Universal Orlando Announces 'A Celebration of the Harry Potter Films'

This November Universal is hosting a big three-day event in celebration of all eight Harry Potter films!  From the press release:

This special event will be hosted by Warner Bros. and will celebrate a decade of movie history by allowing fans to share their love for the Harry Potter films. The event will take place from Friday, November 11, to Sunday, November 13, at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, home to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

During this special event, guests can celebrate their favorite memories and stories of Harry Potter with filmmakers, cast members and fellow fans. While all theme park guests will be able to enjoy The Wizarding World of Harry Potter during their visit, only a limited number of guests and those who buy special event packages will have access to exclusive benefits such as:

• A spectacular evening gala in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• Autograph signings with stars from the Harry Potter films
• Q&A sessions with Harry Potter filmmakers and cast members, along with the creators of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• Screenings of all eight Harry Potter films – including "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" at the AMC Universal Cineplex 20 in Universal CityWalk. Access to the screenings can be added to the vacation packages for an additional fee.

Additional details can be read on Universal's website.

(SOURCE: MUGGLENET)

'Potter' Kids Take the Stage, Have a Ball at LeakyCon 2011

LeakyCon 2011 had many highlights: Open At The Close, an event inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter just for attendees, early screenings of Deathly Hallows - Part 2, a live LeakyMug with both MuggleCast and PotterCast, as well as tons of wizard rock and appearances by Evanna Lynch, Chris Rankin and Scarlett Byrne.

But for some it was the Potter kids that stole the show. One conference-goer had this to say:

"I loved that they so embodied their characters. Not just playing roles, but in a way it really did feel like they walked out of the movie and into the con."

"Young Snape [Benedict Clarke] was walking around at the ball in a Slytherin tie. Young Sirius [Rohan Gotobed] was wearing a shirt that said 'I spent time in Azkaban'. Rose [Helena Barlow] kept answering questions very diplomatically, in a very Hermione-like way. I couldn't get over it. It really felt as though they WERE the characters, not just actors in a film."

Will Dunn [James Sirius Potter] tweeted: Absolutely loved the signings, and the Q&As, fans were awesome, Melissa Anelli and everyone else did a great job :)

Benedict Clarke added: The Q&A and HP trivia, running on stage and dancing with the other actors at the ball, the Chinese Fireball rollercoaster :)

You can follow all the young Potter stars on Twitter:
Arthur Bowen | Benedict Clarke | Will Dunn | Ryan Turner | Ellie Darcey-Alden | Rohan Gotobed

(SOURCE: MUGGLENET)

Evanna Lynch to Appear at LeakyCon 2011!

Leaky and LeakyCon are what can only be described as totally-freakin'-thrilled to announce that Evanna Lynch, who plays Luna Lovegood, will be joning the festivities at LeakyCon 2011, our conference in Orlando, Fl, next month.

In 2006 Evanna Lynch answered an open casting call for the role of Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films, and her life was changed forever. She went from being one of the series' most ardent fans to the cinematic personification of one of the fans' favorite characters. She was 14, and had only acted in school plays before; she took to the role with a level of passion and spirit only a true fan can apply. She has played Luna in the final half of the Potter films to acclaim by fans and critics alike, and remains one of Harry Potter's most enthusiastic supporters.

Evanna has also turned her creativity to fashion, bringing to life Luna's famous radish earrings as well as designing the lion hat worn by Luna in the sixth film. She has actively supported charity efforts such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland and the HP Alliance, speaking out on issues of self-esteem and body image. She is currently finishing her studies and is excited to continue her acting career after Harry Potter.

LeakyCon 2011 is honored to call Evanna Lynch a friend, and yet even prouder to add her to the roster of special guests this July.

Evanna will be doing signings (for which there will be no charge) and photo sessions, which are available (but not guaranteed) for all registered attendees. (We are arranging a system that assures our best efforts.) Access to the photos and signings will be prioritized by level of registration.

You can now register for a new keynote featuring Evanna and all the attending actors. This will be SATURDAY, JULY 16, at 1pm. (This does not interfere with any other keynote - in fact it is on the same stage as StarKid and more than an hour after that is over. :)

This keynote is available to add to your registration from inside your LeakyCon.com account. Please login at LeakyCon.com, go to the My Registration page and look for this keynote to add to your events. Attendees of this event will be given priority access to photos and signings with Evanna as well.

This is the fourth and last of our keynote annoncements. We will be announcing and highlighting more special events over the next week, and releasing a full schedule soon.

Main registration for LeakyCon 2011 is now sold out, but you can add your name to a waiting list here. Our park event, "Open at the Close," is also sold out, and you may add your name to the waiting list here. Two of our previously announced keynotes - Arthur Levine and StarKid Potter - are also sold out, but this one as well as our EA Games are available. However we anticipate they will both sell out as well, so please be speedy.

Help us celebrate Evanna's presence by sending an excited tweet to @evy_lynch. :)

Less than 40 days to go! See you SOON!

(SOURCE: THE LEAKY CAULDRON)