Harry Potterland (RowlingWorld?) Here We Come

The world is abuzz today with the news that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh book in J.K. Rowling’s übberbestselling Harry Potter series will be split into -- count ‘em -- not one, but two films. As told by E-Online:

And for his final trick, Harry Potter will split himself in two.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final book from J.K. Rowling's mega-selling series, will be made into not one, but two, movies.

As first reported Wednesday by the Los Angeles Times, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I will hit theaters in November 2010, to be followed six months later, in Kill Bill and Matrix fashion, by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II in May 2011.

The thing I don’t get about this is: why all the big surprise? After all, if faced with the final episode of what has also been an übberbestselling movie franchise, and you suddenly sense the possibility of making two, two, two films instead of just the one -- thereby reaping the rewards on two moves -- well… it ain’t brain surgery, is it? (And, let’s face it, most of these Hollywood types appear not to be brain surgeons.)

There aren’t too many slouches at The Guardian. They got all the implications and ramifications right away:

It might have been called Harry Potter and the Eternal Sequel. Faced with the last in a series of books that ended with a climactic showdown, the producers of the $4.5bn-and-counting Harry Potter film franchise did what came naturally: they decided to turn the final installment into two films.

And they have the schedule pretty much set:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I will come out in November 2010, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II will appear the following May.

One would suspect, then, that the two films will be made like one, big giant movie, then released half a year apart. Especially since, let’s face it, at 18, the star Daniel Radcliffe isn’t getting any younger.

Releasing the two films near the same time will also provide other opportunities:

The double release will also help sustain marketing activities, including a theme park opening in Florida next year; and it means the two final films will be eligible for the 2011 and 2012 Oscars respectively.

It really is a small world. After all.