115-769: David Yates (born 8 October 1963) is an English filmmaker, who has directed feature films, short films, and television productions. He is best known for directing the final four films in the Harry Potter series and the three films of its prequel series, Fantastic Beasts . His work on the Harry Potter series brought him critical and commercial success along with accolades, such as the British Academy Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing . Yates directed various short films and became
230-807: A BA in Government in 1987. In 1988, Yates made his first film When I Was a Girl in Swindon . The film entered the festival circuit where it was named Best Short Film at the San Francisco International Film Festival . It contributed towards Yates's acceptance into the National Film and Television School in 1989 and led to the BBC hiring him to direct Oranges and Lemons , a short drama film in 1991. Before completing film school, he began to direct, produce and write
345-684: A "Third Aufidious Servant", Vanessa Redgrave as Valeria, and Diana Rigg as a "Roman Citizen". Albert Finney featured as a "First Roman Citizen". Hardy then appeared in Shakespeare 's Henry V on stage and in television's An Age of Kings (1960), and subsequently played Coriolanus in The Spread of the Eagle (BBC, 1963) and Sir Toby Belch for the BBC Television Shakespeare production of Twelfth Night in 1980. Over
460-419: A blank sheet of paper. Stephenie McMillan also said that "each film always had plenty of new challenges", citing the changes in visual style between directors and cinematographers as an example, along with the developing story in the novels. Due to J.K. Rowling's descriptions of various settings in the novels, Craig noted his "responsibility was to place it together". Craig commented on his experience working in
575-696: A classical actor, and made an early Hollywood film appearance in a minor role opposite Glenn Ford in the 1958 war film Torpedo Run . In 1959, he appeared as The King of France in All's Well That Ends Well in April 1959, directed by Tyrone Guthrie at Stratford-upon-Avon , with Vanessa Redgrave and Diana Rigg indicated as supporting extras. He subsequently appeared as Sicinius opposite Laurence Olivier in Coriolanus at Stratford-upon-Avon , directed by Peter Hall . In this production, Ian Holm featured as
690-538: A close partnership with Warner Bros. as a director and producer. David was born on 8 October 1963 in St Helens , Lancashire , England. His parents died when he was young. Raised in the village of Rainhill , Yates was inspired to pursue a career in filmmaking after watching Steven Spielberg 's 1975 movie Jaws . Yates's mother bought him a Super 8mm camera . He used this to shoot various films in which his friends and family featured. One such film, The Ghost Ship ,
805-407: A different heroism, and Yates views the first four films "respectfully and enjoy[s] them". Radcliffe said Yates "took the charm of the films that Chris made and the visual flair of everything that Alfonso did and the thoroughly British, bombastic nature of the film directed by Mike Newell" and added "his own sense" of realism . Steve Kloves wrote the screenplays for all but the fifth film, which
920-543: A few of Williams' themes. There have been many visual effects companies that work on the Harry Potter series. Some of these include Rising Sun Pictures , Sony Pictures Imageworks , Double Negative , Cinesite , Framestore , and Industrial Light & Magic . The latter three have worked on all the films in the series, while Double Negative and Rising Sun Pictures began their commitments with Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire , respectively. Framestore contributed by developing many memorable creatures and sequences to
1035-430: A lifetime. Since the books have generated such a passionate following across the world, it was important to us to find a director that has an affinity for both children and magic. I can't think of anyone more ideally suited for this job than Chris [Columbus]. Steve Kloves was selected to write the screenplay for the first film. He described adapting the book as "tough" since it did not "lend itself to adaptation as well as
1150-557: A member of a landed gentry family of Wroxall Abbey , Wroxall, Warwickshire . Henry Hardy was the headmaster of Cheltenham College and later of Shrewsbury School , and a Major in the Rifle Brigade . Hardy was educated at Rugby School and Magdalen College, Oxford , where his studies were interrupted by service in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He trained as a pilot, receiving part of his instruction in
1265-488: A movie of this scale". The first scene that Yates shot featured a giant interacting with human characters. The scene was the very first high-scale visual effects piece Yates filmed in his career. After the film's post-production material was well received by the studio, Yates was chosen to direct the sixth film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince , which according to Yates was going to be "a cross between
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#17327837957901380-507: A professional architectural illustrator, who would create concept art using pencil and colour wash on watercolour paper." He said the process changed slightly throughout the years due to, what he called, the "digital revolution" of making films. When filming of the series was completed, some of Craig's sets had to be rebuilt or transported for them to be displayed at the Warner Bros. studio tour. Six directors of photography worked on
1495-664: A project may be found on its article page. Harry Potter (film series) Harry Potter is a film series based on the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling . The series was produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and consists of eight fantasy films , beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and culminating with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). A spin-off prequel series started with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), marking
1610-563: A review by Variety magazine for BBC America , Yates and his team yielded "a warm and surprisingly unsentimental production that has 'evergreen' written all over it". In 2004, Yates's two-part drama Sex Traffic was broadcast on Channel 4 . It won eight BAFTA Awards including Best Editing for Mark Day , who regularly worked with Yates on many of his television projects and short films. Day commented on his collaboration with Yates saying that "we are very good friends because we have spent so much time together". He also said, "David shoots in
1725-545: A similar style from piece to piece, although this wasn’t quite as frantic as State of Play ." Yates was nominated for another Directors Guild of Great Britain Award for his direction of Sex Traffic and won his second BAFTA for Best Drama Serial at the British Academy Television Awards. Being a British-Canadian production, Sex Traffic gained four wins at Canada's annual television award ceremony,
1840-591: A television director early in his career. His credits include the six-part political thriller State of Play (2003), for which he won the Directors Guild of Great Britain Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement , the adult two-part documentary drama Sex Traffic (2004) and the Emmy Award -winning television film The Girl in the Café (2005). Yates is a founding member of Directors UK . He has had
1955-669: A thorough, uncondescending sympathy for her characters, in particular the central trio of Ron Weasley , Hermione Granger and Harry Potter himself." The film was praised for its "dark" atmosphere and its loyalty to the source material, but it was criticised for its slow middle act, the handling of exposition, and the somewhat disjointed pacing. Part 2 was screened in July 2011 and became an instant record-breaking success with critical acclaim. The Daily Telegraph described Part 2 as "monumental cinema awash with gorgeous tones" and Total Film wrote that Yates combines "spectacle and emotion into
2070-412: A thrilling final chapter." Author J. K. Rowling remarked that "everyone who watches Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is going to see that he's steered us home magnificently. It's incredible." Part 2 is one of two Harry Potter films to pass the $ 1 billion mark during its original theatrical run; it became the highest-grossing film in the series and the highest-grossing film of 2011, making Yates the director of
2185-541: A weak and helpless form. Harry became extremely famous in the Wizarding World as a result. Harry begins his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and learns about magic. During the year, Harry and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger become entangled in the mystery of the Philosopher's Stone which is being kept within the school. Harry, Ron, and Hermione return to Hogwarts for their second year, which proves to be more challenging than
2300-495: A worldwide total of $ 356.7 million. Yates directed Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , a 2016 film which is the first in a series of five instalments based on J. K. Rowling's book, set in the world of her Harry Potter novels. David Heyman and Harry Potter screenwriter Steve Kloves joined Yates and J. K. Rowling in developing the script. The film was released in November 2016, it received generally positive reviews and
2415-597: Is Stuart Craig . Assisted by Stephenie McMillan , Craig has created iconic sets pieces including the Ministry of Magic , the Chamber of Secrets , Malfoy Manor , and the layout for the CGI Horcrux Cave . Because the novels were being published as the films were being made, Craig was required to rebuild some sets for future films and alter the design of Hogwarts. He said, "In the early days, every time you saw
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#17327837957902530-801: The British Flying Training School Program in Terrell, Texas. Although he visited Los Angeles when on leave from flight training at Terrell, his later acting career never gained a foothold in Hollywood. After service in the RAF, he returned to gain a BA (Hons) in English. On BBC Radio 4 's Desert Island Discs , he described the degree he obtained as "shabby", although he treasured the time spent studying under C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien . Hardy began his career as
2645-611: The Cheltenham Literature Festival in 2012. While playing Henry V, Hardy developed an interest in medieval warfare, and in 1963 he wrote and presented an acclaimed television documentary on the subject of the Battle of Agincourt . He also wrote two books on the subject of the longbow, Longbow: A Social and Military History and The Great Warbow: From Hastings to the Mary Rose with Matthew Strickland. He
2760-520: The Gemini Awards , including Best Dramatic Miniseries. Spanning across two parts, the three-hour-long drama reveals how the trafficking of young women into slavery is a big business which operates throughout Europe; both parts were acclaimed for their "shocking" portrayal of such a sensitive topic. Also in 2004, Yates was involved in plans for a film adaptation of Evelyn Waugh 's novel Brideshead Revisited for Warner Independent Pictures . He
2875-762: The 1960s, is considered one of the best Robin Hood renditions. His voice was also the voice of D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers and of Frédéric Chopin , in The Story of Chopin . Hardy was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1981 Birthday Honours . His first marriage, in 1952, was to Elizabeth Fox, the daughter of Sir Lionel Fox; they had a son, Paul. This marriage ended in 1956. In 1961 he married Sally Pearson,
2990-520: The 1986–88 ITV comedy series Hot Metal , in which he played the dual roles of newspaper proprietor Twiggy Rathbone (who bore more than a passing resemblance to Rupert Murdoch ) and his editor, Russell Spam. In 1993 Hardy appeared in an episode of Inspector Morse , playing Andrew Baydon in " Twilight of the Gods ". In 1994, he played Arthur Brooke in the BBC production of Middlemarch . In 2002, he played
3105-411: The 1999 BBC television production of David Copperfield in which he played the title role's childhood years. Heyman persuaded Radcliffe's parents to allow him to audition for the part of Harry Potter , which involved Radcliffe being filmed. Rowling was enthusiastic after viewing Radcliffe's filmed test, saying she didn't think there was a better choice for the part of Harry Potter. Also in 2000,
3220-473: The Deathly Hallows , was to be split into two cinematic parts with Yates, once again, as the director. Yates spoke of the decision to appoint him as the director of the final films, remarking that "they wanted to do a Harry Potter that felt ... more grown up. What's smart about the studio and the producers is they have always wanted to push it a bit. Chris Columbus did a wonderful job of casting and making this world incredibly popular. But rather than do more of
3335-443: The Philosopher's Stone , was relegated to a low-priority bookshelf, where it was discovered by a secretary who read it and gave it to Heyman with a positive review. Consequently, Heyman, who had originally disliked "the rubbish title", read the book himself. Highly impressed by Rowling's work, he began the process that led to one of the most successful cinematic franchises of all time. Heyman's enthusiasm led to Rowling's 1999 sale of
3450-507: The Phoenix , which was given to David Yates , who also directed Half-Blood Prince and both parts of Deathly Hallows , becoming the only director to helm more than one film since Columbus. Columbus said his vision for the first two films was of a "golden storybook, an old-fashioned look", while Cuarón changed the visual tone of the series, desaturated the colour palette, and expanded the landscape around Hogwarts . Newell decided to direct
3565-601: The United States on Home Box Office . The Girl in the Café achieved three wins at the Emmy Awards , including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie , and gained a total of four nominations including Outstanding Directing for Yates. During the period of working on plans for Brideshead Revisited , Yates was told by his agent that he had made the director shortlist for
David Yates - Misplaced Pages Continue
3680-497: The actors, particularly the young ones on each Potter film. This 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 U.K. about politics without being heavy handed." Before production began, Yates invited Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire director Mike Newell to a pub and "picked his brains about what it was going to be like to step into someone's shoes on
3795-407: The adaptation process" and that the filmmakers would have loved to "have everything" from the books in the films but noted that it was not possible since they had "neither time nor cinematic structure" to do so. He finished by saying that adapting a novel to the screen is "a really considered process". Because the films were being made as the novels were being published, the filmmakers had no idea of
3910-774: The award-winning 13-hour serial Edward the Seventh (known as Edward the King to the American audience), which he regarded as one of his best performances. "I thought I'd done a good job there, although I believe the Royal Family didn't like it all. There are always people who don't like what one does." He was seen as the irascible senior veterinary surgeon Siegfried Farnon in the long-running All Creatures Great and Small (1978–90), an adaptation of James Herriot 's semi-autobiographical books. Hardy also made an appearance in
4025-402: The beginning of the Wizarding World shared media franchise. The series was mainly produced by David Heyman , and stars Daniel Radcliffe , Rupert Grint , and Emma Watson as the three leading characters: Harry Potter , Ron Weasley , and Hermione Granger . Four directors worked on the series: Chris Columbus , Alfonso Cuarón , Mike Newell , and David Yates . Michael Goldenberg wrote
4140-460: The book series – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows . Harry Potter is an orphaned boy brought up by his unkind Muggle (non-magical) aunt and uncle. At the age of eleven, half-giant Rubeus Hagrid informs him that he is actually a wizard and that his parents were murdered by an evil wizard named Lord Voldemort . Voldemort also attempted to kill one-year-old Harry on the same night, but his killing curse mysteriously rebounded and reduced him to
4255-526: The casting of the three major roles "is especially impressive in hindsight. The trio's selection was arguably one of the best show-business decisions over the past decade ... they have shown admirable grace and steadiness in the face of teen superstardom." Filming for the series began at Leavesden Studios , Hertfordshire, England, in September 2000 and ended in December 2010, with post-production on
4370-570: The characters; that's all I care about. ' " Kloves also said, "I don't know what compelled me to say this [to Rowling], but I said, 'I've just got to warn you my favourite character is not Harry. My favourite character is Hermione.' And I think for some weird reason, from that moment on, she sort of trusted me." Aside from the three lead actors, other notable cast members include Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid , Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy , Alan Rickman as Severus Snape , and Dame Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall . Richard Harris , who played
4485-595: The chills of Prisoner of Azkaban [the third film in the series] and the fantastical adventure of Goblet of Fire ". In 2007, Order of the Phoenix opened to positive reviews and commercial success. Yates won the title of Best Director at the Empire Awards and collected the People's Choice Award from the European Film Academy . However, the film was criticised by fans of the series for having
4600-537: The daughter of the baronet Sir Neville Pearson and Dame Gladys Cooper as well as a half-sister of John Buckmaster and a sister-in-law of Robert Morley . From this marriage, which ended in 1986, Hardy had two other children, one of whom is Justine Hardy , a journalist, activist and psychotherapist who founded Healing Kashmir. He was a close friend of actor Richard Burton , whom he met at Oxford University . He shared some memories of their wartime friendship and read extracts from Burton's newly published diaries at
4715-415: The director and the producers. Heyman also said that Kloves was the "key voice" in the process of adapting the novels and that certain aspects from the books needed to have been excluded from the scripts due to the filmmakers' decision to keep the main focus on Harry's journey as a character, which would ultimately give the films a defined structure. Heyman mentioned that some fans "don't necessarily understand
David Yates - Misplaced Pages Continue
4830-416: The director shouts cut for the very last time. Farewell Harry & Hogwarts, it's been magic!" However, reshoots of the epilogue scene were confirmed to begin in the winter of 2010. The reshoots were completed on 21 December 2010, marking the official closure of filming for the Harry Potter franchise. Exactly four years earlier on that day, Rowling's official website revealed the title of the final novel in
4945-462: The exterior of Hogwarts, it was a physical miniature", which was made by craftsmen and occupied a large sound stage. "We ended up with a profile of how Hogwarts looked, a skyline that actually I didn't design, and it wasn't always satisfactory, and as all the novels got written and movies got made there were new requirements [for buildings]. The [Astronomy Tower] definitely wasn't there originally, and so we were able to add that substantial piece. And in
5060-542: The fifth film in the Harry Potter series and that Warner Bros. was eyeing him to direct. Shortly after, he was confirmed to direct Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by Warner Bros. Pictures , with production scheduled to begin in early 2006. When asked how Yates got the job, producer David Heyman ("a big fan" of Yates's television work) said that "actors in David's television projects give their best performance, often of their career. It's important to keep pushing
5175-436: The fifth novel; Goldenberg was originally considered to adapt the first novel before the studio chose Kloves. In a 2010 interview, Heyman briefly explained the book-to-film transition. He commented on Rowling's involvement in the series, stating that she understood that "books and films are different" and was "the best support" a producer could have. Rowling had overall approval on the scripts, which were viewed and discussed by
5290-437: The film rights for the first four Harry Potter books to Warner Bros. for a reported £ 1 million (US$ 2,000,000). A demand Rowling made was that the principal cast be kept strictly British and Irish wherever possible, such as Richard Harris as Dumbledore, allowing nonetheless for casting of French and Eastern European actors in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire where characters from the book are specified as such. Rowling
5405-442: The film was released on 27 October 2023. Yates has a younger brother and an elder sister. He is married to Yvonne Walcott. He is the uncle of former professional footballer Theo Walcott . Commenting on their work on Harry Potter , Emma Watson stated that Yates liked to push the cast and crew to physical and emotional extremes, with Gary Oldman confirming Yates's preference for working slowly by shooting numerous takes to draw
5520-429: The film, an arrangement that Columbus did not mind. Warner Bros. had initially planned to release the first film over the 4 July 2001 weekend, making for such a short production window that several of the originally proposed directors had withdrawn themselves from contention. Eventually, due to time constraints, the date was put back to 16 November 2001. In 2000, after a seven-month search, lead actor Daniel Radcliffe
5635-418: The film, talking through what it means to be a director and how they went about [making the films]." He also said, "I suppose Chris Columbus was the most conservative choice from the studio's point of view. But he expressed real passion." Producer Tanya Seghatchian said they were "more adventurous" in choosing a director for the third film and went straight to Cuarón. Newell became the first British director of
5750-483: The film, the scene takes place at the magical Platform 9¾ . Part 1 was released worldwide in November 2010 to commercial success along with generally positive reviews, some of which reflected on Yates's directing style. The Dallas Morning News affirmed that "David Yates' fluid, fast-paced direction sends up the crackling tension of a thriller" and The New York Times analysed Yates's approach to J. K. Rowling's character development by saying that he has "demonstrated
5865-757: The film. He claims that making money would have been like "shooting ducks in a barrel. It's just a slam dunk. It's just like withdrawing a billion dollars and putting it into your personal bank accounts. There's no challenge." In the "Rubbish Bin" section of her website, Rowling maintains that she had no role in choosing directors for the films, writing "Anyone who thinks I could (or would) have 'veto-ed' him [Spielberg] needs their Quick-Quotes Quill serviced." After Spielberg left, conversations began with other directors, including Chris Columbus , Jonathan Demme , Terry Gilliam , Mike Newell , Alan Parker , Wolfgang Petersen , Rob Reiner , Tim Robbins , Brad Silberling , and Peter Weir . Petersen and Reiner both pulled out of
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#17327837957905980-417: The final film lasting until summer 2011. Leavesden Studios was the main base for filming Harry Potter , and it opened to the public as a studio tour in 2012 (renamed as Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden). David Heyman produced all the films in the series with his production company Heyday Films , while David Barron joined the series as an executive producer on Chamber of Secrets and Goblet of Fire . Barron
6095-427: The finest performances out of the cast. Yates has been influenced by such directors as Steven Spielberg , David Lean , and Ken Loach . Yates's style of work includes social and political themes, character-driven narratives, realism, and atmospheric drama. TV series Miniseries TV movies Documentary series Only certain awards for Yates's direction are shown in this section. A complete list of awards for
6210-431: The first two films to Prisoner of Azkaban : "The lighting is moodier, with more shadowing and cross-lighting." Seresin and Alfonso Cuarón moved away from the strongly coloured and brightly lit cinematography of the first two films, with dimmer lighting and a more muted colour palette being utilised for the succeeding five films. After comparing a range of digital cameras with 35 mm film, Bruno Delbonnel decided to shoot
6325-535: The four-part television adaptation of the novel of the same name by Anthony Trollope . Yates shared the British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Serial with screenwriter Andrew Davies and producer Nigel Stafford-Clark at the 2002 BAFTA Awards . One year later, Yates attended the 56th BAFTA Awards with a British Academy Film Award nomination for Best Short Film for the fourteen-minute production, Rank , which expressed
6440-534: The fourth film as a "paranoid thriller", while Yates wanted to "bring a sense of jeopardy and character to the world". Cuarón, Newell, and Yates have said that their challenge was striking a balance between making the films according to their individual vision, while working within a cinematic world already established by Columbus. Heyman commented on the "generosity of the directors" by revealing that "Chris spent time with Alfonso, Alfonso spent time with Mike and Mike spent time with David, showing him an early cut of
6555-492: The fourth." Nisha Parti, the production consultant on the first film, said that Heyman "made the first film very much the way he felt the studio Warner Bros. wanted to make it". After the film's success, Heyman was given "more freedom". One of the aims of the filmmakers from the beginning of production was to develop the maturity of the films. Chris Columbus stated, "We realised that these movies would get progressively darker. Again, we didn't know how dark but we realised that as
6670-555: The highest-grossing non- James Cameron film of all time in August 2011. Amongst other accolades, Yates won his second Empire Award for Best Director and joined the principal creative team of Harry Potter in receiving the 2012 ADG Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cinematic Imagery for their work on Deathly Hallows – Part 2 and the series in general. Yates attended the 64th British Academy Film Awards in February 2011, where he
6785-407: The instalment since he had not read any of the books or seen the films. After reading the series, he changed his mind and signed on to direct since he had immediately connected to the story. Because Cuarón decided not to direct the fourth instalment, Goblet of Fire , a new director had to be selected. Mike Newell was chosen to direct the film, but he declined to do so for the next film, Order of
6900-406: The kids get older, the movies get a little edgier and darker." This transpired with the succeeding three directors who would work on the series in the following years, with the films beginning to deal with issues such as death, betrayal, prejudice, and political corruption as the series developed narratively and thematically. After Chris Columbus had finished working on Philosopher's Stone , he
7015-434: The last film, we needed an arena for the battle for Hogwarts – the big courtyard outside doubled in size, and if you look at the first movie it wasn't there at all. There were quite some liberties taken with the continuity of Hogwarts." In the last film, Craig used a digital model instead of a miniature to "embrace the latest technology". On the method of creating the sets, Craig said he often started by sketching ideas onto
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#17327837957907130-583: The last. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, leaving students and ghosts petrified by an unleashed monster. Harry must face up to claims that he is the heir of Salazar Slytherin (founder of the Chamber), learn that he can speak Parseltongue , and also discover the properties of a mysterious diary, only to find himself trapped within the Chamber itself. Robert Hardy Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy CBE FSA (29 October 1925 – 3 August 2017)
7245-641: The life of Charles de Gaulle . He also played Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester , in Elizabeth R and took the role of Sir John Middleton in the 1995 film version of Sense and Sensibility . His big screen roles included Professor Krempe in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge in the ' Harry Potter ' films. His voice performance as Robin Hood in Tale Spinners For Children , an LP from
7360-439: The main unit, a second unit, and the visual effects unit. You have to know what is being captured – colours, contrast, et cetera – with mathematical precision." He noted that with Stuart Craig's "amazing sets and the story", the filmmakers could not "stray too far from the look of the previous Harry Potter films". Along with continuous changes in cinematographers, there have been five film editors to work in post-production on
7475-423: The next two books". Kloves was sent a "raft" of synopses of books proposed as film adaptations, with Harry Potter being the only one that jumped out at him. He went out and bought the book, becoming an instant fan. When speaking to Warner Bros. he stated that the film had to be British and true to the characters. David Heyman was confirmed to produce the film. Rowling received a large amount of creative control for
7590-511: The only film in the series to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography . Yates worked alongside French cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel on, what Yates called, extensively colour grading the "incredibly rich" picture by making it look "very European" and drawing influences from the Dutch painter Rembrandt . The film garnered a mix of accolades and was acclaimed for its stylised character-driven approach, but some fans complained about
7705-1235: The role of Professor Albus Dumbledore , died on 25 October 2002, causing the role to be re-cast to Michael Gambon for Prisoner of Azkaban . Heyman and Cuarón chose Gambon to portray Dumbledore, which he did for all succeeding films. Notable recurring cast members include Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange , Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick , Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort , Brendan Gleeson as Alastor Moody , Richard Griffiths as Vernon Dursley , Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy , Gary Oldman as Sirius Black , Fiona Shaw as Petunia Dursley , Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew , David Thewlis as Remus Lupin , Emma Thompson as Sybill Trelawney , Mark Williams as Arthur Weasley , and Julie Walters as Molly Weasley . The series has seen many returning crew members from various departments, including Tim Burke , visual effects supervisor; Peter Doyle, digital film colourist; Nick Dudman , make-up and creature effects designer; David Holmes , stunt double; Amanda Knight , make-up artist; Stephenie McMillan , set designer; Greg Powell , stunt coordinator; Jany Temime , costume designer; and Fiona Weir , casting director. The production designer for all eight films
7820-708: The role of pompous and eccentric Professor Neddy Welch in a WTTV/WGBH Boston co-production of Lucky Jim , adapted from the novel by Kingsley Amis . It aired originally as part of the Masterpiece series on PBS in the U.S. and starred Stephen Tompkinson in the title role of Jim Dixon, a luckless lecturer at a provincial British university. Hardy played both Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt , each on more than one occasion. He played Churchill most notably in Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years (1981), for which he
7935-408: The role on the two-part Deathly Hallows . Heyday Films and Columbus' company 1492 Pictures collaborated with Duncan Henderson Productions in 2001, Miracle Productions in 2002, and P of A Productions in 2004. Even though Prisoner of Azkaban was the final film produced by 1492 Pictures, Heyday Films continued with the franchise and collaborated with Patalex IV Productions in 2005. The sixth film in
8050-489: The running in March 2000. It was then narrowed down to Columbus, Gilliam, Parker, and Silberling. Rowling's first choice was Gilliam. However, on 28 March 2000, Columbus was appointed as director of the film, with Warner Bros. citing his work on other family films such as Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire as influences for their decision. Harry Potter is the kind of timeless literary achievement that comes around once in
8165-530: The same, they said, 'Let's bring in Alfonso Cuarón and let him run with it. Then later, let's bring in David Yates, who's done all this hard-hitting stuff on TV.' It's a testament to their ambition to try to keep the franchise fresh. The bizarre thing is, I did one [film] and they asked me to stay for three more, so obviously they liked something." Half-Blood Prince was released in 2009 and became
8280-471: The score for Chamber of Secrets . Williams also composed " Hedwig's Theme ", the series' leitmotif which appears in all eight films. After Williams left the series to pursue other projects, Patrick Doyle scored the fourth entry, Goblet of Fire , which was directed by Mike Newell , with whom Doyle had worked previously. In 2006, Nicholas Hooper started work on the score to Order of the Phoenix , reuniting with director David Yates . Hooper also composed
8395-417: The screenplay for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), while the remaining films' screenplays were written by Steve Kloves . Production took place over ten years, with the main story arc following Harry's quest to overcome his arch-enemy Lord Voldemort . Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , the seventh and final novel in the series, was adapted into two feature-length parts. Part 1
8510-561: The screenplay to the dramatic short The Weaver's Wife . He also made his fourth short film, Good Looks , which was presented at the Chicago International Film Festival . After graduating in 1992, Yates directed an episode of the film studies programme Moving Pictures . From 1994 to 1995, Yates directed several episodes of the ITV police procedural The Bill before directing and producing three episodes of
8625-441: The script's deviation from the novel and the film's slight romantic comedy nature. In response to this criticism, BAFTA member and film critic Mark Kermode praised Yates's direction and ranked the film "second best" in the series, behind Prisoner of Azkaban . Yates began to film Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Deathly Hallows – Part 2 back-to-back in early 2009 and finished reshoots in late 2010. He stated that he had shot
8740-523: The serial sparked Hollywood film bosses to consider adapting it into a film , with producer Andrew Hauptman declaring that "it's a blistering political thriller and we want to make an equally blistering movie." State of Play is regarded by critics from The Guardian and The Times as one of the best British television dramas of the 2000s. Yates directed the television adaptation of nine-year-old Daisy Ashford 's novel The Young Visiters , starring Jim Broadbent alongside Hugh Laurie . According to
8855-490: The series for the final instalment, but their schedules did not align due to the urgent demand for a rough cut of the film. The final recording sessions for Harry Potter took place on 27 May 2011 at Abbey Road Studios with the London Symphony Orchestra , Desplat and orchestrator Conrad Pope. Doyle, Hooper and Desplat introduced their own personal themes to their respective soundtracks, while keeping
8970-403: The series its only Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography . As the series progressed, each cinematographer faced the challenge of shooting and lighting older sets (which had been around since the first few films) in unique and different ways. Chris Columbus said the series' vivid colouring decreased as each film was made. Michael Seresin commented on the change of visual style from
9085-476: The series when he was chosen for the fourth film; Newell was considered to direct the first film before he dropped out. Yates directed the final films after Heyman thought him capable of handling the edgy, emotional, and political material of the later novels. All the directors have been supportive of each other. Columbus praised the character development in the films, while Cuarón admired the "quiet poetry" of Yates' films. Mike Newell noted that each director had
9200-417: The series, Half-Blood Prince , was the most expensive film to produce as of 2009 . Warner Bros. adapted the seventh and final novel in the series, Deathly Hallows , into two cinematic parts. The two parts were filmed back-to-back from early 2009 to summer 2010, with the completion of reshoots taking place on 21 December 2010; this marked the end of filming Harry Potter . Heyman stated that Deathly Hallows
9315-488: The series. Cinesite was involved in producing both miniature and digital effects for the films. Producer David Barron said that " Harry Potter created the UK effects industry as we know it. On the first film, all the complicated visual effects were done on the [US] west coast. But on the second, we took a leap of faith and gave much of what would normally be given to Californian vendors to UK ones. They came up trumps." Tim Burke,
9430-491: The series: John Seale on the first film, Roger Pratt on the second and fourth, Michael Seresin on the third, Sławomir Idziak on the fifth, Bruno Delbonnel on the sixth, and Eduardo Serra on the seventh and eighth. Delbonnel was considered to return for both parts of Deathly Hallows , but he declined, stating that he was "scared of repeating" himself. Delbonnel's cinematography in Half-Blood Prince gained
9545-503: The series: Richard Francis-Bruce edited the first instalment, Peter Honess the second, Steven Weisberg the third, Mick Audsley the fourth, and Mark Day films five through eight. The Harry Potter series has had four composers. John Williams scored the first three films: Philosopher's Stone , Chamber of Secrets , and Prisoner of Azkaban . Due to a busy 2002 schedule, Williams brought in William Ross to adapt and conduct
9660-406: The series] that perhaps wasn't there so much before. I think we all had a fantastic time working with David. I know we did." By 2012, Yates was working on a few Warner Bros. projects, including a Tarzan feature film and an Al Capone biopic called Cicero . He also controversially said that he was working with BBC Worldwide on plans to develop a Doctor Who film, although this was denied by
9775-406: The shortest running time out of the five released instalments; Yates said that the original director's cut was "probably over three hours", resulting in much footage being cut, condensed and edited to fit within the studio's preferred time frame. During production of Half-Blood Prince , Warner Bros. executive Alan F. Horn announced that the seventh and final novel in the series, Harry Potter and
9890-618: The showrunner, Steven Moffat , in July 2012. Because of production delays, Yates began to explore other projects including television work. In 2013, he returned to television by signing on to direct the television pilot of Tyrant , an American drama production set against the US–Middle East conflict. The following year, Yates began shooting The Legend of Tarzan , starring Alexander Skarsgård , Samuel L. Jackson , Margot Robbie , Djimon Hounsou , Jim Broadbent , and Christoph Waltz . The film, released in 2016, opened to mixed reviews and
10005-591: The sixth movie, Half-Blood Prince , on film rather than the increasingly popular digital format. This decision was kept for the two-part Deathly Hallows with Eduardo Serra, who said that he preferred to work with film because it was "more technically accurate and dependable". Because the majority of Deathly Hallows takes place in various settings away from Hogwarts, David Yates wanted to "shake things up" by using different photographic techniques such as using hand-held cameras and very wide camera lenses. Eduardo Serra said, "Sometimes we are combining elements shot by
10120-421: The social elements of racism, friendship and adolescence through the story of a street gang that cross Glasgow to witness the arrival of a group of Somali refugees. Yates said that even though The Way We Live Now was "a very big production" and "enormous fun to do", Rank was an opportunity to "shake all that off" and "get back to [his] roots". Of the casting, Yates said that he "wanted to use non-actors to tell
10235-525: The soundtrack to Half-Blood Prince but decided not to return for the final two films. In January 2010, Alexandre Desplat was confirmed to compose the score for Deathly Hallows – Part 1 . The film's orchestration started in the summer with Conrad Pope , the orchestrator on the first three Harry Potter films, collaborating with Desplat. Pope commented that the music "reminds one of the old days". Desplat returned to score Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in 2011. Yates stated that he wanted Williams to return to
10350-523: The story's outcome until the release of the final novel in 2007. Kloves spoke of his relationship with Rowling when adapting the novels by saying, "The thing is about Jo, which is remarkable for someone who had no experience with the filmmaking process, was her intuition. We had a conversation the very first day I met her where she said, 'I know the movies can't be the books ... because I know what's coming and it's impossible to fully dramatise on screen what I'm going to write. But I just ask you to be true to
10465-467: The story, to create a reality ... the kids we cast in Glasgow had never done a film before." The film was noted for its gritty style and cinematography, with a review from Eye For Film stating that "such intelligent use of camera and cast lifts Yates out of the pool of promising young directors into the front line of genuine hopefuls. This work demands respect." The 2003 six-part thriller State of Play
10580-453: The studio environment: "I'm the production designer, but on a big movie like Harry Potter I may be responsible for 30 to 35 people; from the supervising art director, and a team of art directors and assistants, to draughtsmen and junior draughtsmen, and then on to model makers, sculptors and scenic artists." He said, "Ten years ago, all the Harry Potter drawings were done in pencil. I would take my roughs and plans and sections and give them to
10695-526: The television documentary Tale of Three Seaside Towns alongside producer Alistair Clarke. The programme followed media personalities Russell Grant , Honor Blackman and Pam Ayres visiting and exploring the South Coast towns of Brighton , Eastbourne and Weymouth . Yates directed his fifth short film Punch before making his feature film debut in 1998 with the release of the independent historical-drama film The Tichborne Claimant . The film, which
10810-434: The then-unknown British actors Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were selected from thousands of auditioning children to play the roles of Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley , respectively. Their only previous acting experience was in school plays. Grint was eleven years old and Watson ten at the time they were cast. Los Angeles Times writer Geoff Boucher, who conducted the above-mentioned interview with Heyman, added that
10925-433: The two parts of the final adaptation differently, with Part 1 being a " road movie " and "quite real", "almost like a vérité documentary", while Part 2 is "more operatic, colourful and fantasy-oriented ", a "big opera with huge battles." Yates reshot the final scene of the Harry Potter series at Leavesden Studios after the original version, filmed at London King's Cross railway station , did not meet his expectations. In
11040-553: The visual effects supervisor, said many studios "are bringing their work to UK effects companies. Every facility is fully booked, and that wasn't the case before Harry Potter . That's really significant." On 12 June 2010, filming of the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2 was completed with actor Warwick Davis stating on his Twitter account, "The end of an Era – today is officially the last day of principal photography on 'Harry Potter' – ever. I feel honoured to be here as
11155-474: The years, Hardy played a range of parts on television and film. His first continuing role in a TV series was as businessman Alec Stewart in the award-winning oil company drama The Troubleshooters for the BBC, which he played from 1966 to 1970. He won further acclaim for his portrayal of the mentally-unhinged Abwehr Sgt. Gratz in LWT 's 1969 war drama Manhunt . In 1975, Hardy portrayed Albert, Prince Consort in
11270-412: Was " shot as one film " but released in two feature-length parts. Tim Burke, the visual effects supervisor of the series, said of the production on Harry Potter , "It was this huge family; I think there were over 700 people working at Leavesden, an industry in itself." David Heyman said, "When the first film opened, no way did I think we'd make eight films. That didn't seem feasible until after we'd done
11385-655: Was Yates's next achievement. Yates collected the TV Spielfilm Award at the Cologne Conference in Germany and won the Directors Guild of Great Britain Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement. The serial was recognised by various award ceremonies, receiving the Peabody Award for Broadcasting Excellence and being presented with two British Academy Television Craft Awards . The quality of
11500-484: Was a commercial success having grossed $ 814 million. It stars Eddie Redmayne , Katherine Waterston , Dan Fogler , Alison Sudol , Ezra Miller , Colin Farrell , and Johnny Depp . Yates directed the 2018 sequel, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald which received mixed critical reception but emerged a box office success having grossed $ 654 million. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter , he stated he
11615-523: Was an English actor who had a long career in theatre, film and television. He began his career as a classical actor and later earned widespread recognition for roles such as Siegfried Farnon in the BBC television series All Creatures Great and Small , Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter film series and Winston Churchill in several productions, beginning with the Southern Television series Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years . He
11730-486: Was discovered by producer David Heyman and writer Steve Kloves seated just behind them in a theatre. In Heyman's own words, "There sitting behind me was this boy with these big blue eyes. It was Dan Radcliffe. I remember my first impressions: He was curious and funny and so energetic. There was real generosity too, and sweetness. But at the same time he was really voracious and with hunger for knowledge of whatever kind." Radcliffe had already established himself as an actor in
11845-412: Was hesitant to sell the rights because she "didn't want to give them control over the rest of the story" by selling the rights to the characters, which would have enabled Warner Bros. to make non-author-written sequels. Although Steven Spielberg initially negotiated to direct the first film, he declined the offer. Spielberg contended that, in his opinion, there was every expectation of profit in making
11960-401: Was hired to direct Chamber of Secrets . The production started within a week after the release of the first film. Columbus was set to direct all entries in the series, but he did not want to return for Prisoner of Azkaban , claiming he was "burned out". He moved to the position of producer, while Alfonso Cuarón was approached for the role of director. He was initially nervous about directing
12075-476: Was joined by J. K. Rowling, David Heyman, Mike Newell, Alfonso Cuarón, David Barron , Rupert Grint , and Emma Watson in collecting the Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema on behalf of the Harry Potter films. Daniel Radcliffe , who portrayed the films' titular character, commented on working with Yates, saying that he "added his own sense of grit and realism [to
12190-444: Was later appointed producer on the last four films. Chris Columbus was an executive producer on the first two films alongside Mark Radcliffe and Michael Barnathan , but he became a producer on the third film alongside Heyman and Radcliffe. Other executive producers include Tanya Seghatchian and Lionel Wigram . J. K. Rowling, author of the series, was asked to become a producer on Goblet of Fire but declined. She subsequently accepted
12305-547: Was nominated for a BAFTA award, but also in The Sittaford Mystery , Bomber Harris and War and Remembrance . On 20 August 2010, he read Churchill's famous wartime address " Never was so much owed by so many to so few " at a ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of the speech. He played Roosevelt in the BBC serial, Bertie and Elizabeth , and in the French TV mini-series, Le Grand Charles , about
12420-611: Was nominated for the BAFTA for Best Actor for All Creatures Great and Small in 1980 and Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years in 1982. Aside from acting, Hardy was an acknowledged expert on the medieval English longbow and wrote two books on the subject. Hardy was born in Cheltenham on 29 August 1925 to Henry Harrison Hardy, MBE , of Old Farm, Bishop's Cleeve , Tewkesbury , Gloucestershire , and Edith Jocelyn, daughter of Rev. Sydney Dugdale, rector of Whitchurch, Shropshire ,
12535-709: Was one of the experts consulted by the archaeologist responsible for raising the Mary Rose . He was Master of the Worshipful Company of Bowyers of the City of London from 1988 to 1990. In 1996 he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries . In February 2013, Hardy withdrew from his scheduled performance as Winston Churchill in Peter Morgan 's play, The Audience , after suffering cracked ribs as
12650-695: Was open to directing all five planned films in the Fantastic Beasts series. He returned to direct the third film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore in 2022 which also received mixed critical reception and grossed $ 407 million worldwide, making it a box office disappointment and the lowest-grossing film in the Wizarding World franchise . Yates next directed the drama film Pain Hustlers , starring Emily Blunt and Chris Evans , for Netflix . Production began on 22 August 2022 and
12765-487: Was penned by Michael Goldenberg . Kloves had direct assistance from J.K. Rowling, though she allowed him what he described as "tremendous elbow room". Rowling asked Kloves to remain faithful to the spirit of the books; thus, the plot and tone of each film and its corresponding book are virtually the same, albeit with some changes and omissions for purposes of cinematic style, time, and budget constraints. Michael Goldenberg also received input from Rowling during his adaptation of
12880-494: Was released in November 2010, and Part 2 was released in July 2011. Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is among the 50 highest-grossing films of all time —at 18th-highest, grossing over $ 1 billion. It is the fourth-highest-grossing film series , with $ 7.7 billion in worldwide receipts. In late 1997, film producer David Heyman 's London offices received a copy of the first book in what would become Rowling's series of seven Harry Potter novels. The book, Harry Potter and
12995-460: Was set to work with Paul Bettany , Jude Law and Jennifer Connelly on the project, but pulled out in the later stages due to constant budget issues affecting the film's production. Yates then directed Richard Curtis ' script to The Girl in the Café , a television film starring Bill Nighy and Kelly Macdonald . In June 2005, the film was aired on the BBC in Britain and was also broadcast in
13110-579: Was shot on board the vessel where his uncle worked as a cook. He attended Grange Park High School, St Helens College and then the University of Essex . Yates said that he "used to skive off college all the time" and never expected to attend university before being surprised by his A-Level exam results. While at the University of Essex, Yates formed the Film and Video Production Society. He graduated with
13225-709: Was shown at the Edinburgh International Film Festival , was written by Joe Fisher and based on the true events of the Tichborne Case . It starred Stephen Fry and Robert Hardy and was shot on location in Merseyside and on the Isle of Man . Yates returned to television in 2000 to direct the episodes of Greed , Envy and Lust for the BBC miniseries The Sins , starring Pete Postlethwaite , as well as The Way We Live Now ,
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