NBC’s The Today Show recently ran a preview of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Theme Park, which you can see here in our video galleries. Also, the show is running a contest for a class trip to the amusement park: Teachers can visit the Today Show’s Web site, fill out a form, and submit a video/DVD submission answering the question, “Why is my class extraordinary”? Winners get a two-night trip to the park and will participate in grand opening celebrations. Entries are due by 5 p.m. on March 26 and winners will be announced on the show.
Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) gave a new interview to Dermot O’Leary’s show on BBC Radio 2 on Saturday, in which he discussed finishing Potter and his role in “Green Zone.” Confirming that he’d wrapped, Isaacs said, “hopefully there’ll be some publicity and I can get the wig back on again.” The actor revealed that he and director David Yates had been discussing how to end Lucius’ story in the film:
One day I came up with this [idea for how to end Lucius' story] and [Yates] said, “that’s it, that would be great.” We shot some particular bit but I still had months left to film and I went to the trailer and took all my gear off and the First Assistant who came to see me went, “Jason, we’re just looking at the schedule and we realised that actually we don’t need you now” [...] And I said, “Why?” and he said, “well that thing you just decided to do means you’re not in that scene, or that scene, or that scene. And I went, “Argh! I’ve changed my mind! It was a terrible mistake, get everybody back!” So I had to say goodbye to it, but it was a magnificent run.
Isaacs went on to compare Potter to his other acting projects and discussed his motivations behind acting.
I know it sounds pretty ungrateful, but I don’t do this job for anybody who watches it, I just love the process of it. I like the research, I like the process of being around people, the community spirit of it. With Potter, it’s different. The end result and the pleasure it gives to people just goes on forever, it’s kind of the opposite of herpes. It’s the gift that really does keep on giving, Potter. I meet people and I don’t have to do anything. I just have to breathe and exist in the room and it gives them pleasure.
The actor described Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) as “really fine, grounded humble young people, which is pretty extraordinary considering they’re the most famous young people on the planet.” Isaacs also talked about the older actors he has worked with whilst making the Harry Potter films and referred to the call sheets he’s saved, saying, “I look at the call sheets and it’s got Michael Gambon and Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman and Gary Oldman on it and I go, ‘my name’s on the same piece of paper!’”
The interview also covered Tom Felton’s mailbag, a comparison of running in London’s Hampstead Heath and Los Angeles’ Runyon Canyon along with a lengthy discussion of Isaacs’ latest role in “Green Zone.” The Lucius Malfoy actor described the process of acting without a set script as a, “joy: the freedom that comes with that, the sense of spontaneity.”
You can find the interview on the BBC iPlayer at this link; it starts at 2:04 hours in.
Thanks to SnitchSeeker for the heads up!
Many happy returns to Sean Biggerstaff, who is today celebrating his 27th birthday! The actor, who plays Oliver Wood in the Harry Potter films, will next appear in “Hippie Hippie Shake.” The film also stars Sienna Miller and Cillian Murphy and will be released on the 21st of May in the U.K. Happy birthday, Sean!
This week, the actors from the Harry Potter films have been getting involved with all sorts of new projects in film and theatre. Starting on the 17th of March, Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort) will be filming “Coriolanus” in Belgrade, Serbia. Reuters reports that the actor, who is directing the adaptation of the Shakespeare tragedy, also stars in the leading role of Coriolanus, “a Roman general who betrays his native city Rome and allies with his sworn enemy Tullus Aufidius for revenge.” Fiennes discussed the loss of funding that made filming a “challenge” and the choice of Belgrade in the Reuters interview which you can find at this link.
Robert Pattinson (Cedric Diggory) can be seen in the trailer for “Eclipse,” the third film in the “Twilight” saga. You can watch the trailer here on YouTube. As the trailer notes, “Eclipse” will be released on the 30th of June this year. In related news, a number of reviews have surfaced of the film “Remember Me,” in which Pattinson stars in a leading role and which was released in the U.S. and a number of other countries on Friday. Examiner reports that the low-budget film has already taken over $8.3 million in the U.S. box offices. The U.K. release date for “Remember Me” is the 2nd of April.
Actress Emma Thompson (Professor Trelawney) has been busy promoting the sequel to 2005 film “Nanny McPhee,” titled “Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang.” The film, which stars Thompson, Rhys Ifans (Xenophillius Lovegood), Maggie Gyllenhaal and Dame Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall) will be released on the 26th of March. Scotland’s Daily Record interviewed Thompson about “Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang,” which the actress began writing while the first film was still in production. You can find the full interview on the Daily Record website via this link. Photos from Thompson’s recent Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang book signing in London Piccadilly’s Waterstones can be found here in our galleries. The Sun has a clip of Dame Maggie Smith playing Mrs. Docherty opposite Maggie
Gyllenhaal in the new “Nanny McPhee” film, which you can find by following this link to The Sun website.
Finally, it is rumoured that Dustin Hoffman will direct a BBC Films comedy called “Quartet” starring Dame Maggie Smith. FirstShowing.net reports that Hoffman will replace Richard Loncraine as the director of the comedy about four retired opera singers. Also starring are Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay.
Please join all of us at Leaky in wishing Harry Melling a very happy birthday. The actor, who portrays Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films, is today celebrating his 21st birthday. Many happy returns!
HPEF has announced today that actor Christian Coulson, who portrayed the character of Tom Riddle in the ”Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” film, will be appearing at the upcoming Harry Potter fan conference, Infinitus 2010, in Orlando, Florida. Taking part in many events over the weekend, the official website forum notes:
Christian will be at Infinitus throughout the weekend, including a Q&A session open to all Infinitus registrants on Saturday, July 17 (time TBA) and will join with Chris Rankin in hosting a dessert event on Saturday from 7:30 until 8:45 PM. Tickets can be purchased by anyone holding a full registration, a Merlin’s Circle registration or a Saturday registration, and only 100 tickets are available! Enjoy a chocolate fountain and mounds of other sweets, plus coffee, tea and lemonade, while participating in a Q&A with, and enjoying table visits from, Chris and Christian. Tickets are $65 through April 1, and go up to $75 through June 30. If tickets are available at the door, they will cost $100 each.
In addition, Christian will be participating in many more events at Infinitus, including autograph and photograph sessions on Saturday; there will be no charge for autographs if you bring your own copy of Chamber of Secrets, and your pass to have your photo taken with Christian photographs will be available for purchase on-line for $30 through May 1, and for $40 at the door. More details will be announced in the near future.
An announcement has been made via the Team StarKid Twitter page regarding the debut of the followup to last summer’s “A Very Potter Musical,” “A Very Potter Sequel.” The sequel will be performed live for the first time May 14th through the 16th in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where the original YouTube sensation originated. An accompanying YouTube video notes that the taped version of the musical performance will premiere at Infinitus 2010, the Harry Potter convention taking place this July in Orlando, Florida. The StarKid team will also participate in a panel, and perform selections from both musicals.
Thanks to those who mailed!
Variety is reporting that ABC Family will air “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” in late 2011. Ken Werner of Warner Bros. is quoted in the article, saying, “[feature] films are an integral part of the formula for a successful cable service, and ABC Family has created a terrific destination where Warner Bros. movies have thrived.” ABC Family holds the rights to the first six Harry Potter films, as well as to a number of newer films, including “The Blind Side” and “Alice in Wonderland,” which will be aired in 2012. “Alice in Wonderland” stars a number of Harry Potter actors including Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) and the narrator of the British Harry Potter audiobooks, Stephen Fry.
Many thanks to Lily for emailing in!
NBC Universal has passed along a high-res photo of the Hogwarts Express from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. A full description can be read below:
“The Hogwarts Express arrives at Hogsmeade Station as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter continues to develop at Universal Orlando Resort. As guests enter Hogsmeade, they will be greeted by the iconic, smoke-billowing steam engine, made famous in the Harry Potter books and films for transporting students to a world of magic and wonder. Opening in Spring 2010 only at Universal Orlando Resort, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will feature multiple themed attractions, shops and a restaurant.”
We'll be getting an inside look at the making of Universal Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park in just three months.
NBC has announced that they'll be airing a “Making of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” special on Sunday, June 6th.
No details about the special have been announced. The Hollywood Reporter only says it is “a sneak peak”.
We'll have more details if any are announced. We'll also remind you about its airing in June!
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