Warner Bros. has said that it is delaying the release for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until next summer, after saying the film was expected to be released this year.

In a statement, President Alan Horn said that, "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 instalment."

"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."

The film is now expected to be released in July 17; but this will not affect any production for any future films. The final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be a two-part movie. Potter fans will now have to settle for the release of J.K. Rowling’s Tales of Beddle the Bard.