Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Casting complete

Casting has been announced for the sixth Harry Potter film (HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE). All along the movie's main strength has been their excellent casting. It seems like everyone in Britain who has ever acted has been tapped, with some great results. Some of them were matches from the start, while others might not have seemed like they would work, but did in spades.

For example, Helena Bonham Smith (Bellatrix), Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall) and Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) were obvious smashes.

I had my apprehensions about Kenneth Branaugh (Gilderoy Lockhart) Emma Thompson (Professor Trelawney) and Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), but of course they all three knocked it out of the park. As they are fabulous actors, I know not why I had any initial doubt.

I think that up until this point, the gold standard in perfect casting for the series had to be Alan Rickman as Severus Snape. That man just inhabits the character! (Actually, this would make a great top ten list: best casting in HP, and best alternative casting, since I know that Dominique has always wanted to see Carrot Top as Minister Fudge.)

The point (and I do have one) is that the Movie 6 casting may have topped them all.

Before I get there, though: David Yates (who directed #5) is back for #6, and Steven Kloves (who wrote #1-4 but not #5 ) is the writer.

Perhaps more important than any of that, Bruno Delbonnel will be the DP (Director of Photography, or Cinematographer). Delbonnel is a visual genius, and responsible for such splendor as A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT and AMELIE, as well as this fall's ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. He has a style that saturates the screen with unique color blends, and I am very excited about his arrival in what may prove to be the most difficult of the books to film.

On to the casting.

Several kids have been cast (Tom Riddle at various ages, Lavender Brown), but as we don't know who they are, I'll skip that.

Helen McCrory plays Narcissa Black Malfoy, who as readers of the books will know plays an immensely important role in the last two installments. The only thing that jumped out at me on her IMDB page was playing Tony Blair's wife in THE QUEEN.

And then, the creme de la creme, the most perfect piece of casting in the series yet. If you asked me two years ago whom would I cast, I'd have picked him.

Jim Broadbent is playing Professor Slughorn.

His IMDB page is filled with great acting roles. I fell in love with him in RICHARD III, and then again in GANGS OF NEW YORK, and of course as the immortal Harold Zidler in MOULIN ROUGE. You may know him as Bridget Jones's father. Either way, he's the man, and sure to bring nothing but awesome to the role and the films.

Well done.