FAQ for
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) More at IMDbPro »

The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags are used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.

For detailed information about the amounts and types of (a) sex and nudity, (b) violence and gore, (c) profanity, (d) alcohol, drugs, and smoking, and (e) frightening and intense scenes in this movie, consult the IMDb Parents Guide for this movie. The Parents Guide for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince can be found here.

Yes. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005) is the sixth book of the Harry Potter series, written by British author J.K. Rowling. The other books in the series include: (1) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997) (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the USA), (2) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998), (3) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999), (4) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000), (5) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003), and (7) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007). Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was adapted for the screen by American screenwriter Steve Kloves.

The movies have been released in the same order as the novels: (1) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001), (2) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), (3) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), (4) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), and (5) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007). Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth movie in the series. Still to follow are (7) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I (2010) and (8) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II (2011).

Yes it has. Originally due out November 21, 2008, the movie is now going to be released on July 15/17, 2009. (USA and the UK respectively) Source: here

The IMAX Corporation confirmed that "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" will be released simultaneously in IMAX theaters. Some sections will be in IMAX 3D. You can watch the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince teaser trailer for IMAX 3D here.

IMAX has now stated that the release of HBP in IMAX will be delayed by two weeks because of a previous deal made with the producers of Transformers 2. Read the story here

The movie's runtime has been confirmed to be 153 minutes (2 hours and 33 minutes) by the BBFC.

In the UK, the film has been given a 12A rating by the BBFC, in keeping with the previous two movies, for "Moderate Threat".

In the US, however, the MPAA have given the film a PG rating, for "scary images, some violence, language, and mild sensuality".

Other countries have yet to submit their ratings.

Rufus Scrimgeour, Bill Weasley, Fleur Delacour, the Gaunts, and the Dursleys are confirmed as omitted. Of course, with the omission of new Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, comes the omission of the book's opening. This has been replaced in the movie by an attack on the Millennium Bridge by Death Eaters. An attack on a bridge was mentioned in the first chapter of the book, an attack ordered by Lord Voldemort as punishment for Cornelius Fudge's refusal to submit to blackmail. Bill Weasley has been confirmed as returning in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, Clemence Poesy's agent confirmed she was in talks to reprise her role for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Richard Griffiths confirmed he would be in Deathly Hallows, so it would be safe to assume that all the Dursleys are in. Bill Nighy has been cast as Rufus Scrimgeour and will appear in Deathly Hallows.

No. The character of Katie Bell has been cast. She is being played by Georgina Leonidas. She and her friend Leanne (Isabella Laughland) can be seen in the officially released picture of Professor Slughorn (Jim Broadbent)'s potions class.

Probably to give some of the less important characters, especially new characters like Katie Bell, Romilda Vane (Anna Shaffer), and Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave), more screen time.

There is nothing in the film that really implies that Katie or Romilda are in Harry's particular class at Hogwarts. Each time one of these characters is encountered, it is in a public setting where students of all ages may mingle, such as Hogsmeade, the Library, the Great Hall, etc.

Yes, nearly the entire fight scene has been cut from this movie, and what hasn't been cut has been changed dramaticly from the book. In the movie none of the Death Eaters, teachers or Dumbledore's Army actually fight. This was done because the ending of "The Deathly Hallows," the final novel, involves a very grandiose, epic battle at Hogwarts, and the filmmakers wanted to avoid the ending of this film being too similar to the ending of the final film.

It has been revealed that only two memories (three, if you count the tampered and untampered memories as separate) will be shown in the film. The first one of a young Tom Riddle learning that he is a wizard, the second being the tampered memory of Horace Slughorn, and the third being the memory Slughorn provides Harry with, which has not been tampered with. The Gaunts, Hepzibah Smith and Tom Riddle's Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching post request are all confirmed to have been omitted.

Early in the film, Draco Malfoy's mother, Narcissa, and Aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange, meet with Snape, asking him to take the Unbreakable Vow, binding him to fulfill a task given to Draco Malfoy, if Draco is unable to do it himself. The Unbreakable Vow brings instant death to the party who fails to keep his end of the oath. It is later revealed that Draco's job is to kill Dumbledore. As expected, Draco proves unable to carry out the deed, so Snape kills Dumbledore instead.

In a new scene created for the movie, the Burrow is attacked by Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback, during the Christmas break from Hogwarts. The scene was added in because the film's middle act had no action scene otherwise and it would also show that nowhere is safe anymore. The scene also helps develop Harry and Ginny's relationship a bit more because, during the scene, Harry runs after Bellatrix and Ginny rushes to help him. Also, Lupin and Tonks are featured in this scene which establishes that they are a couple.

Yes, the funeral for Albus Dumbledore at the end has been cut. It was in the original drafts of the script but was eventually eliminated. When you look at it from a practical point of view, it would involve getting hundreds of people together including high profile actors (Imelda Staunton, Miranda Richardson etc) for a few seconds' screen time with no dialogue. The effects would be costly as Grawp, the centaurs and the mermaids feature prominently and not very much happens in such a costly scene. Instead the students are shown giving a tribute at the end in a very moving scene and the bit afterwards with Harry, Ron and Hermione takes place in a tower. However, it has been rumored that Deathly Hallows: Part I will open with the funeral.