5 reasons for the ‘Potter’ move

You probably know by now that Warner Bros. has moved its “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” from its original Nov. 21 scheduled opening all the way back to July 17 2009.

That’s only part of the shuffle game, though.

Summit Entertainment moved “Twilight,” the movie based on the Stephanie Meyer teen-vampire romance novel, from Dec. 12 into the Nov. 21 spot vacated by Harry. And Sony moved its new James Bond film (starring Daniel Craig) up from Nov. 7 to Nov. 14.

Here are some of the reasons being cited on various Web sites for Warner’s “Harry” decision:

1. Warner’s thought the summer opening would be a better date for business.

2. The writer’s strike had left Warner’s with no big summer 2009 movie.

3. “The Dark Knight” had already made 2008 for the studio, so the company is free start looking forward to 2009.

4. Fox News had reported that Potter star Daniel Radcliffe’s appearance in the stage play “Equus,” in which he does a well-publicized nude scene , is at least part of the reason. This ignores, of course, that Radcliffe had already appeared on the London stage in the same state of undress.

5. The move would bring the film closer to the opening of the first half of the final film in the series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which is scheduled to open in 2010.

The result: Harry fans aren’t happy. But when the film finally does open, all likely will be forgotten – and forgiven.