Beaks here...

Well, this is a surprise. The sixth cinematic jaunt to Hogwarts just got pushed to July 17, 2009, thus leaving a huge hole in the November 2008 release schedule. Why? Feel free to parse WB honcho Alan Horn's official statement:

"Our reasons for shifting 'Half-Blood Prince' to summer are twofold: we know the summer season is an ideal window for a family tent pole release, as proven by the success of our last Harry Potter film, which is the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first installment. Additionally, like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers' strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films--changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of. We agreed the best strategy was to move 'Half-Blood Prince' to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer."

Does this mean shooting o HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS has been delayed? "Motherfucker please!" sez WB production president Jeff Robinov:

"The release date change does not alter the production schedule for this or future Harry Potter films. Post-production on 'Half-Blood Prince' was completed on time, and the studio's release plans for the two-part 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' will not be affected by this change. We know Harry Potter fans are eagerly anticipating seeing the final chapters unfold onscreen. In fact, the good news for them is that the gap will now be shortened between 'Half-Blood Prince' and the first part of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.'"

So Disney's BOLT now has November 21st all to itself until UA decides to move VALKYRIE again.