Harry Potter world coming to Japan

TOKYO: Fans in Japan of boy wizard Harry Potter will soon be able to explore the magical world of Hogwarts when Universal Studios Japan expands its theme park with a half-billion dollar investment.

The company is going to boost the footprint of its park in Osaka, western Japan, by one fifth, with an area devoted to the Harry Potter phenomenon that is slated for opening in 2014, a spokesman said Thursday.

"We will build several attractions, including a school for wizards," he said.

James and Oliver Phelps, who played the Weasley Twins in the Harry Potter movies, will be on hand later Thursday for the official unveiling of the plan, the spokesman said.

The blockbuster series has been a huge success in Japan, sparking long queues of costume-clad fans at bookstores every time the Japanese translation of a new novel was released.

Cinematic releases of each instalment have also proved wildly popular.

The operator of Universal Studios Japan, which opened in 2001, is a private firm licensed by the US Universal group.

It has attractions featuring Sesame Street, Peter Pan's Neverland, and the Land of Oz, among others. (AFP)

Harry Potter finale crosses $1 billion mark

The boy wizard is going out with a bang as 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2,' the eighth and final movie in the series, has surpassed $1 billion in worldwide sales.

The ninth film to reach the billionaire club, it now ranks along with box office sales for movies such as "Titanic" and "Avatar," Warner Bros. Pictures said in a statement Sunday.

It also tied the record for the fastest climb -- after its July 15 release, it soared to $1 billion on Sunday. The meteoric rise is among other records broken by Potter, including highest one-day ticket sales ($92.1 million) and midnight premier sales ($43.5 million).

The film has now earned an estimated $318.46 million domestically and an estimated $690 million on the international side, according to Warner.

"To say that the global response to the film has been extraordinary would be an understatement. We are so proud that this last film in the series has not only reached such heights but has reached them in record time. It is now Warner Bros.' most successful release ever," said Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, Warner's president of international distribution.

In the finale, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson reprise their roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger as the now young-adult wizards band together in a battle of good versus evil in the wizard world.

The movies are based on J.K. Rowling's series of novels about the adventures of the orphan Potter, who discovers he has magical powers. The books are a global phenomenon and available in 69 languages.

Over the weekend "Deathly Hallows" was fourth in North American box office ticket sales, with "Cowboys & Aliens" taking the number one spot in its debut and raking in $36.4 million.

"The Smurfs" also had a big debut weekend as it landed in the second spot with $35.6 million followed by "Captain America: The First Avenger" in third with $25.5 million. (AFP)

Potter smashes Aussie box office record

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 has taken more than seven million dollars on its opening day, smashing Australian box office records.

The eighth and final movie based on JK Rowling's seven hugely successful books raked in $7,029,487 across the country on Wednesday, almost two million dollars more than the previous record set in 2003 by The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King.

The film opened on 753 screens, the widest number in Australian history.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows part 2 premiere

PARIS: The grand French premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II took place at the Palais Omnisports in Paris Bercy on Tuesday, a day before the film's release in the country.

More than eight thousand fans Harry Potter, majority of them youth, participated in the premier.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,” is the final adventure in the Harry Potter film series. The much-anticipated motion picture event is the second of two full-length parts.

In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. This is where it all ends.

Potter fans spellbound by London world premiere

LONDON: Excitement reached fever pitch in central London Thursday as thousands of spellbound Harry Potter fans queued to bag a prime spot for the world premiere of the final film in the epic saga.

Stars of the movie series were to grace the red carpet launch one last time for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2", the action-packed finale to one of the most successful film franchises of all time.

The film sees boy wizard Potter take on the evil Lord Voldemort in a climactic showdown, the second of two films based on the seventh and final Potter book by British author J. K. Rowling.

Fans from around the world have slept out in London's Trafalgar Square for more than six days, desperate to catch a last glimpse of the stars together as they walk the red carpet.

Some were dressed in sorcerer's capes, while others waved magic wands or were disguised as their favourite characters.

Despite the excitement, some fans were sad to see the end of the Potter dream.

Author Rowling laid down her pen -- and Harry's magic wand -- when she completed the seventh book in 2007, but has yet to fully let go of the creation which the Sunday Times estimates has netted her #530 million.

Last month she unveiled an interactive website featuring new material about Potter's world, and announced that his adventures would be sold as e-books for the first time. (AFP)

Star trio facing life after Harry Potter

LONDON: The stars of the Harry Potter films each face the tricky task of forging a new career as the phenomenally successful series which has shaped their lives from an early age comes to an end.

Daniel Radcliffe has gone into musical comedy, Emma Watson into modelling and Rupert Grint into low-budget films, each seeking to make their name outside the eight films based on J. K. Rowling's novels about the boy wizard.

For 10 years, the British trio have grown up on screen, from pre-teenagers into young adults, in one of the most lucrative film series of all time.

But when the final curtain falls on Thursday in London with the world premiere of the eighth movie, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2", the magical world of wizardry and witchcraft they have inhabited for a decade will be history.

Grint said he was happy to say goodbye "in a way". "Though it's taken quite a while to get to that point," he said, admitting that when filming first ended "I had so much freedom at once, I didn't know what to do. I still don't."

Now, he said, he had mentally "closed the door" on his Potter career.

Grint has appeared in a handful of movies outside the Potter series, including "Comrade", a low-budget Norwegian anti-war film due out next year.

He said 10 years playing the same character was a long time and he "couldn't imagine" reprising the role.

Radcliffe, 21, is currently appearing in the lead role in the musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" on Broadway.

The main Potter actors have all earned a fortune -- Radcliffe #42 million ($67.5 million, 46.5 million euros), Watson #22 million and Grint #20 million, according to The Sunday Times newspaper's rich list.

Watson, 21, who plays Hermione Granger, celebrated the end of filming by having her hair cut short and began modelling and fashion work.

She has already featured on several magazine covers and is to appear in two forthcoming films, "My Week with Marilyn Lucy" and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower".

She spent 18 months at Brown University in Rhode Island but left in March. She is thought likely to resume her studies in Britain later this year.

David Barron, one of the film's producers, said Watson was a "star in waiting", while Radcliffe had "proved himself already", and Grint was a "very capable actor" who had far more than just "comedic genius".

David Yates, who directed the final four Potter films, said he thought the trio had the maturity to forge the right career paths. (AFP)  

Enjoy the pictures of Emma Watson at the NYC premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"

New Harry Potter website and e-books unveiled

Harry Potter creater JK Rowling Thursday unveiled an interactive website featuring new material about the boy wizard's world, while his adventures will also now be sold as e-books for the first time.

The multi-million-selling British author made the announcement at a press conference in London after days of fevered speculation about her new project, which had been shrouded in secrecy and rumour.

The free website, www.pottermore.com, will go live from July 31 for one million Potter fans who pass a special online challenge, and to the general public from October.

The seven e-books will be available through the website from October in partnership with Sony.

"It's a great way to get back to the Harry Potter readership," Rowling told reporters.

She said Potter fans will be able to register on the free website using one of the young sorcerers from the books as their online identity, then play games and interact with elements of the fictional world.

The site will also have previously unpublished material that she has written on the backgrounds to the characters and their lives at Hogwarts Academy, a fictional school for young wizards.

"I had more than half of the new material already written," Rowling said, adding that some of it had been "literally" dug out of boxes.

"I wanted to give something back to the fans that have followed Harry so devotedly over the years, and to bring the stories to a new digital generation," she said.

"I hope fans and those new to Harry will have as much fun helping to shape Pottermore as I have."
Rowling revealed that she had "no plans" to write another Harry Potter novel but said that a rumoured Potter encyclopaedia was a possibility.

The author laid down her pen -- and Harry's magic wand -- when she finished the seventh book in 2007, with a stunning record of 400 million copies of the series sold around the world.

She said, however, that she was unable to leave Harry Potter and his world behind.

"It is exactly like an ex-boyfriend," she said.

"I only cried like that when my mum died. It completely changed my life. It is impossible to overstate what Harry Potter meant to me. I adore my readers."

Next month sees the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," the final film in the epic saga, starring Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Emma Watson as Hermione Granger and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley (.AFP)

Trailer of final Harry Potter film released

LOS ANGELES: The first trailer of the final Harry Potter film, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2, has been released online. The film is set to be released in the UK on July 15 and will bring the series to a close.

The trailer shows footage from the film, plus video of the cast and crew talking about tying up the loose ends of JK Rowling's story.

Daniel Radcliffe, who plays lead role as Harry said: "The reason they're on this journey is much bigger than any of them and it's got to come to a head at some point."

"Something’s got to give. Harry's aware that this is going to be it, that the floodgates are open, and he’s going to have to be the one that deals with Voldemort. It’s gonna be fantastic!" he added.

The seventh and final of Rowling's novels has been split into two movies to allow producers to realise the scale of the story.

Daniel Radcliffe to get Trevor Award for preventing suicides among gays

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe will be honoured with the Trevor Hero Award, for his work to prevent suicide among gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth.

Radcliffe, 21, has worked closely with the Trevor Project over the past few years earning him the group’s Hero Award in a Big Apple ceremony in June.

“It’s fantastic,” the New York Daily News quoted Radcliffe as saying.

“The fact that they think of what I’ve done by promoting awareness of the Trevor Project itself and the issues that it works to promote and help is a great honour,” he stated.

Radcliffe, who has appeared in public service announcements for the group, was quick to point out that the real heroes were those involved in the organization’s day-to-day efforts to save lives.

“The people that are doing the heroic things are the people answering phones 24 hours a day in the Trevor call centres,” he said.

“I think this is absolutely one of the most important, if not the most important, thing that I’m associated with,” he added.

The Trevor Hero Award recognizes someone who serves as an inspiration to sexual minority youths.
The organization was founded in 1998 by filmmakers James Lecesne, Peggy Rajski and Randy Stone.
Their 1994 film, ‘Trevor’, about a gay 13-year-old boy who tried to commit suicide after his friends learned of his sexuality, won the Academy Award for Film Short.

'Prisoner of Azkaban' voted film of the decade by young fans

'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' has been named the film of the decade at the First Light Awards in London.

The prize, voted for by the public in association with the Bafta Kids'' Vote, was chosen by children aged five to 15.
The film was up against other films including ‘Shrek’, ‘Whale Rider’, ‘Happy Feet’ and ‘Up’.

Producer David Heyman said it was an "honour and a privilege" to receive the award at a ceremony at Odeon Leicester Square.
"It''s especially exciting and moving to be voted Film of the Decade by children aged five to 15,” the BBC quoted Heyman as saying.

"We made the film for children of all ages from from to 105 really, but clearly a core part of our audience is young people and to be honoured is a privilege," he added.

'Harry Potter And The Deathly...' highest global grosser

"Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1" has become the highest international grosser of "Harry Potter" franchise.

It has earned over USD 657 million at the world box office, reports contactmusic.com.

"It's tremendously gratifying to reach this benchmark as we enter the final stretch of this remarkable journey. We share this achievement with Jo Rowling, whose books are the foundation of this rich and vibrant world, as well as the talented people who brought her vision to life on the screen," Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, said in a statement.

Warner Bros. representative Veronika Kwan-Rubinek said: "These numbers speak to the phenomenal and enduring strength of this property, which has captivated audiences across all borders, regardless of age or culture."

The success of the franchise has also made actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint - who play Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley respectively - among Britain's richest young celebrities.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" will be the last of the historical "Harry Potter" franchise. It may hit the screens July 15.

Emma Watson to launch 'green' fashion line

'Harry Potter' star Emma Watson is busting into the high-fashion world, by collaborating with fashion house Alberta Ferreti to create an eco-friendly collection.

Watson, 20, is working on the 'Pure Threads' collection meant for "sensitive people, who want to be supportive of these kind of issues," the New York Post quoted Ferretti as telling WWD.

The designer said she was attracted to Watson because of her "freshness...spontaneity and simplicity."

"She is intelligent, with a strong personality, a young, modern girl," she said of the actress.

This is not Watson's first foray into the world of fashion; she modelled for Burberry's Autumn/Winter campaign in 2009 and appeared in their 2010 Spring/Summer campaign alongside her brother, Alex.

The British actress also began working as a creative adviser for People Tree, a fair trade fashion brand, in February 2010. Part of the proceeds of her Ferretti line will benefit People Tree.

"I'm pleased that a luxury brand such as Alberta Ferretti has decided to create ecological clothes," Watson said in a statement about her latest venture.

"I believe this is a big step forward for all of the international fashion industry, but also an important step for an increased sensitivity to the problem of ecology," she added.

Harry Potter, Broadway producers battle for Daniel Radcliffe

Actor Daniel Radcliffe's commitment to appear in a Broadway show has clashed with the premiere of the final Harry Potter, leaving producers of the two shows to battle over him.

Radcliffe, 21, had committed to appear in the revival of 'How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' at the Hirschfeld Theatre, which started previews on February 26 and runs until at least November 6.

But Warner Bros. chiefs were furious that his Broadway deal meant he might not be available to promote 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2', to be launched with a lavish premiere at London's Trafalgar Square on July 7.

In tense negotiations, 'How To Succeed' producers refused to release Radcliffe for the days when Warner needed him -- forcing the studio to buy out the whole theatre for the nights he'd have to miss.

"Warner Bros. is furious that Radcliffe committed to Broadway when he should be promoting 'Harry Potter'," the New York Post quoted a source as saying.

"This is the final film, so it's a big deal. A grand world premiere is being planned as well as a US premiere and a press tour.

"They absolutely couldn't do it without their big star. But the theatre producers dug their heels in and said they wouldn't release Radcliffe unless Warner bought out the entire theatre for the nights they need him.

"Studio bosses are furious, but they have no choice but to pay up for five nights costing over 500,000 dollars," the source stated.

A Telecharge sales agent said that while tickets are being sold up to November 6, tickets for July 5 and 6 have "not been released", although they haven't yet been cancelled. Tickets for July 9 are currently on sale.

"Everything is fine, Dan is promoting the film and is happy to do so. With all productions there are scheduling issues but everything has all been worked out," Radcliffe's rep said.

"Warner Bros. is very supportive of Dan, and there is no issue," the rep added.

Kingston Harry Potter nominee flies out for Oscar ceremony

The man who helped bring Harry Potter elves Dobby and Kreacher to life is flying to Hollywood after being nominated for an Oscar.

Kingston University illustration graduate Christian Manz was shortlisted in the best visual effects category for his work on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.

The 36-year-old visual effects supervisor helped redesign Dobby to appear more human in his final, darker appearance in the series.

Mr Manz's team at Framestore removed the bodies of the two actors playing the elves and replaced them with animations.

He said: “It's rare to have the chance to work for 16 months on one project. There were only about 60 of us which, believe it or not, is quite a small team.

“Dobby is a central character in part one of the Deathly Hallows, as he dies at the end. We created more than 300 different facial expressions for him.”

He and his three fellow co-nominees are competing against Alice in Wonderland, Hereafter, Inception and Iron Man 2 at the awards show on Sunday, February 27.

'Harry Potter' author JK Rowling's story to be made into a movie in Canada

'Harry Potter' author JK Rowling's rags to riches story is to be made into a movie in Canada.

The film based on Rowling's rise from struggling single mum in Edinburgh to multimillionaire author of the Harry Potter book series is set to begin shooting next month.

Scotland's The Herald newspaper reported that film producers initially toured Edinburgh in their search for shooting locations, but decided to move production to Canada to save money because they found similar buildings there that could be used as backdrops.

Rowling, 45, has not authorised the television movie, reports News.com.au.

She refused to comment on the film, which has the working title 'Strange Magic'.

Australian actor Poppy Montgomery, who stars as FBI agent Samantha Spade in the hit US television series Without a Trace, will play Rowling.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1

We all know the end is near. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1 breaks the seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling's epic modern literary classic into two movies, and haunting every frame of this assured and beautiful first half is the knowledge that soon, in 2011, the screen journey will be over. I don't know which had the greater effect: my real melancholy at the thought of looming finality, or the elegance of this necessarily dark and serious penultimate film, in which characters/actors we have watched since childhood are now resourceful young adults. But I do know I felt a swell of love and awe wash over me from the very first wickedly creepy scene until the profoundly moving last one. Under the direction of David Yates — in Goldilocks terms, he's Just Right, having gently guided the series to more consistent excellence in pace and tone with the last two installments — Part 1 is the most cinematically rewarding chapter yet.

What a marvel it is, this Harry Potter movie business! What a spell the experience casts, now that every detail is so familiar to us, from the ghostly sound of the signature minor-key musical theme to the sight of Voldemort's hideous noseless face! All the grand British thespians who bring Rowling's convocation of wizardly characters to life, from Alan Rickman and Imelda Staunton to Michael Gambon and Robbie Coltrane, do so with utterly serious gusto. As for Hogwarts besties Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, we've lived side by side for so long with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint that their (re)appearance carries honest emotional weight: We've known them since they were kids!

In The Deathly Hallows, of course, Harry, Hermione, and Ron are deep in their struggle toward adulthood, truly on their own and unprotected, except by one another. (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is nowhere to be seen this time.) The final showdown between the Chosen One (Harry) and the Dark Lord (Voldemort, embodied with chilling, hairless silkiness by Ralph Fiennes) is still to come. Meanwhile, the schoolmates are on a continued mission to find and destroy the Horcruxes, those magical bits of his black soul that Voldemort has hidden in order to hang on to immortality. The world is an anxious, paranoid place, what with the Dark Lord's Death Eaters on the loose. The look of the movie is apocalyptically desolate too — when it's not baroquely sepulchral, as it is in the bowels of the Ministry of Magic. An early scene at Voldemort's dinner table, surrounded by his senior Death Eaters, is terrifying.

All this takes a toll on Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Or maybe, as Rowling so astutely weaves into her books, it's the not-so-magically dispelled fears, doubts, and longings of true adulthood that weigh the trio down. Either way, Yates, working with cinematographer Eduardo Serra (Girl With a Pearl Earring), keeps the picture poised between the gaping future (i.e., Harry's scheduled showdown with Voldemort) and the groping present, as the three friends test their adult support of one another. In one of the movie's sweetest wordless moments, Harry comforts Hermione. Ron has stormed off after a fight with Harry, Hermione is sad and troubled, and Harry spontaneously leads his dear friend in a dance. The scene isn't in the book; it's the rare deviation of an addition to the sacred text, rather than an unavoidable cut made for Muggle-driven movie purposes. Yet the gesture is so tender, and such a welcome breath of warmth in such a dark time, that the grace note demonstrates an integrity I feel sure Rowling would applaud. This is who Harry Potter has grown up to be: a young man strong enough to love his friends (including dear, devoted Dobby the house elf; O Dobby!), clever enough to outwit his foes, and brave enough to face his future. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1 also bravely faces the future, slipping with expert ease among the thrilling mass of complications (and complicated set pieces) that Rowling throws fans in the final sprint, then guiding the faithful to the fate that awaits everyone in this world, the moment called The End.