 Mike Newell (I) (qv) decided against the studios original idea of  adapting the extremely long book into two separate films to be  released several months apart, figuring that he could cut enough of  the books bulky subplots to make a workable film. It was  Alfonso Cuarón (qv), the director of  _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)_ (qv), who  convinced him.