The famous music that's helped make the last three Harry Potter films so magical may be changing for the fourth.
There are loads of reports that top Scottish musicians Franz Ferdinand and ex-Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker are working on the Goblet of Fire.
Franz Ferdinand told Radio 1 that they've been working with Jarvis on tunes for the next film.
There's no news from Warner Brothers if the reports are true, or if composer John Williams is still involved.
He penned the theme music for the earlier films and also wrote the music for films like Star Wars, Superman and Indiana Jones.
The Sun newspaper reckons Jarvis has brought in to write new theme music to make the film more funky.
And Franz Ferdinand could be on the screen as well, as they also told Radio 1 they've been asked to be in Goblet of Fire too.
It's thought they could be asked to step into the shoes of Yule Ball band the Weird Sisters.
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Coltrane may not return as Hagrid
August 4, 2004
[ digital spy reports ]
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Harry Potter actor Robbie Coltrane is unsure about whether he'll carry on with his role as Hagrid in the final three films.
Coltrane has appeared in all three films so far, and is currently involved in filming the fourth movie in the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
In an interview with The Sunday Herald, he was asked about whether he would stay on for the final three movies.
"I don't know," he admitted. "I really don't know what the circumstances will be for the last three.
"I don't know if I should be saying this, although if anyone has got any brains they'll have worked it out, but if Jo Rowling hasn't finished books six and seven within the next two years, the kids we've got at the moment will be too old to play the parts. And they may not even want to.
"In some ways I would rather get on with something else, but I don't want to say that because it sounds so f***ing ungrateful."
"So, no, I don't know if I'm going to do any more," he concluded.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is due for release next year.
Next Friday's opening of the movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban could be a crucial turning point for Imax Corp., the entertainment company that has shifted its focus from specialty films to Hollywood hits.
Imax is gearing its future success to having major movies released in Imax format simultaneously with their opening in conventional theatres. So expectations are high for Harry, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger when their images hit 49 of Imax's giant screens in Canada and the United States, and a handful more in Europe, next week.
For a few dollars more than they'd pay in a regular theatre, viewers will see a dramatically larger, clearer picture, and hear a more powerful and cleaner sound.
Imax generates most of its revenue from selling and leasing its theatre systems, so "the key to our long-term success is making sure that the exhibitors who have Imax theatres are profitable," co-chief executive officer Richard Gelfond said in an interview. "The way they get profitable is making a lot of money off of blockbuster Hollywood releases," he said, "so this is a fair test for us."
Imax theatres have shown some Hollywood films before in its DMR (digital remastering) big screen format. For instance, last summer it showed The Matrix Reloaded, and in November The Matrix Revolutions was released in Imax theatres simultaneously with the conventional theatre release. The two Imax versions generated almost $30-million (U.S.) in gross revenue.
But Harry Potter is the first time Imax will open a major film that fits squarely with its family centred demographic.
Consequently, the Harry Potter opening is "an extremely significant" event for Imax, said Marla Backer, an analyst at Research Associates LCC in New York. "This will be the real first test of what Imax can do with a [simultaneous] release of a film that is playing to its core audience of families and young adults."
A success with Harry Potter could lead to the distribution of more big films, followed by more contracts to build theatres, and -- most important -- better financial results, Ms. Backer said.
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HP hopes to make TV ratings magic
April 20, 2004
[ LA - AP reports ]
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LOS ANGELES (AP-CP) — ABC hopes to make ratings magic with a night of television built around the broadcast of an extended version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone — and a sneak peek at the third Warner Bros. film in the franchise.
The 2001 movie, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint and directed by Chris Columbus, will air Sunday, May 9, at 7 p.m. EDT in a high-definition version that includes previously unseen footage, the network announced this week.
The film was shown on CBC-TV last month under the title used in Canada, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
ABC's broadcast will be followed by a 10-minute look at Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, directed by Alfonso Cuaron, which opens in theatres June 4.
All told, the network will devote four hours to the Harry Potter phenomenon as part of May "sweeps," a key ratings period used to help set local advertising rates.
The broadcast will include interviews from the Harry Potter set with Radcliffe, Watson and Grint. The films, which include 2002's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, are based on the bestselling books by J.K. Rowling.
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Rowling pays £28,000 for tour of Edinburgh
March 1, 2004
[ ananova reports ]
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Former Edinburgh resident JK Rowling has splashed out £148,000 in an auction at a charity ball, including £28,000 on a tour of the city.
The 38-year-old Harry Potter author, who was last week named a dollar billionaire by business magazine Forbes, paid £70,000 for a motorised scooter, with the proceeds going to the family of a baby stricken by meningitis.
She also paid £50,000 for a dinner for 24 people and £28,000 for a guided tour of Edinburgh conducted by author Ian Rankin.
Her GP husband Dr Neil Murray contributed to the £500,000 raised for the Leap for Meningitis campaign at the ball in Edinburgh by bidding £25,000 for a trip to the Monaco Grand Prix, reports London Evening Standard.
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Goblet of Fire to be 'most expensive movie ever'
January 31, 2004
[ ananova reports ]
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The director of Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire says it will be the most expensive movie ever made.
Mike Newell, whose previous films include Four Weddings And A Funeral, says the fourth Potter instalment will cost around £168 million, making it even pricier than the Lord Of The Rings trilogy.
Newell admits the movie is "a colossal undertaking" for him, reports Teletext.
He said: "These things are not like ordinary films, they are world events. I have millions of 10-year-olds who must not be disappointed."
Newell has been in Paris, trying to find a French actress to play Hagrid's giant love interest, Madame Maxime.
Say Good Night to Illiteracy is available locally at the following Half Price Books locations:
844 N. U.S. 31, Greenwood
8316 Castleton Corner Drive
155 W. 86th St.
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There's a tale about a "Cheerful Little Snowflake" and one about "The Dancing Garden."
In all, there are 20 fun poems in "Say Good Night to Illiteracy," the ninth edition of a children's storybook raising funds for literacy organizations throughout the United States.
The book retails for $4.98 and is available at all locations of Half Price Books, sponsor of the fund-raising effort.
A portion of the proceeds will go to the National Alliance of Urban Literacy Coalitions, which provides technical assistance to Indiana literacy advocates. Last year, the book earned $2,500 for the Indiana Literacy Foundation.
According to the National Institute for Literacy, more than 20 percent of adults read at or below a fifth-grade level -- far below the level needed to earn a living wage.
The National Adult Literacy Survey found that more than 40 million Americans age 16 and older have significant literacy needs. Forty-three percent of people with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty, 17 percent receive food stamps, and 70 percent have no job or only a part-time job.
Under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, family literacy programs must bring together parents and children.
"Say Good Night to Illiteracy" was introduced to Indianapolis last month when 255 students at Washington Irving School No. 14 received free copies.
"When we began working with local literacy groups across the United States, we learned that literacy is a cyclical process," said Kirk Thompson, a spokesman for Half Price Books. "If parents can't read, their children usually can't read, either. This is a perfect tool to encourage families to read together."
The book also offers budding writers a chance to share their talents.
A Bedtime Storybook Writing Contest was opened to any amateur writer. Twenty contributors were chosen from more than 3,500 entries.
Each bedtime story is accompanied by a specially commissioned illustration. This year's group of illustrators includes an artist who worked on the Harry Potter books.
A new, free early literacy magazine aims to improve reading achievement among African-American children by educating parents on child development and giving them activities and resources to boost their children's reading skills.
The National Urban League teamed up with children's book publisher Scholastic and State Farm Insurance to launch the first issue of Read and Rise magazine.
The magazine, divided into sections based on age group, tells parents what their children should be able to do and offers advice on improving their children's performance.
Read and Rise magazine can be downloaded from the league's Web site: here; or copies can be found at any of the of league's affiliates in 105 U.S. cities.
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Book sales total 250 million
December 14, 2003
[ ananova ] reports:
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The Harry Potter books have hit a quarter of a billion sales which is an "unprecedented" figure, JK Rowling's agent says.
The series of five books has now shifted 250 million copies globally, and she is now at work on the sixth title.
The books have been translated into 60 languages including Gujarati, Faroese and Macedonian and sold in more than 200 territories around the world.
Rowling's agent Christopher Little said today: "We are delighted JK Rowling's books continue to win new fans internationally and look forward to introducing Harry Potter to yet more readers in the furthest parts of the globe.
"JK Rowling's books have paved the way for a new generation of exciting children's writers, causing a revolution in children's enthusiasm for reading."
The first in the series Harry Potter And The Philosopher"s Stone was published only six years ago and the latest Order Of The Phoenix was published this summer.
Seven books will be published altogether and Little said Rowling has begun work on the penultimate adventure.
No date has been set for its release.
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Britain's 5th Most-loved book
December 14, 2003
[ ananova ] reports:
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On the BBC2 show last night, 174,000 people - 23% of the poll - voted for The Lord of the Rings out of a final shortlist of five books. Pride and Prejudice came second with 135,000 and His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman came third with 63,000.
Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was fourth with 57,000 and JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire fifth with 55,000.
The search for the UK's favourite book began in April when nearly 140,0000 people nominated their favourite work of fiction to form a top 100 list. A series of programmes then detailed the books, and the public was asked to vote again, whittling the list down to 21.
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New Trailer Released
November 22, 2003
[ msn ] reports:
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Yes, it's true, the trailer for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has been releaded on MSN. There are a lot of Macbeth allusions. Hmmm.... Is the movie targeting a more mature audience?
Watch the Trailer
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Radcliffe to return as Harry Potter
November 16, 2003
[ ananova ] reports:
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Daniel Radcliffe has confirmed he will again play Harry Potter in the fourth film, the Goblet of Fire.
Radcliffe is currently filming the third of the adventures, Prisoner of Azkaban, but there were rumours he would be too old for the next film.
But he told the official Harry Potter website: "I will certainly make Goblet of Fire."
Radcliffe, now 14, said he did not know if he, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson - who play Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger - would be involved in the fifth film, The Order of the Phoenix.
Radcliffe said during the interview that when he was not filming he led a normal teenager's life.
"As far as I am concerned I am a normal person. I go back to school when I am not filming, I go out with my friends, I go to the cinema - all the normal things that teenagers do," he said.
"There is an assumption that I cannot leave my house without being hounded - that is not the case. I am able to do many more things than people think I can."
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