Why was the Battle of the Astronomy Tower not in the Harry Potter movies? The late Harry Potter movies might have been darker (literally and figuratively) and much less fun, but they exceled when it came to massive action, like the fantastic Battle of Hogwarts.
But the Harry Potter movies are very different to the novels. All of the best movies based on books have to make changes for the big screen and, if you watch the Harry Potter movies in order, you’ll count up plenty of missing scenes and additional details featuring the best Harry Potter characters.
One of the biggest comes at the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which removes a large ensemble battle scene for the Harry Potter cast between Voldemort‘s Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix. But why was the Battle of the Astronomy Tower not in the Harry Potter movies? Let’s wave our wands and find out…
Why was the Battle of the Astronomy Tower not in the Harry Potter movies?
The Battle of the Astronomy Tower was cut from the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to avoid it feeling too similar to the Battle of Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
In the book version of Half-Blood Prince, Harry and Dumbledore return from hunting Horcruxes to a battle between the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters, let into the school by Draco Malfoy and his Vanishing Cabinets.
It’s in this battle that Bill Weasley is savaged by werewolf Fenrir Greyback, one of the best Harry Potter villains.
This skirmish culminates in Malfoy disarming Dumbledore at the top of the Astronomy Tower, where Severus Snape then steps in to strike the killing blow on the Hogwarts headmaster.
In an interview with director David Yates, IGN reported that the battle was cut for fears that it would be too similar to the conclusion of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Instead, the fiery action sequence at The Burrow was added earlier in the story to bring some wizarding warfare to the movie.
Half-Blood Prince isn’t among the best movies in the Potter franchise and the lack of its explosive finale is certainly a part of this. More than a decade later, we’re not sure Yates and his team made the right decision in cutting the Battle of the Astronomy Tower.
For more great Wizarding World content, check out the best Harry Potter spells and learn more about Hagrid. You can also find out about everyone who’s owned the Elder Wand and learn why Hermione overshadows Harry in the movies. Meanwhile, find out about the secret inspiration for the Deathly Hallows symbol.
Elsewhere, we’ve got everything you need to know about new movies coming to the Potter world, including the potential Harry Potter and the Cursed Child release date. You can also find out about the Harry Potter TV series release date and the Fantastic Beasts 4 release date.