Hogwarts Herald

Stopping by Emma Watson’s official website has been very informative for me this fine day. By the way, if you haven’t been, it’s a lovely and well designed site and you should definately visit. Different journal entries to date have updated me on some amazing things!!!

First of all, it was posted that the principal filming on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has finshed. Filming finished on Saturday May 17th, and now the entire cast and crew is “eagerly awaiting the November release.” HBP is scheduled to be released in theaters in the US November 21, 2008. I, for one, will be in line at 10 minutes to midnight in my wizarding best. My goal on the read-along is to be done with boox six in time for the November release of the film. I had better get cracking!

The next wonderful tidbit is about Harry Potter the Exhibition. That’s right, just like Titanic: The Exhibition and Bodies: The Exhibiton, there will now be Harry Potter: The Exhibition. A 10,000 square foot experience that will include costumes props and artifacts of many of the Hogwarts environments including the Gryffindor Common Room and Hagrid’s Hut. The Exhibition will be opening Spring of 2009 and will be touring the world stopping in at least 10 cities. Let’s hope Vegas is one of them. Of course, Titanic and Bodies were both supposed to be here for only a month or two, and they are both still here several years later. One can only hope the same will be true of Harry. More details as they come in, I promise!

In other news, not from Emma, it looks like Warner Brothers has heard my cry of lament. The official Harry Potter website has been updated with tons of new content. Games and graphics. Finally it is more than just an ad for the newest DVDs. It has the Sorting Hat, and Olivanders Wand Shop where you get your very own wand. And everywhere you navigate there is something interactive and fun! Thank you Warner Brothers for paying attention to what your customers want!!!

And finally, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, Scholastic has announced a special edition of SS to be released in September. The new copy of the book will have a brand new cover by Marie GrandPre as well as some extra tidbits from JK Rowling. I can’t wait!!!

The Soundtrack of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” with the movie music created by Nicholas Hooper, is now available for download on iTunes.

***WARNING - may contain spoilers***

So, it’s officially out! The fifth movie in the Harry Potter series, “Order of the Phoenix,” officially opens today - The first public screening started at 12 midnight -

It was an extremely difficult task to slice down the text of Book 5 - a book with so much (girth) plot and character development - to fit into a 2 hour film and still move along the story enough to pick up with the next installment. As I’ve read in other reviews, this is definitely a film for fans of the books; the creators took quite a few leaps of faith assuming that their audience is already aware of the back story as they hopped from plot point to plot point.

As I am a big fan of the novels, I did enjoy the movie and the experience of watching the first run of a movie.

The movie beginning was a bit long and “artsy” for the pace of the remainder of the movie - the opening scene shows Harry at a playground being tormented by cousin Dudley but Harry’s anger is quickly overshadowed by the arrival of dementors. The story is set in motion as Harry is forced to use magic in front of muggles to ward off the attack.

The Order of the Phoenix arrives at Privit Drive to rescue Harry and escort him to the Black House in London. I was disappointed in the use of the Black House - I had really enjoyed the scenes in the book that centered there -

Mr. Weasley accompanies Harry to an inquisition at the Ministry of Magic - where Harry is accused of the underage use of magic in front of muggles without cause. Luckily, Harry is cleared of the charges - but he quickly finds out that no one really believes (or wants to believe) that the Dark Lord has returned. The Ministry was well represented - showing the magical world of bureaucracy, even if at it’s worst.

Harry is able to return to Hogwarts, but it is no longer the accepting refuge that he had previously enjoyed. Between his classmates distrust and the Ministry’s attempts to stifle the students’ freedoms (personified in new Professor of the Dark Arts, Delores Umbridge), Harry feels more alone than ever, except, perhaps for his newfound compatriot, Luna Lovegood (a, seemingly, off center Ravenclaw). The movie depicted Professor Umbridge quite well, although Imedla Staunton really never resembles a toad - she’s believable as a blind follower of her superiors/ideals, but she didn’t really have the underlying ugliness that Umbridge had in the book. Luna, on the other hand, was great - her character was my favorite part of the movie.

When it become apparent that the students are going to have to act on their own if they want to continue their practical training of magic - they turn to Harry - as he is the one among them with real experience defending against really dark arts. Dumbledore’s Army is created. These scenes were great - showing the kids learning and practicing the spells, as Umbridge and her minions attempt to thwart their efforts. In the wake, we’re introduced (quite suddenly) to Hagrid’s Giant brother, Dumbledore is dismissed, George and Fred get expelled and Harry and Cho snog.

Through Harry’s new found “gift” of “seeing” the students determine that “you know who” is on the move and attacking the Order (most specifically, Sirus Black) - they journey to the Ministry to save Black and fight the death eaters. The scenes here are entertaining, but a bit scattered; again, a knowledge of the book(s) is invaluable - Sirius is killed by his cousin, Askaban escapee, Bellatrix Lestrange - Harry’s anger is again, quelled by an more dangerous presence - Lord Voldamort. Harry and Dumbledore vanquish the dark lord - but not before he is, finally, seen by the Minister of Magic and others.

There is a lot of humor and excitement in this 5th Harry Potter film. I thoroughly enjoyed it - it wasn’t 100% true to the book - but it told the story well -

Can’t wait for next week to see how it all ends!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, OOTP, Harry Potter Movies, Movie Review

until the release of the fifth Harry Potter movie, Order of the Phoenix - This time (that is, Wednesday morning) in 14 days many will have already seen the film and will be busily critiquing and analyzing.

I have not yet seen whether or not a movie theatre near me will be hosting a midnight showing of OotP on the 11th, but I’m researching it. In the event that there is no “late late” showing, I’ll be in the audience for a matinee that afternoon so we can get straight into the discussing!

***Update - my local theatre does have a midnight showing - midnight, on a week day? I’m going to have to take a nap!***

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter movies

Warner Brothers has announced that the US release of Order of the Phoenix will be July 11th rather than the originally-scheduled July 13th date. Not as creepy as Friday the 13th - but two days earlier is pretty cool.

Or does she???

There’s conflicting reports out about Emma Watson’s future in the Harry Potter franchise.

On the one hand you have outlets like TV Guide reporting she’s gone.

Then on the other hand you have stories like this one on Associated Content saying that she’s staying put. And there’s another in the Chicago Tribune.

What’s a fan to believe?

Personally, I don’t put much stock in the “she’s staying” reports. Why? It seems rather speculative…and they’re reporting it as fact. It’s not Emma or her people saying she’ll be back…it’s Warner Bros. saying “they’re confident” she’ll be back. That doesn’t sound like a sure thing to me.

She may very well be back, and I sure hope she does come back (it would be really, really weird if she didn’t). Maybe it’s just a healthy mis-trust of big business and big media, but I don’t put much faith into what they’re saying.

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The Irish Post reports today that Warner Bros. is scouting locations in Ireland to be used in the sixth film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

The five previous films were shot in Great Britain, but…

…Executives at the production company believe they have now exhausted possible locations in Britain.

A number of the film’s producers have already visited parts of Leinster and Munster. They are particularly keen on Ireland as the landscape is similar to Britain and will appear similar to the settings of the previous films.

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Daniel Radcliffe has officially signed on to make the final two Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Speculation was rife that Radcliffe would not complete the series that made him a star after appearing in the play “Equus” in London’s West End.

I don’t know about this speculation…I think Daniel has been perfectly clear all along that he was going to see this series through to the end. There was never really any doubt. He was certainly in good position for negotiation (giving him a lot more money is certainly better for the financial gains of the series as a whole than paying less for a replacement Harry), but I’m sure both sides worked out a deal that was fair and respectful to all involved.

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Well, not Snape…but Alan Rickman who portrays Snape. He’s 61 today.

Rickman is shown above in his role as Alexander Dane in Galaxy Quest.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuarón received two Oscar nominations for his work on Children of Men. He was nominated for “Achievement in Film Editing” and “Adapted Screenplay.”

It’s a little surprising that Children of Men didn’t get a Best Picture nod as it was so highly acclaimed across the board…whereas the movie Babel, which did receive a Best Picture nomination, received some rather mixed reviews. That’s just the nature of the Oscars, I guess.

I’m just happy that my favorite movie of the year, Little Miss Sunshine, got a lot of Oscar-love.

USA Today takes a look at “seven of 2007’s most-anticipated family-friendly sequels and films spun from stage and TV” including Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Here’s what they have to say about OOTP…not to mention showing us this new picture of Daniel Radcliffe.

“The cast is growing older, film by film, and the audience is growing with them,” says David Yates, director of No. 5. “That’s what is beautiful with Harry Potter. Our story is the most emotionally complex one so far.” That includes Harry’s first kiss, shared with fellow wizard-in-training Cho Chang (Katie Leung). Yates assures that the film “has all of the whiz-bang whistles and bells as well. We have centaurs, half-men and half-horse. A backwoods giant baby and Hagrid’s half-brother, Grawp. And some beautiful, hypnotic thestrals that are only seen when someone has died.”

Davis DVD is reporting that Warner Bros. will be taking the first four Harry Potter films off of the shelves…very soon.

Warner Home Video has confirmed that all four “Harry Potter” DVD titles will be off store shelves within the first few months of 2007, with no announced plans for their return. The first three films - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - will go on moratorium on January 5th, 2007. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire will become unavailable beginning on January 22nd.

I don’t know how they do their math, but January 5th and 22nd is a whole heck of a lot sooner than “within the first few months of 2007.” It’s just a couple days away!

So, what’s happening? And why?

(more…)

Daniel Radcliffe comes in at #22 and Emma Watson’s #16 on IMDb’s STARmeter Top 25 for 2006, a ranking of “actual search behavior of over 42 million users of IMDb.com.”

This is a pretty good showing for the two Potter stars as neither appeared in a movie in 2006. No doubt they’ll get a little boost in 2007 from the release of Order of the Phoenix.

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Today’s /Film “Geek Report” (Hey! What are they calling us?! I consider myself more of a nerd than a geek, if there is indeed any difference.) has snippets from an interview with Prisoner of Azkaban Director Alfanso Cuarón…and where he thinks the Harry Potter series is headed…and if he thinks Harry will die:

“‘I don’t know, I had this same conversation with someone the other day about that,’ said Cuarón. ‘In one hand it makes sense, in the other hand - how do you finish Harry Potter if you kill Harry? What is the resolution of the tale? How is she going to finish the seven books and not have any temptation to do an eighth book?’ Cuarón asked. ‘I don’t know. And that kind of stuff, I have a really good relationship with JK, but I don’t mess with that.’”

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If you’re tired of watching crappy-quality Order of the Phoenix trailers over at youtube, you’re in luck…big time. Apple.com has put up some High Definition trailers (of various sizes) on their site, and they look ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

They can be a little slow to load…especially the largest size (which didn’t even completely fit on my large monitor)…but it honestly doesn’t take too much longer to load than a typical youtube video. And it’s most certainly worth a few second wait.

Take a look at the image quality of a couple of screen-captures (shrunk to fit this box)…above and below…and then get over to Apple.com and watch for yourself.

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