Video Online of Mary GrandPre Exhibit in Iowa

Previously we told you there was an exhibit currently ongoing in Iowa featuring the art of Mary GrandPre, including pieces she created for the covers and chapter art found in the US Scholastic editions of the Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling. There is now new video available here in our galleries, where the curator of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art gives us a glimpse and new details on some of the featured pieces, including the original pencil sketch of the cover for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The Daily Iowan reports: "We actually did shows about all of her career and the process at the same time," said museum curator Sean Ulmer about GrandPré, whose career began in the '80s, but she hasn't exhibited for a few years because of her busy schedule.

Readers will also recall we first showed you some photos from the exhibit, which includes new pieces all available here in our image galleries.

The Harry Potter and Beyond exhibit is ongoing at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art now until February 1, 2009.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

New Poll on Brooms at Wizarding World of Harry Potter Website

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter website has been updated with a new poll. Brooms brooms brooms, which is your favorite broom is the topic at hand, and you may make your vote via this link.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park attraction is currently under construction at Universal Orlando, Florida, and at last report, is slated to open in early 2010.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Update: 'Beedle the Bard' Fastest Selling Book of 2008 in UK

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling, has become the fastest selling book of 2008 in the UK, selling 367,625 copies in the first three days alone, since its release on December 4.

Congratulations J.K. Rowling on yet another amazing feat!

UPDATE: To add to this story, Beedle the Bard has knocked Stephenie Meyer's Twilight off the number 1 spot on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

'Beedle the Bard' to Become a Movie?

Cinemablend has an interesting article online stating that Warner Brothers is already pursuing an opportunity to bring The Tales of Beedle the Bard to the big screen.

None of these stories (from Beedle the Bard) seems to have any connection to the other, which ought to make it difficult for Warners to fit them all into a single film. Could they be planning five movies? That would seem unwise. These are short stories after all, it’s unlikely there’s enough material in any one story to justify a feature film.

According to our sources, Warners is still trying to figure out exactly how to make this work. But there’s definitely a strong interest in making Tales of the Beedle Bard: The Movie happen, once Harry Potter is over with.

This of course has not been confirmed, but we shall update you when we recieve anymore information.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

Emma Watson Featured in Sunday Times, Attends Premiere of Tale of Despereaux

As her new film is set to open this week, actress Emma Watson is making news tonight. First the Hermione Granger attended the premiere of her new film, the animated movie The Tale of Despereaux, tonight in Los Angeles, California. You can see new photos of Emma at this event here via WireImage and here via Getty.

Also, Emma has been the feature of several interview pieces of late as part of the release of Despereaux. Yesterday MTV posted a new piece online where Emma confirmed she would be attending college or university later this fall, noting again she had applied to schools both here in the States and to those in the UK. She also addressed some rumors that we've heard about possible future film roles. Emma Watson said: I'm attached to a film called "Napoleon and Betsy," which will hopefully get shot in 2010. I've got the colossal final book ["Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"] to finish off, and I'm going to university in September. I'm looking at scripts and auditioning. I'm very excited to do roles beyond "Potter." It's a very exciting time for me.

Today, the Sunday Times ran this article, where Emma speaks about fame, fortune, and what it is like for her when she meets new people and fans. “The parties are fun if you’re with friends,” she says, although meeting her public is often awkward. “I think it’s hard for people to know how to act when they meet me. Some people try incredibly hard to avoid anything to do with Harry Potter, fame or acting or whatever, and I really do appreciate it, but it can be quite awkward too. It’s hard meeting new people, for them to know quite what to do.”

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" Wins European Film Award

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was a winner at the European Film Awards. The BBC reports the fifth Harry Potter movie "received the People's Choice Award - the only prize decided by ordinary cinemagoers.

Its British director David Yates thanked the European Film Academy for their "beautiful" award, adding he would be delighted to "take it back to Hogwarts".

Congratulations to all who worked on Order of the Phoenix!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Update: Five ABC Family 'Half-Blood Prince' Previews Online

The first five previews of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from ABC Family's "Potter weekend" are now online, and can be seen below.
Sneak Peek I Sneak Peek II Sneak Peek III Sneak Peek IV Sneak Peek V

(SOURCE: HPANA)

Julie Walters Receives WFT Lifetime Achievement Award

Julie Walters, Mrs. Weasley, in the Harry Potter movies became the youngest ever recipient of the lifetime achievement award at this years Women in Film and Television Awards which were held today in London.

The awards, which have been running since 1990, celebrate the achievements of women in the film, television and digital media industries. Last year Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling received the script award.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

Alan Rickman Talks 'Deathly Hallows' Schedule in New Interview

In a new interview with Scifi.com, Alan Rickman talked briefly about the filming schedules of himself, as well as Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix), and Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort), for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

"Well, it'll be a big finish, won't it?" Rickman said. "That's true, and appropriately. You can feel it now, the size of the undertaking. Watching Daniel [Radcliffe], I saw a trailer for him being on Inside the Actor's Studio, and you think, 'Wait a minute, he's 12! Oh. Perhaps he isn't.'"

The new production schedule also affects Rickman personally. "Well, because they have to get me and Ralph Fiennes together, it means I don't start shooting it until the end of next year, which means I get room now in this coming year," he said. "So it's going to be long. I was talking to Helena yesterday. I think she starts in June, and she goes on for a long time."

(SOURCE: HPANA)

David Heyman discusses 'HBP' Delay & Split of 'Deathly Hallows' in New Interview

In a new interview with Harry Potter producer David Heyman, Mr. Heyman discusses the reason for the delay in the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, as well as the decision to split the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Mr. Heyman on the delayed release of the Half-Blood Prince movie:

No need to [do more work]. If we had to come out now, we'd be fine. Warners asked it because of the writers' strike, because of various reasons. They have a shortage of product for next summer, and they asked if it's OK [to delay the release].

Mr. Heyman on the decision to split the release of Deathly Hallows:

It's not about breaking them into two. It's just the schedule is such that I guess it's long. There's more, so there's a lot of downtime without him. It's going well. It's great. I'm very, very lucky to be involved with it.

Ultimately there was always going to be two-year gap either between V and VI or between VI and VII: Part One. Now there's a two-year gap between V and VI, and there'll be 18 months between VI and VII: Part One.

Mr. Heyman is currently in Beverly Hills, Calif., where he was promoting the comedy Yes Man, where he also mentioned that he will be doing a film with Alfonso Cuarón.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

Jason Isaacs Cameo as Lucius Malfoy in "Half-Blood Prince"

Actor Jason Isaacs has given a new interview to MTV where he confirms he took part in a one day filming in his role as Lucius Malfoy for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Jason says that as his character is off in Azkaban prison during the course of the HBP book, he did not think he would be in movie six ("It absolutely killed me" he said). However, now he has confirmed that "I’m not [really] in the film [but] I did one day. I went in for a day. “I’m a moving portrait on the wall.” character as Lucius appears as a moving portrait somewhere in the film. Reports of the recent test screenings of HBP which took place last week in Chicago, did not seem to be a mention of this detail, and we are uncertain where in the film his portrait might appear. As a reminder, earlier this year, Jason Isaacs confirmed his return as Lucius Malfoy for the final "Deathly Hallows" movies, which begin production next February.

On a related note, Jason continues work on his television series Brotherhood here in the States, and was recently at the Toronto Film Festival for the premiere of his new movie, "Good," which also stars Viggo Mortensen. You can see multiple new photos of Jason at the TFF here in our image galleries.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Harry Potter's Emma Watson Ponders Move to America

Harry Potter star Emma Watson may swap Hogwarts for Harvard.

The 18-year-old actress will take up a place in 2009 after a well-earned gap year and had been expected to secure a place at Cambridge. However she has revealed that she is also considering pursuing a course on the other side of the Atlantic.

"I've applied to a few universities for next year, including several American ones. If I do go there I will do a liberal arts degree, but if I stay in the UK I'll do English Literature," she told The Independent.

Watson scored straight As in her Geography, Art and English Literature A-levels last month, and recently completed a summer course at RADA

She has amassed a £10 million fortune from her role as Hermione Watson in the Harry Potter films.
The young actress is determined to live as normal a life as possible, and will juggle her career with university studies.

In a recent interview, she said: "I wouldn't want my childhood in showbusiness to have been any different. Some days I wish my life were simpler but the rest of the time I feel like the luckiest girl in the world."

Potter fans will have to wait until next summer for Watson's next big screen outing.

The release of the next film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, has been put back from November to next July - prompting some disgruntled fans to bombard movie studio Warner Bros with hate mail.

(SOURCE: TELEGRAPH UK [via WIZARD NEWS])

Scholastic Updates Site with New Video, Sorcerer's Stone Shipping Early

Previously we told you that Scholastic was issuing a special 10th Anniversary edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone that was due to be released on September 23. Today however, this TLC editor got word her copy her copy pre-ordered from Amazon.com had already been shipped (and due in next few days), and other readers have already received their copies of the book. At this point we do not know if how many (if any) other retailers are sending out copies of the book early as well, and will update with more on that when we can. As always, for those wishing to avoid spoilers, a caution that our comments may contain details about the new material.

On a related note, Scholastic has now uploaded this new video on their Harry Potter site, where fans remember reading the first book in the Harry Potter series all those years ago. A reminder that Scholastic will be holding a special Read-a-Thon of the book at the Scholastic Store in New York City on September 23. The reading is open to the public starting at 8:00am, with first 100 people to win a free copy of the 10th Anniversary Edition of Sorcerer's Stone, plus you will be reading the book sitting on the same throne chair that author J.K. Rowling used at the Carnegie Hall and Radio City Hall appearances. Scholastic will be preparing the space on September 15, and you can see a preview of the setting for the reading via this link. Be sure to check out the lovely new cover with artwork from Mary Grandpre here as well.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Emma Watson Comments on "Half-Blood Prince" Delay

At the recent National Movie Awards, actress Emma Watson made very brief comments to reporters on the red carpet regarding the delay of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." In this video via YouTube, Emma can be heard saying what while she feels they have done the right thing for the movie, she also appeared sympathetic as she noted it was terrible that fans don't get an installment in the series this year and that the suspense will make it even better once we get to see it. Emma has also updated her blog at her official website noting how much fun she had at the movie awards. You can see photos of Emma at the event here in our image galleries, new photos at her official site taken by her father, and additional videos of Emma at the awards ceremony via our Order parter Emma-Watson.net.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Watson: 'Next Potter is a Romantic Comedy'

Emma Watson has likened upcoming movie Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince to a romantic comedy.

Speaking at the National Movie Awards, Watson said fans can expect a funnier film than the previous instalments.

"It's got Ron's first kiss with Lavender in it, which is quite big news," she said. "It's much more of a romantic comedy, it's much funnier than any of the other ones. "It's a lot more fun. It's still dark but it's funnier."

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince is scheduled for release next July.

(SOURCE: DIGITAL SPY [via WIZARD NEWS])

Ralph Fiennes: "Indications that it'll happen" for Return in "Deathly Hallows"

Ralph Fiennes has given a new interview to Entertainment Weekly, where the actor reflects on his role as Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series. He also speaks favorably regrading the question about his appearance in the final two Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films by saying: “I’m not officially contracted to the last ones, but I think that’s in the cards,” he said. “I want to do it. It’s just that they haven’t got a script yet, so the deal side of it isn't in place. But the indications are that it'll happen."

In addition, Ralph Fiennes gives general comments on acting in the Harry Potter films, and the challenges of bringing levels and nuances to such a villainous character as Lord Voldemort. Quotage: “That’s actually the hardest to do because you have to personify evil, and there’s such a history of clichés and villains and monsters,” he said. “You’ve got to struggle not to play all the obvious notes. And with such extreme makeup, such an extreme look — that’s the challenge. Also, the style of the movies is so strong. The movie itself is its own machine, and you’ve got to fulfill a function of a bigger machine. It would be good to keep the sense of some kind of real psychology going on, even in all the special effects and everything.”

On a related note, you can see multiple new photos of Ralph Fiennes here in our image galleries, as his newest film, "The Duchess," screened recently at the Toronto Film Festival.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

HBP Pushback: Video Game Delayed, WSJ Article

When Warner Brothers announced that they'd be moving Half-Blood Prince to 2009, many wondered what would happen to the film's video game that was scheduled for a November release.

Today, EA officially announced that the game will be delayed until Summer '09. With the announcement came two sets of remarks; one of which belonging to film producer David Heyman:

"We have enjoyed a wonderful partnership with EA in collaborating on the videogames for all of the Harry Potter films. The visual look of the game for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is incredibly authentic to the film and will provide a truly compelling experience for everyone who plays.”

Also today, the Wall Street Journal published an article detailing how fans reacted to the movie delay. This news poster was quoted in the article, as was Melissa from Leaky and several other fans.

(SOURCE: MUGGLENET)

Narnia and HP Stars at Festival

Stars from the Narnia and Harry Potter movies will be getting together this weekend.

They're going to the Thames Festival in London, to give fans a chance to find out more about their fave films.

Anna Popplewell who plays Susan Pevensie, will be chatting to festival-goers about the Chronicles of Narnia.

And Oliver and James Phelps - better known as the Weasley twins - will be giving people a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Harry Potter.

They'll be joined by the stars of the small screen too, including Daniel Anthony, who plays Clyde in The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Budding reporters and camera operators can also test their skills in the special Newsround studio, and find out more about how the programme is made.

Movies

The Mayor's Thames Festival takes place on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th September, and the CBBC Experience tent will be on Jubilee Gardens, next to the London Eye.

Movie-making sessions are free, and are taking place from 12 pm until 7 'o' clock, but you need to book a place to take part.

(SOURCE: CBBC NEWSROUND)

Breaking: Rowling wins in Lexicon case

Ruling that a proposed book form of the Harry Potter Lexicon would cause JK Rowling irreparable harm as a writer, U.S. District Judge Robert P. Patterson today ruled in favor of Rowling in her long-standing lawsuit against RDR Books and the Lexicon. Patterson permanently blocked publication of the book and awarded $6,750 in statutory damages to Rowling and Warner Bros.

Jo released a statement, saying, "I took no pleasure at all in bringing legal action and am delighted that this issue has been resolved favorably. I went to court to uphold the right of authors everywhere to protect their own original work. The court has upheld that right.

"The proposed book took an enormous amount of my work and added virtually no original commentary of its own... Many books have been published which offer original insights into the world of Harry Potter. The Lexicon just is not one of them."

While Patterson said that, in general, reference guides to books should be encouraged, in this instance, the "Lexicon appropriates too much of Rowling's creative work for its purposes as a reference guide."

(SOURCE: VERITASERUM)

Half-Blood Prince Screening Report Online

Last night I was able to unknowingly attend what turned out to be the secret test screening of Half-Blood Prince in Chicago, IL. My review, which contains mild spoilers and plot details, can be found right here.

Important things of note are that the movie was amazing, and that the purpose of the test screenings is for the filmmakers to gain feedback in time to possibly make some changes to the film based on an audience's concerns. In other words, the film is in great hands and the finished product will be even better.

UPDATE: For those of you who were interested in a little bit more from me. My girlfriend and I recently sat down with my friends at Hogwarts Radio and were interviewed, for their podcast, with an hour-long Question-and-Answer session! More is discussed on their seventh episode than in my review here, so take a look! You can listen from their site or subscribe to their podcast on iTunes. The Q&As are very insightful and it was a pleasure to be able to talk about the film in that medium. Please note that there are a bit more spoilers - discussion was partly in response to other write-ups done on the film and in response to some of the comments already on this newspost. Thanks!

(SOURCE: MUGGLENET)

New Interview with the Trio, Image of Harry at the Burrow, and More

Rupert Grint fan site, IceCreamMan, has scans from a new issue of Teen Magazine which features a brief interviews with actors Dan Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) about working on the "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" film. We also get to see a new shot of Harry standing in what looks to be the shed at the Burrow as part of this article. In the interview, a scan of which can be viewed right here, Dan is first up and talks about the romantic turn "Half-Blood Prince" takes with his character and Ginny Weasley, played by Bonnie Wright. Dan says this of the romantic scenes compared to the more dark moments in the film:

"I prefer the dark stuff to be honest! The romance is fun and it's something people will really enjoy, but I personally like doing stuff in a cave where I am close to death. It's a lot easier than romance."

Dan also speaks of filming those romantic scenes and lighter moments with his fellow actors. Rupert continues on the subject of romance in a way when he discusses the audition process with actress Jessie Cave, who will be taking on the role of Lavender Brown. Rupert is quoted as saying:

Yeah, I went to some of the final stages of the auditions. It was really cool to be involved in that side of it, not that I really had any say. There were some good girls, but we didn’t do the kiss. We didn’t even talk about the kiss until the day we actually did it. But Jessie (Cave), who got the part of Lavender, is really cool.

Rupert then goes on to talk further about the filming and even a certain ping-pong competition he had with actress Emma Watson. Miss Watson is noted in the article as saying in regards to her ping-pong playing skills:

My parents played and they’re really competitive. They never user to let me win, so I got quite good at it. Dan and Rupert were quite taken aback that I could beat them. I think Rupert took it the worst.

In addition to this, there was a small mention of Emma Watson in the newest issue of Teen Vogue about her recent appearance at the Cartier International Polo Day Event. A scan of the this can be viewed right here. Larger scans of Dan Radcliffe in the October 2008 issue of Details magazine can also be found via this link. Finally, screen shots of the video accompanying the Details interview with Dan can be found here.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Snapes on a Plane

There is a fun and lighthearted new interview online today here via YouTube with actor Alec Hopkins, where he discusses his role as the Young Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films. Confirming he will appear in two scenes in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for a few seconds (one in a 'moving painting'), he also says he had filmed a scene as Young Snape for "Order of the Phoenix" 'driving a car' but it was later cut for the final version of the film. Finally at the end, he jokes that he and Alan Rickman (who of course portrays the grown version of the Potions master in the film series) hope to be starring in a new film..."Snapes on a Plane." :)

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

New Interview with Trio on Half-Blood Prince Love

Note from Headmistress Denice: Beware of SPOILERS in this article about the Half-Blood Prince film. Especially about a certain romantic relationship that develops between two of the characters. If you don't know the story of HBP, you might want to pass on this story. If you want to be surprised that is. :-D

* * * *

Dan Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson were all interviewed for the latest issue of Teen Vogue magazine, where they talk about romance in Half-Blood Prince and prior on-screen experiences:

TV: Did you give Rupert any advice on his kissing scenes?

[Dan:] I wasn't there because they filmed the actual kiss after I had gone home one day. I couldn't watch it and laugh at him, which was deeply annoying. I love watching the scenes where Lavender swoons over Ron. I think there's a little bit of Rupert looking embarrassed, which makes me really laugh.

You can read the rest of the interview and check out scans on SnitchSeeker. Thanks to them for the tip!

(SOURCE: MUGGLENET)

David Thewlis Attends Premiere of "Boy in the Striped Pajamas" in Dublin

Actor David Thewlis (Remus Lupin) attended the premiere of his new film "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" tonight in Dublin, Ireland. You can see new photos of the actor at this event here via Film Magic. "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" is based on the acclaimed novel by John Boyne and stars David Thewlis as a commandant of a Nazi concentration camp, with the trailer for the movie available for download here at Apple or viewing on the official film website. The movie, which is produced by Potter producer David Heyman, screened in Dublin, and was also a fund-raiser for Amnesty International. The IrishTimes reports that "A total of €8,750 was raised for Amnesty International Ireland through the premiere, as it was a partner organisation in the event. Over 780 guests attended and 250 of them paid €35 for tickets. Colm O'Gorman, executive director of Amnesty International Ireland, said the film should help people to recommit to the principles of human rights."

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Rupert Grint Cast in "Wild Target"

Actor Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) has been cast in a new film entitled "Wild Target" which will also star actor Bill Nighy and Harry Potter co-star Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange). Our Order partner RupertGrint.net is reporting today the comedy/drama is based on the 1993 French film called "Cible Emouvante," and will possibly film around "London and the Isle of Man" in the UK. Filming, according to our Order partner, is slated to being on September 16th. A brief synopsis of the upcoming film has also now been released and reads:

This dark comedy has a middle-aged hitman Victor Meynard (played by Bill Nighy) go on his last hit job before he retires. He ends up running into a delivery boy, Antoine (Rupert Grint). Unable to kill the adolescent, Meynard adopts him as his apprentice, in spite of Antoine's evident lack of enthusiasm for his new career. They are hired by a Corsican gangster to kill a con artist Renée Dandrieux (Helena Bonham Carter). Again, Meynard's luck is against him, and when he fails to kill Renée, with Antoine's help, the Corsican gangster sends another hitman to kill all three of them."

Readers will remember that recently Mr. Grint was cast in a new film, "Cherrybomb," which wrapped production this past August in Ireland. More information on this film is expected in the coming weeks and we will update you when further information is available.

Thanks to RupertGrint.net!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Wizarding World of Harry Potter Theme Park Construction Photos

An update on the construction of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at Universal Orlando comes today via IOACentral, who has a batch of new images online revealing what looks to be one of the Hogsmeade Shops. The report notes these photos were taken "at a warehouse for one of the companies contracted to do work" on the theme park attraction. The report describes the detail on the shop as you get closer as "fantastic," and also reveals the shop is called "Spintwitches." You can view the full set of nine photos right here in our Image Galleries. At last word, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction is slated for a late 2009, early 2010 opening at Universal Resorts Orlando.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

October Issue of "Details" Magazine Features Dan Radcliffe

The October issue of Details magazine will contain a new feature on actor Dan Radcliffe. The magazine, who sent us the new cover photo of Dan, which you can see here in our image galleries, also has the article online. In the new piece, which you can read via this link, Dan discusses both Potter and his upcoming appearance in the Broadway production of "Equus" which begins previews later this month. Of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," which begins filming next February, Dan, who has appeared as Harry Potter in all of the Harry Potter films, reflects on what it was like for him when he read the final installment in the Harry Potter series:

Radcliffe faced it alone first, when he began reading Deathly Hallows on a plane trip. "It was very emotional, actually," he says. "In the front of the book I wrote something Anton Chekhov wrote to the woman he ended up spending the rest of his life with: 'Hello, the last page of my life.' Which I thought was very appropriate."

On the subject of the upcoming stage appearance in New York with "Equus" Dan notes:

Radcliffe isn't just different from his peers; it's like he's of another generation. As he walks along Fifth Avenue, he describes the rush of playing a character as thrillingly alive as Alan Strang. "It's because he's absolutely living in the present," he says. "He can only live in the moment, to use a horrible, clichéd, boring phrase. 'In the moment.' It's like 'carpe diem.' After Dead Poets Society, everyone was like, 'Oh, carpe diem.' Shut up!"

Note to parents: slight language caution for younger children.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

New Scans from 2009 HBP Calendar Include Attack on Burrow

New photos from the 2009 "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" calendar surfaced online today, and include this new look at the attack on the Burrow. The scene, which has been confirmed previously by the producers of the film, shows Arthur Weasley (Mark Williams), Remus Lupin (David Thewlis) and Harry (Dan Radcliffe), with a burning building and fire all around. Also of interest is this new photo of Draco (Tom Felton) and Bellatrix (Helena Bonham Carter), with the words "Unbreakable Vow" written in the corner, and some buildings behind them, possibly Spinner's End.

Additional new photos include a look at the staff of Hogwarts, including Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), Snape (Alan Rickman) and Professor McGonagall (Dame Maggie Smith) along with Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) who features in several other photos, including this one with what looks to be the ring that is the Horcrux, this with Harry and the cave in the background, and another with Harry and some vials for the Pensieve.

Actor Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy is featured in several other photos in this new calendar, including one with Snape here, one with Filch (David Bradley) here, and a photo where he is holding a bird. Finally, you can see the back of the calendar, and readers will note that two photos are shown including a lovelorn Ron, and one of Harry and Ginny, however these are not yet available online. We are hoping to obtain better scans of these and will update when we can.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Happy Birthday to J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter!

Happy, happy birthday to the two people who made all of our Harry Potter fun possible! J.K. Rowling and a.k.a "The Boy Who Lived" Harry Potter himself. Harry and J.K. share July 31st as their birthdays. What a coincidence huh? Anyway, happy birthday to the both of you! We love you!

J.K. Rowling's Charity to Publish "Beedle the Bard" in December

Today, on J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter’s birthdays, JKR has announced that her children’s charity, Children’s High Level Group, will publish The Tales of Beedle the Bard on December 4, in an exclusive deal with Bloomsbury, Scholastic and Amazon. (You can pre-order from Amazon now.)

Pre-order now through our Cauldron Shop: collector’s edition, standard edition.

According to a post on JKRowling.com, the book will have commentary by Dumbledore (it was “discovered in his papers after his death,” including historical notes, personal reminisces, and insights into the most mysterious branch of magic, wand lore). The tales were “translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger” and have illustrations by J.K. Rowling.

JKR: “There was understandable disappointment among Harry Potter fans when only one copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard was offered to the public last December. I am therefore delighted to announce that, thanks to the generous support of Bloomsbury, Scholastic and Amazon (who bought the handwritten copy at auction) – and with the blessing of the wonderful people who own the other six original books – The Tales of Beedle the Bard will now be widely available to all Harry Potter fans. Royalties will be donated to the Children’s High Level Group, to benefit institutionalised children in desperate need of a voice. The new edition will include the Tales themselves, translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, and with illustrations by me, but also notes by Professor Albus Dumbledore, which appear by generous permission of the Hogwarts Headmasters’ Archive.”

The book’s proceeds will go to de-institutionalize children. Amazon will produce a maximum of 100,000 collector’s edition copies which will sell for about $100, and will aim to closely replicate the look and feel of the original copies that J.K. Rowling gave to six people closely associated with Potter last year.

All proceeds, expected to garner about 4 million pounds, will be donated to CHLG.

Emma Nicholson of the CLHG says: “We are so thrilled to be publishing such an exclusive and special book. This unique project will raise vital funds for the work of CHLG, to help us change the lives of hundreds of thousands of marginalised and institutionalised children who are living in appalling conditions, and make sure that no future generation suffers in this way.”

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Direct links for "Half-Blood Prince" Teaser Trailer

Thanks to Warner Bros, who sent us a plethora of direct links to the brand new teaser trailer for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," including an iPod friendly version, plus High Def links for Quicktime and Windows Media as seen below. Enjoy!

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(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

New photos from 'Half-Blood Prince'

This weekend, two new photos from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince have surfaced, one showing Harry standing pensively in a hallway with a stained glass window and the other showing the confrontation between Snape, Malfoy, and Filch at Slughorn's Christmas party. Check them out here, courtesy of Oclumencia!

Update: Three new photos have just surfaced online, showing the trio in the Gryffindor Common Room, in Ron's bedroom and Draco and Snape in a corridor. In addition, there is an already known picture in better quality.

(SOURCE: VERITASERUM: originally posted on 1/6/08)

Buyer of Harry Potter Prequel Seeks to Use Item for More Charity Fundraising

The buyer of the new Harry Potter prequel, which you can read online via this link to Waterstone's or this new link, says he purchased the special note card donated by J.K. Rowling in hopes that he will be able to do more for charity. Bloomberg.com reports the new owner of the Harry Potter prequel note card sold last night at a charity auction in London, England, is Hira Digpal, president of a Tokyo-based investment-banking consulting company, Red-33. The article notes that the new owner "who originally had a closed bid of 50,000 pounds before halving his offer, said he faxed a letter to Rowling's publisher asking for the author's cooperation to use the story in a way that would raise more money for charity. He declined to give details of the proposal. ``Here I am, owning a piece of literary history,'' said Digpal in a phone interview from Tokyo. ``I think I got a bargain. Hopefully, we can raise much more than the sale.''

As we've reported several times previously, this note card featuring a short story involving Sirius Black and James Potter 3 years before Harry was born, along with the 12 other cards from various authors such as Tom Stoppard, Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood among others will be published on August 7 by Waterstones, with proceeds to benefit English Pen and Dyslexia Action in the UK. At this time we do not know what other efforts may be made with the card for charity, however pre-orders for the book containing the Harry Potter prequel card are available via this link.

Last night proved to be an exciting time for the auction. Bloomberg continues to describe how Mr. Digpal ended up winning the card, saying "Digpal's bid topped the offer of one of the crowd of 100 guests who attended the event, conducted by Sotheby's auctioneer Edward Rising at Waterstone's branch in Piccadilly. The Rowling lot attracted interest from only one bidder in the room.

``I told them, if it gets past my limit, call me -- wake me up,'' said Digpal, 36, a Briton who received the news that he'd won at 5:27 a.m. ``I was thinking of buying stocks, but the market's been very volatile. It's a good investment for when I kick the bucket in 30, 40, 50 years' time.''

Asked why the auction had been an invitation-only event, without participation from the general public, Johnson said: ``We felt this was the best way to do it. This was a charity auction. It wasn't exclusively about making money.''

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

New Harry Potter Prequel Now Online

Waterstone's is set to reveal the entire new Harry Potter prequel contained on the special card that was auctioned earlier tonight in London, England. Update: the entire card featuring the prequel story about Sirius Black and James Potter is now available for all to read via this link. At the link, click "Read Our Author's Stories," then click on J.K. Rowling. Enjoy!

As reported below, the card was sold tonight for 25,000 pounds ($48,855 USD) at a charity event, with the proceeds to benefit English Pen and Dyslexia Action. There is a new photo of the card available here via the Evening Standard, and you can see a video of Lizo from the BBC read a short excerpt where James and Sirius meet two police officers here in our galleries. This card from J.K. Rowling, along with the 12 other cards donated by various authors such as Neil Gaiman, Doris Lessing, Margaret Atwood, and Irvine Welsh among others will be made available in a special book which will be published on August 7, pre-orders available via this link.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Photos of "Half-Blood Prince" Items at Licensing Expo

A few days ago we first reported on the new products due from retailers and Warner Bros tied into the release of the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince this fall. These items were to be displayed at Licensing International Expo currently ongoing in New York, and some new photos from the event are now online. Of interest are much clearer photos of Draco, Snape, Ron, Harry, Tonks and Lupin that were seen previously on those mysterious ads for Opal yarn. In addition are some new products due, including a nice set of water globes, as well as what is perhaps a pensieve replica from the Noble Collection. Other items are new OotP themed bags, books and tees, and much more.

On a related note, another purported photo from HBP has now surfaced, this showing Harry and Ginny hugging. While we do not know if this is from the film or where this came from, we will try to find out more and update when we can.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Rowling and Radcliffe Make Forbes Celebrity 100 List for 2008

Once again, Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling has made Forbes Magazine's annual listing of The Celebrity 100. Forbes tracks a number of statistics throughout the year, producing this ranking of the most powerful celebrities. Coming in at number nine on the list, J. K. Rowling was ranked behind such names as Oprah Winfery, Tiger Woods, Johnny Depp, and The Police on the 2008 report. Forbes notes the following:

It was wizardry that transformed J.K. Rowling from a destitute single mother on welfare into a best-selling billionaire. Her adventures of teenage magician Harry Potter and his classmates at Hogwarts became a children's literary sensation in 1998 with the U.S. publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It and the six subsequent books have now sold 375 million copies worldwide. The final one, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, has sold 44 million since it was published last July, including 15 million in the first 24 hours.

Actor Daniel Radcliffe also made the list this year. Forbes ranked him number 64 on their list. Both Rowling and Radcliffe were included in Forbes' rankings last year.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

New Harry Potter Prequel Sells for 25,000 Pounds at Charity Auction, Video Excerpt Now Online

Early reports are starting to surface tonight from the charity auction at Waterstone's, featuring the special card from author J.K. Rowling. A new 800 word prequel to the Harry Potter series sold tonight for 25,000 pounds ($48,855) reports Bloomberg.com. The article continues to note the "buyer was an absentee bidder. More than 100 guests attended the invitation-only event, called ``What's Your Story?'' and run by Sotheby's auctioneer Edward Rising at the Waterstone's branch in Piccadilly." UPDATE: As reported previously, one of 13 cards donated for this charity event in London, England, AFP now has more on the prequel involving two of our favorite Marauders set 3 years before Harry was born. The article reports that the prequel story involves Sirius Black and James Potter who "are confronted by two policemen after a high-speed motorcycle chase, and evade the authorities using their broomsticks and magic." ( Editor's Note: A motorcycle! No word if that is indeed the motorcycle of later flying legend, but very exciting business indeed) J.K. Rowling is also quoted in the article as saying "I had great fun writing the card and I'm absolutely delighted that it has raised 25,000 pounds for two such worthy causes." UPDATE 2: Lizo, now from BBC, has a new video report online, where he reads an excerpt of the prequel whichyou can watch via this link. In the excerpt, we hear a bit involving James and Sirius as they are confronted by the two police officers in front of a dark alley.

We are working to get this into our galleries and will continue to update this post as needed. We are working to find out more about the events at the auction, including the contents of the card,which will be placed online tomorrow for all fans to read via this link to Waterstone's. This prequel will also be part of a book that will be published August 7th containing all 13 of the cards, proceeds to benefit charities English Pen and Dyslexia Action. You can pre- order this book from Waterstones (who will ship internationally) via this link. Stay tuned!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)