Cho Kiss the Talk of OotP Film

The on-screen kiss between Potter stars Dan Radcliffe and Katie Leung is causing quite a stir on the set of the fifth film - Order Of The Phoenix.

Emma Watson, who plays Hermione, told Newsround that the kiss was "the gossip" of the movie.

Dan and Katie, who play Harry and Cho, were meant to film the scene earlier, but Dan got ill, so it was put back.

"Katie escaped, but I will get her," joked Dan. Katie said she was "excited and nervous" about the scene.

The young actress added that they intended to be "very professional" about the kiss, but Emma couldn't resist a cheeky comment, saying she would be "sniggering in the background".

The stars were talking to Newsround to promote the launch of the DVD for Goblet Of Fire, which went on sale in the UK this week.

Looking forward to OOTP, producer David Heyman told Newsround that the film will probably come out in the summer or autumn of 2007, with Half-Blood Prince set to follow in 2008.

But Potter fans won't have to wait that long for a glimpse of what's to come.

David told Newsround that a trailer can be expected "some time towards the end of the year".
It has already shattered records in the US.

(SOURCE: CBBC NEWSROUND)

New Goblet of Fire DVD Review

IGN has published a new review of the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire DVD, ranking the movie itself an 8 out of 10 and the additional features a 9 out of 10. The lost point on the latter section is due to the lack of a director's commentary, which Director Mike Newell promised us several times last year.

On the bright side, IGN writes that the deleted scenes are much longer than those 30 to 60-second scenes on the Prisoner of Azkaban DVD:

"The 'Additional Scenes' featurette has a great deal of deleted material. This isn't just cut lines or short scenes removed from the final film; these are full five, six minute scenes that didn't make it. A magical rock concert, more detailed Yule Ball scenes, and Hogwarts' attempt to impress the guest schools make for some great scenes that just run too long for the sake of the pacing."

(SOURCE: VERITASERUM)

New Hi-Res Goblet of Fire Character Portraits in the Gallery

Mary, our new Galleries Image Person (her title is a work in progress) has uploaded about 20 hi-res character portriaits from the Goblet of Fire studio shoot; these portraits include new ones of Karkaroff, Amos Diggory, Harry, Cho Chang, Krum, Myrtle, Cedric, Fleur, and Ron. They've been around but never in hi-res before, so see them here, and enjoy!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Lexicon Introduces Knight Bus Tours

Our partners at the Harry Potter Lexicon have a great new feature: Knight Bus Tours. These guided tours will zoom you through the Lexicon so you can discover things you never knew about Harry Potter; it will include commentary from Lexicon staffers and links to interesting pieces of Potter arcania and more. Right now there are two tours available; The C Line (the Classical Tour) and the G line (the Gazetteer Tour). In the future, there will also be the O Line (Oddment Tour, for quirkier fare). Start your tour here, and have fun!

These tours have been programmed by Lexicon Clint with input from all the Lexicon staff; great work, guys, I'm off to take a tour now!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Happy 48th Birthday to Miranda Richardson

Miranda Richardson, who was born in Southport, England on March 3, 1958, is 48 years old today. Miranda Richardson plays Rita Skeeter in the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie, and has been in many other movies, including a recent TV movie The Lost Prince which also starred Michael Gambon (Dumbledore).

(SOURCE: WIZARD NEWS)

New Voldemort, Trio Interview Goblet of Fire DVD Clips

Warner Brothers has updated the Daily Prophet section on HarryPotter.com with four clips from the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire DVD. Two of these clips we have posted here previously, but the other two are new, including one featuring more on Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort. This clip (Clip 3) shows some new sketches of Voldemort reborn, and includes some behind the scenes footage of filming in the graveyard. This clip also appears to have a brief deleted scene, or two lines from Voldemort to Wormtail and the Death Eaters that gave this editor the chills. There is also a new clip (Clip 4) about the Four Champions that features some terrific new behind the scenes footage, and good new interviews with the cast members.

AOL Moviefone has also updated their video clips page on Goblet of Fire with a "Inside the DVD" feature that includes new interviews with the trio at the begining of the feature. Click here to watch. Enjoy!

Update: There is yet another new DVD promo clip now about Voldemort (Windows Media) High, Low

The Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire will be available on DVD on Tuesday, March 7.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Entertainment Weekly Reviews Goblet of Fire DVD

The new issue of Entertainment Weekly contains their review of the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire DVD, giving it a B+ grade. We have the full review below which will be in the new issue of the magazine, due on newsstands on Tuesday.

Who are the Harry Potter movies for, anyway? It could be argued that the films exist mostly as Warner Bros. cash cows, continued employment for Radcliffe and the great thespians of England, and an inducement to read for kids who don't go to the library enough. (After all, J.K. Rowling devotees seem to accept them as big-budget simulacra while carping about this house elf that's been cut out and that Dursley left untormented.) That these movies are good--especially now that the directors' reins have been wrested from proficient hack Chris Columbusand given to real filmmakers--seems almost secondary.

The two-disc DVD of installment 4 is a high-end bookmark, then. The film'sCGI showpieces translate to the small screen, but it's the all-encompassing teen angst that moves to center stage. By the end of Goblet, with the appearance of a fearsome, noseless Fiennes as Lord Voldemort and a father's howl of anguish overhis dead son, it's clear the Potter franchise has grown up.

That's okay, since the bonus disc is the equivalent of a security blanket right out of the dryer. Eight extra scenes and various making-of featurettes are engaging filler, and the videogames are, as ever, profoundly useless to anyone negotiating them with a TV remote. The segment titled "Reflections on the Fourth Film" gives a surprisingly touching sense of the camaraderie among the young cast members; and a prolonged postproduction chat with Radcliffe (without glasses!), Emma Watson (wearing braces!), and Rupert Grint (shorter hair!) shows them to be both refreshing dorks and seasoned pros. "He didn't treat us like kids," Watson says of Goblet director Mike Newell. "We're not playing kids," retorts Radcliffe. Amen, brother. B+

There will also be a small photo of Dan and Rupert included with the article as well. The Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire DVD will be available on March 7.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

New Interview with Trio

In a recent interview with Harry Potter stars Dan discusses Order of the Phoenix and the sixth book, while Emma and Rupert discuss their characters as well as how they feel about rumors of them leaving the series:

DVD Review: Do you ever worry about reading each new Potter book in case you don't like it?
Dan: When the sixth book came out, if it hadn't been good, I would have thought, "Oh, that's disappointing, do I really want to do this?" But I read the book and really enjoyed it, so the idea of being in the film isn't daunting, it's exciting.

DVD Review: What are you looking forward to most in the next film?
Dan: All the teaching stuff, when Harry forms the DA. I think that's all really interesting and heroic, but understated heroic stuff. And what I think is really fantastic about the fifth one is Harry's relationships with Neville Longbottom and Sirius Black. Particularly Neville, because they have so much in common and they don't know it.

DVD Review: Do you feel you're becoming more or less like your characters as the films go on?
Rupert: We've all been together for so long and worked together for so long, we don't have to act at being friends because we all are.
Emma: I remember, during the first two films particularly, denying very strong that I was even close to Hermione's character. But after the third one and particularly now I'm thinking that she might not be such a bad role model. So actually I don't mind too much.
Rupert: Ron and me have both got ginger hair and I'm quite scared of spiders. Stupid things like that.

DVD Review:There are constant rumours that each film will be your last. Are you happy to do more?
Rupert: I've just finished school so I've got nothing else to do...
Emma: What I would say about working on the Harry Potter films is that every day is different and every set is different, and you do learn something new every day. And there are always new actors. I feel that it's still challenging me, definitely.

You can view scans of the magazine article with additional interviews with David Heyman here courtesy of HP Graphics via VTM.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

'GoF' Nominated for Empire Awards

With the awards season soon coming to an end Empire magazine has announced the nominees for their Sony Ericsson Empire Awards, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has received nods in the new category 'Best Sci-fi/Fantasy' and in the 'Best British Movie' category.


Goblet will be up against the following in the Best Sci-fi/Fantasy category:

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
King Kong
Serenity
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith

In the Best British Movie category Goblet will have to beat:

The Descent
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
Pride & Prejudice
Stoned
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit

The winners will be announced on March 13th in the UK and thanks to everyone for the emails.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

Vote for JKR as 'Greatest Living British Writer'

JK Rowling, Harry Potter author, has been nominated in the Book magazine Greatest Living British Writer poll. Ms. Rowling will be up against such notable writers as Terry Pratchett (Discworld series), Ian Rankin (Rebus series) and AS Byatt (Possession).

In an accompanying article, the author writes:

The notion of literary greatness is probably best called to account, however, by none other than the woman who has already destroyed all the boundaries within which we like to corral our writers and artists. Joanne Rowling. Harry Potter’s creator has, without question, done more for literacy, for books and, indeed, for the perception of this country around the world than any writer, ever. Full stop! If The Beatles had a literary equivalent, JK Rowling is it. But, do sales of 300 million copies of her books make her great? Does it really matter?

You must register to vote, and also give a reason for your choice of authors. Voting ends on April 30th.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

Queen Awards Potter Stars OBEs

Harry Potter movie stars of the present and the future have been given special awards from the Queen for their services to drama.

Robbie Coltrane who plays the gentle half-giant Rubeus Hagrid was awarded the Order of the British Empire at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Imelda Staunton who will play Professor Umbridge in the fifth film was also given an OBE for her acting talents.

Both actors can be seen in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in 2007.

Robbie Coltrane, who also appeared in some James Bond movies accepted his award modestly. He said: "Once you've been doing anything for 25 years people start to notice you. What was really nice about the OBE is that it's the first award where I didn't have to make a speech and I didn't have to sit there waiting to see if I'd won - I knew I was going to get it."

(SOURCE: CBBC NEWSROUND)

New Emma Watson Newsletter

Emma Watson is now sending out an updated newsletter to fans who write her, and thanks to reader Olivia, we have a copy of it, which can be read below:

Well, after nine months away, I am now back at the studio, as we have started filming "Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix." I can't believe how quickly this last year has gone! I have been back at school, studying hard for my GCSE's, catching up with friends and family and playing lots of hockey... and now the countdown to my exams really begins - June is approaching a little too quickly for me! I keep reminding myself of how great it will feel once they are over and I get to put my books away for a short time - not very Hermione, I know!

For now, though, my studies are running side-by-side with filming and it is really good to be back on Harry Potter. Obviously, I miss all my friends at school and the life I have built while I have been away, but I am so excited about this film that it makes it a little bit easier to be away from them all. This film feels fresh and new as everyday I am introduced to new cast members and crew. Best of all is a new approach to the script from director, David Yates, who I feel I have learned something from already, and we're just a short time into shooting. This year I will be back to my usual Hermione self - lots of running around, some stunts here, and there and lots of being thrown around!

(SOURCE: VERITASERUM)

Sneak Peek at GOF DVD Menu

We've got a special sneak peek at the Goblet of Fire DVD loading menu for you all tonight, courtesy of staffer JP! You may use the following links to download the videos:

Windows Media Player
Main Menu (9 MB)
Languages and Info (2 MB)
Scene Selection (2 MB)

Quicktime
Main Menu (8 MB)
Languages and Info (4 MB)
Scene Selection (4 MB)

(SOURCE: VERITASERUM)

Cuaron on Directing a Future HP Movie

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuaron recently spoke with ComingSoon.net on the possibility of his directing a future Potter film:

"At this point today? No," he told us with a smile, "but I can tell you that I spent the most beautiful two years of my life doing 'Harry Potter'. Everything around the J.K. Rowling product is surrounded by this very beneficial energy. It's fantastic to be around her and associated with it. I don't know. In the future, if I'm invited, I would consider it definitely because it was such a beautiful experience, but in the same hand, I'm not very good about repeating stuff that I did before."

(SOURCE: MUGGLE NET)

HPANA's Great Goblet Giveaway Underway

With less than a week to go before the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on DVD, we're pleased to bring you our Great Goblet Giveaway sweepstakes, in which you can win fantastic prizes from Noble Collection and more.

The contest runs through March 15 and is open to U.S. residents only (sorry).

1 Grand Prize winner will receive a $300 Noble Collections Gift Certificate - the official distributor of Harry Potter collectibles

1 First Prize winner will receive a $100 Noble Collections Gift Certificate

1 Second Prize winner will receive a Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire DVD

You can pre-order the DVD through these links and support HPANA at the same time:

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2-disc, widescreen) from Amazon.com
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2-disc, widescreen) from Amazon.co.uk

P.S. A hint: Starting March 2, you may be able to find even more enter-to-win contests by going to this page on WB's official site. Be patient and check back later.

(SOURCE: HPANA)