Amazon: 2007 was 'The Year of Harry Potter'

It comes as no surprise that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows marked this year's top-selling book online, according to a list released today by Amazon.

Amazon's second best-selling product? The Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix DVD, which was released last month in the UK and earlier this month in the US.

Amazon's spokesman said, "It has very much been the year of Harry Potter, as is shown by the fact that he features in our number one and number two best-selling products. It has been the global phenomenon of 2007 and you are still going to get probably another couple of Christmases which will see Harry Potter high on the chart because there are another couple of DVDs still to come."

(SOURCE: VERITASERUM)

Radcliffe & Watson Included on Yahoo's Most Popular Stars List

Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, stars of the Harry Potter movies, are both included in this years '10 Most Popular Stars of 2007' list from Yahoo.

#3 - Emma Watson
Emma Watson had her fans on the edge of their seats when it looked like she might not return for the last two Harry Potter films, but thankfully, she decided to stick with the series until graduation.

#10 - Daniel Radcliffe
A teenage Harry Potter got angry in this summer's The Order of the Phoenix, but it was news of his nude stage appearance in Equus that got Daniel Radcliffe the most attention this year.

Other notable stars on the list include Jessica Alba, Megan Fox, Jessica Biel, Aishwarya Rai, Angelina Jolie, Shia LaBeouf, Scarlett Johansson and Lena Headey.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

JK Makes Teary Return to HP Flat

JK Rowling was left in tears when she went back to the place where she wrote the end of the first Harry Potter book.

Rowling was living in a flat in Edinburgh in Scotland when writing the books, and famously wrote lots of the Philosopher's Stone in a local cafe.

Rowling went back to the flat as part of TV film about the last 12 months of her life that will shown on ITV1.

The flat is now owned by other people, and when Rowling returned she saw that they had bought their own Potter books.

In the film, which will be shown on Sunday evening, Rowling said: "Oh, look, Harry Potter books! Now that is really freaky.

"This is really the room where I finished Philosopher's Stone. This is really where I turned my life around completely. My life really changed in this flat.

"And if I'd known that 10 years on I'd come back with a film crew and there'd be my published books on someone else's bookcase in this room - that is really incredible to me."

Once Rowling had finished the first Potter book she sent it off to publishing companies, and 12 of them told her they didn't like it before Bloomsbury agreed to print the first one.

(SOURCE: CBBC NEWSROUND)

More Potter Film Casting Revealed

With filming for the sixth Harry Potter film well underway, Newsround can reveal the names of more actors chosen to star in The Half-Blood Prince.

Cormac McLaggen, the wannabe Gryffindor Keeper who Hermione uses to try and make Ron jealous, will be played by Freddie Stroma.

Meanwhile, 18-year-old Louis Cordice will play Blaise Zabini, a Slytherin student who dislikes muggle borns.

Last month it was revealed Jessie Cave, 20, had won the role of Lavender Brown.

Katie Bell, the Gryffindor chaser who suffers terrible injuries from a cursed necklace, is being played by Georgina Leonidas. Isabella Laughland will play her friend Leanne.

Gryffindor fourth year Romilda Vane who tries to use a love potion on Harry, will be played by Anna Shaffer.

And Robert Knox will play Ravenclaw student Marcus Belby.

They will start filming their scenes early in 2008.

The film is due to be released later in the year.

(SOURCE: CBBC NEWSROUND)

J.K. Rowling Nominated as a Great Briton

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has been nominated for the Morgan Stanley Great Briton 2007 Awards. Jo is nominated in the Arts category, along with acclaimed actor Sir Ian Mckellen and artist Damien Hirst. The Telegraph reports:

"The creator of the Harry Potter books. This year saw publication of the final novel in the series. Selling 11 million copies in its first 24 hours, it broke the record for the fastest-selling book, previously held by the sixth Harry Potter novel, which sold nine million on its first day in 2005.

The books have been translated into 64 languages and The Order of Phoenix managed to become the first English language book to top the bestseller list in France.

In addition, the film of the Order of the Phoenix, in which Harry painfully begins to understand the battles with evil that lie ahead, was released this year. It was hailed as a deliciously dark affair, brimming with impressively gritty performances, still managing to balance magical wonder with breathless excitement.

The judges described Rowling's "unprecedented global reach" as phenomenal - even her official website is available in six languages.

More than anything, they were impressed by the way she had managed to infect children (and adults) the world over with an enthusiasm for reading. They conceded that the form of her novels was "conventional to a tee", but were impressed by the way she had given them a "modern, imaginative twist".

The Great Briton awards recognise those who "contributed exceptional achievements to their field this year in a distinctly British way." The winners will be announced at a gala dinner in London in January. Congratulations Jo!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Preview of 'HBP' from 'OotP' DVD

With the release of the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in North America today comes a video preview of the sixth movie in the series, Half-Blood Prince. The preview shows brief interviews with director David Yates, producer David Heyman and actors Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Matthew Lewis.
You can watch the clip via YouTube.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

Reminder: Harry Potter Weekend on ABC Family

A reminder of what we first told you several weeks ago that cable channel ABC Family will be broadcasting their special Harry Potter weekend beginning with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone tonight. Airing tonight at 7:30pm (ET), the channel will then broadcast "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" on Saturday, December 1 at 7pm (ET), and then "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" on Sunday, December 2 at 6pm. "Prisoner of Azkaban" will also be re-broadcast on December 13 at 8pm (ET) as well.

Also as we reported previously, WB will be promoting the release of the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix DVD during this weekend, and we will update should any new footage be aired.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Sotheby's Selling "Tales of Beedle the Bard" Themed Catalogue

The Sotheby auction house will be auctioning off a handwritten edition of J.K. Rowling's latest book, "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" on December 13th. J.K. made 7 handwritten copies of the story. She gave 6 copies to friends and she is auctioning off the 7th for charity. Sotheby's has produced a commemorative catalogue to celebrate the auction. Here's Sotheby's announcement about the auction catalogue:

L07411 London, New Bond Street 13 Dec 07

'Tales of Beedle the Bard' Catalogue

The 'Tales of Beedle the Bard' manuscript will be offered as the final lot in the English Literature and Children's Books auction on 13th December 2007 (L07411).

A special commemorative catalogue for this unique item is being produced and is available to purchase from Sotheby's. The 48 page catalogue contains a message from the author about the creative inception of 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' plus images from the manuscript itself. Profits from the sale of the catalogue will be donated to The Children's Voice.

The catalogue can be ordered online, click the 'Add to your shopping basket' link to place an order.

Catalogues are now available for shipping and to purchase in person at Sotheby's London Bond Street and New York salerooms.

The "Tales of Beedle the Bard" catalogue costs $16.00 US. So even if you can't bid for the book itself, the catalogue would be a very nice keepsake to add to your J.K. Rowling collection.

(SOURCE: SOTHEBY'S)

J.K.Rowling Donates Signed "Deathly Hallows" Book for Charity Raffle

Author J.K. Rowling has donated an autographed copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for a charity raffle. The Scotsman reports that Jo donated this book to Trefoil House, an organization in Edinburgh, Scotland to help "much-needed funds for its work with children who have special needs or disabilities." The raffle is due to be held as part of their 2007 Christmas Bonanza December 4 and 5 at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange, New Market Road, with organizers of the event noting:

"We are absolutely delighted by this generous gift. This is a chance for someone to win it without having to pay lots of money as it's not an auction and as it's only taking place over two days the odds are good."

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

"Room of Requirement" Clip Online from OotP DVD

IGN.com has a new behind the scenes clip online from the two-disc special edition of the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix DVD. Featuring the creating and filming of the Room of Requirement for the fifth Harry Potter film, this video features new interviews with actors Matt Lewis (Neville Longbottom) and Dan Radcliffe (Harry Potter), as well as Director David Yates, Production Designer Stuart Craig and director of photography Slawomir Idziak. To watch this video, click here.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Harry Potter Producer David Heyman is One Smart Fellow

"Entertainment Weekly" has released a list of the 50 Smartest People in Hollywood. Seeking to create a list of "of the people who are rocking the industry's world this year, the people with ideas – innovative, creative, dangerous, renegade ideas – who are changing the way movies are made," the magazine ranks Harry Potter producer David Heyman at the number nine spot. They write:

"He has expertly steered the highest-grossing global franchise in film history. Heyman secured the rights to the Harry Potterbooks in 1997 and has done just about everything right since, including bonding with author J.K. Rowling and wisely seeking her input. He helped find unexpected directors (e.g., Alfonso Cuarón, David Yates) who've kept things fresh. And he's kept the cast intact through five films, without any of his three teenage stars succumbing to a Lohanesque episode. While Warner Bros. president Alan Horn deserves credit for making the correct macro decisions, the franchise's success rests on a thousand micro choices Heyman made, including creating a world, on set and on screen, where people want to be."

Congrats David!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

"Half-Blood Prince" Filming Updates with Emma Watson, Alan Rickman News

Two pieces of news relating to filming for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Emma Watson's official website has been updated to state the actress will begin filming her role as Hermione Granger on December 18. Also, the BBC has posted a new feature about "Ballet Shoes," the new television film starring Emma Watson and Richard Griffiths (Uncle Vernon) that will air in the UK during the Christmas holidays. We will update you with the exact date and time the BBC will broadcast this movie when we can.

As reported yesterday, Alan Rickman has been giving interviews to promote his new film "Sweeney Todd," and a transcript from one of the press roundtables is now online. In this interview, Mr. Rickman confirms he will begin filming his pivotal role as Professor Snape in the upcoming "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" in late January, 2008.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

J.K. Rowling Wins Writer's Guild Award

The Writer's Guild of Great Britain recently honored Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling with a special award. The List.co.uk reports that actress Joan Collins presented the award to KR, which celebrated her Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Writing. Congratulations Jo!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Jason Isaacs Appearances,Casting News

Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) has been cast in a new BBC film based on one of the first British sitcoms. The Guardian reports that Jason will appear in "The Curse of Steptoe," playing Harry H Corbett. This film is based on "interviews with colleagues, friends and family "of the two actors of the Steptoe and Son series , as well as the "Steptoe writers, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson."

On a related note, Jason Isaacs has made a few public appearances of late. Tonight he attended the British Independent Film Awards, where Mr. Isaacs is a member of the advisory committee. You can see new photos of the actor here.Additional photos are available here via Getty Images, and WENN. Jason and his family also attended the film premiere of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium a few days ago in London, England as well, with photos available here in our galleries.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Collegiate Quidditch Takes Off - Figuratively, at Least

The USA Today featured a story on their frontpage about how Quidditch has taken off on college campuses. Here's an excerpt:

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — The broomsticks they hold between their legs can't help them fly. The Snitch is not a winged golden ball but a young man who sprints across the field at lightning speed. And at times, the game looks like the mongrel offspring of rugby, dodge ball and soccer. But somehow it all works.

The first intercollegiate Quidditch match was held here this month, and though this version of the game is earthbound, it's taking off. Originally played by wizards darting about on broomsticks in the Harry Potter novels, the game is now taking root on college campuses.

Wow! Not only did J.K. create a literary icon, but she also created a new sport in the Muggle world! Thanks to our Hogwarts mate Sylvia for the heads up on the article which can be read in its entirety here.

(SOURCE: USA TODAY)

'Harry Potter' Included in 'Details' Magazine 'Power & Influence' Issue

The December issue of Details magazine, titled the 'Power and Influence' issue, includes a list of the year’s top 50 most influential men under 45 and at number 41 is fictional character Harry Potter.

According to the article:

41 // Harry Potter
Wizard; Age: 17

Nine years after her fictional boy wizard first cast his spell in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling is the wealthiest author in history. On July 21, fans who had camped out in front of bookstores overnight finally got hold of the seventh and final installment of the series. Across the United States, 8.3 million copies (worth a total of nearly of $170 million) sold within 24 hours. Warner Bros., which has grossed $.47 billion worldwide on the first five film versions, has two more movies in production. And while there's speculation that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows represents the book industry's last gasp, Potter himself will live on - through a theme park in Orlando, Florida, and a musical in London's West End. This wizard will continue to work his financial magic for some time.

Editor's Note: Contrary to what is mentioned above there are currently no plans for a musical version of the book in production.

Additional mentions are Zac Efron, Shia LaBoeuf, Google and YouTube founders and the Disney Kids. This issue will hit newsstands on December 4th.

(SOURCE:

HPANA)

Video Preview of 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' Book

We previously told you that Sotheby's will auction off one copy of JK Rowling's newest book The Tales of Beedle the Bard for charity on December 13th.

Earlier this morning U.S. morning show Good Morning America previewed the soon to be auctioned copy and read a few pages to the delight of Harry Potter fans. All proceeds from the auction will benefit The Children's Voice charity.

You can watch the video below:



(SOURCE: HPANA)

Dan, Rupert, and Emma Talk "Half-Blood Prince" and Beyond in New Interviews

Canada's Edmonton Sun Newspaper has two new interviews online where they sit down with Dan Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), along with "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" director David Yates and its producer David Heyman, to discuss many different topics related to the sixth film. These interviews focus on the casts' thoughts and experiences on the sixth Harry Potter film, which is currently in production, and their expectations of the seventh film, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," set for release in 2010. Having grown up in these roles, Dan, Rupert, and Emma speak on this in the first of the interviews, which go into detail about acting, their passion for it, and their future prospects. Director David Yates begins this article simply by saying the casting of the young trio is "a remarkable thing."

Harry Potter film producer David Heyman gives much of the credit to Chris Columbus, who chose and directed the young actors in the first two films "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." He says:

"Chris Columbus deserves huge credit in casting who he cast... They were obviously not the only choices he had. These were the choices he made and I am forever grateful to him for that."

Speaking to the subject of making the "Harry Potter" films with a sense of professionalism and dedication, even at a young age, Dan Radcliffe is quoted as saying:

"I don't think the franchise, in a way, needs any justification because it is such a leviathan of a thing anyway. Things don't get that big without merit.

"But, I suppose, it (extra work on the DVDs) is almost to prove to people that we are, in fact, taking this very seriously. More seriously than people would probably assume. I took it very seriously when I was 11 and (growing up in the Harry Potter role) I've taken it more and more seriously.

"So, to me, it's just about letting people know that I'm incredibly serious and passionate about this - this series of films - and how much they mean to me. If you've been involved in something for more than seven years now, you want to be able to talk about it articulately and explain why you love it, explain why you loved being involved in it so much."

The Harry Potter films are not the only things on the young actor's minds, as Emma Watson also relates in this article, working on future projects will determine whether this is the true career path for her. She says of this decision:

"I did a film for the BBC, called Ballet Shoes, in the summer. Having an experience outside of Harry Potter really helped me. I think it convinced me that this is where I am meant to be and this is what I'm meant to be doing: That I do want to be an actress.

"But I think I needed to have an experience outside of Harry Potter because, in a way, I was really plucked out of obscurity and given this role. I mean, I really wanted it but it never felt like a decision that I made. It just happened to me. I felt that I won the lottery. So I've always kind of slightly questioned it."

Dan, Rupert, and Emma also spend more time talking of the "Half-Blood Prince" film in the second interview, where Dan comments on the 'tonal shift from the brooding atmosphere of The Order of the Phoenix' by noting his his personal preference for the "morbid" undertones verses the lighter aspects of the story. He explains this by saying:

"I think the script's great and I think it's going to be a really great film. But I'm just one of those people that, in what I'm doing, I always lean toward the dark side and I really enjoy doing the dark stuff.

"I know Emma and Rupert really, really like the lighter stories and all that. And Rupert particularly is really going to have a field day on this, because he's got fantastic comic timing and he'll be able to use all of that to great effect on this film with his relationship with Lavender Brown.

"(But) I'm actually going to miss doing all the morbid stuff, I think."

Dan describes his eagerness for the seventh film by calling it "the one last hurrah, that film. That's going to be great. I really am very, very excited about the whole thing. It's going to be epic, I hope." While Rupert Grint speaks to the new production by noting, like each of the films, its "own sort of atmosphere," and goes on to say:

"It's got sort of a dark undertone to it because Voldemort is back and that is quite a scary time for them. But there are some really cool bits in it. Ron gets a girlfriend in it, so that's going to be quite cool."

Continuing on this subject of romance in the film, producer David Heyman is also quoted as saying of the balancing of these emotions:

"It's much more comedy and the awkwardness of romance. And the romance goes beyond Harry into Hermione and Ron and other characters. I also think it's about characters growing apart as well as realizing the importance of one another."

The article concludes to describe a certain 'awkward reference' to the wand of Albus Dumbledore in an original draft of the "Half-Blood Prince" script, which had to be revised in light of the publication of author J. K. Rowling's seventh novel "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" this past July. Heyman says of this revision: "For obvious reasons (if you've read the seventh book) it had to be changed."

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" will be released in theaters November 2008.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

JKR EW's 'Entertainer of the Year'

With 2007 ending entertainment magazines and outlets will start to announce awards from the reflective fields. To start the onslaught, Entertainment Weekly has dubbed Harry Potter author JK Rowling their Entertainer of the Year, with her image gracing the cover of this week's issue, currently on newsstands.

According to the article:

So we'll keep it simple: J.K. Rowling is our Entertainer of the Year because she did something very, very hard, and she did it very, very well, thus pleasing hundreds of millions of children and adults very, very much. In an era of videogame consoles, online multiplayer 'environments,' and tinier-is-better mobisodes, minisodes, and webisodes, she got people to tote around her big, fat old-fashioned printed-on-paper books as if they were the hottest new entertainment devices on the planet.

You can read the entire article here.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

J. K. Rowling on Forbes List of UK Billionaires

Forbes Magazine has released a new list detailing the growing number of billionaires from the UK, and have included Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling among the individuals on this year's list. In addition to being the only woman on the list, Jo Rowling is also the only author. Forbes goes into more detail about our favorite author in a profile, which states:

Rowling is the only author on our list. The seventh (and last) installment of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows hit bookstores in July and worldwide sales of the first six topped 325 million copies. The film series, from which Rowling enjoys a cut of royalties and merchandising has grossed $3.5 billion, and there's no doubt three more movies to come.

On a related note, Jo has also received the honor of being chosen, via a poll, as America's top pick for a celebrity substitute teacher for a day. Sponsored by the The National Education Association in the lead up to Substitute Educators Day, people voted for their choice of celebrity they would most like to see as a substitute teacher. With 25% of the vote, Jo Rowling topped such celebrities as Microsoft founder Bill Gates, athlete Tiger Woods, and actress America Ferrera from the TV show "Ugly Betty" for the distinction.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Followup: More on Download Version of "Order of the Phoenix"

Previously we reported that Warner Brothers would be releasing a two versions of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix " for download when you purchase the DVD due to be released here in the US on December 11. PCWorld now has more on this, saying these versions will only be available on the "Special Edition" DVDs, with one version for the PC, one for a portable media device. The magazine reports that to take advantage of the downloads users must have Windows Media Player 10 or above. Noting that other DVDs made the download option available by using a link on the internet, this will not be the case with the OotP DVD. Quotage:

"Jim Wuthrich, senior vice president of electronic sell-through for Warner Brothers, says that the studio chose to put the movie on the disc instead. "It's because of the superior consumer experience; you don't have to wait for the bits to be downloaded," he says. "The transfer time is dependent only on how fast your DVD-ROM drive is. It's not tied to your broadband speed."

Indicating that there is only "one transfer each of the PC and portable versions" the magazine says that it should prove relatively easy to use the download options as "the portable version transfers to your PC hard drive first and then moves to your portable unit." Finally " Wuthrich says the portable version will work on any device that supports Windows Media digital rights management, including media players and some mobile phones."

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Rumor Alert: Halloween and Holiday Plans Afoot for Harry Potter Theme Park?

As announced earlier this year, there is to be a new Harry Potter attraction as part of the Universal Orlando theme park in Florida. While this park is not set to open until late 2009 or early 2010, there have been many rumors regarding this park for sometime, with another new rumor surfacing today at Jim Hill media. The long time Disney and theme park blogger has some interesting comments about possible Halloween and "Holidays at Hogwarts" events being planned in the future, as well the marketing campaign to promote the Harry Potter name with Universal. Mr. Hill writes today that "many of Universal's TV commercials for 2008 to be peppered with brief clips from "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."

Of greater interest perhaps Mr. Hill's additional reports regarding possible seasonal events in the works for the Harry Potter park. He notes that plans may be afoot to hold "a yearly "Holidays at Hogwarts" type of event at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. With carolers strolling through the streets of Hogsmeade and a traditional English Christmas feast being served nightly in the Great Hall at Hogwarts Castle."

Mr. Hill also says that Universal is hoping to take on the very popular "Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party" at Disney world. He writes:

As the story goes, once Phase One of "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" opens in 2009 (FYI: That phase of the project will probably only include Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade Village. Phase Two -- featuring the Forbidden Forest and that Weasley-family-flying-car attraction -- isn't expected to come on line 'til sometime in early 2010), this new "land" will then allow Universal to offer yet another after-hours seasonal event, " Halloween at Hogwarts." So while Mom & Dad are next door at Universal Studios Florida getting the snot scared out of them at Halloween Horror Nights, their youngsters can be trick-or-treating in a deliberately scare-free environment over at IOA."

As exciting as this all sounds, please keep this in the rumor category until we can obtain official confirmation. If you missed the announcement of this Harry Potter attraction coming to Universal Studios in Orlando, you can see the wonderful concept art here in our galleries, as well as sign up for additional emails via the Universal site promoting Harry Potter, via this link.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Emma Watson Adds Photos from "Hand, Wand, and Foot" Ceremony to Her Website

The official Emma Watson website has been updated with some very clear photos of the "Hand, Foot and Wand" ceremony in LA earlier this summer. At this ceremony the trio of Dan Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson had their foot and hand prints added to the cement outside of the landmark Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California. You can also see a map of where their print is on the walk, right beneath another trio of George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. As we showed you earlier this summer, additional photos from this ceremony held after the LA premiere of "Order of the Phoenix," are available here in our galleries.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Warner Brothers Revamps "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" Website

Warner Brothers has given the official US "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" website a complete makeover today. The site is now revamped to highlight the OotP DVD, with a special countdown clock that you can embed on your blogs websites and more, ticking off the days hours and minutes until the release here on December 11.

Also new are links to the Sweepstakes entry form that we told about recently to win a trip to the set of the "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" movie. The trailer for the OotP DVD is now featured on this redesigned website, using many of the backgrounds first seen on the UK version of the Harry Potter site. If you click on the spinning "Join the DA" logo button, you will find the Defense Against the Dark Arts training website has also been revamped with a special banner you can also embed on your site, promoting the DVD and game.

Finally, there is link to a new Harry Potter DVD website, that has a preview of the interactive Harry Potter DVD game we told you about previously, and lets you play a demo of the game. Other new tidbits there include an animated feature on the upcoming special trunk set collection of all five of the Harry Potter DVDs, links to the popular magical trading cards, and links to the WB DVD shop, where you can watch some of the old trailers to the earlier film.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Voldemort's Nephew Cast in Potter

Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes's nine-year-old nephew has been cast in the role of the young Voldemort in the sixth Harry Potter movie.

Hero Fiennes Tiffin will play the 11-year-old Tom Riddle. And Frank Dillane will play teenage Voldemort.

Earlier this month, Newsround exclusively revealed that Jessie Cave would play Lavender Brown and Helen McCrory would play Narcissa Malfoy.

Both pieces of casting have now been officially confirmed by Warner Bros.

The film company have also said that actor Jim Broadbent will play Potions Master Professor Slughorn.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince follows Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts school.

And the story shows him being prepared for the battle with Lord Voldemort that he knows must come.

The film will be released on 21 November 2008.

(SOURCE: CBBC NEWSROUND)

EXCLUSIVE: Lavender Cast in Potter

Newsround can exclusively reveal that actress Jessie Cave has been cast as Lavender Brown in the next Potter film.

She beat off competition from thousands of other girls who were all desperate to spend much of the Half-Blood Prince snogging Rupert Grint.

Jessie is 20 years old. Your first chance to see Jessie on screen though will be in CBBC drama Summerhill going out early next year.

It's not known if Jessie attended the open auditions for Lavender.

They were were held earlier this year. Or she may have auditioned separately for the part.

Lavender Brown becomes Ron Weasley's first girlfriend in the sixth Potter book, and the pair get on everyone's nerves because they can't stop kissing!

You can see more pictures of Jessie here.

(SOURCE: CBBC NEWSROUND)

EXCLUSIVE: Narcissa Cast in Potter 6

With filming under way on the sixth Harry Potter film, Newsround can exclusively reveal that actress Helen McCrory will play Narcissa Malfoy.

The Potter team have been after her for a while.

She was originally cast as Bellatrix Lestrange in the fifth Potter movie, but couldn't play the part because she was expecting a baby.

Now she's set to play Draco's mother and Bellatrix Lestrange's sister, who's played by Helena Bonham Carter.

Now the two will end up playing sisters in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Other casting includes Jim Broadbent as Professor Horace Slughorn.

An announcement on who will play young Tom Riddle and Lavender Brown is expected very soon.

Harry Potter and Half-Blood Prince is due to hit cinemas towards the end of 2008.

(SOURCE: CBBC NEWSROUND)

HBP Filming News: Threat of Strike to Affect Harry Potter Six?

There are a couple pieces of news to tell you this morning in relation to filming for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

The Guardian is reporting today that the threat of a looming actor's strike due next summer is affecting the production of some big budget films in the UK, and they mention it could affect the filming of HBP. Noting that this strike "looks set to take place in June next year and will in fact manifest itself as a combined strike by the Screen Actors Guild, the Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America (West) against the Producers Guild of America. The predicted strike has already sent Hollywood into a frenzy of planning, with many studios reportedly accelerating production of films to avoid gaps in their release schedules." On this list of movies possibly to be affected is the sixth Harry Potter film.

At this time we have heard no change in production schedules, as the actors are in rehearsal this week for the movie, and we will update you should any more develop on this front. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is still confirmed to be released on November 21, 2008.

On a related note, as a followup to the news TLC first told you about a few weeks ago, noted cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel has confirmed in a note written in his native French, that he will begin principal photography on Half-Blood Prince next week on September 24. Thanks to UHP who also let us know that Mr. Delbonnel also confirmed to them that fellow French native Jany Temime is returning yet again as costume designer for the new Harry Potter movie.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Happy Birthday, Hermione Granger!

The calendar on author J. K. Rowling's official site has been updated for the 19th, which has just dawned in the UK, to wish a Happy Birthday to Hermione Granger. Cheers Hermione!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Complete Set of Signed Harry Potter Books Up for Charity Auction

We have a couple pieces of news today relating to Harry Potter books being auctioned to support charitable efforts.

The first is a rare complete set of books signed by author J.K. Rowling are to be auctioned off on Ebay starting at midnight September 24, with proceeds to benefit Books Abroad, an organization which provides books to children in need in some 80 countries in the world. The BBC reports all that these books are rare and "are so valuable that they are being kept in an Aberdeenshire police station." You can see video of these books via the Books Abroad website (direct link to you-tube here), which reports these books are being auctioned off "is one of the items secured by Books Abroad as they get ready to celebrate their 25th anniversary with a fund-raising ball later this month." The website states:

"Through her Huntly connections, J.K. Rowling knows of the work of Books Abroad. Although she cannot attend our 25th Anniversary Ball in person, she was very keen to support us. We are very grateful to her for this generous contribution to our fund-raising efforts"

On a related note, there is another set of all seven Harry Potter books currently up for auction to benefit the Catie Hoch Foundation. This is a foundation which helps hundreds of children with cancer and their families. Readers will remember that Jo had been touched by Catie and her plight before the llittle girl lost her fight against neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of pediatric cancer, and Jo has continued to support this organization. Bidding for the signed set of Harry Potter books currently stands at $7,000 and the auction is ongoing until September 21. You can bid and learn more about this auction via this link.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Actor Jim Broadbent: I am Horace Slughorn

In an exclusive interview with our friend Garth Franklin of Dark Horizons, actor Jim Broadbent confirms that he has been cast in the role of new Potions master Horace Slughorn for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Film.

The actor, who says he has read the Harry Potter books, confirms he will play the pivotal character in the sixth Harry Potter film which is in rehearsals this week and is set to begin filming shortly. Jim Broadbent, best known for his roles in Moulin Rouge, both Bridget Jones film and his Academy Award winning role in "Iris" says the following:

DH: Who are you?

Broadbent: Who am I? He's called Horace Slughorn. He's a retired teacher of magic who's drawn back out of retirement because he's got some secrets they need in the battle against the Deatheaters and he's quite star struck as a teacher and he's drawn back into the fold because he likes to notch up celebrity students, and he's drawn back by Harry.

DH: Is he a comic character?

Broadbent: He is quite a comic character, yes. I haven't started yet. I've had endless costume fittings and makeup and ...

DH: What kind of costumes?

Broadbent: Tweedy sort of things with a bit of padding. He's an older man, I'm aging up again.

You can see some additional photos of the actor here in our galleries. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be released in theaters on November 21, 2008.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

JK Rowling Extending Open Book Tour to Canada

Canadian visitor Lori sent us this article from GlobeandMail.com, which reveals Jo's plans to hold a book reading in Canada:

Ms. Rowling, who lives in England, will make an appearance the morning of Oct. 23 at the Wintergarden Theatre in downtown Toronto. It's an all-ages event hosted by Toronto's International Festival of Authors and Rowling's Canadian publisher, Vancouver-based Raincoast Books. Ms. Rowling will read from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, entertain questions from fans and autograph complimentary copies of “Deathly Hallows.”

Starting today through September 27th, Canadian fans can visit Raincoast's website and enter for the drawing that awards 10 pairs of tickets daily. Tickets are also being given out through Canadian libraries and the country's 79 public and Catholic school boards.

Good luck to all who enter!

(SOURCE: MUGGLENET)

Warner Brothers Confirms US OOTP DVD Details

After various sites confirmed the Limited Edition Gift Set and 2-disc Special Edition, Warner Brothers has announced details for all four DVD sets being released on December 11th.

Details of note:

Single disc (both fullscreen and widescreen) priced at $28.98
Dual-Disc at $34.99
HD and Blu-ray at $35.99
Dual-disc set to include "sneak" peek at Half-Blood Prince
Additional 17 minutes of OOTP footage included on all DVDs
Limited Edition Gift Set to include "more than three hours of all-new content from the past Harry Potter films."

For all information from Warner Brothers, click the link below.

UPDATE: To hold all of this information, we now have a page in our OOTP Movie section of MuggleNet. Read more...

(SOURCE: MUGGLENET)

Entertainment Writer Praises Dan's Manners

In a profile published this week entitled "The down-to-earth megastar," MSNBC entertainment writer Miki Turner had some glowing things to say about Daniel Radcliffe. Here's an excerpt from her article:

A couple of weeks ago, however, I was waiting to get on an elevator going down when I ran into Daniel Radcliffe, who of course, was and is perpetually upward bound.“Pardon me,” he said as he got on an elevator that was actually going down. “I’m terribly sorry,” he said after realizing his mistake. “I hope I haven’t held you up.”

Considering my last experience on these very same elevators was with Jamie Foxx and his bodyguard, who refused to let anyone else on the elevator when it stopped on each floor, I was pretty impressed with Radcliffe’s manners.

Check out the full article, which is well worth reading, at MSNBC. Thanks to DR.com for the tip!

(SOURCE: VERITASERUM)

Winners to JKR New York Open Book Tour Appearance Now Being Notified

Lucky winners in the sweepstakes contest to see Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling at her New York Carnegie Hall appearance are now being notified by Scholastic. TLC readers Helene, Didir, and Meghan have sent us very happy owls relaying this most joyful news. If you are among the 1,000 Harry Potter fans who won two tickets to this Open Book Tour stop at Carnegie Hall Friday, October 19th at 7 p.m., please send in your reports and we will post them! Congratulations!

As noted previously, J.K. Rowling will be embarking on an Open Book Tour here in the US in October, making three stops in Los Angeles, New York City, and New Orleans for school children. Scholastic, the US publishers of the Harry Potter novels and sponsors of this tour, have now announced the schools in Orleans Parish, Louisiana who will be attending the event on October 18. ALL 80 public schools in Orleans parish will be part of this event, with Scholastic also very generously donating a complete set of the Harry Potter series, books 1-7, to every public school in Orleans Parish and public library in New Orleans as well as "donating 10,000 copies of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the first book in J.K. Rowling’s series, to Orleans Parish public schools for students who have not yet read the books and are now ready to begin their Hogwarts journey. " Amazing. Readers will remember that New Orleans suffered terrible damage from Hurricane Katrina, with many of the libraries along the Gulf coast in Louisiana and Mississippi still in need of replenishment of books. Congratulations to all the lucky school children in the three cities who will hear our favorite author read from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, receive an autographed copy of the book, and hear Jo answer questions about the beloved series of books.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Back Cover Artwork for "Order of the Phoenix" DVD

Trumpeting the tagline "Sleek, Swift, and Exciting," you can now see some clear new images of the back cover to the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix DVD courtesy of DVDtown.com. These indicate again the special features that are to be included on the DVD when it is released on December 11 (along with the HD ,Blu-Ray and special Box Set gift editions).

Single-disc Back artwork
2 Disc edition Back Artwork
2 Disc edition Front Cover artwork

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Dan on His HBP Schedule and DH

In another interview with MTV, Daniel Radcliffe mentioned a bit more about when Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince begins production while promoting December Boys:

Radcliffe jumps right back into the wizarding world next week, when he starts shooting "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" on Monday. "It's pretty whirlwind," he said. "I stop press on the 14th and start on the 17th. There's just one week of rehearsal. That's manic. But when you know the character as well as I do, it's easy to get back into the role. So the amount of prep you do, it's possible to do a lot of what you need on the day of. It comes very naturally now."

He also mentions how he will tease Rupert Grint (Ron), when he has to do his kissing scenes in the sixth movie:

Just because it's easy now doesn't mean he's not excited — especially about certain parts, such as being able to give Rupert Grint a hard time when it's his turn at a kissing scene. "I'm going to be on set pointing at him every time. It's going to be funny," Radcliffe grinned mischievously.

Dan also goes into quite a bit of detail about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, so, again, if you have not finished the book, please heed with caution.

(SOURCE: VERITASERUM)

Dan Radcliffe on HBP Film: Tragedy of Slughorn Outweighs Comedy

MTV has a new interview with Dan Radcliffe now online, where the actor speaks about the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince film, and talks about the role of new Potions master Horace Slughorn. Dan does not indicate who will be portraying this pivotal character in the sixth Harry Potter film, but notes that in the movie "most of the time he’s gonna be very funny... but then you will really see the dark side of him."

Indicating that a key scene to be included will be from the "After the Burial" chapter in HBP, the article says the following:

The dark side, of course, is displayed most prominently in what’s sure to be a vital part of the film – Slughorn’s memory of giving young Tom Riddle information on creating horcruxes. Harry is ultimately able to retrieve the memory in a moment of great sadness, when he pleads with a sobbing Horace to erase the damage he’s done and honor Lily Potter. It’s moments like these, said Radcliffe, that make “the tragedy [of Slughorn] outweigh the comedy.”

As stated no actor for the role of Horace Slughorn has yet been announced. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is set to commence principal photography later this month.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Emma Watson Included on People's "Best Dressed" List

Actress Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) has been named one of the "Best Dressed" celebrities in People Magazine's annual round up of the "Best and Worst Dressed" of 2007. In the latest issue, set to be on newsstands this Friday, Emma is along side such actresses as Penelope Cruz, Jessica Biel and Reese Witherspoon for their fashion excellence throughout the year. Emma has appeared in a number of glamorous photo spreads this past year, one of which from the UK's Tatler, can be seen in our Image Galleries here.

Congratulations Emma!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)