Sixth Harry Potter Film Moved to Summer 2009

The folks that produce the Harry Potter movies have a bit of a problem. It was supposed to be released this November, right in time for Thanksgiving. However, at that same time the movie's star was to be appearing on Broadway, prancing around naked on stage and doing unspeakable things to horses as part of the play Equus. I guess the movie's producers didn't want little kids looking at the posters and going "Mommy, what's Harry Potter doing to that horse?"

A naked Harry Potter has scared off the movie "Harry Potter."

Warner Bros. has announced moving its sixth Potter film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," from Nov. 21, 2008, to July 17, 2009. The reason? Officially, there is no reason, except that "a spot opened on the summer schedule."

That's not much of a reason. The real story? Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe will be right in the middle of his sensational, highly publicized run on Broadway in the play, "Equus." Radcliffe appears naked in the play, on stage, and has sex in it as well. That's not the image Warner Bros. wants associated with bespectacled Harry, who remains chaste and virginal.

Indeed, posters for Equus are up all over New York, of Radcliffe's naked torso superimposed on a horse's head. This is not the sort of thing that's taught at Hogwarts. For the movie to open on Nov. 21, Radcliffe would have to do publicity entailing answering questions about blinding horses and having sex with them vs. flying around and making potions.

Warner Bros. does not want this scenario. By the time "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" debuts, "Equus" will either have concluded its run or Radcliffe will have completed his contract. And there will be little mention of any horsing around.

Apparently Warner Brothers would prefer that Harry not play with any other wands than the one used to vanquish Lord Voldemort. One wand at a time.