'Harry Potter' countdown: A late-night call from David Yates reveals magical secrets

It was about 3:20 a.m. yesterday when my phone rang: It was David Yates, the soft-spoken British director whose second "Harry Potter" film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," arrives in theaters across America on July 15. He sounded apologetic: "It's quite early there isn't it? Thanks for doing this, mate."

Despite the hour, it was my pleasure to take the call -- Yates is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet and, after visiting him outside London last year on the set of "Half-Blood Prince," it was a treat to catch up, even if his schedule required the pre-dawn appointment. Right now, Yates is in the midst of filming the final boy-wizard adventure, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," which will be split into two films.

"We're here in the forest, we've just finished the scene where Harry, Hermione and Ron are captured by the Snatchers after being chased through the woods. The Snatchers are brutal and scary but they aren't the most intelligent of creatures.They're trying to figure out exactly who it is they've caught."

I told Yates about my new theory: That the single best decision made in show business over the last decade was the casting of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint in the lead roles of Harry, Hermione and Ron. I could almost hear him smile on the other side of the Atlantic.

"Absolutely, I think you're correct. It was an extraordinary bit of judgment, bringing those three in. They have been so stable and level-headed and in working with them I continue to be impressed by how keen they are to challenge themselves and to try new things to bring out the characters that they portray. They have become these engaging ambassadors for the films and the story. They have been endlessly enthusiastic. They want to see how good they can be in these roles. They haven't had their heads turned, either, by the fame and attention or any of it, which is wonderful for everyone to see."

There's never been a film franchise that has delivered this many movies on this scale and in this sort of time. The Hollywood history books will look back on this as the Hogwarts Decade. The first "Potter" film was released in November 2001, and the eighth will close out the saga in summer of 2011. Yates says there is a sense on the set that something very special is unfolding.

"I think with each film the audience is surprised by how much [the lead actors] have grown up," he said. "I think it's unique in the history of film, really, given the popularity of the series and the way these young actors have grown up in front of us. It will be interesting in the years to come to see how they themselves look back on this experience."

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