New 'Harry Potter' trailer shows that the end is nigh

Posted Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 10:48 AM Central
Last updated Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 10:48 AM Central

by John Couture

On July 15, 2011 after seven books, eight movies and ten years, the Harry Potter universe is finally coming to a close. With the theatrical debut of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the cinematic journey of Harry and his friends will finally be over.

An entire generation has grown up on the books and movies and they will finally be old enough to appreciate the tragic and bleak ending. From the beginning, I was concerned that Warner Bros. would attempt to soften the blow of the book's ending in an effort to cater to the family friendly audience the movies have garnered.

I'm happy to say that after seeing the trailer for the last movie (below), it appears as though the tone and weight of the climactic scenes will remain intact for the film version. While the filmmakers did make some changes (with author J.K. Rowling's approval), the first glimpse of the last movie seems to hold the key moments from the bloody catharsis that is needed to give the entire story the necessary weight that it deserves.

While the trailer conveys the specific mood of the last scenes, it doesn't give away too much. In other words, it finds a perfect balance between tease and tawdry. This trailer will have Potter fans lining up just as quickly as the first trailer for Phantom Menace had Star Wars fans camping out.

Give it a peep and let us know what you think.