Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

We go on set for the latest Potter picture

Apr 1st 2009 By Total Film

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There’s still a way to go, but thoughts are beginning to turn to the journey’s end. “It’s going to be weird when it’s all over,” muses Grint. “I’ve really enjoyed it and part of me will miss it. But it’ll also be good to be free.”

While he and Radcliffe express a desire to carry on thesping post-Potter, the third member of the trio isn’t quite so sure…

“I really don’t know,” says Watson, her face flecked with fake nicks and cuts. “I think I need to find some real belief in myself away from this. I know that I can play Hermione, but… we’ll see.”

Despite the chilled atmosphere on set, no doubt facilitated by Yates’ mild manner, Watson feels anxious. “I feel pressured, because this my last go, my last shot. I don’t want to have any regrets – I want to know that I’ve done the best I can possibly do.”

At least she’s earned the admiration of Heyman, who speaks of his young actors with quasi-parental pride. “Emma got the highest marks in the country on her English A-level, Dan got three As in his AS-Levels… they’ve all experienced other things that feed back into Harry Potter.”

Having worked on the series since the very beginning, the producer’s as big an attachment as anyone to the series – and he’s approaching the end with mixed feelings.

“I feel excitement and sadness. Firstly because there’s a real sense of family, but also because it’s very rare, in these times especially, to be in production for such a long, continuous period.”

And when it’s finally over? “I’m going to take a six-month holiday,” states Yates, raising his usually quiet voice over the hubbub of production packing up for the day.

“Then I’m going to do what I’ve always wanted to do: big movies followed by tiny ones. I’ve literally been overlapping postand pre-production so there hasn’t been time to squeeze anything else in.”

Radcliffe, on the other hand, has found windows for a number of ventures, notably his stage stint in Equus and self-mocking turn in Extras. “Doing stuff like that was tough,” he reflects, “but you were learning new disciplines, so you couldn’t help but come away with a new confidence.”

And has that confidence translated into more input on Potter? “Totally. I always used to feel my ideas were going to sound crap, but over the last two films I’ve felt a lot more comfortable about that kind of stuff. David can’t shut me up!”

Though he’s keeping mum on potential future projects (“I’m not going to jinx them!”), it’s not hard to get him gabbling about what’s in store for wizard-watchers. “This one’s more epic than the fifth film,” he enthuses.

“There’s a scene near the end that’s like something out of Paradise Lost, with Michael Gambon standing on this little island with flames swirling around him… It’s pretty cool, I have to say!”

For more exclusives from Harry Potter, take a look at the latest issue of Total Film Magazine.

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