get the last film right in its totality; because there was so much pressure riding on that story,” says Yates.  ”People had followed that story for ten years and there was a huge expectation about the finale.  So we carried that pressure with us for some time.  It was tricky of getting that balance of comedy, adventure, action sort of coordinated in the right way.”

And his most memorable directing achievements while working on the films…

“One of the scenes I’m proudest of, which I adore, is the kiss between Ron and Hermione in Hallows Part 2, just because of its charm.”

“I still remember the scene very fondly with Rupert and Emma; it was a delicate scene to get right because Rupert and Emma know each other really, really well.  And it’s quite a challenging thing to snog someone you know really well.”

The overall tone of the press conference was celebratory and that stemmed from the questions being asked.  They all talked about the little souvenirs they “took” from the set while filming.  Producer David Barron gave a funny story how passionate (or rabid) the fans are, when one approached him for an autograph.  Rupert Grint briefly told one that happened at one of the premieres…

“Yeah, I had kind of an encounter with an interesting character,” says Grint.  ”It was actually at one of the premieres, the fourth film maybe, in New York, and we were just about to be put away in the limo, and this man in a wheelchair grabbed onto the back bumper.  And we towed him along for a few yards.”

Grint also elaborated on how he and his now infamous “Ron” persona coexist…

“I kind of feel we merged into the same person in a weird way.  I always could relate to Ron, and not just cause we’re both ginger.”

With the home video release (DVD, Blu-ray, Download & Ultra Violet Digital Copy) producers David Barron and David Heyman said those expecting extended or a bunch of deleted scenes will be surprised that there are not that many on the disc.  Just about all the the footage that they shot was used in the film (Good!)

The inevitable chance of another movie had to be asked.  Artistically, there is no need to ever try to add on to this amazing achievement in filmmaking.  Well, unless J.K. Rowlings decides to conjure up another phonebook sized novel.  But with the business of Hollywood and how nothing is sacred, David Yates and David Barron answered with this…

“You could only do something additional to the eight films we have if it originated from Jo herself (Rowlings),” says Barron.  ”We would have to have the integrity she would give it.  And I can’t see what it would be, because she told a singular story over seven volumes that we took eight films to tell that same story.  And we reached the end of that story.  I can’t really imagine what it would be.  We know what happens to Harry – he got married, he had kids, he rebuilt the school, it’s no big mystery.  I think she did that on purpose really, so it was not left open”

“And there’s a sort of a time and a place for a story such as this,” added Yates.  And it seems wonderful to leave it where it is somehow.  I think that will gain value in time.  And I think it would be a real shame to continue.”

“But we’d like a part,” says the quick-witted Mark Williams.  And David Barron appropriately followed that up with, “And we would like to work on it, too.”

Finally, we come to the A-Ha moments.  The moment when they all personally realized that this Harry Potter phenomenon was bigger than they thought.  And they were a part of it.  A few of them – including Rupert Grint, James and Oliver Phelps (Weasley Twins), producer David Heyman, Jason Isaacs, Evanna Lynch, George Harris (Kingsley Shacklebolt), Nick Moran (Scabior), David Bradley (Argus Filch) and Devon Murray (Seamus Finnigan) – specifically recalled what they were doing and/or where they were when it more-or-less “hit” them that they played a role in the biggest movie franchise of all-time…

Below are a few audio interviews containing their ‘A-Ha’ moments:

In order: Nick Moran (Scabior), David Bradley (Filch), David Heyman (producer), George Harris (Kingsley), Phelps Twins (Weasley Twins), Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) and Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood)

Rupert Grint

Devon Murray

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The Harry Potter films have picked up 9 Oscar nominations over the past ten years, for categories such as cinematography, art direction, visual effects and score, but none walked away with a statue and no film has been considered for Best Picture.

Following the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 earlier this year to great critical acclaim (96% on Rotten Tomatoes) Warner Bros. declared their intentions make a final push for some awards recognition, and they’ve now released a ‘For Your Consideration’ trailer.

Watch below:

One hurdle Warner Bros. will have to overcome is the recent rule changes regarding nominations for Best Picture. Back in June the Academy announced that instead of nominating 10 movies for Best Picture as they have done since 2009, they will now only nominate the movies they think deserve it (a number between 5 and 10).

This was a welcomed move as if there are only 8 movies that truly deserve recognition in a given year, they shouldn’t feel an obligation to round out the number just because the rules say they should. However, this may create a problem for Deathly Hallows: Part 2 as voters tend to prefer low budget dramas, where as Potter is a $200+ million action fantasy. It should get a bunch of technical nominations, but will the Academy consider it for Best Picture?

You can check out the ‘For Your Consideration’ site for Deathly Hallows: Part 2 here.

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In what might seem like a very very strange business decision, Warner Bros will stop shipping all Harry Potter theatrical film titles starting December 29th. This is usually not something you do with the most successful film franchise of all time.

Here’s the press release:

Burbank, CA – October 24, 2011 – Harry Potter, the #1 motion picture franchise of all time, will soon disappear from shelves, as Warner Bros. stops shipping all Harry Potter theatrical film titles (including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ – Part 2, and Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection) as of December 29, 2011 (moratorium does not include digital – Electronic Sell-Through & VOD – or games). The Harry Potter franchise has grossed more than $12.1 billion for Warner Bros. Entertainment – with $7 billion at the worldwide box office for Warner Bros. Pictures and $5.1 billion for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

As you can see, Warner Bros. have given no explanation for this but I might be able to help with that. You see, such a move just before Christmas boosts demand for the movies considerably. This means people have to buy the DVDs and Blu-rays before the 29th of December otherwise there ain’t gonna be no Harry Potter left for them. That’s short-term, in the long-term Warner could re-release the movies as events (and this is probably what they are planning). In the past Disney pulled similar stunts and it worked well for them so Warner Bros. are following suit.

Bottom line is this, if you want an original copy of any of the Harry Potter movies (or the entire collection) on DVD or Blury, you have to buy it this year, otherwise you’ll be left with bootleg copies found on the corner of the street. Warner Bros. want your money now.

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Warner Bros. has released a new Blu-ray trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in preparation for the US DVD/Blu-ray release on November 11.

The trailer gives fans a glimpse at the special features, which include behind the scenes set footage and interviews, a look at Maximum Movie Mode hosted by Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), and a preview of the conversation with JK Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe about bringing the character of Harry Potter to life,

Watch below (via Snitch Seeker):

US residents can now pre-order Deathly Hallows: Part 2 from Amazon on: DVD | Blu-ray

Countries such as the UK will have to wait until December 2nd for the DVD/Blu-ray release.

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