On 19 November, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 hits the big screen, signalling the start of the end of one of the most profitable film franchises ever made.

In The Deathly Hallows, the now post-pubescent Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) are on a mission against the clock to find and destroy the source of Lord Voldemort's immortality and end his reign of darkness forever. Ralph Fiennes reprises the role of Potter's nemesis Voldemort and key cast, including Michael Gambon, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman and Jim Broadbent, accompany the core characters to the bitter end. 

A British Adventure

After initial rumours that pointed at Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) and Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) as possible directors, the helm was finally handed to British film-maker and BAFTA-winner David Yates. The Deathly Hallows is Yates's third Potter film after Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and last year's blockbuster, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Regular Potter producers David Heyman and David Barron were also enrolled for a seventh adventure and, in a bid to better preserve the spirit of the original novel, they were joined by writer J. K. Rowling in a production and advisory capacity - a similar role to the one she took on the inaugural film of the franchise, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

The latest instalment reportedly took 478 days to complete, with principal photography taking place from February 2009 at Leavesden Studios - the official home of the Potter films since its start in 2000.  Warner Bros., the company behind the franchise and owner of the site, announced earlier this month that it is to invest £100m in the studios which are located just north of London.

Pinewood Studios acted as 'second base' for The Deathly Hallows and filming also took place on location in Surrey, Wales, Suffolk and the capital. London locations included King's Cross Station - 'gateway' to Hogwarts and one of the franchise's staple sets - and Shaftesbury Avenue, in the West End. "It was incredible to see traffic at a standstill on one of the busiest streets, in one of the biggest cities in the world," said Emma Watson. And although filming was done late at night, hundreds of fans gathered - which helped make the experience even more memorable for cast and crew. "Shooting in such a busy location was not without its challenges, but we also had a great time," recalls Heyman.

Serves Two

The decision to divide Rowling's final book into a two-part film came from the original -and eventually discarded- idea to split Goblet of Fire in 2004. "When [writer] Steve Kloves began working on the screenplay, it became clear we would have to omit too much to do justice to J.K. Rowling's book in one film," Heyman explains. So, as soon as the Writers Guild of America strike came to an end in 2008, Kloves started working on the first half of the two-part finale.

Despite the planned split, for practical purposes The Deathly Hallows was shot back to back and treated as a single entity. The film has been described by critics as the darkest of the Potter films yet, owing partly to the cinematography by Oscar-nominated Eduardo Serra (Girl with a Pearl Earring, Blood Diamond). In a bid to give it a fresh and new feel, the film makes extensive use of hand-held cameras and takes the action outside the walls of Hogwarts. It is the first time the school of wizardry is not seen in a Harry Potter film and, as Yates explains, the move helped to get the tone of the story right: "We're away from the magical environment of Hogwarts, which felt very safe even when the characters were in utter jeopardy. Suddenly Harry, Ron and Hermione are trying to survive out in the big, bad world, and it's a dangerous place. They feel isolated and alone and very vulnerable. It makes the adventure much edgier and more grown-up, which really appealed to me and to Dan, Rupert and Emma as well."

Another key production decision, announced by the makers in October this year, was that Part 1 would not be offered on 3D. The impossibility to deliver a high quality 3D version of the film on time for the planned release date was named as the reason to deliver in 2D and IMAX versions and Yates backed the plan: "This decision underscores the fact that Warner Bros. has always put quality first."

And whilst the first half reaches the public, post-production work is well underway on the second and concluding part of Potter's tale, which is already confirmed as a 3D release. In the film, Harry will finally face the task for which he has been preparing since his first day at Hogwarts - his final battle with Lord Voldemort. Part 2, due for release in July 2011, will bring to a close the very British literary and film phenomenon which has captured the imagination of millions worldwide.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 receives an international release on 19 November 2010.