Jacques Rivette side by side with Harry Potter
They share a common running time (137 minutes) and literary origins, even if one is a descendent of Honoré de Balzac and the other J.K. Rowling. They are Don’t Touch the Axe [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Jacques Rivette and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by David Yates, in Italian theatres starting this weekend.
The magician has a few days advantage (the film was released Wednesday), but that matters little: Mikado, which is distributing Rivette’s film (in competition at the 2006 Berlinale and co-produced by Pierre Grise Productions and Cinemaundici), is by no means competing – not for target or screens – with Warner Italia, which is launching on 900 screens the fifth Potter episode, a UK title in virtue of the financing by Heyday Films and COOL Music Ltd.
Already wary of the summer season, The Order of the Phoenix has persuaded Italian distributors to hold back, and seeing the initial results its hard not to agree with them: audiences are spellbound by the adventures of Harry, against his magic there is no (at least at the box office) miracle that can stand up to him.
It is better to sacrifice (on a handful of screens) a title from New Zealand and the latest standard US thriller, and postpone releases for next weekend. Yet many, you can bet on it, are rooting for Rivette!
(Translated from Italian)
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
