Rowling "worth more than the Queen" May 19, 2003 [ ananova ] reports:

J K Rowling is now worth more than the Queen, according to The Sunday Times Rich List.

The Harry Potter author, who retained her crown as the richest woman in the showbusiness section, has more than quadrupled her personal fortune in the past two years.

The author has now amassed a fortune of £280 million - putting her 11 places higher than the Queen overall.

But for the first time in a decade the combined wealth of the top 1,000 in the Rich List has fallen by 2%, or £3.8 billion, to £155.86 billion.

The fall reflects a global trend in the past year which has seen more than £85 billion wiped off the assets of the richest 50 people in the world and £16 billion from the asset's of Europe's elite 50.

The Duke of Westminster topped The Sunday Times Rich List for the third successive year, falling just short of the £5 billion mark with £4.9 billion - but up £200 million from his valuation in 2002.

The Duke's fabled London acreage achieved a new benchmark last year when a 6ft by 9ft space in a Mayfair underground car park was sold for £65,000 by the Grosvenor Group, which manages his property interests.

In addition to his London property interests, which include 300 prime acres in Mayfair and Belgravia, the Duke's growing wealth can be attributed to the 145,000 acres he owns in Scotland, Lancashire and Cheshire.

The Duke rises 11 places to 35 in the list of the world's richest people, which is still headed by Robson Walton, head of the American retailing empire Wal-Mart.

Hans Rauling remained in second in the overall positions on the Rich List. His fortune, derived from the Tetra Laval milk carton, has increased by £300 million this year, taking him to £4.8 billion. Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone and his wife Slavica jumped two places into third this year, despite a drop in their overall wealth.

Young thieves apologize to JK Rowling May 19, 2003 [ ananova ] reports:

A teenager who became involved in a plot to sell stolen pages of the new Harry Potter book to a newspaper has apologised to author J K Rowling, a court has heard.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons but comes from near Beccles, Suffolk, admitted receiving stolen goods when he appeared before a youth court in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

A second 16-year-old boy also admitted receiving stolen goods at the same hearing. The magistrates gave both youths absolute discharges.

The youths thought they could make money out of a tabloid paper after coming into possession of the stolen pages from Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix, magistrates were told.

The two youngsters apologised for what they had done. The court was told that one had written a three-page letter of apology to J K Rowling.

On Wednesday forklift truck driver Donald Parfitt, 44, of Worlingham, Suffolk, admitted stealing pages from Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix.

Magistrates in Lowestoft were told that Parfitt - who worked at Clays Printers in Bungay, Suffolk, where the book is being printed - had found the pages in a car park at the firm.

He had contacted The Sun newspaper in the hope of selling the pages for £25,000.

But journalists contacted police and Parfitt - and the two youths in court today - were arrested. Parfitt is due to be sentenced next month.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth installment of the series, is out on June 21.

Four arrested over 'Harry Potter theft' May 19, 2003 [ ananova ] reports:

Four people are being questioned by police investigating the suspected theft of manuscripts of JK Rowling's new Harry Potter book.

Suffolk Police said they arrested two 16-year-old boys and a 44-year-old man in Beccles, Suffolk, and an 18-year-old man in Harleston, Norfolk.

They were held on suspicion of the theft of manuscripts of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix from premises in Bungay and attempting to obtain property by deception.

The four were taken to Lowestoft police station for questioning, a force spokeswoman said.

Two copies of the manuscript were handed to The Sun earlier this week after being found in a field near Clays Ltd, the firm which will print hundreds of thousands of copies of the book.

Future Book idea May 12, 2003 [ site related ]

This was sent in from Kylie:

While I was reading some rumors on your website I had an idea about Fleur's teaching job, Snape's secret mission, and one of the main characters getting killed. Here goes:

I was thinking that maybe Snape is the one who gets killed on his secret mission. Then since there is now not a potions teacher Fleur will get that job! That would make potions much more enjoyable for the Gryffindors!!! And maybe Snape's secret mission is to capture Peter Pettigrew while undercover as a Death Eater to free Sirius so Harry can live with him instead of the Dursley's. Snape could also be a spy but gets caught passing information to the Ministery of Magic and is killed by Voldemort.

Comment in the Harry Potter Land chat! See you there!

Book 5 covers! April 19, 2003 [ BBC ] reports:

The cover designs have been released by the BBC. To the left is the American cover and below are two versions of the British covers.

Don't forget you can buy the actual book on June 21, 2003. I can't wait. Oh, and you can share your anticipation with other fans in the harry potter land chat. See you there!

Tom Felton frightens young children! April 16, 2003 [ ananova ] reports:

Harry Potter star Tom Felton says children keeping bursting into tears every time they see him in public.

Tom plays Harry's evil adversary, Draco Malfoy, in the Potter films and some young fans find his performance a little too convincing.

The 15-year-old says every time he walks down the street he makes children cry.

He said: "Kids of six and under have a real thing against me. They cringe and start crying. Some kids are really quite terrified of me.

"I even scared the director Chris Columbus's children when I first met them.

"It's upsetting and not very nice because I'm not like that in real life. But at least it proves you've done your job well."

JK Rowling has said one of the characters in the forthcoming fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, will be killed off.

And Tom reckons Draco might be the one who meets a sticky end.

"I've got the feeling I'm going to plunge to a bloody death," he said.

2nd Movie breaks DVD Sales Record April 16, 2003 [ ananova ] reports:

Harry Potter breaks DVD sales record

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets has become the UK's fastest-selling DVD ever.

The second in JK Rowling's best-selling series smashed the million sales mark in just two days.

It outsold the previous DVD record holder, Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, by 100% in the same period.

On Friday and Saturday there were 1,763,000 combined DVD and VHS sales of the Chamber Of Secrets - for which there were over half a million pre-orders.

Many retailers opened at midnight on Thursday to cope with the demand for the release, helping make opening sales 15% stronger than the record set by the first in the Potter series.

The Chamber Of Secrets - in which Harry must defeat the evil force which is threatening his Hogwarts school - took £53 million at the UK box office and recorded the most successful opening weekend in UK cinema history.

Potter fans who buy the DVD will get 19 additional or extended scenes, guided tours of Hogwarts and Diagon Alley, and a chance to take a sneak look inside the Chamber Of Secrets itself.

Cast addition to Potter Saga April 15, 2003 [ ananova ] reports:

Dawn French has landed a big role in the third Harry Potter film - as a character called the Fat Lady.

She will appear in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which began filming last month.

French recently sent up the Potter films in a Comic Relief spoof in which she played the schoolboy wizard.

Now she will appear in the real thing as the Fat Lady, who features in a talking painting at Hogwarts school.

Chris Columbus, director of the first two Harry Potter movies and co-producer of the third, told BBC3's Liquid News: "Yes, Dawn French is playing the Fat Lady. I've been here for three years and fell in love with her work.

"I think she's incredibly funny and her Harry Potter spoof for Comic Relief was pretty amazing."

French is not the first Comic Strip star to bag a part in the films.

Rik Mayall was cast as Peeves the Poltergeist in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone but his performance ended up on the cutting room floor.

The second film in the JK Rowling series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is launched on DVD and video on Thursday.

Pre-orders in the UK have topped half a million - putting it on course to be the biggest seller of all time.

Updates made! April 16, 2003 [ site related ]

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