GOF #5 on All-Time Overseas List

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire passed the $600 million mark overseas this week, making it the fifth most successful film overseas, behind some respectable competition (Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets). Its worldwide gross now stands at $887 million.

Here's the overseas breakdown, according to the Hollywood Reporter: $91 million in Japan, $84 million in the U.K., $62 million in Germany, $55 million in France, $26 million in Australia, $23 million in Spain and $21 million in Mexico.

(SOURCE: VERITASERUM)

New Preview of the Goblet of Fire DVD

Another preview for the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire DVD has surfaced online. This preview from The Trades.com of the Wide screen two-disc version of the DVD includes both a breakdown of the bonus features on disc two, as well as a review of the film from disc one. This is a mostly positive review overall, although this editor admits to a chuckle over the following line about a scene from the film:

Because underlying all this is the possible return of the dark lord, Voldemort, whom we finally get to see made flesh (courtesy of Ralph Fiennes and some CGI face surgery) in the final scenes. I had to stop myself from saying, "Now, feel the power of the dark side, Obi-Wan" as Harry and Voldemort square off in their magical duel.

While describing the second disc which includes all the bonus material, the reviewer notes for buyers to be aware "that if you put this disc into your DVD-ROM drive, it will install Interactual on your machine, providing a thematic window into the contents, with links to different Harry Potter places on the web." It reiterated the information we learned previouslyabout all the special features, including that yes there will be an interview with cast members, and those eagerly anticipated deleted scenes. There is a breakdown and time listing of these features found at the link. Finally, the article notes that we can "also participate in the various phases of the Triwizard Cup tournament using their remote control keys. These games aren't your usual left-right guessing games. These are difficult."

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire will be released on DVD here in the US on March 7.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Goblet of Fire Award News Roundup

We have a few pieces of news today regarding some awards for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The BBC reports that music magazine NME readers voted Goblet of Fire as the "Best Film of the Year." Musician Jarvis Cocker, who played in the band during the Yule Ball scene, was there to pick up the award. Congratulations!

Previously we told you that actor Daniel Radcliffe had been nominated at the TRL awards for his guest appearance while in New York promoting GoF. The results have been released to the press early, and while Daniel unfortunately lost to Chris Brown, you can watch this program tomorrow on MTV at noon.

Finally, a reminder now that voting for the AOL Moviefone Awards is ending soon, and while Goblet of Fire is winning handily in a few of the categories, there is still time for you to vote via this link. Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes are nominated, with GoF also up for Movie of the Year. These awards will be announced on February 28th.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Scholastic Kicks-Off 'HBP' Sweepstakes

To help with the countdown for the paperback release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on July 25, Scholastic has announced a six-week online sweepstakes to win a Harry Potter iPod package which includes a 30GB iPod etched with the crest of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and more. The sweepstakes will be opened on Wednesday, March 1st, 2006.

What you can win:

Beginning March 1st and continuing with a new installment every Wednesday for six weeks, the sweepstakes offers fans a chance to win the grand-prize of a Harry Potter iPod(R) package which includes a 30GB iPod(R) etched with the crest of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and all six downloadable audiobooks from the iTunes(R) Music Store, plus a copy of the Deluxe U.S. edition of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with a bookplate signed by author J.K. Rowling.

How to participate:

Every Wednesday, fans can take part in the weekly online poll, one for each of the books published to date. Each week the poll will contain a different printable Harry Potter book cover to be pasted onto a downloadable entry form. After all six Harry Potter covers have been collected, the entry form can be mailed in for a chance to win fabulous prizes. Just for entering, every participant will receive a Harry Potter bookmark. All complete entries must be received by April 24th, 2006 and winners will be announced at on May 1st, 2006.

Additionally, the Scholastic site will offer:

Fun features over the next few months, to countdown to the release of the paperback book. The site will feature monthly installments on each of the six Harry Potter books, plus an exclusive Harry Potter desktop wallpaper and a new printable Harry Potter poster.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

Interview with Christian Coulson on 'CoS,' 'HBP'

While touring the UK's theatre stages, Christian Coulson from the Chamber of Secrets movie recently gave an interview with BBC Norfolk. The actor who portrayed Tom Riddle on the screen fondly reminisces about his experiences auditioning and filming for the 2nd Harry Potter movie. Here are some excerpts from the interview:

"I hadn't read the books until I auditioned. The auditions took six months. They saw about a thousand people, but in the end they got down to three and then they camera tested me and that was it. By the time the call came it had been going on for so long it was a relief."

When Christian got that all important phone call to say he'd landed the part, it was all very exciting. "The first film wasn't out, but obviously it was starting to build as an idea. Of course it was exciting, the part really chimed with me when I read the book and I felt very strongly there were some things I could bring to it".

Additionally, Christian expressed hopes to make a return for Half-Blood Prince:

"I'd love to do it again," said Christian.

"When a friend rang to tell me to read the sixth book because [Tom Riddle] was in it again it was exciting - but who knows," he added.

Make sure to visit BBC Norfolk in order to read the full article or watch the (RealPlayer video file) interview with Christian.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

More Complete Order Role List

Here's a larger list of the roles - not actors in them - that we were currently able to ascertain are in Order of the Phoenix; new/interesting ones at top. Note this is not complete, not confirmed by WB, of course may change with rewrites, and does not say anything about the actors playing these roles. Note it doesn't include most of the mainstays or students/professors whom you would expect in the film anyway.

Mafalda Hopkirk
Mad-Eye Moody
Dedalus Diggle
Young James / Lily / Snape
Bane
Amelia Bones
Voldemort
Kreacher
Cedric (flashback)
Vernon
Petunia
Malcolm
Piers
Dudley
Mrs Figg
Tonks
Kingsley Shacklebolt
Remus Lupin
McGonagall
Arthur Weasley
Sirius
Mrs Weasley
Cornelius Fudge
Umbridge
Trelawney
Cho
Zacharias Smith
Nigel
Dawlish
Percy
Snape
Magorian
Lucius
Bellatrix
Filch

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Dan Radcliffe Buys Black Family Tree in Book Aid Auction

Actor Daniel Radcliffe is the lucky winner of the Black Family Tree which Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling had donated for auction to benefit Book Aid International. The item went for about £30,000 - accounting for almost half of all the money raised for the auction to benefeit Book Aid - for this new hand written piece of work from Jo about "The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black." The BBC reports:

" Radcliffe's mother Marcia Gresham bid on his behalf at the central London auction. She said: "This should put paid to anyone who says that Daniel doesn't like reading. Daniel hasn't stopped since he read the first Harry Potter book and he loves Iain Banks and Tom Stoppard." The star bought a short Stoppard play entitled Murder for £3,700 and a humorous piece on writing by Banks for £980."

Book Aid International, which helps support literacy in the worlds poorest nations, is an organization near and dear to TLC. The newspaper also quotes Book Aid director Sara Harrity as saying "We raised more than £63,000 - more than we had hoped in our wildest dreams." Congratulations to Dan, Book Aid and to all involved! Thanks to all who emailed!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Trelawney Planned, Mundungus Fletcher Not, for Order of the Phoenix

As rumored around the Web, we've been able to confirm that the role of Mundungus Fletcher is not currently written into Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. That doesn't mean it won't change, or that WB has said so; but as of this moment, he's not there. The character of Trelawney is; however, this doesn't mean that won't change with a rewrite, or anything regarding the recasting of Emma Thompson in the role. More news as we get it.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Potter Up for Major Book Award

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince has been nominated for Book of the Year at this year's British Book Awards.

Potter is up against school dinners champion Jamie Oliver and X Factor's Sharon Osbourne in the main category.

Anthony Horowitz's Ark Angel is amongst the nominations in the children's category, along with Sally Gardner's I, Coriander.

CS Lewis's The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe has been shortlisted in the Film Book of the Year category.

There's also an award for the best Sports Book of the Year and this year's hopefuls for that prize include cricketer Andrew Flintoff's Being Freddie and yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur's Race Against Time.

The awards will be handed out at a ceremony in London on 29 March and are the only book awards where the public are allowed to cast their vote too!

(SOURCE: CBBC NEWSROUND)

Happy Birthday Alan!

Acclaimed actor Alan Rickman, who plays Professor Snape so wonderfully in the Harry Potter movies, turns 60 years old today. Happy birthday!

Additionally, SeverusSnape.org is reporting today that Mr. Rickman will begin filming his scenes in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in April.

(SOURCE: VERITASERUM)

Manager Says Looking Unlikely for Oldman to be Sirius

Even though just a week ago, many reliable sources including Reuters quoted Harry Potter producer David Heyman that they intend to have Gary Oldman back as Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which is already in production, today on their official website, his manager is again stating that no negotiations for Gary to be in the movie have yet taken place, and at this time it's looking unlikely.

From the official site of the Douglas Management Group:

All previous postings on this site remain accurate.

There are currently no plans for Gary Oldman to appear in the upcoming Potter film. We confirm that no negotiations are taking place. We confirm once again that Mr. Oldman is actively seeking other employment.

The public comments of the Potter producers are puzzling and also misleading.

Today we take the further step of noting that it does not look likely that Mr. Oldman will once again play the role of Sirius Black. For reasons known only to the producers of the Potter film, Mr. Oldman has not been engaged. As we approach the beginning of March we are in the "window of commitments" wherein virtually any job accepted would render Mr. Oldman unavailable for this film. The producers, we presume, are well aware of how this all works. While one does not want to jump to wrong conclusions, there is a growing sense that it was never the intention for them to have Mr. Oldman return.

(SOURCE: WIZARD NEWS)

School District Bans 'Half-Blood Prince'

A California school district banned Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from their libraries yesterday, and their reason ranks as one of the more creative (and misguided) we've heard:

the Harry Potter books are fantasy, and "we want books to be things that children would be able to relate to in real life," teacher Marlene Olivarez.

Olivarez also said that she did not feel the Harry Potter books "build character, give kids enjoyment, and encourage reading."

(SOURCE: VERITASERUM)

Jo Answers FAQ Poll on Site

JK Rowling has updated her site with an answer to the FAQ Poll:

What happens to a secret when the Secret-Keeper dies?

I was surprised that this question won, because it is not the one that I'd have voted for… but hey, if this is what you want to know, this is what you want to know!

You can read the rest of the answer here

(SOURCE: HPANA)

Julie Walters Arrives in Dublin

Julie Walters, who plays Mrs. Weasley in the Harry Potter movies, arrived in Dublin today for the first screening of her new movie Driving Lessons, in which she stars alongside Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley). GCN.ie writes:

Walters' performance in the movie, easily her best since "Billy Elliot" in 2000, is a tour-de-force and provides a deep emotional heart to a film that will make you laugh, cry, and then laugh some more.

If you're interested in meeting Ms. Walters while she's in Dublin or seeing Driving Lessons, visit DublinIFF.com or call the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival box office at 01 672 8861.

(SOURCE: VERITASERUM)

Full "House of Black" Family Tree from JKR on Display Tonight

As we have been telling you for the past couple of weeks now, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has donated a special piece of work for a charity auction to benefit Book Aid International. A preview of these items was held tonight in London, and included the full rendition of Jo's" Noble and Most Ancient House of Black" donation, or the Black Family Tree that we learned about in Harry Potter in the Order of the Phoenix (see the earlier scans of it here, and here). TLC reader Aberforth was fortunate enough to attend this preview, and has let us know about some of the interesting tidbits he saw. First, there were seven "burn" holes where names had been erased off of the tapestry or family tree. Aberforth was able to write down what he learned:

1 (Phineus' youngest sibling) Isla Black, who 'married muggle Bob Hitchens'.
2 (Phineus' 2nd child) another Phineus, who 'supported muggle rights'
3 (Dorea's brother) Marius, 'a squib'. That really cut me up, it's hard to explain, what a life for him - not!
4 This you'll love: Callidora and Charis' sister: Cedrella, who 'married Septimus Weasley'. She'd have been born around 1918, so Septimus is probably an uncle of Arthur, and of course a 7th son. She was struck off just for marrying a blood traitor Weasley.
5 Alphard, who 'gave gold to his runaway nephew'
6 Sirius, who 'ran away'
7 Andromeda, who 'married muggle Ted Tonks'

Our partner The Lexicon have now posted more of this here which is chock full of interesting tidbits. Enjoy! The auction for this and all the donated items will take place tomorrow in London. A special Thank you to Aberforth for the wonderful news and to the Lexicon!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Rupert Grint Attends the BAFTAs

Rupert Grint (a.k.a. Ron Weasley) was recently spotted attending the Orange British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) to represent the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire cast and crew, as the movie is nominated for Production Design, Achievement in Special Visual Effects and Make-up & Hair.

Red carpet news/fan reports, pictures and video of the actor are now online at RupertGrint.net.

Fellow Goblet of Fire cast member, Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort) was also in attendance as he is nominated in the best leading actor category for Constant Gardener. Additional photographs can be found at GettyImages, Yahoo! and WireImage, for those interested in star-gazing.

REMINDER: The BAFTAs will be televised tonight on BBC America, at 8pm ET/PT. So catch it, if you can!

UPDATE: Thanks to Page from DR.co.uk for sending over some hi-res images of Ralph Fiennes & Imelda Stauton from the event, which you can see here. The Rupert Grint pictures are courtesy of WireImage.

UPDATE II: Stuart Craig has won a BAFTA Award for Production Design, thanks Sybilla.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

Screenshots from GoF DVD of Menu Screens

HarryLatino.com has posted some photos from the upcoming fourth movie DVD showing the main menu, scene selection, and language selection:

- Main menu
- Scenes 1-6
- Scenes 7-12
- Scenes 13-18
- Scenes 19-24
- Scenes 25-29
- Languages

(SOURCE: MUGGLE NET)

'Goblet of Fire' Supporting Cast Promo & Still Pics

Fifteen new Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie promotional shots and stills have popped up online. This new set of images focus on the supporting characters of the film, such as promotional shots of Angelina Johnson (Tiana Benjamin), Mad-Eye Moody (Brendan Gleeson) and Ginny Weasley (recent birthday-celebrant, Bonnie Wright) in their Yule Ball attire, to name a few.

The pictures can be viewed at this link, kindly hosted by Snitch Seeker and provided by Ice Cream Man.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

Luna Lovegood Actress Speaks Out

Evanna Lynch has told an Irish newspaper she was shocked to find out she had won the role of Luna Lovegood in the next Potter film.

The young actress told the Drogheda Independent she had always wanted to play Luna and jumped at the chance of going to the open audition.

But even though she knew she'd make a good Luna, she was amazed to get the call saying she'd got the part.

"I thought it was some awful joke or they were testing me," said Evanna, 14.

Evanna, who is from Ireland, was chosen from 15,000 girls for the part.

She said when she found out about the open auditions in London she knew she had to go: "I knew if I didn't I probably would regret it for the rest of my life."

The Harry Potter fan said that although she felt a bit nervous, she didn't have to try too hard at the audition: "It wasn't like a Maths test where I have to strain to get it all right."

Potter escape

Evanna explained why she enjoys the Potter books: "Sometimes I'm stressed and I'm sick of things... in Harry Potter you're taken to this wonderful imaginary world where everything is so different."

Evanna also asked fans wait and see her in the film before deciding if she makes a good Luna.
She said: "To all the fans that are disappointed in the choice for Luna having seen the photo of me in the papers... that this was my first photo shoot and I felt a bit awkward.

"I promise to work hard to do a good Luna!"

(SOURCE: CBBC NEWSROUND)

More on the Gary Oldman as Sirius Black Situation

Over the past week or so, we have been reporting on the situation regarding actor Gary Oldman and the status on whether or not he would return to the role as Sirius Black for Order of the Phoenix. Yesterday, we reported on comments made by film producer David Heyman saying that they have every intention of having Gary back for the role. Mr. Oldman's representative Douglas Urbanski has now responded to this on his website. Quotage:

David's comment and the story have been picked up and run all over the world giving the false impression that there are some kind of current plans for Mr. Oldman to appear in the upcoming Potter film. There are none at this time.

At this point all of our previous comments, listed on this site, remain accurate: there are currently no plans for Mr. Oldman to appear in this film and his representatives are actively seeking other employment for him. There are several films currently under offer to Mr. Oldman and he is considering all his options as one does.

It is important to note that Mr. Urbanski does NOT say that Gary does not wish to return to the role, rather that the negotiations are not yet underway. Previously Mr. Urbanski assured TLC that Gary had wanted to do the role, and Mr. Heyman clearly states that they want Gary back, so everyone , let's all take a deep breath as these things will hopefully be resolved soon. Thanks to Andy from Harry Potter Fan Zone for the heads up!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

'Goblet of Fire' Nominated for 8 Saturn Awards

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror films has announced the nominations for the 32nd Annual Saturn Awards and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has received 8 nominations.

The nominations are in the following categories:
Best Fantasy Film
Best Performance by a Younger Actor - Daniel Radcliffe
Best Direction - Mike Newell
Best Writing - Steve Kloves
Best Music - Patrick Doyle
Best Costume - Jany Temime
Best Makeup - Amanda Knight, Dave and Lou Elsey
Best Special Effects - John Richardson, Dennis Muren, Pablo Helman & Randal M. Dutra

The awards will be handed out on May 2 in Universal City.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

Patil Twins Back for Order of the Phoenix

Manchester Online reports today that actress Afshan Azad will return to her role as Padma Patil in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film. The article says that Afshan has "already been to read-throughs, costume fittings and make-up sessions, for the new film in which experts will make her look identical to her on-screen twin, played by Birmingham actress Shefila Chowdhury." Filming for the fifth Harry Potter movie began last week in England.

In a related note, Movie Insider has actor John Cleese (Nearly Headless Nick) listed as returning to the cast for Order of the Phoenix. This is still unconfirmed at this point, and we will update you with more on this when we can.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

New, More Complete Image of the Black Family Tree

Our partners at The Harry Potter Lexicon have sent over a scan from Italian Newspaper La Repubblica, of a more complete version (with some parts still blurred, on Jo Rowling's Request) of the Black Family Tree, which you can see here (a cleaned up version is here, and a redone version (typed out) is here. (If those aren't working try here for the redone version and here for the cleaned up one.)

The scan reveals several important things:
-One of Phineas's siblings names is Sirius, and another looks like Elladora
-Draco Malfoy was born in 1980, as suspected; Narcissa in 1955.
- Drusilla Rosier (perhaps) looks like the name for Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa's mother, connecting the Malfoys to the Blacks.

And more! The Lexicon will be updated to reflect the new information. This family tree will be auctioned off on Feb. 21 on behalf of Book Aid International; more info as we get it!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Oldman Axed from Harry Potter?

Actor Gary Oldman looks unlikely to reprise his role as Sirius Black in the next HARRY POTTER offering, after reports he has been mysteriously axed from the wizard franchise.

Oldman, who has appeared in the last two movies adapted from JK ROWLING's popular children's books, has yet to be signed for a third term - even though filming for HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX has already begun.

The actor's manager, DOUGLAS URBANSKI, tells British newspaper The Sun, "You will be shocked to learn there are no plans for Gary to appear in the film.

"To say we are puzzled is an understatement at the very least! We are left with no choice but to pursue other employment for him."

VANESSA DAVIS, spokeswoman for production company Warner Brothers, confirms no deal has been reached, but insists there is still time to resolve the confusion.

She says, "With any film the priority is confirming the cast who will be on the set from the outset."

(SOURCE: CONTACT MUSIC)

42 Brand New 'Goblet of Fire' Pictures

Thanks to ICM and SS, we now have 42 new pictures from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, most of which show shots that were not included in the final film. Among this new batch are a close-up of a Death Eater, Harry in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Katie Leung putting on her make-up, and a bearded Fred and George Weasley. The full new set of images can be seen at the galleries.

(SOURCE: VERITASERUM)

Goblet of Fire DVD Commercial

The first commercial for the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire DVD has appeared online on the official Potter site. The commercial explains what will be on the special 2-disc version of the movie: film maker commentary, visual effects deconstruction, revealing cast interviews, four exclusive mini-games and more.

The DVD will be released on February 20th in Mainland China, March 7th in the U.S., March 20th in the UK, March 22nd in Italy, April 5th in Australia and May 31st in France.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

Sneak Preview of 'Goblet of Fire' DVD

In the first review of the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire DVD, which will be released in a few weeks, mentions that this DVD has come a long way from Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone). There are highlights & lowlights in the DVD review which include sections on meeting the cast, a day in the life of the Triwizard champions and more.

Lizo from CBBC Newsround was lucky enough to review the DVD:

The DVD extras have come a long way since Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone in the USA). Film by film we've seen more of what goes on behind the camera on a Potter movie. And Goblet of Fire goes further than any of the previous movies.

Highlights include the inspired choice of writer/director Richard Curtis to interview Dan, Emma and Rupert; the Meet the Champions section with Clémence, Stan and Robert; and the section dealing with the film's climax - the return of He Who Must Not Be Named.

Lowlights include no JK Rowling - by her own admission, finishing writing this book was one of her most challenging experiences. It would have been wonderful to hear from her about this film version. And there's no director commentary from Mike Newell.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

Exclusive: More Potter Casting

With filming now underway on the fifth Harry Potter adventure, more information on who will appear in the film has been announced by Warner Bros.

Amelia Bones, the Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Office, will be played by Sian Thomas (pictured above). She's appeared in several productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as roles in TV and film.

And the Durlseys will definitely be back in The Order of the Phoenix, after their absence from Goblet of Fire.

Some members of Dudley's gang have now been cast. Jason Boyd will play Piers Polkiss, and Richard Macklin will play Malcolm.

Other casting includes Charles Hughes as Young Wormtail and Susie Shinner as Young Lily Potter. CBBC Newsround reported last week that Robbie Jarvis, 19 (pictured left), will play Young James Potter.

Auror Dawlish will be played by Richard Leaf, and Nick Shim has been cast as Zacharias Smith. Gary Oldman is currently in negotioations to return as Sirius Black.

The Order of the Phoenix will be released sometime in 2007.

(SOURCE: CBBC NEWSROUND)

New Contest and Game on HP Movie Site

HarryPotter.com has been updated with a brand new Crystal Ball Game. WB also has minor details on a soon-to-be-opened contest where you and three friends could win a VIP trip to the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix set in England and a chance to meet the cast and crew.

(SOURCE: MUGGLE NET)

Harry Potter and the Sirius Mystery

On Monday, Wizard News was contacted by Gary Oldman's unofficial website GaryOldman.info with the news that his manager told them Gary is not yet confirmed to play Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which started shooting that day.

On Tuesday, several fan sites, including our respected colleagues over at HPANA were told by a representive of Warner Bros. that Gary Oldman was indeed signed to be in Order of the Phoenix, and expected him to be on the set in the summer.

Last night (Tuesday) Wizard News heard directly from Gary Oldman's manager, Douglas Urbanski. In his email to us, he said:

"At this time Gary Oldman is not set to appear in the next Potter film. We are as baffled as anyone that Warners has not yet engaged him and we are left with no choice but to pursue other employment for him. I cannot explain why the studio 'confirmed' his appearance, other than to guess that whoever confirmed it simply assumed Gary was in the film, and obviously made a mistake. My comment that appeared yesterday on a Gary Oldman fan site in response to an inquiry was true then and remains the case now."

Well, today, HPANA is reporting that they have double-confirmed with Warner Bros. that no agreement has yet been made for Gary Oldman to appear in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

We can only hope that the confusion on the part of the Warner Bros. spokesman yesterday was caused by their sincere desire that Gary Oldman would be in the movie, and whatever is currently holding that up from becoming a reality will be swiftly reconciled.

Stay tuned for chapter four of Harry Potter and the Sirius Mystery!

P.S.: There are some fan websites that don't think you should be hearing from all the parties involved in this controversy. But we at Wizard News believe that this is news, and you have a right to be able to read it. We have presented the facts in this matter to the best of our ability, and we trust you, our readers, to decide what's really going on.

(SOURCE: WIZARD NEWS)

New Website Offers Unique Harry Potter Books Index

Los Angeles, Ca., Feb. 7 /Press Release/ -- The Potter Index (http://www.potterindex.com/), a new website that was launched today, offers a new and unique service to fans and devotees of the Harry Potter book series.

Since the Harry Potter books first appeared on the scene in July of 1997, they have become the best-selling and perhaps most debated and dissected series of books in recent literary history. But up until now, students of the Harry Potter books have had no readily available index resource to the books themselves.

To fulfill this missing need, the new website, The Potter Index, has been created by Harry Potter fans for Harry Potter fans, students and teachers, to assist them in their Potter debates and studies.

The Potter Index has been programmed with every word and every phrase in every Harry Potter book. The site does not display any part of the Harry Potter books in any way. However, it allows site visitors to enter specific search criteria and tells them exactly where this text can be found in the Harry Potter books.

Where in the books does Dumbledore mention his scar that resembles a map of the London Underground? Who's Stubby Boardman? Where is McLaggen first mentioned? That's only a small sample of what users can learn with the aid of the Potter Index.

The site's creator, Dave Haber, says, "There's so much more to the Harry Potter books than meets the eye. We know J.K. Rowling has hidden clues in the books at many different levels. (See the Dumbledore Is Not Dead website for examples of hidden clues pertaining to the conclusion of the events in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.) These clues and the mystery surrounding what will happen through the end of book seven are really fun to discuss (and argue about) with your friends. In addition, in the course of my job as Managing Editor of the Harry Potter news website Wizard News (http://www.wizardnews.com/), I hear by email from many teachers who discuss Harry Potter in their classrooms, and students doing reports on Harry Potter. But up until now, trying to find out exactly who said what and where, to back up a friendly argument, or to include as attribution or footnotes in a report, has previously required lots of thumb-flipping though the books."
"That's why I created The Potter Index. Now, you can enter a word or words into the Potter Index, and the system tells you exactly where to look in the books. I hope this new system can save Potter fans and students a lot of time, and uncover details and clues that would have remained hidden and forgotten, but with the depth and complexity of the puzzles that J.K. has laid before us, I'm afraid the answers the system provides and the info they point to in the books might start even more arguments than they solve!"

Mr. Haber says the site took more than two months to bring to fruition. For more information, visit the Potter Index at www.potterindex.com.

(SOURCE: WIZARD NEWS)

Gary Oldman and David Thewlis Confirmed for Phoenix

Despite reports over the weekend from his own management and his unofficial website that Gary Oldman had not yet been contacted about his appearance in the next Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, some Harry Potter fan websites, including HPANA are reporting today that Warner Bros. has told them that Gary Oldman is indeed confirmed to play Sirius Black in the upcoming film.

In addition, Warner Bros. representatives also stated that fellow Marauder Remus Lupin will also be in the movie, and his role will be reprised by David Thewlis.

The report from Gary's management was troubling in light of the fact that actual filming on the movie started yesterday, so this is welcome news to Harry Potter fans. Warner Bros. says they expect both actors to be at work filming Order of the Phoenix sometime around the summer.

(SOURCE: WIZARD NEWS)

Susie Shinner as the Young Lily Potter

It was recently rumored that in the Daily Record that Susie Shinner had been cast in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as the young Lily Potter (for the scene in which Harry visits Snape's Worst Memory). Since then, our friends at MuggleNet have posted a pic of the 17-year-old actress. While Ms. Shinner's role in movie five has not yet been confirmed by WB, we at TLC have heard from several reliable places that it is correct.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

WB Released First Official Pic of Evanna Lynch

Warner Bros. has released the first official studio picture of Evanna Lynch. The full-sized version of the new pic can be seen at The Leaky Cauldron website here.






(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

More About Evanna Lynch

CBBC Newsround has some quotes from Evanna Lynch, who is portraying Luna Lovegood in OotP. Here are her comments on her reactions to hearing the news that she got the part.

Evanna told Newsround that it was a "dream come true" for her to get this role.

She added: "I've been a Harry Potter fan for years and years."

Everyone at Evanna's school was excited for her. Tara Gufferty, head girl said: "Obviously the school is on an absolute high since this morning when we all found out.

"It's a fantastic acheivement for Evanna. It's every girl's dream to be working with stars like Daniel Radcliffe."

All About Evanna:

She's a HUGE Potter fan
She's got two cats called Luna and Crookshanks!!
She persuaded her parents to take her out of hospital for a day so she could queue up for a copy of Order of the Phoenix!
She has a signed copy of the fifth Potter book
Her dad flew over to London with her for the Luna casting

(SOURCE: CBBC NEWSROUND)

Dan Begins OotP Preparation

MTV has a small piece of info on what the Harry Potter actor has done so far in preparing for the next adventure:

Radcliffe prepared for "Phoenix" by meeting with a bereavement counselor so he could understand survivor's guilt, since his two main relationships in this film — with his godfather Sirius Black and new girlfriend Cho Chang — are grounded in a mutual need to bond with another person after a great, shared loss.

"Sirius is clinging on to James (Harry's father and Sirius' best friend) through me, and I'm trying to know my father through him," Radcliffe said. "The same thing happens with me and Cho. I was the last person there when her last boyfriend, Cedric, was killed."

The rest of the article can be read here, which goes on to talk about the new cast.

(SOURCE: MUGGLE NET)

Official OotP Casting Announcment from Warner Bros.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix starts shooting next week. Casting for Luna, Tonks, Umbridge and Bellatrix announced:

LONDON, February 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Principal photography will commence February 6 at Leavesden Studios on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's beloved Harry Potter novel series.

Directed by award winning British filmmaker David Yates (The Girl in the Café, Sex Traffic, State of Play), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is produced by Harry Potter film series producer David Heyman and David Barron, from a screenplay by Michael Goldenberg (Where the Wild Things Are, Peter Pan, Contact).

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson reprise their roles as close-knit teen wizards Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The production also welcomes back production designer Stuart Craig, costume designer Jany Temime, creature effects supervisor Nick Dudman, special effects supervisor John Richardson and visual effects supervisor Tim Burke. The director of photography is Slawomir Idziak (King Arthur, Black Hawk Down) and the editor is Mark Day (The Girl in the Café, State of Play).

Joining the stellar cast are Imelda Staunton (Nanny McPhee, Vera Drake) as Dolores Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher; George Harris (The Interpreter, Black Hawk Down) as Kingsley Shacklebolt; Helen McCrory (Casanova, Enduring Love) as Bellatrix Lestrange; Natalia Tena (Mrs. Henderson Presents, About a Boy) as Nymphadora Tonks; Kathryn Hunter (All or Nothing, Orlando) as Mrs. Figg; and 14 year-old newcomer Evanna Lynch, who beat over 15,000 hopefuls at an open casting call to win the role of Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw student who becomes an important ally of Harry, Ron and Hermione's.

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry returns for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts and discovers that much of the wizarding community is in denial about the teenager's recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort, preferring to turn a blind eye to the news that Voldemort has returned. Fearing that Hogwarts' venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about Voldemort's return in order to undermine his power and take his job, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep watch over Dumbledore and the Hogwarts students. But Professor Dolores Umbridge's Ministry-approved course of defensive magic leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared to defend themselves against the dark forces threatening them and the entire wizarding community, so at the prompting of his friends Hermione and Ron, Harry takes matters into his own hands. Meeting secretly with a small group of students who name themselves "Dumbledore's Army," Harry teaches them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that lies ahead.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be released in 2007.

[official Press Release]

Published February 2, 2006

(SOURCE: WIZARD NEWS)

Luna Lovegood Role Has Been Cast

Fewer than three weeks after a huge open casting session for the part of Luna Lovegood, 14-year-old Evanna Lynch has been chosen for the role.
[Ed. A larger image of Evanna can be seen here.]

Luna Lovegood, known also as Loony, is a decidedly odd student who befriends Harry in the fifth Potter adventure.

Evanna, who's from near Drogheda in Ireland, was chosen from more than 15,000 other girls at an open casting.

She'll start filming her scenes at Leavesden Studios just outside London later this month.


More casting news

Other casting announced by Warner Bros. includes Natalia Tena, who's been in BBC drama Casualty, as Tonks.






Imelda Staunton will play new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Umbridge. Staunton recently appeared in the children's film Nanny McPhee.




The part of Bellatrix Lestrange, an evil follower of Lord Voldemort, has gone to Helen McCrory. She's appeared in the movie of the Count of Monte Cristo.






Actress Kathryn Hunter will also appear in the film. Kathryn Hunter will be playing Mrs Figg.

Earlier this week, CBBC Newsround revealed that George Harris will play Dark Wizard Catcher Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Filming is about to start on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It will be in cinemas in 2007.

(SOURCE: CBBC NEWSROUND)

J.K. Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe to Attend Queen's Birthday Bash

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe will appear at the star-studded children's party at Buckingham Palace to mark the Queen's 80th birthday on June 25. There will be a national ballot for youngsters in the UK wanting to attend, and the event will be broadcast live on the BBC.

(SOURCE: WIZARD NEWS)

Exclusive: More Potter Cast News

Newsround Online has another piece of exclusive casting news for the next Harry Potter film.

The role of Magorian, a centaur in the Forbidden Forest will be played by Michael Wildman, his agency revealed.

The actor has appeared in several TV and film roles, ranging from Casualty to The Merchant of Venice.

It's unclear whether Michael will be enhanced by special effects, or if the character will be computer generated, with Michael just doing his voice.

With filming about to begin on The Order of the Phoenix, more casting - including many major roles - is expected to be announced within the next 24 hours, and we'll have that news as soon is it's out.

The fifth Harry Potter will be released sometime in 2007.

(SOURCE: CBBC NEWSROUND)