After an extra long wait (first due to the writer’s strike, then to Hollywood’s deciding to push it back some more), HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE is finally coming out July 15h. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Michael Gambon, this film also brings back such favorites as Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, David Thewlis, Tom Felton and Julie Walters, while adding some new actors to the mix: Jim Broadbent brings Professor Horace Slughorn to life, while Hero Fiennes-Tiffin (nephew to Ralph Fiennes) gives us insight into the young Tom Riddle aka Voldemort.

This installment is being directed by David Yates, who also brought us HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX.  Hopefully having learned his lesson from that one (it was cut waaaay too far down from the books in most fans opinions, including mine), this new film runs a respectable 2 1/2 hours, which should give us plenty of time to enjoy the story and the characters.  That’s especially important since this book is the one that sets up the sides for almost all the important people in it.

(A while back I picked up some secondhand audiobooks of the first 4 titles in the series.  I’ve been listening to them in the car, catching myself up on the storyline.  Still can’t decide whether to re-read HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, though, before or after the movie as it’s been a couple years since I read it…  I think I prefer to revisit the story with the movie version first, then re-read the book to see what’s different.)

Less than a month and counting!  (Unfortunately, we’ll then have a year and a half to wait for the next one, too…  <ARRgggh> Talk about exquisite agony…)

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