The slipcase cover for the French edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard was released earlier today. It depicts a picture of Dumbledore reading a book at his desk while taking copious notes. You can get a closer look at the image here courtesy of SnitchSeeker.com.This French edition will be released on December 4th.
Calling all costume designers, make-up artists, and creative geniuses! For this awesome contest we’re challenging you to create your best Harry Potter-themed Halloween costume. Put together your most amazing costume, get dressed up for Halloween 2008, and get yourself photographed.Contestants then submit his or her best photograph to be entered into the judging to determine the Top 25 Semi-finalists. MuggleNet fans will then vote for their favorite costume to choose the Top 7 Finalists. Staff judges from MuggleNet.com will then determine the 3 top winners. Here are the terrific prizes:
1st Place: The Collector’s Edition of Beedle the Bard from Magical Tours
2nd Place: Your choice of a Majestic or Regal School Robe from Alivan’s
3rd Place: Your choice of any wand from The Classic Collection from Alivan’s
Entries must be received no later than 11:59 PM (Central Time) Wednesday, November 5th, 2008! For full details, click here!
Be sure to visit our co-sponsors: see Alivan’s for all your Wizard and Witch supplies, and go to Magical Tours to check out their 2009 Harry Potter-themed trips in England and Scotland! If you still haven’t seen Thomas Pardee’s excellent movie location “on the scene” videos from last summer’s Magical Tours you can see all three episodes: #1 Here, #2 Here, #3 Here.
HPEF announced earlier today in their newsletter that they will be hosting a live podcast with MuggleCast at Azkatraz 2009 in San Francisco, CA. The great thing about it? The podcast will immediately follow the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at 12:01 a.m. on July 17, 2009. Azkatraz attendees will have the opportunity to see the sixth Potter film in a reserved theater with hundreds of other fans before chatting about it with the hosts of our podcast.Make sure to go to the HPEF website to register, check out all the events, find out how you can help and sign up for the newsletter. When you register, enter the name "MuggleNet" in the referral area so HPEF knows where you came from! The convention runs from July 18-21, 2009.
More information will follow as it becomes available. We will discuss this in full on our next episode of MuggleCast.
As a Harry Potter fan, there's no better way to celebrate Columbus Day than by picking up some new Potter merchandise. Lucky for us, Scholastic is having a Columbus Day sale at their store with savings up to 75% off!You can check out all of their Harry Potter deals right here. One particularly nice item on sale, but not listed in the discount section, is the Sorcerer's Stone Leather Bound Edition. It can be purchased for 33% off its $75 retail price. Most Potter deals range from 10% - 30% off.
Thanks to Rudy for the tip!
Known for very high quality movie products, the Noble Collection has started featuring some new Harry Potter products in the newest issue of Sky Mall. The new items can be seen on Sky Mall's site below:- Dumbledore's Marvolo Ring
- Harry, Hermione, Voldemort wand displays for a wall
- Dumbledore's Wand
- Ron's Heart Necklace
- Slytherin Horcrux Locket
Thanks to Emily and her latest flight for the tip!
The wonderful team at MuggleNet Fan Fiction have introduced a brand new feature that opens up a new era of fan fiction: AudioFiction!If you're looking to listen to a fan fiction instead of reading it, this service will be for you. Right now they have one episode up with some poems, but in the future they will hire a team who'll read stories from the site as requested by readers.
And as always, we encourage you to visit MuggleNet Fan Fiction when you're looking for your Potter-story-fill.
The actor who has played Percy Weasley in the Potter films recently attended Ring Con 2008 and spoke with a German Harry Potter fansite. One of the highlights of the interview for Potter fans was a little discussion about Deathly Hallows:What scene [in Deathly Hallows] are you most looking forward to?
One of Percy's finest moments is walking back through that portrait into the Room of Requirement at the end of the seventh one when he finally comes back. I can't remember what he says, something like 'Did I miss anything?' (laughs). I just remember reading that in the book and going 'YES! Good boy!'. That would be fun. And then obviously getting to do a bit of action would be quite nice because Percy doesn't get the hardest job really. He just walks around a lot and shouts at people. They might actually give me a wand if I did the seventh film, that would be nice. I haven't had a wand yet!
Chris also reveals that he is not officially a part of the Deathly Hallows cast yet.
Round Three is now open for the next 24 hours, and the battle is between Hogicans Horace Slughorn and Molly Weasley. Who do you believe is the better candidate for Minister of Magic? Help us vote and keep track of the latest election results right here!After this round, there is one more Hogican show down before the start of the semi-final elections. All of it leads up to a final election between one candidate of the Hogican party and one candidate of the Wizocrat party on November 4th.
Election Coverage: Micah and I have recorded a third election analysis update, this time focusing on today's candidates. You can listen to it here (MP3, 2.07 MB).
It's not what you think. A brand-new episode of our Harry Potter podcast is now online, and this week we bring back the long-awaited Debate segment. In it, we ask ourselves: Should a portrait of Voldemort be hung in the halls of Hogwarts? A surprising question that you may naturally say no to, but a fun and intriguing debate for everyone! Plus:- Was it right for WB to remove the Hogwarts battle in HBP just because there's one in DH?
- Does modeling a printing press suggest where the DH film split will be?
- Main Discussion: What happened directly AFTER the Battle of Hogwarts?
- We ask ourselves several questions that fans have been wondering since reading the epic battle.
- Guess the Scene, This Week in MuggleCast History, and Chicken Soup.
To download for free, we recommend subscribing through Apple iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser, or to download the file to your desktop. Enjoy!
If you have ALREADY REGISTERED to vote in the upcoming United States elections, but have not received a confirmation card, there is a chance that for a number of reasons your registration did not go through properly.If you have NOT received a confirmation card in the mail, call your Secretary of State’s office by Monday, or (to be safe) REGISTER ONLINE:
Go to the Harry Potter Alliance’s Wizard Rock the Vote page., scroll down a little bit, and click on the icon in the left hand column that says "Wizard Register To Vote Right Here."
REMEMBER, voter registration ends in 25 states on Monday, October 6! Registration for the states of Mississippi, Nevada, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Washington ENDS TODAY. If you are a US citizen over the age of 18 and have not yet registered to vote, please register online!
And for those of you who live in Canada, make sure you Wrock the Vote this October 14th!
Taking a break from the endless amount of Half-Blood Prince photos we've seen in the past week, a Flickr user has posted photos of a Stephen Fry/JK Rowling photoshoot. The photos were taken in May 2007 to promote the the UK Potter audiobooks, which Fry narrates.Thanks to Snitch Seeker for the tip!
A LiveJournal user got a hold of the Half-Blood Prince 2009 Desk Calendar and scanned the photos for online viewing. There are several new pictures in this batch, and a couple we've already seen before.Check 'em out here! Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip.
A Half-Blood Prince sticker book being sold in the United Kingdom has made its way online courtesy Snitch Seeker. The book features many many new photos from Half-Blood Prince, although we've already seen some in other HBP books and trading cards.Enjoy!
Before Notre Dame's thrilling 38-21 victory over the Purdue Boilermakers last weekend (GO IRISH!!), students played a Quidditch match where Gryffindor - members of my dorm - defeated Slytherin 170-60 and the score was broadcast several times on the jumbo-tron during the football game!Click here to see a picture of the scoreboard (it's working now), snapped by MuggleNet reader Ken. We are hoping to make this a yearly tradition!
ACADEMIC STUDY: Hey guys, if you guys want to take a quick online survey on your love of Harry Potter, Notre Dame is doing an academic study you can be a part of! Click here - it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes!
Forbes Magazine has just published a list of the world's best paid authors, and JK Rowling comfortably holds the first spot:J.K. Rowling, who banked a jaw-dropping $300 million over the course of the year.
Once a single mother on welfare, Rowling can now claim best-selling billionaire status thanks to her Harry Potter franchise. The adventures of the teen magician and his Hogwarts classmates took the publishing world by storm in 1998, when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone became a bona fide hit. In the decade since, it and the six subsequent books in the series have sold 375 million-plus copies worldwide. Over on the big screen, her Potter franchise has already generated $4.5 billion at the worldwide box office--and she still has three more flicks to come.
Rounding out the top five spots are James Patterson, Stephen King, Tom Clancy, and Danielle Steel.
Spanish and Catalan language publishers, Salamandra and Empúries respectively, have announced that Beedle the Bard will be released on the same date as the English version: December 4th.The titles are 'Los cuentos de Beedle el Bardo' (Spanish) and 'Les rondalles de Beedle el Bard' (Catalan). Good news for our Spanish visitors, si? Thanks to HarryLatino and BlogHogwarts for the tip!
Rotten Tomatoes has posted several high quality versions of photos that are appearing in a German Half-Blood Prince calendar. Use the links below to check them out, or see the whole Rotten Tomatoes gallery right here.Draco at Slughorn's party, Filch at Slughorn's party, One of the Twins observing The Burrow attack, Studying in the library, Arthur talking to Harry, Harry holding a memory, Harry and Dumbledore: part one and part two, Hermione, Lupin, Ginny, Harry, Dumbledore, Dumbledore (2), Young Dumbledore, Draco, Ron, Slughorn
The Daily Record reports today that a 100-year-old printing press is being replicated by Deathly Hallows film producers for one of the scenes.The owner of the printing press, David Phillips of Perthshire, was pleasantly surprised when he was invited to Leavesden Studios (where they film Potter) to help the producers come up with a design:
"I have no idea what part it plays in the movie because the set in Watford was like Fort Knox, security was that tight."
Us know-it-all Potter fans can probably guess that this would be used for Xenophilius Lovegood's Quibbler newspaper. Thanks to Snitch Seeker for the tip!
Thanks to Beth, Elizabeth and E.G. for sending in word of a new cover for the United States paperback edition of Sorcerer's Stone. Elizabeth sent us a scan that she found in the Scholastic Book Club. Illustrated by Mary GrandPre, it depicts Harry, Ollivander, and Hagrid in Ollivander's Wand Shop.If/when anyone sees this hitting store shelves, please let us know!
UPDATE: Thanks to David for pointing out that the top of the cover reads: "Exclusive Scholastic School Market Edition". So for now, only people ordering it through the special catalog will be able to get it. Of course, copies are likely to show up on sites like eBay.
Scans of the 2009 Half-Blood Prince calendar continue to pour in, and this time Snitch Seeker has provided several more. You can see them at their links below:- Luna with her Spectrespecs
- Ron playing Quidditch
- The attack on The Burrow
- Hermione holding The Daily Prophet
- Tonks and Lupin
- Ron in just a little bit of love
- Harry and Ginny
- A preview of each month in the calendar
Two years ago, readers may remember that MuggleCast was nominated and then chosen as the Peoples Choice winner at the 2006 Podcast Awards. Last year we couldn't be nominated again because of our first big win, but this year we're back in the game!We cannot win Peoples Choice again, but we are able to be nominated in the Best Entertainment category. So, if you'd like to help us get in the running, do the following:
- Visit PodcastAwards.com.
- Scroll down, and in "Entertainment", put MuggleCast as the Podcast name and http://www.mugglecast.com as the Podcast URL.
- Scroll down further and enter your personal information. Please only submit the form once, as multiple entries by the same person or computer will not be counted.
Thanks to everyone who helps us out! We'll let you know if we're nominated. In other MuggleCast news, we plan on having our next episode out in about a week. See you then!
In late-August, we asked you all to send in your stories of how you discovered the Harry Potter series. We ended up receiving over 500 entries for this area of the site that we're putting together, and it's now available right here!We encourage everyone to take some time to read these stories, as they remind of why Harry Potter became the success that it is. Thank you to EVERYONE who contributed with their stories. We couldn't include them all, but we believe that the ones chosen for publication on the site reflect the best parts of the fandom. Enjoy!
Andrews McMeel Publishing, US publisher of the 2009 Half-Blood Prince calendars, have released several images including covers and movie images from this year's products. You can see them all below:- Calendar Cover 1
- Calendar Cover 2
- Calendar Cover 3
- Dumbledore
- Malfoy
Thanks to Snitch Seeker for the tip!
The release of JK Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard is quickly approaching, with just 68 more days to go until its December 4th publication date!Here at MuggleNet, we're excited to read about cackling stumps and pots that hop. So much so, that we've opened up a page covering everything Beedle the Bard. What's more, we now have a BTB countdown available on our site (look to the right) and in HTML form. That way, you can add it to your webpage, MySpace, or almost anywhere else!
Thanks to MuggleNet staffer Jill for getting the info page together, and thanks to Saul for creating the countdown. Enjoy!
A few days ago, we told you about MuggleNet's Ministry of Magic elections that we need YOUR help with! The United States election is keeping everyone in the country very busy, but we'd like to know who Potter fans would choose if they had to elect a new Minister.Round Two is now open for the next 24 hours, and the battle is between Wizocrats Lucius Malfoy and Dolores Umbridge. The other day, round one of our election found that MuggleNet-ers prefer Hermione Granger over Harry Potter. What will today's results find? Help us vote!
Election Coverage: Micah and I have recorded another election analysis, this time focusing on today's candidates. You can listen to it here (MP3, 4.24 MB).
Not even an 8 month film delay can hold back the Disney-owned family channel from snagging cable rights to the sixth film. Variety reports this evening that the company recently made a late deal for Order of the Phoenix and a very early deal for Half-Blood Prince. The Potter franchise as a whole has done well for ABC Family:The first four Potter movies — "Sorcerer’s Stone" (2001), "Chamber of Secrets" (2002), "Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004) and "Goblet of Fire" (2005) — are already under contract to ABC Family. Tom Zappala, senior VP of program acquisitions and scheduling for ABC Family, said the movies have become one of the bellwethers of the network’s annual "25 Days of Christmas" programming initiative, often getting key primetime slots.
The actor who plays Harry Potter continues to promote his Broadway role in Equus, which began performances this month. In this interview, he talks with USA Today about the differences between acting on stage versus film:But Radcliffe, 19, dismisses the notion that live performance need be larger in scale or that doing eight shows a week requires more energy than a movie, "where there can be really long hours, and you might do 20 takes on any given shot."
His work in the Potter series helped Radcliffe develop the stamina required for the sexually and spiritually charged Equus, in which he plays Alan Strang, a teenager who undergoes intense psychoanalysis after committing a bizarre and brutal crime.
"There's a lot of sweat on me by the end," Radcliffe says. "I'm a physically repellent thing. At least it's good exercise. I don't have to go to the gym."
In celebrating 10 years since Potter hit store shelves in the United States, MTV has asked some celebrities what they think of the series. Everyone from Robert Pattinson to Shirley Manson was interviewed:Robert Pattinson (Cedric in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," Edward in "Twilight"): "Does it make me a traitor? 'Harry Potter' was what made me become an actor. I credit 'Harry Potter' with everything else that's come since for me. I didn't know what I was doing before that. I hadn't read the books before doing the movie, so at first I read it just as an acting exercise. But I really enjoyed it! But I think Edward would kick Cedric's ass, to be honest."
Read all of the thoughts from celebs right here.
UPDATE: The event concluded at 5:22 PM EST, with a Scholastic representative saying they'd be back next year for the 10th anniversary of Chamber of Secrets. A new book and Cover to Cover reading to come? We'll let you know!A few weeks ago we told you about Scholastic's Cover to Cover Sorcerer's Stone reading, which lets fans take turns reading the first book in Scholastic's headquarters.
That event is TODAY and is streaming live online so everyone can enjoy the fun. Check out the stream right here. They expect the event to wrap up no later than 5 PM EST.
Scholastic also passed along a few pictures from the event that you can see here, here, here, and here, and here. To everyone who went: great job reading!
A couple days ago, we announced MuggleNet's Ministry of Magic Elections. Now, the first round of voting is here for 24 hours!How to vote: First, just like any election, review each candidate's beliefs and stances right here. In this round's case, you want to take a look at Harry and Hermione.
After reviewing that information, don't vote just yet! Micah and I have prepared this campaign trail update (MP3, 3.6 MB) to let you know what Harry and Hermione have been up to.
Next, use the poll on the right side of this page to cast your vote. Also don't forget to follow all of the candidates on Twitter! You can find their respective accounts on the Wizocrats and Hogicans pages.
Sometimes WB wins some, and sometimes they lose some. The latter was the case this time when a Dehli, India courtroom turned down Warner Brothers' case claiming that the upcoming 'Hari Puttar' film was too close to the Potter brand. The BBC reports:"The case has been dismissed. The court said that Warner Bros had known the title of the film since 2005 and had delayed bringing the case to court until the last moment," lawyer Pratibha Singh was quoted by news agency AFP as saying.
The Delhi High Court also said that consumers who read the Harry Potter books, written by JK Rowling, were sufficiently educated to know that Hari Puttar was different, the agency quoted the lawyer as saying.
Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip!
Scholastic has just announced that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be released in paperback on July 7th, 2009 for $14.99. The US book publisher also noted that over 14 million copies of Deathly Hallows have already been sold in the United States. From the press release:
“We have another big year planned for Harry,” said Ellie Berger, President of Trade, Scholastic. “As we look toward the tenth anniversary of the U.S. publication of J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter novel, we are thrilled to continue to bring Harry Potter to fans of all ages in new and exciting ways.”
This year, the United States is having one of its most important Presidential elections. Here on MuggleNet, we want to get in on the action - but take it from a Potter perspective!Over the next couple of months, running right up to the US election on November 4th, we want YOU to help us elect a new Minister of Magic. We know that Kingsley Shacklebolt currently holds the position, but we want to know what would happen if fans were given the choice.
MuggleNet's team has selected eight candidates, which are divided into two fictional parties: the Wizocrats and the Hogicans. The fans will elect one representative from each party who will face off on election night. Each candidate has their own Twitter which you can follow them on as they campaign throughout the Wizarding World. Thoughts from our own political experts will be available for each and every match up.
More information, the candidates and their bios, as well as the official voting schedule can be seen in our Election Center. Voting will only be open for 24 hours in each poll, so make sure to come back for each round!
ComingSoon.net is reporting today that a recent IMAX conference call revealed that Half-Blood Prince will have 25 minutes of 3D footage, compared to Order of the Phoenix's 17 minutes:Last month, during the IMAX Corporation's 2008 Q2 Earnings Report conference call, Rich Gelfond, the Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of the IMAX Corporation told shareholders, "we believe this film will include approximately 25 minutes in IMAX 3-D split between the opening sequence of the film and the finale."
Thanks to Matt for the tip!
A plethora of new Half-Blood Prince photos from the 2009 Harry Potter calendar and some other Potter merchandise has emerged online.Check the pictures out below (that include shots of the trio, Snape, Romilda Vane, Dumbledore and more), but please note that some could be considered spoilers.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
Thanks to Verlag via UHP.
Several news sites are reporting this morning that JK Rowling has donated a staggering 1 million pounds (about 2 million US dollars) to the Labour Party. From the BBC:Ms Rowling said she was motivated by Labour's record on child poverty and opposed a Conservative plan to give tax breaks to married couples.
Her donation will boost Gordon Brown as he tries to calm unrest among party members at Labour's annual conference.
Mr Brown said he was delighted to have the backing of "one of the world's greatest ever authors".
David Heyman, the producer of the Potter films, has spoken with several fansites about Half-Blood Prince while promoting his new film that we told you about the other day. You can see his answers to a couple a questions at these links: Snitch Seeker, HPANA, Leaky.Each interview went over several aspects of Half-Blood Prince that some fans are concerned about after hearing reviews from the Chicago screenings. We recommend checking them all out if you want to hear where the producers are coming from when making the tough decisions.
UPDATE: A picture of show holding her new award can be seen right here via The Telegraph.According to a recent report released by BBC News, author J.K. Rowling will receive the Edinburgh Award at a ceremony tonight in Edinburgh, the city where she created the famous Potter series.
"So much has happened to me both professionally and personally since I moved here nearly 15 years ago, that to receive this recognition is particularly meaningful and special," Rowling said.
A panel of judges from the fields of arts, business and science unanimously voted her the 2008 winner.
Congrats to Jo on yet another impressive award!
J.K. Rowling has updated her site to wish Hermione Granger a happy birthday for September 19th. Here's to a good one for the "brightest witch of our age." 
As many of you know, Scholastic will be holding a special event next Tuesday, September 23 in conjuction with the official release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: 10th Anniversary Edition. Fans will get the opportunity to read from the novel while sitting in the same chair author J.K. Rowling used during her post-Deathly Hallows appearance at Carnegie Hall last October.This morning Scholastic has updated their blog to let fans know that various celebrities will be on hand to read, as well as released a video last night previewing the event.
Don't forget that if you can't make it to the store in downtown New York next week you can view the event online. Thanks to Molly for sending this in!
Our friends at HP Fan Trips have informed us that spots on their Equus trip this November only has a few spots left! From their site:For two incredible nights, Harry Potter fans will gather in New York for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Fans will enjoy one of their favorite actors in the award-winning play, Equus, attend an Equus workshop, meet an Equus Cast Member, play HP Fan Trips' Wizarding Game, inspired by Harry's favorite sport and more!
Additionally, Whimsic Alley in Santa Monica, CA wants everyone to know that they'll be having a Sorcerer's Stone anniversary party this Tuesday at their store. You'll be able to purchase a copy of the 10th anniversary edition, win prizes, experience some Wizard lectures, and much more! Check their site for details.
We've just received details on the David Heyman-produced historical movie The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, in which the son of a Nazi commandant befriends a Jewish boy. See below for trailers, posters and more information.Trailers (Quicktime Downloads)
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Medium
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Quad Poster
Production Notes
The movie, which stars David Thewlis, is already out in the UK and is due for US release on November 18th.
The latest episode of our Harry Potter podcast is now available! This week's show is a doozy as one of our co-hosts, Eric Scull, had an opportunity to see Half-Blood Prince a couple weeks ago at a test screening in Chicago. And:- Andrew and Matt chime in with their thoughts on Alan Horn's statement.
- Eric tells us all about his experience at the Half-Blood Prince screening!
- How he got in, who was there, a spoiler-free review of the movie, and much more.
- JK Rowling saw 20 minutes of the film, says it may be her favorite so far.
- The JKR vs RDR Books verdict is finally in. What happens from here?
- Sorcerer's Stone Anniversary Edition released earlier than planned. Is the book worth buying?
- Micah provides an update on Teddy Bears for Hope.
- A new segment: Guess the Scene!
To download for free, we recommend subscribing through Apple iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser. Enjoy!
The Detroit Free Press is reporting this morning that a notice of appeal will be filed by attorneys on behalf of Roger Rapoport and Steve Vander Ark in an attempt at "preserving the men's right to continue the legal battle for their Harry Potter book."As reported last week, Judge Patterson ruled in favor of J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers stating that The Lexicon takes too much from Rowling's work. Rapoport and Vander Ark are looking into editing the current edition of the book.
No statement has been issued by either J.K. Rowling or Warner Brothers at this time.
Following this week's decision by a New York City judge to halt Steve Vander Ark's The Harry Potter Lexicon, The Times Online is reporting that JK Rowling's representatives asked to review a copy of Vander Ark's next Potter-related book to make sure it does not violate any copyrights.His next project is a travel guide for Potter fans that explores the areas of the United Kingdom that connect to the Harry Potter series. He also goes on a search for Hogwarts. The book, "In Search of Harry Potter," is due for release in early October.
The actor who plays Harry Potter continues to do some press for his upcoming performance in Equus on Broadway. Just the other day, the New York Times spoke with him about Equus, the differences between Alan Strang and Harry Potter, and much more:“I didn’t want to just rehash the performance,” he said. “I wanted it to be a lot stronger and have a lot more anger. Also, the ideas they play with in ‘A Clockwork Orange’ are so similar. It’s about taking away what makes someone an individual so they fit into society as a whole.”
Read the full interview right here. Don't forget, the link to the Equus on Broadway site can be found right here, and you can go here to purchase tickets for one of the shows.
There are various news stories tonight surrounding the upcoming July release of Half-Blood Prince.First up, ScarPotter has a new photo which depicts Neville Longbottom (played by Matthew Lewis) curled up in his bed within the Gryffindor dormitory. See it right here.
Next, we now know that Lucius Malfoy will have a very small appearance in the film. The actor who plays him, Jason Issacs, recently told MTV News that he went into Leavesden for one day so they could turn him into a portrait.
And lastly, The Jewish Journal has a new profile of Potter film producer David Heyman. Mr. Heyman talks about how he originally found the Potter books, a new film project he's producing, and his childhood years.
Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tips!
UPDATE: Since posting this, we've received lots of e-mails from visitors who say Amazon has already shipped their copies too. MuggleNet reader Chance, who has his hands on the book, tells us that the bonus material from Ms. Rowling is a drawing of Snape she made back in 1992 or 1993. She admits that her sketch makes him look "Count Dracula-ish," even though she has always denied Snape being a vampire.UPDATE 2: This appears to be no mistake, as Amazon had e-mailed customers who pre-ordered and told them they can expect the book to arrive between September 11th and September 15th. Thanks again to Chance!
The 10th Anniversary Edition of Sorcerer's Stone, featuring a brand new cover as well as bonus material from JK Rowling, has been accidentally shipped early to at least one pre-order customer on Amazon.
MuggleNet reader Rudy tells us that her copy arrived this morning via UPS, even though the book is not officially released until September 23rd.
If anyone else has received their book early, let us know (tips at staff dot mugglenet dot com) and tell us how it is! Please note that this is most likely not happening for everyone, but if you'd like to pre-order a copy anyway, you can do so right here.
The other day we told you about EA delaying their Half-Blood Prince video game because of the film's delay. Today, EA is saying that the push back will put a $120 million hole in its current fiscal year earnings expectations. From GameSpot:The gamemaker reported today that it had expected Half-Blood Prince to contribute $120 million in revenue during the company's current fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2009. While significant, the revenue is only a fraction of the $4.9 billion to $5.15 billion total earnings the publisher has forecast for its full fiscal year.
EA did not reveal whether the new summer release window would impact its earnings expectations for the game.
The Grand Rapids Press has spoken with the author of The Harry Potter Lexicon, which just yesterday had its publication halted by a New York City judge. Vander Ark's thoughts after hearing the verdict:"I've always been a fan of Harry Potter and of Rowling and my hope all along was that we'd find an amicable way to settle this. I'm disappointed, but this is the way it went and I don't hold any ill will at all. It was a question of law over a difference of opinion and, in a way, I'm glad that it's finally over."
The newspaper notes that Vander Ark is currently in England where he's working on a new book which visits real-life locations placed in the Potter series.
You can also view other verdict statements at these links: JKR and WB | RDR Books
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.
After this morning's JKR VS RDR verdict in New York City, we received official statements from Warner Brothers and JK Rowling. Now, we have a statement from RDR Books, who was to be the publisher of the Harry Potter Lexicon:"We are encouraged by the fact the Court recognized that as a general matter authors do not have the right to stop the publication of reference guides and companion books about literary works. As for the Lexicon, we are obviously disappointed with the result, and RDR is considering all of its options."
The full text of the trial decision is also now online. It notes that RDR has to pay statutory damages of $750 for each of the seven Potter books as well as Fantastic Beasts and Quidditch Through the Ages. That brings it to a total of $6,750.
We've received statements from Jo and Warner Brothers about today's verdict. Both of who have been battling this case since October 31st.From Jo:
“I took no pleasure at all in bringing legal action and am delighted that this issue has been resolved favourably,” said J.K. Rowling. “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. Now the court has ordered that it must not be published.
Many books have been published which offer original insights into the world of Harry Potter. The Lexicon just is not one of them.”
From Warner Brothers:
"We are obviously pleased with today’s ruling by Judge Patterson supporting the position that the proposed lexicon book infringes on Ms. Rowling’s rights. As a content company, it is imperative that we work vigorously on all fronts to protect the intellectual property rights of those who create the stories and characters, words, pictures and music that entertain and benefit the worldwide audience."
HPANA is reporting that the judge on the JKR/WB vs. RDR Books trial has reached a verdict. The verdict is in favor of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.Thanks to MuggleNet reader Rashmi for the tip-off, and our friend Jeff at HPANA for the news. We'll keep you posted with further developments in the aftermath of this prolonged case.
Having already registered hundreds of new voters at wizard rock concerts across the United States, the Harry Potter Alliance’s Wizard Rock the Vote project has expanded to include online registration!If are a US citizen over 18 years old and you were unable to make it to a show this summer, please click here to register to vote! Scroll down the left side of the page to the link “Wizard Register to Vote Right Here.”
As stated on the Alliance website, “Remember: the HP Alliance does not endorse any candidate or party. We just want you to vote! It is our choices that define who we are, not only as individuals but as a society. If we have the chance to make a choice this November, we should make sure to make that choice!”
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!
Earlier this evening in Chicago, MuggleNet staffer Eric attended a surprise test screening for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and will be writing a review to be posted within the next 24 hours. Eric has said his report will be relatively spoiler free and also include information on his post-screening meet up with a few special attendees.We'll also have coverage on an upcoming episode of MuggleCast within the next week or two!
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:What's the kissing scene like between Harry and Ginny Weasley?
[Dan:] I think Bonnie (Wright, who plays Ginny) was maybe a bit nervous, and I probably was, too. It is very much the case that it's nowhere near as exciting to film those scenes as people would imagine them to be. I hate to disillusion everyone.
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!
News has emerged online stating that actor Rupert Grint is scheduled to appear in "Wild Target," a drama-comedy based on the 1993 French movie "Cible émouvante." Grint will appear in the movie, which is in pre-production, alongside Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange).Thanks to everyone who emailed with the tip!
Snitch Seeker has received yet another new picture from Half-Blood Prince. This time, it's of Tonks, Lupin, Harry, Ginny, and Arthur frantically watching the attack on The Burrow. You can check it out right here. 
Some great new photos have emerged online that show parts of Hogsmeade for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter park currently under construction at Universal Orlando resort. The building shown in the pictures below is a "sporting goods" shop called "Spintwitches," according to IOACentral.com.Photos - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
The actor who plays Harry Potter is once again appearing in Details Magazine, this time in their October issue to promote Equus. Details' website has online a video interview with Dan, who's sporting a very unique new hairstyle for the magazine's photoshoot.Radcliffe is a little manic. He leans forward as he talks—arms tightly folded, eyes darting about, speaking quickly through a clenched jaw that's lightly dusted with stubble. It's likely that Radcliffe is a bit jumpy about being in public—since we left his Manhattan hotel against his handlers' wishes, a bodyguard trailing by a discreet half-block, our stroll has attained the frisson of a Compton roll with Snoop Dogg.
"Not particularly," Radcliffe says when asked if he's nervous. "No, no, no, not at all! The reason I'm looking around is 'cause I always like to clock where everybody is in terms of who's recognized me. 'Cause they try to be subtle and they never are."
What's the latest count?
"Well, there were those two Japanese girls, and that couple over there, and those other two girls, and that mother and daughter . . . "
New photos of a French 2009 Half-Blood Prince calendar have surfaced online via UHP. These photos feature a variety of montages for each month. Check out the pics below:- Dumbledore and Harry
- Dumbledore and Harry 2
- Snape, McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Hagrid
- Draco holding a bird
- Close up of Dumbledore, the ring, and a book
- Close up of Dumbledore and his office entrance
- Filch and Draco
- Draco and Snape
- Draco and Bellatrix
- Harry, Lupin, and Arthur Weasley fighting/fleeing the attack
- Back of Calendar
Snitch Seeker has received a new picture from Half-Blood Prince. This time, it depicts Harry, Ron, and Ginny sharing a laugh in The Burrow. Their smiles surely won't last for long, as we know that an attack on The Burrow happens after this scene. 
The 2008 Magical Tours Summer Intern, Thomas Pardee, has posted the anxiously-anticipated Third Episode of his on-going Harry Potter locations travelog made during the recent Magical Tours in Britain. This one features terrific information about early scenes in the upcoming film of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and MORE! To see Thomas' newest video report go to Episode 3. And if you haven't seen the first two editions, you can see #1 here and #2 here. Thanks to Thomas for creating an awesome collection of reports for MuggleNet visitors!Magical Tours has also announced the fantastic 2009 tour schedule! Some great new locations and awesome events in Scotland and England have been added for what is shaping up to be the best Harry Potter travel season ever! Check out all the exciting tour plans for next summer right here . And be sure to bookmark their site to keep up with tour information and updates.
The latest edition of the Italian "Vogue" contains a brand new photoshoot with Emma Watson, scans from which can be seen below:
The fifth Harry Potter movie, Order of the Phoenix, has received a nomination for the People's Choice Award at this year's European Film Awards. The film faces competition from mostly local movies like the German romantic comedy Rabbit Without Ears.You can vote for the Movie 5 on September 1st at this link.
Thanks to everyone who emailed.
Whimsic Alley, an awesome Harry Potter merchandise store located in Santa Monica, CA, is hosting a big Wizard Rock concert this Saturday and Sunday:
The fun begins on Saturday, August 30th at 12:00 p.m. (noon), as we start the festival off with the Punk Rock band Switchblade Kittens. We follow with Wingardium Leviosa, Tonks!, and new band The Ginny Potter Revelation. Then we will finish off the afternoon with Wizard Rock fan favorites The Hermione Crookshanks Experience and Marked as His Equal.
Then, on Sunday, August 31st, beginning at 3:00 p.m., popular Wizard Rock bands The Remus Lupins and The Whomping Willows will serenade fans, both magical and muggle, with their greatest hits.
Admission is free, and Whimsic Alley is located at 2717 ½ Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica, CA. For more information, check out their website.
The fun begins on Saturday, August 30th at 12:00 p.m. (noon), as we start the festival off with the Punk Rock band Switchblade Kittens. We follow with Wingardium Leviosa, Tonks!, and new band The Ginny Potter Revelation. Then we will finish off the afternoon with Wizard Rock fan favorites The Hermione Crookshanks Experience and Marked as His Equal.
Then, on Sunday, August 31st, beginning at 3:00 p.m., popular Wizard Rock bands The Remus Lupins and The Whomping Willows will serenade fans, both magical and muggle, with their greatest hits.
Admission is free, and Whimsic Alley is located at 2717 ½ Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica, CA. For more information, check out their website.
The Decatur Book Festival allows you to "immerse yourself in literature and poetry, meet Pulitzer Prize winners and probe the writers' mind... or you can dress silly, sing loud, laugh a lot and have the cheapest possible family outing."Scholastic's Harry Potter "continuity editor" at Scholastic, Cheryl Klein, will judge a Harry Potter quiz on August 30th as part of the festival. AJC.com spoke to Cheryl about this role, a little about what she's doing post-Harry Potter, and whether she ever encountered inconsistencies in the Potter books: "Changes like that did come up. Talking about them is a little like violating lawyer-client privilege. It’s the author’s job to talk about those."
Thanks to everyone who emailed!
Warner Bros. is suing an Indian film company called Mirchi Movies because of the title of a film it had scheduled to release on September 12th - "Hari Puttar."According to a WB spokespesron, "We have recently commenced proceedings against parties involved in the production and distribution of a movie entitled Hari Puttar. Warner Bros values and protects intellectual property rights. However, it is our policy not to discuss publicly the details of any ongoing litigation."
However, a Mirchi Movies spokesperson stated, "We registered the Hari Puttar title in 2005 and it's unfortunate that Warner has chosen to file a case so close to our film's release. In my opinion, I don't think our title has any similarity or links with Harry Potter."
Hari is apparently a popular Indian name while Puttar means son in Punjabi.
We'll keep you updated on this story. Thanks to everyone who emailed in.
The other day we told you that the actor who plays Harry Potter himself would be appearing on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien to promote his upcoming Broadway performance in Equus.That appearance aired last night, and it's now online on YouTube as well as NBC's official site. Dan speaks about Equus, the Olympics, and working with Gary Oldman in the Potter films.
Thanks to Danielle and Lily for the tip!
New images from the 2009 Half-Blood Prince calendar have surfaced online via Amazon and LiveJournal:- Front Cover featuring the Trio
- Bellatrix and those involved in the Burrow attack
- Ron and Lavender having a moment
- Several different characters from the film
- Professor McGonagall in a frame
There is no date set yet for this calendar's release, but it is currently listed at Amazon right here. Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip!
September 2008 will mark 10 years since Sorcerer's Stone was released in the United States. We know that Scholastic will be releasing a 10th anniversary edition, but we would like to do something to recognize the occasion too.So, starting today, we want to hear YOUR stories of coming into the world of Potter. How did you find the book? What was your first reaction? Did anyone else you know read it? What has Harry Potter done for you since then? Since your stories will be released on September 14th to mark the specific occasion, we ask that those who submit something be those who found the books 8 to 10 years ago.
Please submit your story (by September 7th at the latest, please) to andrew at staff dot mugglenet dot com with "Sorcerer's Stone Story" in the subject line. Your email should also include your first name, location, and current age. Since we do live in a tech savvy world, feel free to submit your story as a YouTube video, LiveJournal entry, or just a simple e-mail. Thanks to everyone who contributes!
MuggleNet Senior Staff member Benjamin C. Schoen turns the big 19 today! Where would MuggleNet be without Ben and his five years of service to the team? He's always working behind the scenes to make sure every last line of PHP has its respective quotation and question marks.Plus, we all know him from his one-of-a-kind remarks and impressions on MuggleCast. Without him, the show would have never begun. He had the first words on Episode 1 when Kevin and I couldn't strike up the courage to kick it off.
From all of your fellow staff members, Happy Birthday Ben!
Today marks the 20th birthday of Rupert Grint, the actor who plays Ron Weasley in the Potter films. We at MuggleNet wish Rupert a fantastic day! J.K. Rowling has updated her site to wish Percy Weasley a happy birthday for August 22nd. As the late Barty Crouch Sr. would say, have a great day, Weatherby! Posted by Micah on Aug 22nd | comments disabled | Link | Categories: JKRowling.com, Character Birthdays
As mentioned previously, MuggleCast has teamed up with Teddy Bears For Hope, a non-profit organization that provides brand new teddy bears to children around the world whose lives have been ravaged by tragedy.With Sunday, August 24 fast approaching we are heading for our final push. You can still donate and learn more about the charity by going to this page on the MuggleCast site.
Some of you have e-mailed in saying you were unable to donate because you need permission or just don't have the necessary funds. That has been fixed -- all you need now is the simple click of your mouse.
By going to SearchKindly.org, and voting for Teddy Bears For Hope you can help out. All of the organizations listed on the poll will receive a donation, but the size of the donations will be determined by the results of this poll. The greater the percentage of votes that a charity receives, the greater its share.
Let's make sure our charity receives the most amount of votes. The funds it receives from this poll will go towards MuggleCast's overall effort. Thanks again to everyone who has made this a success thus far!
Equus on Broadway is quickly approaching its September start, and the publicity train is kicking into full gear.Dan is scheduled to make a television appearance on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien on August 25th. Late Night begins at 12:35 AM on NBC after The Tonight Show.
Additionally, last week we received a couple of publicity photos from Equus' production company. You can see a shirtless Dan right here and another one with him and Richard Griffiths here. There's also a promotional Facebook group you can join at this link.
Don't forget that you can purchase tickets to Equus and find more details about it on the official site.
Posted by Andrew on Aug 21st | comments disabled | Link | Categories: Dan Radcliffe, Richard Griffiths
The behind the scenes photo we showed you in a German entertainment magazine yesterday is now available in high-res right here, courtesy of Warner Brothers.Additionally, WB has informed us that the teaser trailer now reflects the new July release date. You can see the trailer on the official Harry Potter website.
Ah yes, it's been a while since we've seen wise old Albus Dumbledore wearing some half-moon spectacles in the films. What a treat it is to see a pretty cool behind the scenes photo of Michael Gambon and the crew within the Great Hall, where it looks like Dumbledore is about to make a speech. It also looks like there's a green cover on his hands for the visual effects.The scans come from the German magazine Cinema, and you can see the scans here and here. The rest of the article has images we've seen before. Thanks to Harry Potter Experts for the tip!
The British Board of Film Classification's website has been updated with information concerning a second Half-Blood Prince teaser trailer. Coming in at 91 seconds long (the first teaser trailer was 96 seconds), it has a PG rating and was just approved yesterday.We'll let you know if anything comes of this! Thanks to CinemaBlend for the tip.
In celebrating the 10th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone on September 23rd, Scholastic has announced a really cool opportunity for Harry Potter fans to sit in the throne used by JK Rowling at Carnegie Hall.Starting at 8 AM on September 23rd within the Scholastic Headquarters, fans will sit in that throne and take turns reading from Sorcerer's Stone until the book is finished! Those participating will receive a commemorative souvenir, and the first 100 people will also get a copy of Sorcerer's Stone anniversary edition!
The event will also be streamed to the internet so fans from around the world can enjoy this special occasion. For full details, click here. And to everyone who attends: Have fun!
Wrock for Darfur – an all-day Harry Potter-themed festival organized to raise awareness about the genocide in Darfur – will be held from noon to 9 PM this Saturday at Waryas Park in Poughkeepsie. This wonderful collaboration by a small group of teenagers will feature a massive wizard rock concert, vendors, food, games, and even an elaborate Horcrux Hunt!And the best part is, all proceeds will go directly into purchasing school supplies for Darfuri refugees as well as civilian protection in Darfur. Read more at the link below!
Back in mid-July we told you that Dan would appear at TimesTalk in NYC to promote and discuss his upcoming performance in Equus.A staff member of Snitch Seeker was present at the event and took lots of notes from what Dan had to say. In their report, we learn a lot about Equus and some information concerning Half-Blood Prince.
The most timely thing learned about Half-Blood Prince was a comment from Dan on the delay, which he says he found out about only 24 hours before everyone else. He also asked everyone to not blame him for the delay.
Read the full report here!
Alan Horn, President of Warner Brothers, has issued a statement in response to the large amount of disappointment from their decision to delay Half-Blood Prince until July 17th, 2009:Many of you have written to me to express your disappointment in our moving “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” to Summer 2009. Please be assured that we share your love for Harry Potter and would certainly never do anything to hurt any of the films. Over the past 10 years, we have nurtured and protected each film, and the integrity of the books upon which they are based, to the best of our ability. The decision to move “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” was not taken lightly, and was never intended to upset our Harry Potter fans. We know you have built this series into what it is, and we thank you for your ongoing enthusiasm and support. If I may offer a silver lining: there would have been a two-year gap between “Half-Blood Prince” and the much-anticipated first part of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which opens in November 2010. So although we have to wait a little longer for “Half-Blood Prince,” the wait from that film until “Deathly Hallows” will be less than 18 months. I am sorry to have disappointed you now, but if you hold on a little longer, I believe it will be worth the wait.
On August 6, 2008, hundreds of wizard rockers and friends converged at the Hilton Chicago for Wrock Chicago - one of the largest wizard rock festivals ever! Today, MTV has released their coverage of the event, which you can view on their website.If you attended Wrock Chicago, see if you can spot yourself - many fans (myself included!) were captured on camera dancing and jumping during the shows.
The latest episode of our Harry Potter podcast is now, finally, available! This week's episode has lots of discussion on the Half-Blood Prince delay, and it's also our highly-anticipated final weekly episode. While we're not ending the show by any means, the end of weekly episodes will actually make MuggleCast better than ever when we have more time to produce each show.- The news of Half-Blood Prince being delayed puts us in a frenzy.
- What was the real reason behind this?
- Were there signs of a mistake from the beginning, dating back to 2006?
- We play some old segments that haven't been seen in a while.
- Make the Connection, British Joke, Favorites, Dueling Club, and more.
- Our final thoughts on the show and where it will be going.
To download for free, we recommend subscribing through Apple iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser. Enjoy!
In an article reporting on how Entertainment Weekly posted their fall preview with Half-Blood Prince, The Canadian Press spoke with Dan Feldman, who is Head of Distribution at Warner Brothers. Feldman reveals the timeline of the decision:The studio had been mulling the date change for three or four weeks, "but it really didn't kind of get on the front-burner until sometime within the last seven days," Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. head of distribution, said Sunday.
Entertainment Weekly's "deadline must have been earlier than the decision, than when we started to get serious about making the decision," Fellman said.
WB's press release, revealing that Half-Blood Prince will be opening on July 17th, 2009, can be read right here.
Scholastic's official website has a new interview with the actor who plays Draco Malfoy in the Potter films. In it, he speaks about the character of Draco, Tom's YouTube videos, and a lot more.Scholastic: What's your opinion of Draco?
Tom: Not a very pleasant one, I assure you. I figure, I think of him as a misled only child who's been slightly bullied into his state of mind, if you will. But in long short, he is a nasty bit of work. A bit of a slimy, troublesome character who's not really up for any good and certainly the benefit of anyone else.
Scholastic: Well, my next question was going to be, "Do you think people misunderstand him?" But I guess you already answered that.
Tom: Well, I suppose, "yes" would be the answer. By the same token, he doesn't do a great job of trying to convince otherwise, does he?
Lots of news has been circulating around the web relating to Half-Blood Prince's move to July 17th. This post will cover several stories related to the move.First up, Summit Entertainment, the company behind the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's first Twilight novel, has announced that the film will take Half-Blood Prince's spot on November 21st. Summit "saw a unique opportunity to slot in [their] film which has been gaining tremendous awareness and momentum over the past several months." They were also quick to say that "by no means are [they] trying to fill the shoes of the incredible POTTER franchise for 2008."
Second, disgruntled Potter fans are using the internet to be very vocal about the move. Facebook groups, clever YouTube videos, and online petitions (that one in particular has over 23,000 signatures) have been trying to make their mark on WB.
Next, IGN has an article online which wonders whether or not the video game will be seeing a delay. The game was set to be shipped this November at the same time as the film's release, but that is now up in the air. An EA spokesperson told IGN "We are making a great game that Harry Potter fans will really enjoy -- we are evaluating the impact of the movie date change."
Last, a bit of an absurd story comes from an article on FOX news. FOX believes the film was delayed because Warner Brothers doesn't want Dan Radcliffe's good Potter image to be tarnished with Equus. We know that this is not true, as WB has been openly supportive of Dan's stage play ventures.
The other day, we showed you scans from the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly - they had new photos and a set report from Half-Blood Prince.EW has now posted the report on their website. There's lots to be learned in this report, including news about the opening sequence where Harry is "flirting with a waitress".
There's also a bit about the flashbacks:
Kloves was girding himself for a grind, but after writing an unwieldy draft that included almost every flashback, the scribe and the franchise's current auteur in residence, David Yates, changed course. ''We distilled the flashbacks down to three. We see Voldemort as a little boy, and then on two occasions we see him as a student. By doing that, we honor the spirit of what Jo [Rowling] had done but avoid getting stuck in narrative cul-de-sacs."
Today (August 16th), the actress who plays Luna Lovegood in the Potter films turns 17! A diehard Potter fan, readers may remember that Evanna was a frequent MuggleNet visitor and heard about the Luna Lovegood casting call through the site.
She is truly one of us, and how far she has come! Have a great one, Evanna!
Warner Brothers has passed along two high res pictures that appeared in this week's Entertainment Weekly, as seen in this report. Check 'em out below:- Young Tom Riddle sits in his room at the orphanage
- Snape, Narcissa, and Bellatrix
With an intro by Jim Dale and significant contributions from several activists and members of the fandom, this latest episode of the Harry Potter Alliance podcast is particularly informative and inspiring. It asks Harry Potter fans to help personify the theme of the 2008 Olympic Games by working on behalf of the people of Darfur, Tibet, and Burma despite the Chinese government's actions in those regions.As stated on the Harry Potter Alliance site, "We hope you find it empowering, educational, and inspiring as we ask for Harry Potter fans across the world to embrace the Olympic (and the TriWizard) ideal of 'One World, One Dream.'"
Check out the podcast in the iTunes store or listen to it directly here.
In similar news, the Harry Potter Alliance House Party Coordinator Dinah will be hosting her own HPA House Party tomorrow in Chico, California at noon. If you're in the area, stop by what is sure to be an incredible event!
The LA Times has a new article up highlighting how upset fans are at Warner Brother's decision to push back the release of Half-Blood Prince to July 17th, 2009. They spoke with WB president Alan Horn (pictured left) about the matter, who tried to come up with more reasoning:Warner currently is riding high with "The Dark Knight," the Batman film that also stars Bale. The grim super-hero movie has taken in $452 million in the U.S. since its July 18 release, making it the second-highest grossing film ever.
To some degree, that success motivated Warner to shift "Half-Blood Prince," Horn said. The film will now hit theaters the same midsummer weekend that "Dark Knight" was released this year. Horn said the young, core Potter audience would be out of school and give the film a longer theatrical life. It will now open opposite Universal's special-effects comedy "Land of the Lost," which stars Will Ferrell. But Horn said there was nothing next year compared to this summer's especially dense slate of big-budget releases.
The article wrapped up with this quote from Horn: "We would never do anything to hurt one of the movies or the series. We love our fans."
In case the nine new photos from Half-Blood Prince weren't enough for you yesterday, we now have an additional four that surfaced online at this blog. Check 'em out below:- Ron and Lavender Brown
- Harry and Ginny holding a discussion
- Harry and Dumbledore approaching Slughorn's house
- Bellatrix on a table in the Great Hall
If you were one of many people hoping to see Half-Blood Prince in IMAX on November 21st, the IMAX folks have some good news for you.You'll still have to wait until July 17th, 2009 for the new general opening, but it will be available in close to 100 theaters as opposed to just the 40 planned for November:
On the bright side, he noted that when "Harry Potter" does open next summer, it will appear in close to 100 of its new digital theaters, as opposed to about 40 estimated to be in operation by November. "It's a better revenue opportunity for us at that point," he said.
Richard Gelfond, the Co Chief Executive of IMAX, goes on to say that they only found out about the push back yesterday, and all of their other IMAX release plans for Summer '09 will stay unchanged.
On top of the new Half-Blood Prince photos we showed you earlier this evening, we now have scans from Entertaiment Weekly's Half-Blood Prince set report. It was published in the same article as the new photos. Check each page out at the links below:- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
Thanks to OhNoTheyDidn't on LiveJournal.
Note: Our Half-Blood Prince countdown has been updated with the new release date of the film. If you already have it embedded on your website, the changes should be updated automatically.
News of Half-Blood Prince being delayed until July got you down? Fear not, Potter fans! We have several new photos online that will leave you... well, still sad.Ironically, this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly has a fall movie preview - and guess who's on the cover? Check out the new scans below, including five new photos that surfaced online, unrelated to the EW article (thanks to Pipocacombo.com.br):
- Entertainment Weekly cover
- Opening article - side 1
- Opening article - side 2
- Snape, Narcissa, and Bellatrix
- Ginny arriving at the Slug Club
- Snape casts a spell as McGonagall and the trio observe
- Slughorn and Dumbledore
- Harry and Slughorn at Slughorn's party
- Bellatrix, probably at the attack on The Burrow
The popular entertainment magazine has just made a blog post about the Half-Blood Prince push back to July 17th, 2009.In it, they revealed that not only will Potter be on the cover of this week's issue of the magazine, but not everyone at WB was in-the-loop about the decision:
EW and Warner Bros. share a parent company, but they clearly do not share, you know, important friggin’ information.
A Warners publicist stressed that word about the rescheduling had only just come down today—which is most likely true, given that the Half-Blood teaser trailer is already in circulation. As of tomorrow, it will run with the new animated Star Wars movie, almost certainly still trumpeting a fall release date.
We're hoping that the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly has a new picture from Half-Blood Price, since it will be featured on the cover. We'll show you what it looks like once we get it!
Warner Brothers has just announced that Half-Blood Prince will be delayed. The film will instead be released on July 17th, 2009. From the press release:In making the announcement, Mr. Horn stated, “Our reasons for shifting ‘Half-Blood Prince’ to summer are twofold: we know the summer season is an ideal window for a family tent pole release, as proven by the success of our last Harry Potter film, which is the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first installment. Additionally, like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers’ strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films—changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of. We agreed the best strategy was to move ‘Half-Blood Prince’ to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer.”
Read the full release at the link below.
The Half-Blood Prince film and video game are quickly approaching their November releases, and another preview of the game is now online! This one is about the Nintendo DS version, courtesy of IGN:Most of the Hogwarts school is represented in an isometric world. Players control Harry and can explore the grounds of the wizarding school. Numerous students litter the halls and courtyards, offering friendly challenges.
The first portion of the game we tried was the Wizard Duel. Players face off in one on one magic fights with fellow students. Players use the touch screen to attack and defend. The touch screen is split into two sides to switch between attack spells and defense spells.
Read the full report here!
Jo Rowling's website has been updated to wish Ginny Weasley a happy birthday for August 11th. Have a great one, Ginny! Posted by Ciaran on Aug 11th | comments disabled | Link | Categories: Character Birthdays, JKRowling.com
IOACentral has a new report up from Universal Studios in Florida, where the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park is currently being constructed.New outside the upcoming park's perimeter is a proclamation decree similar to those seen in Order of the Phoenix. The sign states that magic is "at work" and they appreciate everyone's patience.
You can see all of the pictures at IOA Central. Thanks to Snitch Seeker for the tip!
Many release dates for the sixth Potter film, Half-Blood Prince, have just been posted on the official Harry Potter website.Thanks to everyone who emailed!
A couple weeks ago, we told you about a set of Half-Blood Prince trading cards being given away at Comic Con 2008. The nine cards had all-new photos from Half-Blood Prince that we haven't seen before.Confession time: I won the auction before posting it on MuggleNet to be sure that we had them to make high quality scans. Sure enough, the cards arrived yesterday and they're now available in great quality for your viewing pleasure:
- Draco looking onward.
- Dumbledore startled why holding a memory.
- Molly and Arthur Weasley startled outside The Burrow.
- Harry and Ron in a corridor.
- Harry and Hermione having a talk.
- Harry and Slughorn.
- Tonks, Molly, Arthur, and Lupin.
- Young Dumbledore.
- Young Dumbledore in conversation.
- The back of each card, saying a set of 90 cards will be released this November.
This week's episode of our Harry Potter podcast is now available, including a special interview with Stephenie Meyer, the author of the Twilight saga.The Saga was just completed last Friday when the fourth novel, Breaking Dawn was released. Credited for gaining an audience and fandom that has her closer than anyone else to Potter's popularity, Stephenie talks about the differences and similarities between the two tales. And a question we all need an answer to... Who would win in a fight: Edward Cullen or Harry Potter? Also on this week's episode:
- We discuss the news of Beedle the Bard being published.
- Will there be midnight release parties?
- Listener Rebuttals address last week's hot topics.
- This Week in MuggleCast History, Make the Music Connection, and Chicken Soup.
To download for free, we recommend subscribing through Apple iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser. Enjoy!
Back in June, we told you about the prequel that JK Rowling wrote to support Waterstone's "What's Your Story" charity auction. Jo's story sold to the winning bidder for nearly $50,000Today, the postcard book that includes stories from Jo and 12 other authors went on sale to the general public. Lo and behold, The Telegraph is reporting that 10,000 copies went on sale at Waterstone's stores, and 10,000 copies were sold by the end of the day! From the article:
"Fans have been desperate to own this limited edition piece of Harry Potter history," said Toby Bourne, Waterstone's head of children's buying. "Pre-orders flooded in from all over the world. Demand was so big that we stopped taking pre-orders to ensure customers had a chance to buy the book in stores."
If you want to catch the recently released Half-Blood Prince teaser trailer on the big screen, you'll be happy to know that there are a couple of films to see it with.As we told you when the teaser was announced, it is currently playing in front of The Mummy. A few MuggleNet readers have also told us that the trailer is playing with Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
Readers have also been telling us that it hasn't appeared in front of The Mummy in a few theaters. We recommend that if you're going to see a film just for the teaser, check with the theater ahead of time. Thanks to those who e-mailed in with the tip!
The Broadway production of Equus is quickly approaching (with performances beginning in September), and we've just been told by the production company that rehearsals will commence in just a few days! As most of you know, Equus on Broadway stars Dan Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Richard Griffiths (Uncle Vernon).We'd like to remind everyone that the link to the Equus on Broadway site can be found right here, and you can go here to purchase tickets for a showing.
Posted by Andrew on Aug 5th | comments disabled | Link | Categories: Dan Radcliffe, Richard Griffiths
As mentioned on Episode 155, over the next three weeks, MuggleCast will be teaming up with Teddy Bears For Hope, a nonprofit organization that provides teddy bears to children affected by homelessness, disease, and neglect. It's time for the show and its fans to help give back to those who really need it. Go here to learn about this great charity and how you can make a difference.
The Potter fandom has always prided itself on rallying around great causes. No amount is too small and all funds go directly towards providing children with hope for the future, through the comfort and security of a brand new teddy bear.
Teddy Bears for Hope is a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity.
As we told you yesterday, the book that was previously only given to six people, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, will be published on December 4th with all royalties being donated to Children's High Level Group charity. Scholastic has provided some new information on what the book contains, some of which can be seen below:"[Dumbledore] reveals not just his vast knowledge of Wizarding lore, but also more of his personal qualities: his sense of humor, his courage, his pride in his abilities, and his hard-won wisdom. Names familiar from the Harry Potter novels sprinkle the pages, including Aberforth Dumbledore, Lucius Malfoy and his forebears, and Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (or 'Nearly Headless Nick'), as well as other professors at Hogwarts and the past owners of the Elder Wand."
The Harry Potter Alliance is asking Harry Potter fans around the world to celebrate this year’s Olympics motto, “One World, One Dream.” The Alliance likens the Olympics to the TriWizard Tournament in that “both are ancient athletic competitions designed to bring about international cooperation,” though this ideal was “hijacked by Lord Voldemort” during the TriWizard Tournament – and “we don’t want that happening in our world.”As the 2008 Olympic Games are being hosted by China (whose government is actively funding the genocide in Darfur, the military regime in Burma, and several other equally horrific ventures across the globe), the HP Alliance is asking everyone to come together to truly stand for the “One World, One Dream” ideal and “not allow it to become an empty phrase of propaganda like Grindelwald’s ‘For the Greater Good.’”
As part of this, the Alliance is asking you to host and/or attend a Harry Potter Alliance house party! All the tools you need to host a house party are available on the Harry Potter Alliance website.
Andrew Slack of the HP Alliance writes, “We think this is going to be a really fun way to take action on behalf of our world. We’ve even divided what you can do into Three Tasks! Together we can apply the message that we’ve learned from Harry Potter, in these dark and difficult times, do what’s right over what’s easy, and have fun as we celebrate Harry Potter and the authentic ideal of One World, One Dream!”
For more information, check out the House Parties page on the HP Alliance website, and if you’re interested in hosting a house party or would like to find one in your area, please email Dinah at houseparties@thehpalliance.org!
In celebration of Harry Potter's birthday, the official Potter store, Warner Bros. shop, is offering 15% off every item they sell. No coupon necessary, just shop and save. Hurry, though: offer expires at midnight August 4th.Simply click here to visit the store.
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