Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a 2009 film based on the sixth novel by J. K. Rowling. It is the sixth film in the Harry Potter film series. David Yates, the director of the fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, directed this film. David Heyman and David Barron produced, and Steve Kloves, though he did not write the fifth film, has returned as screenwriter for this instalment. Filming began on September 24, 2007. The film was released in the UK, Canada and US on July 15, 2009 in regular theatres, and an IMAX 3-D release on July 29, 2009. Unlike the previous film, the sixth film was released in regular theatres on July 15 and IMAX 3-D on July 29.