"Half-Blood Prince," which like the first three "Potter" films is rated PG, begins with Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Dumbledore, the school headmaster, takes Harry on a dangerous mission to unlock the secret of Voldemort's past so that the evil lord can be defeated. Their journey takes them outside the gates of Hogwarts into more real-world, or "muggle," environments than the earlier films.
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DVD slump might weaken 'Half-Blood Prince' sales
COMPANY TOWN
Though the 'Harry Potter' films have been huge DVD sellers, each sequel has sold fewer units than its predecessor -- and raised the bar of profitability that much higher for Warner Bros.
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The upcoming "Potter" film also focuses more heavily on the adolescent angst, crushes, jealousies and first-love encounters of Harry and pals Ron and Hermione, all of whom are now in their late teens.
"To keep it fresh, we used all these wonderful moments in the movie -- the trials and tribulations of growing up, these new environments and the urgency of Harry trying to discover more information about who he is and what led to his parents' death," said Sue Kroll, Warner Bros. president of worldwide marketing.
To let audiences know that "Half-Blood Prince" is distinct, Kroll said, the marketing campaign was designed to feel "more contemporary, a little bit more in your face."
The first movie trailer for "Half-Blood Prince," which ran last August, is more audacious than trailers for previous "Potter" films. Rather than sell the full scope of the picture, it features a dark scene sequence about the back story of Voldemort as a young orphan named Tom Riddle.
"I can make bad things happen to people who are mean to me," the young boy tells Dumbledore, who visits him at the orphanage.
For the first two "Potter" films, the majority of moviegoers were parents with children younger than 12. But with the next three installments, the audience aged along with the characters and the actors who played them. For the franchise's fifth film, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," 66% of moviegoers were teens and adults.
In an effort to make "Half-Blood Prince" appealing to pre-teens and teens, Warner Bros. produced trailers and TV spots that play up the movie's lighter, amorous aspects. In one scene, Ron drinks a love potion meant for Harry.
"I'm in love with her!" a drunk-sounding Ron tells Harry.
"All right, fine, you're in love with her. Have you ever actually met her?" Harry asks, to which Ron replies, "No. Can you introduce me?"
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claudia.eller@latimes.com
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Harry Potter and the gargantuan numbers
