Fanatic Farmer Creates Harry Potter Corn Maze

With the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" this Friday, more than a decade of Potter-mania is coming to an end.

But that doesn't mean fans are ready to say goodbye to The Boy Who Lived just yet. In fact, one farmer in York, England has created two Harry Potters on his own using an unexpected artistic medium: corn crops.

Shaping his fields with wizardlike precision, farmer Top Pearcy designed a corn maze that forms two nearly identical Potter portraits from a bird's eye view.

The circular-framed images -- which look like a picture of Harry you might find in Ginny Weasley's locket -- are carved into a field of more than one million corn stalks, which makes this one of the biggest maize mazes in the world.

As an added point of interest, the wily farmer designed a few small differences between the husky Harrys, as well as the "frames" that surround each portrait. For instance, it looks like the one on the left has that infamous forehead scar, while the right one doesn't, and the left Potter boasts an ear that the right Harry seems to be missing. See if you can spot the other more subtle variations in the designs.

And whatever House this crop artist is in (Ravenclaw?) make sure one of the professors awards it fifty points.

(SOURCE: YAHOO! MOVIE NEWS)

Video: 'Harry Potter - A Look Back' Featurette Released Online

As the release date of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 looms, Warner Bros. have released a brand new featurette giving an emotional glimpse at the series over the years from Sorcerer's Stone through Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

The featurette runs at 5 minutes in length and is a must see for anyone looking for one last, nostalgic look at the series and how it has grown over the years along with its actors. Enjoy:





(SOURCE: HPANA)

Daniel Radcliffe to Sing at the Tony Awards

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) is set to sing at the 2011 Tony Awards this Sunday, 12th June, according to both AP and the official Tony Awards website. The actor will perform "Brotherhood of Man" from "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying", the Broadway musical in which he stars in a leading role. Announcing his performance at the Tony Awards, Radcliffe commented, "I think we're one of the first, if not the first." The awards ceremony begins at 8/7c on CBS, so tune in early to make sure you catch the performance!

Adds AP:

Radcliffe was passed over for a Tony nomination, but says he's pulling for co-stars John Larroquette and Tammy Blanchard, who are up for awards. "If John won it would be just amazing," he says. "Only because I have a lot of scenes with him."

Find out more about the Tony Awards here on the official website.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

New "Deathly Hallows: Part 2" Images Released

We have a few new images from "Deathly Hallows: Part 2," one of which is a still from the movie featuring a frightened looking Trio. The other images we have are two promotional shots of Hermione with The Tales of Beedle the Bard which can be seen in our Image Galleries here and here, and one of Ron which can be seen here. Enjoy!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Rupert Grint, Richard Griffiths Attend South Bank Sky Arts Awards

Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley) were in attendance on Tuesday at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards. The ceremony took place at the Dorchester Hotel in London and was broadcast later in the evening on the Sky Arts channel.

Grint was a presenter during the ceremony where he gave out the award for Best Film to "Monsters." A video of this can be seen on YouTube, courtesy of RupertGrint.net.

Photos of Mr. Grint and Mr. Griffiths on the red carpet can be found here in the Leaky Galleries.

According to Sky Arts, the award show "celebrates the best of British culture and achievement across visual art, theatre, opera, dance, comedy, classical music, pop, TV drama, literature and film."

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

'Deathly Hallows - Part 1' DVD To Be Released April 11, Deleted Scenes Details Revealed

The BBFC has released the titles of deleted scenes, featurettes and focus points we can expect on the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 DVD.  They have also revealed the DVD's release date - April 11.
The additional material will total 56 minutes and 30 seconds.  See below for what the additional disc will contain:

Deleted Scenes
- The Burrow's Shed: Ron Discusses Radios with Mr. Weasley
- The Dursley House: Harry and Aunt Petunia As They Leave House
- The Dursley House: Harry and Dudley Shake Hands
- The Granger House: Death Eaters Search Deserted Home
- Ministry of Magic Lifts: Harry Tells Arthur He's Being Tracked
- Tent: Trio Discusses Destroying The Locket
- Rabbit Chase in the Forest
- Montage: Ron and Hermione Skimming Stones

The main featurette is entitled "On The Green with Rupert, Tom, Oliver and James." Focus points include The Last Days of Privet Drive, Hagrid's Motorbike, Magical Tents, Death Eaters Attack Cafe, Creating Dobby and Kreacher, Godric's Hollow, The Frozen Lake and The Return of Griphook.

If you recall, director David Yates discussed several of the deleted scenes with us at the premiere in New York City.

(SOURCE: MUGGLENET)

'Deathly Hallows: Part 1' Concept Art for 'Tale of the Three Brothers' Released

The concept art for the "Tale of the Three Brothers" scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 has been released by designer Alexis Liddell on his blog, featuring numerous stills and a short video giving a unique look at the stylized scene.

For an extensive collection of storyboard stills from the artist, click here.

(SOURCE: HPANA)

Helena Bonham Carter Talks About The "Terrifying" Bellatrix Lestrange

A new profile from the LA Times Hero Complex blog focuses on Helena Bonham Carter and her infamous portrayal of Bellatrix Lestrange in the "Harry Potter" films.

The actress talks about her career and family, but also explains how she developed Bellatrix's character for the films.

“Bellatrix has really good fun, and she’s been a bit of surprise to me, in fact,” Bonham Carter said. “It wasn’t really there on the page. When I took it on, I found there wasn’t a huge amount to go by in the script, and I read the book and she wasn’t necessarily on the page there either, so I did ask [director] David Yates if I could bring a bit of other things or are these the Bibles? And he said yes, certainly, and apparently J.K. Rowling was very pleased with it when she saw it, and the childish dimension and the fact that she’s totally savage, that was a bit of departure.”


"I just felt she had to make an impression because there wasn’t much time in which to do so. And she had to be terrifying. She needed to be somebody you didn’t know what to feel towards. One moment she’s horribly revolting but then also weirdly sexy, maybe, or just disturbing to the mind when you watch her. There’s a lot of decaying, too, with the bad teeth. She’s been in prison for so long. The mad hair. She’s someone who has seen better times but still carries herself with the memory of what she was."

Bonham Carter also praises the crew working on the Harry Potter films and likens the experience to belonging to a "nice tribe."

“I love going back year after year. It’s refreshing. A lot of times in this business, it’s so transitory — it’s just 10 weeks here or there on a movie and then it’s over – but to see the same people over all that time, a decade, makes you feel really safe and secure. It was fantastically well-organized, the [assistant directors] are simply unbelievable, the best...It has been perfect for me, and I will miss it.”

More about Helena Bonham Carter and her thoughts about Bellatrix can be read at the LA Times. The interview also has some great information about Bonham Carter's next film, The King's Speech.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Dan Radcliffe Talks About Differences Between "Deathly Hallows: Part 1" and "Deathly Hallows: Part 2"

Now that "Deathly Hallows: Part 1" is in theatres, Dan Radcliffe (Harry Potter) has further elaborated on the differences between "Deathly Hallows: Part 1" and "Deathly Hallows: Part 2":

"The last movie is going to be really, really fast-paced and a load of action in it, and it is like a war film," Radcliffe told Reuters. "If we had done this book in one film, the stuff that would have got cut is most of this film."

However, it's Part 1 that the actor finds more appealing because it contains the most character development.

"Part 1, Radcliffe added, is "so sedate compared to what the next one is going to be like. The next film, because you've had all the plot set up already, you can just kind of enjoy the insanity of all the action."

Radcliffe also said that the cast and crew felt a tremendous amount of pressure to get the final two films just right. As a result, some scenes were being rewritten the day before they were shot.

"It was constantly moving and had a less settled feel than the other ones had had," he said.

Deathly Hallows Part 1 opened Friday with a franchise-best $125.1 million bow, winning the weekend. Part 2 is scheduled to open in July. ABC Family recently acquired TV rights to both movies.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

New AP Photoshoot of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint

Seven brand new photos from an Associated Press photoshoot featuring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint (Harry, Hermione and Ron, respectively) can now be found here in the galleries. Enjoy!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Moviefone Visits the Set of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I'

Moviefone visited the set of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I' and spoke to actors Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley), and directer David Yates.

'Deathly Hallows: Part I' is the first in the two-part adaptation of the final Harry Potter book. The second part arrives July 2011.

The young actors talked about their feelings on the penultimate film of the series and on saying goodbye to the Potter franchise. Radcliffe also touched on how Harry has changed as a character throughout the series as he -- as both an actor and a character -- has grown up.

"The whole series for me is about loss of innocence and about Harry going from this kind of wide-eyed child ... into this slightly grizzled young man by the end of it," Radcliffe told Moviefone's Mike Hess. "Although as I was saying to people the other day, it is essential that he does not turn into a man necessarily in the film, because what makes all that fight stuff at the end so powerful and so kind of horrible to watch is the fact that you're seeing a kid get beaten up by a very strong, very angry man."

'Deathly Hallows' marks the end of Harry's lifelong battle with the evil Lord Voldemort.

Check back here on Tuesday, Oct. 5, for the full set visit report and for interviews with Radcliffe, Grint, Williams and Yates.

'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I' premieres Nov. 19.

(SOURCE: MOVIEFONE)

New Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Banners!

These turned up on Yahoo! Movies today. They are awesome!

You can check out the full-sized posters at Yahoo! Movies.

(SOURCE: YAHOO! MOVIES)

New Images from Bonnie Wright's "Geography of the Hapless Heart"

The official Facebook page for "Geography of the Hapless Heart," in which Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley) stars as Mia, has been updated with new stills and behind the scenes photos from filming. The updates on the page comment that filming in London was, "An intense shoot... thanks to our amazing cast and crew who worked 12 hour days."

"Geography of the Hapless Heart" is composed of five short films shot in five locations around the world. Wright plays a leading role in short film "Sweat," set in London. The stills can be found here in our galleries, while the behind the scenes photos can be found at this link, also in our galleries.

You can find the Facebook page for "Hapless Heart" at this link.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

New "Deathly Hallows: Part 1" Video Game Promos Released

New promos for the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" video game have been released. The new images, taken from the Nintendo Wii platform of the game, can be found from this picture onwards in the Leaky galleries.

Pictured promos from the video game include:

Harry, Ron and Hermione in what appears to be a tent

A Snatcher duelling at the Ministry of Magic

A Death Eater at the Ministry

A Dementor in a graveyard

Harry duelling a Death Eater in the street
 
(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

First Set Pictures of Dan Radcliffe from "The Woman in Black"

The first set pictures featuring Dan Radcliffe (Harry Potter) in costume on the set of his upcoming film "The Woman in Black" have been released. You can see them here in our Image Galleries. Enjoy!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Total Film Magazine Release Fourth Online-Only Cover Featuring Tom Felton

A fourth cover for the November issue of Total Film has been released through the magazine's Twitter. The cover features Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) with blood on his face and will not be available in shops. You can have a closer look at the cover right here in our galleries!

Images have already been released of the three covers that will be sold in shops when the issue comes out on Thursday. You can find those covers, featuring Dan Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) right here in our galleries.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

New J.K. Rowling Interview Quotes and Image from The Oprah Winfrey Show (Updated)

A press release issued today has a number of new quotations from J.K. Rowling's interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show, which will air this Friday, 1st October. Speaking to Oprah about the pressure of sudden stardom, Rowling says, "At that point, I kept saying to people, yeah I’m coping…but the truth was there were times when I was barely hanging on by a thread."

Update: A brand new image of J.K. Rowling and Oprah can now be seen here in our galleries!

The Harry Potter author also spoke about the moment she knew her life had changed forever, during her second tour of the USA:

There was this enormous Barnes & Noble, and I thought, oh my God. And the queue snaked up the street, up the Barnes & Noble, up through four floors and they took me in the back entrance. They opened the door and they screamed. They screamed….That’s a real stand-out moment for me. I knew it was getting big in that there was press attention and so on, but at that point, that for me...was when it felt 'Beatle-esque.'

Stay close to Leaky for more from the interview as it comes in! You can see the first images from the interview via this link.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

Trio Featured on a Choice of Three Covers for November Issue of Total Film Magazine

New images have been released of the November 2010 issue of Total Film magazine, which will have three different Harry Potter-themed covers. Dan Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson each appear on one of the three magazine covers as Harry, Ron and Hermione respectively; Hermione and Ron are holding wands, while Harry has the Sword of Gryffindor. You can find images of these covers right here in our galleries!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

First Images from Oprah Interview with J. K. Rowling Now Online

As readers will recall, an interview with Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling is set to air this coming Friday, October 1st, on the nationally syndicated Oprah Winfrey Show. The first glimpses of Ms. Rowling being interviewed have made their way online, and can be viewed right here in our Image Galleries.

Readers who able to capture video from the episode, please do email us at staff@leakynews.com!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)

J. K. Rowling to Appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" Next Friday (Updated)

Thanks to TLC reader Kyle we are now getting word that an interview with Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling will air on on the Friday, October 1, episode of the nationally syndicated "The Oprah Winfrey Show." The DVR listing reads:

All New! On Location in Scotland: Oprah & Harry Potter Phenom Billionaire J.K. Rowling: All new! Oprah sits down with the billionaire behind the "Harry Potter" empire: J.K. Rowling.

A listing on WSOC, the local ABC affiliate for Charlotte, North Carolina, confirms the report, and offers and expanded preview of the episode. Quoteage:

Friday, October 1


All New! On Location In Scotland: Oprah & “Harry Potter Phenom” Billionaire J.K. Rowling (PG)


She's the “Beatles" of bestsellers, the first self-made billionaire author in history – selling more than 400 million books and captivating readers in 69 languages and 200 countries. Today Oprah is on location in Scotland with J.K. Rowling, the billionaire mom behind the “Harry Potter” empire as she takes on the harsh critics, and opens up about depression, her biggest regrets, and the love of her life. Find out how her epic failure became a billion dollar success story, and why she turned down an offer from the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Join us for a fascinating hour, on Friday's Oprah.

As readers will recall, earlier this month TLC reported that "The Oprah Winfrey Show" was looking for "fans willing to appear on the programme to talk about how J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series has inspired them or their family." We await further confirmation on the airing of this episode, and will update you when such information becomes available. To see when the "The Oprah Winfrey Show" airs in your market, a listing is available via this link.

Update: The official Oprah Winfrey Show website has been updated to reflect the October 1st airing of the interview with Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling.

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)