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)