"If we turn our heads and look away and hope that it will all disappear then they will - all of them, an entire generation of people. And we will have only history left to judge us."
Posted By Matthew on 12-30-08 @ 6:50 PM - 11 comments | Link
French magazine Cine Live featured several new promotional photos from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on the cover and the interior of their latest issue. Thanks to Warner Bros., we now have high-quality versions of all six photos. Check them out below:
Posted By Tom on 12-30-08 @ 3:33 PM - 10 comments | Link
In a contradictory report to our article
featured yesterday on the economic woes of Hollywood and what it meant for future installments of the Harry Potter films, Bloomberg.com reports today that Hollywood looks to the Potter film series, as well as other sequels, to stem the decline of ticket sales.
The article states that the Hollywood industry would have topped 2007's record of $1.41 billion in ticket sales for 2008 if Warner Bros. hadn't changed the release date of the 6th installment in the Potter franchise to July 2009.
The year 2008 saw only $1.33 billion in ticket sales and the first five Potter films averaged $282 million in sales.
Posted By Tom on 12-30-08 @ 3:20 PM - 2 comments | Link
As we reported yesterday (see here), Empire Magazine will be releasing their Half-Blood Prince preview in their February edition to better accommodate the altered release date of the movie.
As an update to our previous article, scans of the magazine are now available online. To see the scans and read the article, visit IESB.net.
Emma Uncertain About Career
Posted By Tom on 12-29-08 @ 9:49 AM - 12 comments | Link
With her huge success in acting, Emma Watson doesn't know whether or not it is what she wants to do for the rest of her life.
"I didn't know I wanted to be an actress, they just found me out of nowhere. So it's taken me a little while to work out that this was what I wanted to do - well, for now."
With her new movie Tales of Despereaux, Emma Watson has shed new light on herself with a multitude of interviews. This interview comes as a shock to many, seeing as she has always been so passionate about what she does.
With comments like "I've come from a background of lawyers and academics. We didn't watch films in our household. I mean, I had no idea who Maggie Smith or Gary Oldman or any of these people were. So I'm educating myself by watching more films and becoming very passionate about them. But it doesn't necessarily mean I'll be acting forever." worrying her fans perhaps we should remember that Emma is 18 and that time of a person's life (famous or not) is very difficult and even the best of us are terribly indecisive about their future. This could be a phase or it could be genuine apprehension about staying in the acting business.
She goes on to comment about the wealth she has gathered (approximately £10m), saying that is is unimportant to her and adding: "Why would someone my age need this much money? Let's face it, I don't really have any use for it."
To see the article, click here. Included with the article is a video of Emma answering 10 quick, fun questions. Be sure to see it!
So what do you think? Is it a phase for Emma or will she abandon her film career for some other hidden passion? Let us know by leaving a comment!
Empire Magazine Preview
Posted By Tom on 12-29-08 @ 1:38 AM - 8 comments | Link
After the magazine's fall preview was rendered pointless with the delay of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until next summer, Empire Magazine will release another preview in it's February edition.
It is not clear whether or not new material will be introduced into the re-release. We will keep you informed of any new media contained therin. Check out the magazine's website here.
To see a scan of the February edition's cover, use the following links:
Posted By Tom on 12-28-08 @ 11:30 PM - 22 comments | Link
With everyone's wallet a little lighter around the world, it comes as no surprise that anxiety is building for even the largest of industries, namely Hollywood.
In an article by The Independent, the credit woes of today's economy are outlined by the vulnerability of our favorite series: Harry Potter. The real worry comes from major film companies pulling the plug on popular fantasy book adaptations. With Disney withdrawing support for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader after the Prince Caspian flop and Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials hitting a dead end after meager earnings with The Golden Compass, it makes one wonder whether or not the Potter films can survive the financial debacle.
The article cites a possible lack of anticipation for the Potter films without the drive for new books generated by Rowling before her series was complete. So the question that we should ask ourselves is a simple one- If we are true to ourselves, how much has our fanaticism for Harry Potter diminished? We should also ask ourselves whether or not we will go out in hordes to see the last three installments of the film series, will we go see them multiple times in the theater (I wasn't the only one, was I?), and will we spend the extra money on the collector's edition DVD rather than the ordinary version?
When it all comes down to it, will our determination and loyalty stand true after a few more years? Will it be enough to keep the series afloat when so many titles are sinking? Be sure to write a comment and share what you are thinking with the rest of us.
Additional Details (11/29 11:03am): Check out this article as well on the topic.
Actress Update
Posted By Tom on 12-28-08 @ 9:45 AM - 8 comments | Link
Dame Maggie Smith, the ultra-refined woman of power Minerva McGonagall of the "Harry Potter" films, turns 74 today. I think I speak for most everyone (and certainly comment if not) when I say that Smith is the embodiment of Minerva McGonagall.
Smith is currently working on a film adapation of the Green Knowe series, called From Time to Time. She will be playing Mrs. Oldknowe.
Have a Happy Birthday, Maggie, from everyone at Veritaserum!
Attention Single Ladies: You are not alone! Actress Emma Watson recently reveals that she is waiting for her "knight in shining armour". Emma tells that she finds true gentlemen in short supply nowadays.
Noting that her enormous popularity does nothing to help her find a suitable partner, she relinquishes all links to rumored suitors from the press.
Posted By Tom on 12-27-08 @ 6:15 PM - 3 comments | Link
Warwick Davis, the small but charming Filius Flitwick in the "Harry Potter" films, is taking time from his own work to be assistant director to Jonathan Wilkes on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Davis is currently working on his own pseudo-documentary for television.
Did you know that Warwick Davis was an Ewok in Star Wars?
In other news, Michael Gambon mourns British playwright Harold Pinter who died of cancer this week at 78. Gambon has starred in several plays by Pinter and refers to him as a "god" for actors. Michael Gambon, who is recognized as the esteemed Albus Dumbledore after taking over the role from the late Sir Richard Harris, is set to play a part in Pinter's latest piece, "No Man's Land".
Click here for the full article on Warwick Davis. And here for the full article on Michael Gambon.
Don't forget to share your comments with the rest of us!
Thanks to Wizard News for the tips!
Radcliffe: Broadway Star Of The Year
Posted By Tom on 12-26-08 @ 2:09 PM - 8 comments | Link
"That's really, really amazing! The Broadway community has been incredibly welcoming and this sort of sums it up, really. In a year when there have been some really big performances on Broadway, to have been nominated and win is really, really cool!"
That's what Dan Radcliffe had to say when he was informed that readers of Broadway.com voted him as 2008 Star of the Year for his role in Peter Shaffer's Equus redux.
Dan also had a special message for all of his fans saying "Thank you very much, you guys! I can always count on you. The fans are awesome."
You can see the full article here at Broadway.com.
Posted By Tom on 12-25-08 @ 8:33 AM - 13 comments | Link
Merry Christmas, everyone! We sincerely hope that everyone has a swell Christmas today, wherever you are in the world. Here's hoping that those packages under your tree are filled with something just as exciting as Harry's present from Dumbledore his first year at Hogwarts.
With economic turmoil striking all over the world, now is as good a time as ever for everyone to remember the true spirit of the Holiday Season. So don't fret if your packages this morning are a bit lighter this year, be thankful for the time you have been given and enjoy the Season all the more by getting closer to your family and friends.
Have a Harry Christmas!
-Veritaserum
Harry Potter Gets New Threads
Posted By Tom on 12-24-08 @ 11:01 PM - 13 comments | Link
"Harry Potter is going high fashion." says New York Magazine yesterday on their website.
Reports show that Belstaff clothing manufacturers will be featured by Daniel Radcliffe in a future Potter film. As many sites note, it is not known whether or not the clothing will be for the Half-Blood Prince or Deathly Hallows movies.
Belstaff is a well known company for high-performance waterproof jackets and has made great lengths in their respective field. Founded in 1924, Belstaff attire has been featured in many motion pictures including X-Men 3, War of the Worlds and more recently, The Dark Knight.
Posted By Janet on 12-22-08 @ 6:48 PM - 18 comments | Link
Steven Vander Ark will publish his revised Potter encyclopedia, “The Lexicon: An Unauthorized Guide to Harry Potter Fiction and Related Materials” (RDR Books). Vander Ark began revising his original book immediately following the judges ruling in favor of JK Rowling in 2007. He assures that his newest version does not infringe on JKR's rights and adheres to the court's demands.
“We learned a lot at the trial about what was acceptable, what would follow the fair use guidelines,” said Vander Ark. “That was not clear before. There was no law on the books that made it clear what was acceptable and what wasn't. So, coming out of the trial, I had a much better idea of what should go into the book.”
Both the publishers and a representative from Warner Bros. say that they are pleased with the outcome of the matter.
The book should hit the shelves on January 12, 2009. For the full article, please see TODAY.
Emma Brings Magic
Posted By Janet on 12-22-08 @ 5:52 PM - 7 comments | Link
"And then I'll be done," she says. "It's so much a part of my life, and it's going to be so strange when it's over. It's strange being 18 and thinking about the fact that probably I will never be part of something this big again in my lifetime[,]" Watson reflects on the pending finale of the Harry Potter films as she talks to USA Today about her latest big screen projects, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and The Tale of Despereaux. In this interview, Emma discusses her role as Princess Pea in the animated film which opened on Friday to less than stellar reviews as well as her role as Hermione Granger.
Watson stresses that she lives a normal life and finds humor in the fact that people are surprised to see her on the tube. She also talks about her accumulated wealth and that she will never let it be a motivating factor in her career as far as which roles to take and which to turn down. For more information and the full article, please visit USA Today.
Harry Potter exhibit to open in Chicago
Posted By Matthew on 12-12-08 @ 4:06 PM - 14 comments | Link
"Harry Potter: The Exhibition," a major museum display about the Harry Potter series, will start its world tour next spring at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, where it is expected to draw in quite the crowd.
David Mosena, the president of the museum, said,
"We beat out 30 other institutions around the world wanting to book the exhibit. It will appear in only four cities in the United States, and then travel to six venues in Asia and Europe.
"The exhibit is an immersion experience, like living in the books and films. It lets people walk through some of the most familiar places in the films, examining the costumes and many of the most memorable artifacts and props featured in the stories."
The exhibit, which will cover 10,000 square feet, will be at the museum from April 30 to September 7. More information is available at the Chicago Tribune.
Ziegfeld Theatre to host HP movie marathon
Posted By Matthew on 12-11-08 @ 11:39 AM - 14 comments | Link
New York's Ziegfeld Theatre is set to host a Harry Potter movie marathon from Friday, December 19 to Wednesday, December 24, playing one of the five films in the series each night during that stretch. Ticket prices are $7 for children and seniors and $10 for adults. Click here to browse for and buy tickets.
Ziegfeld is located at 141 West 54th Street in New York City.
'Bard' fastest-selling book in UK this year
Posted By Matthew on 12-09-08 @ 9:38 PM - 36 comments | Link
The Telegraph reports that, following a buying spree in the days following its release, The Tales of Beedle the Bard is now the fastest-selling book of the year in the United Kingdom. According to the publication, 367,625 copies were sold in the first three days, far more than the second highest-selling book (Guinness World Records 2008 at 73,000 copies).
Philip Stone, an editor of The Bookseller magazine, said, "None of the other big releases managed to get near the sales figure for Beedle the Bard. I would be very surprised if it is not Christmas number one, but it's not a dead cert."
ABC Family's HP weekend starts tonight
Posted By Matthew on 12-05-08 @ 1:49 PM - 34 comments | Link
ABC Family will kick off its Harry Potter weekend tonight with a 7:30pm ET broadcast of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, followed by airings of Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, and Goblet of Fire on Saturday and Sunday. The Goblet of Fire showing will include 10 minutes of new footage that was originally deleted, and there will also be sneak peeks of the upcoming Half-Blood Prince film interspersed throughout the weekend.
According to USA Today, included in the sneak peek will be "a look into the tortured past of Lord Voldemort/Tom Riddle (played by Frank Dillane), an introduction to the new Potions teacher, Professor Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), and scenes of budding love in the hallowed halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
More information about broadcast times is available here.
'Beedle the Bard' released today
Posted By Matthew on 12-04-08 @ 12:22 PM - 23 comments | Link
After months of anticipation, JK Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bardhits bookshelves around the world today, with an impressive initial global print run of 8 million copies. Some stores in major cities opened at midnight last night, harkening back to the days of the original book releases.
Jon Howells, a spokesman for Waterstone's, said, "We expect it will crash straight in at No. 1 in our book charts. It would take a battle of magical proportions to dislodge it before Christmas."
Royalties from the book will go to Children's High Level Group, which Rowling co-founded and which aids institutionalized children in Eastern Europe.
HBP calendar includes new photos
Posted By Matthew on 11-30-08 @ 11:01 PM - 4 comments | Link
The German 2009 Half-Blood Prince calendar, which includes a number of new promotional pictures from the film, has been released, and scans of it can be seen at German fansite Harry Potter Xperts. The calendar includes shots of Luna, Ginny, and young Tom Riddle. Thanks to HPANA for the tip!
"Fine, I'll try and teach him again!" Snape snarled at Professor Dumbledore.
"Severus, please, for me, don't take all those old wounds that you gained from James out on Harry. Harry is not James - do not blame him for what happened." Dumbledore spoke quietly, but his blue eyes held a warning. Snape sighed in frustration...
Disclaimer: Veritaserum is run by fans and is for the fans. We are in no way official and are not affiliated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., EA Games, Scholastic, or Bloomsbury. We do not own any of the characters in the books, movies, or games.
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