Final Harry Potter to get 2011 release

The final instalment of the Harry Potter film franchise is to be released in 2011, it has been announced.

Fans of the boy wizard will get to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II in cinemas from 15 July.

Warner Brothers decided to split the seventh book in JK Rowling's series into two parts as it was impossible to cram its 608 pages into a single film.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I is set to be released on 19 November 2010.

Stuntman David Holmes suffered serious back injuries on the set of Deathly Hallows last month practising an aerial sequence.

The set was closed for a week for investigation before being allowed to re-open by the Health and Safety Executive.

It was announced in August last year that the release date for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince would be pushed back eight months to July this year.

Warner Bros president Alan Horn said the decision was taken to guarantee the studio a major summer blockbuster in 2009.

He also blamed the Hollywood writers' strike, which hit the film industry hard in 2008.

The first five movies have made $4.5 billion (£2.2 billion) worldwide - making it the biggest film franchise in box office history, surpassing both James Bond and Star Wars.

Via bbc.co.uk