Rupert Grint 'was ready to leave Potter'

Ruper Grint has admitted that he was ready to finish the Harry Potter series.

The cast recently completed shooting the final two-part instalment Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows and Grint told Entertainment Weekly that it felt like the right time to leave Ron Weasley behind.

"I'm ready to kind of move on now, I think," he said during an on-set interview.

"This film is a great way to finish the whole era, and it's going to be sad, because obviously all my friends are here, but ten years is enough."

Grint's co-star Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) was also on set as the cast filmed scenes in the Room of Requirement after the pair have just destroyed a Horcrux and faced a 'Voldermort-shaped tsunami'.

A wet Watson admitted that she had not been enjoying the recent shoot, saying: "It's been this way for weeks."

She continued: "I hate to sound whiny but it's horrible. It's miserable being wet all the time. But you know, I was told it will look very dramatic when you see the films, so it will be worth it."

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part One will be released in November.

More New Deathly Hallows promotional images

Two new images from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 have been released online. One image shows Harry with the infamous golden snitch, whilst the other shows a bruised and haunted-looking Hermione:

Deathly Hallows Horcruxes & Hallows props from Comic-Con

Nerd alert time: a few rather new props from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows are on display at this weekend's Comic-Con, including shiny Horcruxes and Deathly Hallows.

Emma Watson has finally joined Twitter

Daniel Radcliffe to star in supernatural thriller "The Woman in Black"

Dan Radcliffe's reps just confirmed that he's set to star in the supernatural thriller, "The Woman in Black".

When a friendless old widow dies in the seaside town of Crythin, a young solicitor is sent by his firm to settle the estate. The lawyer finds the townspeople reluctant to talk about or go near the woman's dreary home and no one will explain or even acknowledge the menacing woman in black he keeps seeing. Ignoring the towns-people's cryptic warnings, he goes to the house where he discovers its horrible history and becomes ensnared in its even more horrible legacy.

Hammer Films is set to begin production on a 3D film adaption of the book this fall.

Exclusive New look at the Deathly Hallows.

OFFICIAL DEATHLY HALLOWS POSTER!

Check it out!

Warner Brothers has released the one-sheet for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1.

It depicts Hogwarts in absolute shambles and includes the headline "It All Ends Here".

Do you like this poster? It's mighty depressing!

Harry Potter VS Twilight

I'm so sick of everyone saying Twilight is better than Harry Potter or Harry Potter is better than Twilight. Which one is seriously the best?
—Ariel, via the A.B. inbox

I have an answer. A definitive, once-and-for-all, never-ever-seriously-ever-to-be-questioned answer. Not just an opinion, but a scientific, quantifiable, fact-based answer to the question: Which is better, Twilight or Harry Potter?

And here it is:

Let's break this down into areas of dominance. And let's also start with some numbers, because, as we know, numbers cannot lie.

Movies—The Critics
Advantage: Harry Potter

Without a doubt, critical reception for the Harry Potter franchise—both books and films—has been much kinder compared with Twilight.

If you look at Rotten Tomatoes, for example, which aggregates movie reviews, you'll see that every single Potter film has gotten generally "fresh," or positive, feedback. No film has garnered less than 77 percent; the highest aggregation is for Prisoner of Azkaban, which earned a very fresh 89 percent.

Not so the two Twilight films we have so far, which have both been condemned as quite rotten. Numbers. Science.

Movies—The Box Office
Advantage: Harry Potter

Analyzing that may not seem entirely fair. After all, we have only two Twi films—with the third opening this week—and five Potters.

But on average, the Harry Potter films do have an edge when it comes to revenue. Twilight grossed about $400 million around the world. In their sophomore story, New Moon, the people of Forks have grossed roughly $700 million. That's real nice, until you see that the Harry Potter films are, on average, hovering closer to $1 billion.

That's a lot of gold over at Gringott's.

The Books
Advantage: Harry Potter

As for the books, well, let's single out one Potter book as an example. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has received no reader reviews below four stars on Amazon. Zero. None.

But Twilight has garnered plenty of negative reviews from readers and critics alike. The reason? I have my own theories (including an insipid doormat of a heroine and writing that falls somewhere between a junior high school problem solving bowl and Twitter) but that's neither here nor there.

Sales are no less telling. Per Wikipedia, the Harry Potter series has outsold the Twilight series by something like 4 to 1. That's 400 million copies vs. an estimated 100 million, that is. Yes, the Potter series has more books, but still, it's a very big margin.

Theme Parks
Advantage: Harry Potter

Does Twilight have a theme park? No. No it does not.

The Stars
Advantage: Twilight

Certainly we'd be remiss if we ignored the popularity of the actors in each franchise, and the characters they play. Kristen Stewart continues to hold the No. 1 position on the IMDB Starmeter, vs. the easily-just-as-talented but less-high-profile threesome over at Hogwarts.

And even though Robert Pattinson showed up in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire before his pale and sparkly days, Twilight has made him an undeniable and unrivaled 21st century heartthrob. No two ways around that.

To my knowledge, also, there really isn't much of a market in Team Harry vs. Team Draco T-shirts.

The Verdict
Harry Potter is better.

Our cousins over at Fandango ran a poll on this very topic, too. The question: Which series had the more lasting impact on pop culture, Twilight or Harry Potter? Potter beat out Twilight—by a ratio of about 60 to 40.

Which backs up my numbers, too. The critics, the book sales, the box office, it all points in one direction.

So, which franchise is better? Looks like it's pretty clear who deserves the Quidditch Cup.

SOURCE

Daniel Radcliffe Continues to Support The Trevor Project

In a statement made today on their website, The Trevor Project has announced that Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has once again teamed up with them to promote awareness for crisis and suicide prevention for LGBSTQ youth. Daniel taped his first PSA for the organization a few months ago, which can be seen below. Of the new campaign, The Trevor Project released the following statement:

Daniel Radcliffe, an ardent supporter of The Trevor Project, has teamed up with the organization once again to raise awareness about its important, lifesaving mission. Through a strategic partnership with SocialVibe.com, a social media utility empowering individuals to make a positive, measurable impact for charities by completing branded activities, Daniel will be showing his support through a special taped message to be released in the coming months. The Trevor Project is grateful for Daniel’s continued support of its vital programs and his commitment to raising awareness about its mission.

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth; their services include the only accredited, nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth. More information can be found on their website at www.TheTrevorProject.org



Credit: hollywoodnews

Daniel Radcliffe at the Tony Awards

He rose to worldwide fame as the magical Harry Potter, but now Daniel Radcliffe has close that chapter of his life on the set.

Filming for the final installment of the “Harry Potter” story has finally wrapped, and according to Radcliffe it was a sad moment for all.

Following his last day on the “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” set, Daniel told press, “Everyone was really devastated. It was really, really sad. We’re crying quite a lot.”

He continued, "Everything [about the films] is so linked to my life. At the same time, it is exciting. It is the end."

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Teaser Trailer

Emma Watson answers Fan Questions

JK Rowling Reads Harry Potter At White House Egg Roll

Hogwarts Burns Down; Voldemort Rejoices

A fire broke out at the London-set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at Leavesden Studios on Friday night.

Those of you who haven’t read the book might not want to read the following, as it reveals details about the film’s climactic sequence (note: I’m sure the trailers for the final film will show some of this sequence, but I’m playing it safe).

The fire occurred while the production was filming the climatic battle for the last Harry Potter film. The Battle of Hotwarts sequence involves Harry Potter and an army of students defend the wizarding school from evil wizard Voldemort. The big battle required a lot of pyrotechnics and explosions, and “a mocked-up castle made of timber, steel and plastic” caught fire.

A source told the Conventry Telegraph that they “were shooting the scenes where Hogwarts gets blown up during the battle” but the “fire managed to catch hold of the set and it went up in flames. It was completely out of control at one point.”

Watford firefighters were called to help with the fire, and it took a reported 40-minutes to put out the blaze. The exterior Hogwarts castle set was said to be almost completely destroyed. It is unclear if the set was a scale miniature or just a section of the castle’s exterior. None of the main cast were on set as it was a special effects shoot. About 100 crew members and some cast escaped without injury. One source estimated damage at £100,000.


Source

Explosion on Harry Potter set

A fire broke out at the set of the latest Harry Potter film at Leavesden Studios when a mock batttle got out of control.

Watford firefighters were called to an outdoor film set at about 9pm to deal with a blaze in a mocked up castle.

Watch commander Tony Smith said:

"I think they are filming some stunts for the last scene. There is a big battle scene involving a lot of pyrotechnics and explosions. There is a mocked up castle made of timber, steel and plastic - somehow it caught alight. By the time we got there the on-site fire crew had it pretty well under control - they did a good job. We just helped damp it down and inspected the area. I didn't see any cast - but there were about 100 crew, who were all evacuated to a marshalling are. They didn't seem too concerned. It's hard to say how much damage was caused, because some of it may have been planned as part of the filming. Perhaps they got much better footage than they expected."

SOURCE

Deathly Hallows Details...

Warner Bros.' The Big Picture presentation at ShoWest 2010 ended with some of the first footage ever shown for David Yates' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, showing clips presumably from both parts of the final chapter. This isn't a fully detailed recap, just what we could remember and having not yet read the book, this writer didn't have a lot of context for what he was watching on screen but it still looked pretty fantastic.


The footage opened with Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort in a clearing followed closely by his Death Eaters. Being unfinished footage, Fiennes still had dots on his face and there were placement dots for later FX, but soon, they meet up with Harry Potter and Voldemort snarls, "Harry Potter... Come to die."

That sets up the footage which makes it clear that the last two movies are going to be about the final showdown between the two long-time nemeses, and much of what we saw involved Voldemort plotting with his Death Eaters how he was going to capture Harry Potter and how he wants to be the one to kill him when they do.

The Ministry of Magic is clearly falling apart and they seem to be after our heroes as well, but as someone who hasn't read the book, it wasn't clear whether the Ministry were working with Voldemort to catch Harry or whether they had their own agenda. One scene shows multiple Harry Potters, and we see a bit of Bill Nighy as Rufus Scrimgeour, looking very fierce, as well as quite a lot of Helena Bonham Carter's Bellatrix Lestrange acting suitably crazy as she interacts with the kids after they've been captured and are being brought to the Death Eaters safe house.

There was some footage of the trio running through the Forbidden Forest being chased by something, a quick anamatic of the giants smashing up some building (Hogwarts?) with their clubs, and footage of the kids being chased by a dragon. Another unfinished scene showed Hagrid on a flying motorbike that was rocketing through the side alongside what looked like Hermione and other Hogwarts denizens on broomsticks, as well as others riding Thestrals (those flying horses), seemingly being chased by a flying Voldemort or another Death Eater. With all of this happening, the friendship is also having trouble withstanding all of the strain, and in one scene, we see Harry and Ron really going at it, even more than we've seen them arguing in the past.

The footage ended with what might be the final confrontation with Voldemort as he asks Harry, "Why do you still live?" to which he gets the response, "Because I have something to live for."

We'll see how much of this footage ends up in the trailer for Part 1 which we expect to be held until sometime in the summer, but even with the amount of unfinished footage shown, it looks absolutely spectacular. Davids Heyman and Yates are clearly creating an unforgettable finale as promised and the two movies look like they'll have a lot more action and excitement than "Half-Blood Prince," which is feeling more and more like an intermediary film in the series. One probably shouldn't expect too much humor this time from what we saw either, because it looks like the last two chapters might be even more dark and serious than anything that they've done in previous installments.

The first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows opens on November 19, followed by Part 2 on July 15, 2011.

SOURCE

DANIEL RADCLIFFE spent two days in hospital with a severe bout of food poisoning.

The 20-year-old star was treated for dehydration in New York after picking up the stomach bug on his way there last week.

He had flown out to support the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention charity for gay and transgender youth.

Daniel jetted back to London yesterday and one passenger said: "He looked as white as a sheet.

"He said he felt like he was going to die and had spent most of his time on the toilet."



SOURCE


Get well Dan!!

Dates finally confirmed for Harry Potter Park

Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Updated: Thursday, 18 Feb 2010, 7:44 PM EST
Published : Thursday, 18 Feb 2010, 7:42 PM EST

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - While an official opening date has not been announced by Universal Orlando, it appears the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be accessible to guests through special vacation packages as of May 28.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Vacation Package includes a 4-night hotel stay and admission to Universal Studios parks starting at $285 per adult, or $829 for a family of four, at a hotel near the park, according to a release sent to FOX 35. Early park admission, meals and Express Access passes are also included.

For more information about the exclusive vacation package, visit Universal Orlando's website .

SOURCE

Emma Watson's $30 Million For Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 Leaves Her As The Highest Paid Actress In The World

Last year was a big one for Emma Watson.

She had her final teenage birthday, she started university - and she managed to become the highest paid female star in Hollywood.



The Harry Potter actress, 19, is said to have banked more in 2009 than established stars such as Cameron Diaz, Angelina Jolie and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Her income was put at £20million in the table of Hollywood's top 40 earners compiled by Vanity Fair magazine.

She came 14th overall - and is the youngest person, male or female, to appear.

The magazine said her fee for appearing as Hermione in the final two parts of the Harry Potter series, The Deathly Hallows I and II, was £10million for each film.

Her Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe fared even better and was placed sixth overall with an income of £25.6million.

Incredibly, the 20-year-old was the highest paid actor on the list, with the top five places all occupied by directors.

The magazine, which compiled its figures from various Hollywood sources, said Radcliffe pulled in £25million for his role in the final two Potter films.

He earned a further £600,000 in royalties from Harry Potter merchandise.

Radcliffe, who has used some of his earnings to build up a property portfolio in the UK and U.S., earned more than Johnny Depp and Robert De Niro.

The list was topped by director Michael
Bay who made the Transformers films.

His income was put at £78.12million with Steven Spielberg second with £ 53.1million.

James Cameron, the director and producer of Avatar, was fourth with £31.25million.

Radcliffe and Miss Watson's Harry Potter co-star Rupert Grint made it on to the list at No 15, with £20million.

Twilight star Robert Pattinson earned £11.25million to reach No 38, two places above Brad Pitt.

Hollywood's top male earners in 2009:

1. Michael Bay, producer-director ($125 million)

2. Steven Spielberg, producer-director ($85 million)

3. Roland Emmerich, producer-director ($70 million)

4. James Cameron, producer-director ($50 million)

5. Todd Phillips, director ($44 million)

6. Daniel Radcliffe, actor ($41 million)

7. Ben Stiller, actor ($40 million)

8. Tom Hanks, actor ($36 million)

9. J. J. Abrams, producer-director ($36 million)

10. Jerry Bruckheimer, producer ($35.5 million)


Hollywood's top female earners in 2009:

1. Emma Watson, actress ($30million)

2. Cameron Diaz, actress ($27million)

3. Sarah Jessica Parker, actress ($24million)

4. Katherine Heigl, actress ($24million)

5. Reese Witherspoon, actress ($21million)

6. Angelina Jolie, actress ($21million)

7. Jennifer Aniston, actress ($20million)

8. Sandra Bullock, actress ($20million)

9. Kristen Stewart , actress ($16million)

SOURCEe

Rumors/Facts about the Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

Nearby, a shopping area called Hogsmeade Village, created to look exactly like the village described in the book, will contain shops and restaurants.

Guests likely won't realize that two older roller coasters will also be part of the Harry Potter magic. The old Flying Unicorn family coaster becomes Flight of the Hippogriff. The twin Dueling Dragons coaster is being repainted and re-themed into Dragon Challenge.
"Rumor is that the spot where the sacred book sat in Dueling Dragons, they are going to have movie props and the real Goblet of Fire from the movies," Yates says.

Rumor: There is going to be snow.

Fact: The chatter could be all wet, but park watchers say they heard that a company was contracted to create "real snow in piles that don't melt" in the village, says Yates. A Universal spokeswoman declined to comment on the snow rumor but didn't discount it.

Rumor: There's going to be a real post office, and owls (maybe real, maybe animatronic) will take your mail.

Fact: Universal confirms there will be a post office with an owl theme and a Hogsmeade postmark. Its front window will feature a loud-talking Howler, which in the book is a bad-tempered red envelope that explodes if you don't open it. Sadly, trained owls won't be swooping down and taking the mail for real.

Rumor: Once Harry Potter opens, it will be hard to get a ticket because Universal will be so crowded.

Fact: Universal won't comment on expected crowd levels, but park watchers expect a crush the first few months.
"There will be Disney fans who want to see what the excitement is about, but the vast majority are millions of Harry Potter fans, who are going to make a pilgrimage for this, to see how they brought the books to life," Yates says. "You are going to have to expect really long lines all over the park."

Rumor: You'll be able to eat and drink items Harry had in the books and buy Harry products.

Fact: It's true. You'll be able to drink pumpkin juice and butterbeer, buy Quidditch equipment and Remembralls.


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