'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1' won't be released in 3D

10/08/2010 by Corinne Heller

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1, the first of the final two films in the franchise starring Daniel Radcliffe as a young wizard, will not be released in 3D as its studio, Warner Bros Pictures, says it was unable to complete the format conversion in time for the movie's November 19 release.

The second part of the film, the final movie in the series that based on the novels by J.K. Rowling, will be released in both 2D and 3D formats on July 15, 2011, the studio said in a statement.

"We do not want to disappoint fans who have long-anticipated the conclusion of this extraordinary journey, and to that end, we are releasing our film day-and-date on November 19, 2010 as planned," Warner Bros. Pictures said, quoting director David Yates as saying he supported the decision.

James Cameron's 3D 2009 sci-fi film Avatar, the most successful movie to date, spurred many studios to release a slew of films in 3D format in the past year, although critics have often said the quality has not been worth the extra cost in ticket sales.

The Harry Potter stories tell of a young British wizard's struggle with his nemesis, the evil Voldemort, played by Ralph Fiennes in the movies, as well as his dealings with his students and teachers in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Rowling said last week she may write more Harry Potter books beyond the seven published.

The franchise has also spurred its own theme park, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, in Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.

Check out photos from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1!