harry potter

Since the trailer presented that concept with Riddle's words as a boy over images of actions committed by him or in his name later in life — "I can make bad things happen to people who are mean to me" — the effect made it seem more like a horror film, fans said.

Not all fans appreciated that. "Ooh, exciting!" said Sandra Pieloch, a senior designer for Nickelodeon Creative Resources. "Only I didn't know the newest 'Harry Potter' was being directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It feels like some Brit remake of 'The Sixth Sense.' "

"The cinematography is on a much grander scale," Bensoussan said. "From the graphic effects surrounding Dumbledore to the chilling scene of Bonnie in the woods, or of Ron lying death-like on the floor, 'Half-Blood Prince' looks to be bolder, darker and more intense."

"The movies pale in comparison to the actual books," said Raina Tinker, a designer at HarperCollins, "but this one looks dark and creepy, which is how the book was."