Daily Archives: December 26, 2011

Arrival of ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2′ was a moment that made headlines and marked the end of an era.
By John Mitchell

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″


Photo: WB

For millions of people all over the world, the approach of midnight on July 15 brought with it a gut-wrenching mix of excitement and heartache. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″ was set to open all over the world, and as fans lined up outside movie theaters — some in costume as their favorite character — we realized that this was it. The joy of seeing the final installment of the most successful film franchise in history was tempered with the sadness that we’d never get to do this again. This truly great thing that had been, from first book to final film, a part of our lives for well over a decade had reached its end. For an entire generation, the film’s release was like turning the final page on our childhoods.

“Deathly Hallows, Part 2″ wasn’t just a movie; it was the event of the summer. And the bittersweet moment is also MTV News’ #8 Top Newsmaker of 2011, because it made headlines and marked the end of an era.

The stars of the film definitely seemed to understand just how close to fans’ hearts the franchise had become. It had, after all, touched them too. Asked if there’d be tears upon the film’s release, Emma Watson cheekily told MTV News at the MTV Movie Awards, “Maybe a few. Maybe one or two, just little ones.”

The film set box-office records for the biggest first day ($92.1 million) and largest opening weekend, both domestically ($168.5 million) and worldwide ($314 million), ever and received the best reviews of any film in the franchise. The praise wasn’t contained to critics and fans: Even the stars of the film were in awe of the final product. “I was a wreck because of the film itself,” Daniel Radcliffe told MTV News at the film’s New York premiere. “You’ve got to have a heart of stone to not find part of it — especially Alan Rickman’s performance — heartbreaking, so yeah, I’ve done my fair share of crying already. … I think that we proved in doing ‘Potter’ that you can bring integrity and perpetual growth to a franchise.”

Fans’ devotion to the books, films and characters created by J.K. Rowling was manifest in the enthusiastic response to our “Harry Potter” World Cup, MTV News’ month-long, March Madness-style tournament to find out which character was the fan favorite. More than 7.4 million votes were cast in the competition, resulting in a final face-off between Ron Weasley and Professor Severus Snape. In the end, the compellingly complex Snape took the title, and star Alan Rickman thanked fans at the film’s New York premiere, telling MTV News that Snape’s victory was “a vote for ambiguity and things where you don’t quite know how they’re going to turn out.” He continued, “Also, it’s [Snape's] values that you can’t talk about without ruining the film, but things like courage and determination and loyalty and love, actually.”

The success of the series itself could be seen as a celebration of those same things. On the surface, the “Harry Potter” films are fantasies about a boy wizard and his underdog friends navigating a magical universe in which evil lurks in the shadows. But above all, the “Potter” books and films champion courage, determination and loyalty in the face of great adversity and are premised on the notion that love ultimately conquers all. We can think of no better message for a film series to impart on a generation of young people facing a real world mired in conflict and economic turmoil.

It’s sad that there’s no more “Potter” to look forward to, but the magic created by Rowling; directors Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell and especially David Yates (who helmed the final four films); screenwriter Steven Kloves; and stars Radcliffe, Watson and Rupert Grint will live on to do great things — much like the Boy Who Lived himself.

MTV continues our Best of 2011 coverage by looking back at the biggest pop-culture stories of the year. As we count down the newsmakers that mattered to you most, also check out our top Artists, Songs, Live Performances and EDM Artists of 2011.

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‘Jackass’ star’s death is our #7 Newsmaker of the year, proving fans appreciated the bearded daredevil as much as we did.
By Gil Kaufman

Ryan Dunn


Photo: Getty Images

A lot of people view their co-workers as being a kind of extended family. Here at MTV, though, the madmen of “Jackass” really are part of our gang. They’ve taken over our studios, filled our prime time with outrageous spin-off programs and used their original half-hour show as a launchpad to worldwide fame.

So it was with an especially heavy heart that we reported on “Jackass” star Ryan Dunn’s death in a high-speed car crash in June. His untimely passing is #7 on MTV News’ Top Newsmakers of 2011 list, indicating the world seemed to share in our appreciation for Bam Margera’s bearded best pal.

Dunn, 34, the go-to guy for outrageous stunts that even such stalwarts as Steve O weren’t willing to try, died while bombing down the highway in his sports car near his Pennsylvania home after a night of drinks with friends.

Not only did many of our readers write in with fond remembrances of Dunn, but pals Johnny Knoxville and Jeff Tremaine shared their grief, along with everyone from motocross racer Carey Hart to the MTV brass.

With his kind, soft eyes and up-for-anything attitude, Dunn was described by many of his co-stars and cohorts as the kind of guy who would do anything for a friend. Many of you shared your stories of meeting him and confirmed that he was a person who loved life and brought a little bit of joy to everyone he met. As always, we tried to paint a deeper picture than the one you may have gotten from the mainstream press.

When we sent a reporter to Dunn’s hometown of West Chester, we spoke to some of his neighbors and those gathered at a makeshift highway memorial. They too spoke of a kind-hearted soul who always remembered everyone he met and, well, just seemed like a good dude who really appreciated the life his fans had allowed him to live.

And yes, once the details about his death, along with that of passenger Zachary Hartwell, came to light, they served as a cautionary tale about the dangers of drinking and driving. Police determined that Dunn, a notorious speed demon, was driving his 2007 Porsche between 132 and 140 mph in a 55 mph zone and that his blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit in Pennsylvania.

A recent MTV special gave a loving overview of Dunn’s life, told through his many TV appearances and the memories of his co-stars and friends, following his career from his early years in Ohio to some never-before-seen clips from “Viva La Bam” and “Jackass.”

His friends said Dunn liked to marvel at the kind of life he was able to lead thanks to his willingness to dive into pools of poo and ride BMX bikes off roofs. And though we will miss him, he left behind the best legacy we could ask for: laughter and joy.

MTV continues our Best of 2011 coverage by looking back at the biggest pop-culture stories of the year. As we count down the newsmakers that mattered to you most, also check out our Best Artists, Best Songs, Best MTV Live Performances and Best EDM Artists of 2011.

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