Charles Manson: "I dig Harry Potter's 'secret message'! Bet he gets laid a lot too!"

Los Angeles, CA - Convicted serial killer and infamous 'Manson Family' leader, Charles Manson, held a rare jail cell interview with Sir Charles Putnam-Roach for BBC television.

The interview was in response to reports that Manson has devoted his entire free time to promoting Harry Potter books to other inmates and to those who are equally crazy enough to believe him.

"Hey man! The dude is cool. I'm hip to his 'secret' message that's calling the world to revolution. It's a metaphor man, just a metaphor. Yeah, just dig it!"

Manson also showed Sir Charles a copy of a letter he wrote to JK Rowling asking her to write his character into the next book.

"I want to have sex in the story with that cute little thing. What's her name? Oh yeah, Hermione Granger. I have a crappy time with that name. Why didn't she just call her Squeaky or some other easy name." Added Manson.

Manson found out about Rowling's support for 'learners' in prison. Author JK Rowling gave prisoners learning to read a "real boost" when she visited them in jail. In fact, the millionaire author presented awards to inmates at Edinburgh Prison.

Rowling, whose Harry Potter books have brought her millions of fans worldwide, was invited to carry out the honors by the Shannon Trust. The London-based charity helps prisoners learn to read.

David Hogg of the Trust said, "Prison can be a lonely place for learners like Charlie. So knowing there are famous authors like JK Rowling supporting them makes a huge difference."

Ron Paul to star in latest independant Harry Potter movie!

Wetburp, TX - Republican Presidential hopeful, Ron Paul, has looked past a failed campaign and toward a totally new career as an independent producer and leading man in a major motion picture.

Having almost $50 million dollars in un-spent campaign monies, the 10 term Congressman has invested it in a motion picture starring himself as the new Hogwart Headmaster Phinias Lipshitz. Filmed entirely in Dingleberry, TX, the location will add a new twist to a successful series of Harry Potter films.

As Ron Paul put it, "I'll get my message out to the youngsters. Besides, I've always wanted to wear a pointed hat and have a long white beard!"

In the movie, 'Harry Potter and the Fight to save the Hogwarts from the Evil NAFTA!' Harry Potter and Phinias Lipshitz fight the dreaded North American Union, NAFTA, The ultra-secret Star Chamber-like Council for Foreign Relations and other dragons that appear from nowhere and are of little consequence.

CAUTION MA-17

Rated 3 Stars of out of 10. Strong language, violence , and scenes of pure adult stupidity.


Grand Wizard Phineas Lipshitz (Ron Paul) arrives at Hogwarts

JK Rowlings to release a brand new Harry Potter book this week!

London, UK - Respected and highly successful author, JK Rowling, announced today through her publisher, that she will be adding one more Harry Potter book to her successful series.

"Harry Potter meets Abbott and Costello," is the new title claims Robecca Stanton-Harrys a spokesperson for Amazon Books.

Harry's new adventures will have him chasing a mystery, a new love, and gruesome murder that takes place in Brooklyn, New York.

'HARRY POTTER MEETS ABOTT AND COSTELLO'

The mystery deepens when Harry arrives at the 3rd floor apartment of Lou Costello and finds landlord, Sidney Fields, dead on the floor. Mike the Cop shows up to take a statement and notices Harry's eyes checking out the upstairs hottie, Hillary Brooke. All fingers point to Harry, but a hidden clue left by fruit seller, Mr. Botchagalupe, leads to the real culprit!

"I thought it a perfect match-up and it will conform perfectly to past books where greedy authors sucked the last dimes from their readers by writing cheesy sequels," quipped Howard Morton, noted book reviewer for DragonFire Press.

Publishing experts feel the release will stimulate enough sales that the current economic slowdown will vanish with-in 2 weeks! It is estimated that the author Rowlings will gross in the neighborhood of $ 16 Billion US dollars.

Harry Potter wannabees line up to give away their milk money for a new Potter book!

'Harry Potter' anime coming to TV in 2012

It is expected to be announced today that an agreement between Warner Bros., JK Rowling and Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball, has been reached for the development of a Harry Potter anime TV series to air on ABC Family in the U.S. starting in the fall of 2012.

Although they have not yet been made public, HPANA has learned that the basic concept drawings have Harry looking a bit like a young Goku (without the tail); Dumbledore looks like a cross between Master Roshi and Bulma's father; and Hagrid looks a bit like Dragon Ball Z's Ox King.

Rowling has apparently requested some minor changes be made to the renderings before they are released. We will, of course, post copies here as soon as they are made available.

The impossible physics of Harry Potter

Michio Kaku is a physicist specializing in string theory at the City College of New York; it would seem he's also a major Star Trek fan. The show, along with other science fiction classics, is a constant touchstone in "Physics of the Impossible," his latest book, which invites readers to take a romp through the barely possible. Kaku even uses Star Trek's chief engineer, Scotty, to state the book's starting point: "I canna' change the laws of physics, Captain!"

Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel is a popularization of physics and it reads like nothing so much as a thought-provoking manual for science fiction writers who want to get it right. Kaku takes 15 sci-fi staples, from invisibility cloaks to robots to parallel universes, and divides them up into Class I, II, and III impossibilities. Class I impossibilities are impossible at present, but could be just around the corner. No laws of physics forbid them. Class II impossibilities might be realized if humanity lives long enough and becomes advanced enough to take on such minor public works projects as particle accelerators 10 light-years long or "laser beams as large as a solar system or star cluster."

Class III impossibilities are just plain impossible. Sorry.

But there are fewer truly impossible things than one might expect. Time travel is a mere Class II impossibility, for example. Kaku walks us through the history of and current thinking on each problem, making clear the technical hurdles and sketching out the possible solutions – all with a minimum of jargon and confusion. As long as one is somewhat familiar with, for example, what an electron is, the waters of incomprehensibility will only occasionally close overhead, and never for long. The latter chapters, dealing as they do with things at the very edge or on the other side of impossibility, are a bit heavier going.

Science fiction writers, even science-minded daydreamers, will find that instead of becoming disappointed with what is not possible they will more likely be inspired to new plot twists by the limitations of nature. Laser guns are perfectly possible ... if they are plugged in. (Until a portable power pack capable of delivering the oomph of a commercial power station is invented, space duels won't be able to stray far from the surge protector. )

Similarly, an invisibility shield is potentially possible, and Kaku explains how, but since it can't be seen through from the inside, eyeholes would be needed. Perhaps disembodied floating eyes would be less inconspicuous than a whole visible person. But then again, one could listen, or even mind-read. While we might someday be able to read the vague tenor of another's thoughts, Kaku says, the details may be forever inaccessible.

And though it may not spark any story ideas, there is a certain grim satisfaction to finding out that to make Harry Potter invisible without a special shield "one would have to liquefy him, boil him to create steam, crystallize him, heat him again, and then cool him." Take that, boy wizard.

Kaku covers a lot of ground, including a fair bit of biology for sections on telepathy and a subchapter on suspended animation, and he moves at a decent clip. This book is not for those seeking to deeply understand string theory or quantum mechanics. It delivers just enough science to back up and make sense of the upshot: Can we or can't we? If we can't, why not? And if we can, how? Because Kaku doesn't get weighed down by details, this is a good choice for someone interested in physics but timid about the nuts and bolts. It's like those cupcake tops they sell in bakeries – the yummy bits without the foundation.

"Physics of the Impossible" is an invigorating experience. Much that seems impossible, isn't. The book's reach in time and space is so immense, that there's even a slight danger of light-headedness – especially when Kaku writes of nano-spacecraft that would replicate themselves on distant planets and send more nano-spacecraft further out, creating "a sphere of trillions of these robots, multiplying exponentially as it grows in size, expanding at nearly the speed of light." Not for the faint of heart, images like that.

Kaku does sail from topic to topic a bit abruptly, and his prose has a few irritating quirks – all his sentences are roughly the same length and he's absolutely addicted to parentheses – but these are minor quibbles. It's a small price to pay for a real sense of the vastness of space, the infinite length of time, and the admirable cleverness of humanity.

Bloomsbury looks beyond Potter

Book publisher Bloomsbury has said it was confident it has a strong pipeline of new titles to boost trading in the post Harry Potter era.

The final instalment in the adventures of the child wizard saw 2.65 million copies sold in UK bookshops on the first day of release in July. The contribution from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows meant Bloomsbury's pre-tax profits jumped to £17.9 million in 2007 from £5.2 million a year earlier.

Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns were also big sellers as group revenues doubled to £150.2 million last year.

Established Bloomsbury authors with new books include David Guterson, whose Snow Falling on Cedars sold more than one million copies, Margaret Atwood, Justin Cartwright, Anne Michaels and Ben Schott.

The paperback edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will also be published in July, while fans can buy box sets of all seven books in the series by JK Rowling.

Bloomsbury added: "Sales across the group in the first quarter have been encouraging and we are looking to build on this through the rest of the year."

The company said it had reduced overheads and divided the group into two arms focused on trade and reference-based specialist titles - the latter being a strong growth area with lower volatility and strong margins.

Chairman Jeremy Wilson said: "Last year Bloomsbury completed 21 years, and much has been done in 2007 to position the group for growth in a new stage of its development.

"The historic success of Bloomsbury, in which Harry Potter has played a key role, has unquestionably positioned it well for the future."

Emma Watson Turns Nun

Harry Potter actress Emma Watson, 17, has got a calling from God and now realises that she can no longer go on working on the films because she must take her place in her local convent.


"I hate to leave the producers of the film in the lurch." Sister Emma told us "But I think I always knew somewhere deep inside that I would never fully be happy until I became a nun and could spread the great word of the Lord. I tried to hide my desire to become a nun for so long but I just couldn't hold it in for any longer and had to come out."

"Who would have thought it, our Emma a nun." exclaimed hunky co star Daniel Radcliffe "She goes around having sex and drinking like nobody's business and then suddenly she is bashing her bible left right and centre. At least she will look hot in her nunny outfit that will be something to hot up the monks and priests sad little lives."

Because we are annoying and because we had the inclining that Emma's sudden love of the church wasn't legit, we broke into the convent (yes we are probably going to hell- but who cares). Inside we found Emma dressed from head to foot in typical black and white nun attire on her knees praying. We left then because it seemed like it was all true, Emma is doomed for a life of good deeds, bibles and hail Mary's.

Emma Watson to be new face of Women in Waders

Well, OK, that's not strictly true. But after the Daily Telegraph reported on Emma's love for fishing, I reckon a phone call from the rubber-wear calendar people must be just around the corner.

Em has yet to do an underwear shoot (surely another imminent career milestone), so donning her smalls and a large pair of waders might at least make things more interesting, no?

Although it sounds like life round Emma's is already pretty exciting. According to a 'family friend':

"You can always expect a fresh trout or salmon when you go round to dinner with her these days. She finds it a very relaxing hobby, but it also appeals to the cunning side of her nature."

So there you have it. When she's bored of posing on red carpets in head-to-toe Chanel, Emma Watson likes to play mind games with fish. And you thought she was just another impossibly rich and beautiful teen star...

Tsk.

Oh, and P.S. The Women in Waders calendar does actually exist. Go on, Google it - you know you want to.

Pottermania lives on in college classroom

J.K. Rowling has retired Harry Potter, but the fictional boy wizard lives in on college classes across the country where the children's books are embraced as literary and academic texts.

J.K. Rowling's books are often analyzed in the context of other relevant texts.

Drawing on their expertise in theology, children's literature, globalization studies and even the history of witchcraft, professors have been able to use Harry Potter to attract crowds of students eager to take on a disciplined study of the books.

Danielle Tumminio, a Yale Divinity School graduate student and the instructor for Yale's Harry Potter course "Christian Theology and Harry Potter," said her academic background in literature and theology, combined with her personal interest in the books, inspired her to design the course.

The course uses all seven Potter books and the students examine Christian themes such as sin, evil and resurrection.
"It was a struggle for me as I put the class together, because I knew if I didn't construct this really well ... that a lot of what I was doing would be missed or misconstrued. I certainly didn't want to come across as someone trying to indoctrinate my students," Tumminio said. "I also wanted to make it clear that it was a critical endeavor, and that it wasn't ... that you'd sit around all day talking about how great Luna Lovegood was."

The class was an immediate draw for students. Seventy-nine people showed up at the first session for the 18 open seats.

Although Yale's course is its first Harry Potter-themed offering, other universities, including Georgetown University, Liberty University, Pepperdine University, Stanford University, Lawrence University, Swarthmore and Kansas State University, also have integrated the series into their curricula.

Rowling's books are often analyzed in the context of other relevant texts, such as contemporary British fantasy or potential influences, including C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Philip Nel, author of "J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Novels: A Reader's Guide" and professor of children's literature at Kansas State University, started teaching the books in 2002.

"Harry Potter is unfairly maligned simply because of the audience for which it is intended. Children's literature is literature, and if people don't agree with that definition, it's sort of hard to have a conversation with them," Nel said. "They see things that ... are easily accessible as therefore not serious and therefore not worthy of serious inquiry."

John Granger, author of "Looking for God in Harry Potter," argues that children's literature is the most important because it has the greatest formative impact.

"If you sit down with anybody now, almost of any age, if they are literate, they know Harry Potter. They know these stories," Granger said.

Among students, there is considerable diversity of opinion as to how the books ought to be read.

Cat Terrell, a student in Tumminio's course at Yale, said regardless of whether the books are worthy as literary texts, they have helped enhance her understanding of other academic disciplines, including theology.

"If somebody says this isn't worth a Yale class, I would say if we were just reading the Harry Potter books for their literary merit ... I would probably agree with them. [But] the lens of the Harry Potter books actually makes theology ... easier to understand," she said. "It's amazing how many connections you can draw between the theology that we're reading outside of class and the Harry Potter that we've known for 10 years."

Edmund Kern, author of "The Wisdom of Harry Potter" and professor at Lawrence University, was originally attracted to the books based on his training as a historian of early religion, magic and witchcraft. For him, the books' historical impact, rather than their literary context, makes for a more intriguing analysis.

"As a kind of global cultural phenomenon, Harry Potter in a sense is unprecedented. I think movies have been extremely popular around the world, I think that certain music has been extremely popular around the world, but never before has a single literary endeavor caught the attention of so many people," Kern said.

Erika Slaymaker, a student at Swarthmore where another Potter-themed class is offered, thinks the books hold the most significance as a cultural phenomenon.

"I'm not completely convinced that it is such a fabulous set of deep writing that it deserves to be in the Western canon," Slaymaker said. She said she considered taking Swarthmore's class, but ended up going for another first-year seminar called "Women and Popular Culture."

Regardless of academic arguments, the phenomenon of Harry Potter as a whole continues to elicit awe and wonder.

Lisa Lowe, professor of American Studies at Yale, has read all seven books not as a scholar, but as a parent.

"What [Rowling's] really done is come up with a mode of captivating a whole generation: it's a form of captive concentration that took place over a course of nearly 10 years," Lowe said.

"As an adult, you'll be thinking, 'What would Harry have done?'"

J. K. Rowling determined to block RDR Books' Harry Potter ‘rip-off'

J. K. Rowling may be no stranger to battles against evil wizards and magical beasts but in her latest tussle she is preparing to appear in person in the American courts.

The notoriously shy author is ready to testify herself to protect her ownership of Harry Potter against RDR Books, an independent American publisher, next month.

A US court is to decide whether she can block the publication of an unauthorised encyclopaedia of the wizarding world that she created.

Rowling and Warner Bros, the Hollywood studio behind the epic film adaptations of the Hogwarts adventures, are taking legal action to stop RDR from profiting from a Harry Potter Lexicon, a 400-page guide to the Potter books and movies.

Accusing the unauthorised book of lifting 2,034 of its 2,437 entries straight from her work, Rowling condemned the Lexicon as “a Harry Potter ‘rip-off’ . . . [that] interferes with my rights as a creator and copyright holder”.

She noted that RDR’s attempt “to co-opt my work for financial gain” was out of keeping with the spirit of the Potter stories, which are “full of moral choices and ethical dilemmas”.

She claims that the RDR book not only infringes her copyright but undermines her own planned lexicon. As she will donate its royalties to charity, “the losers in such a situation would be the charities that I hope, eventually, to benefit”.

The unauthorised encyclopaedia was compiled by a free internet website, The Harry Potter Lexicon, which claims 25 million annual visitors.

David S. Hammer, co-counsel for RDR Books, said: “The Harry Potter Lexicon draws material and inspiration from the Harry Potter series but is an entirely new piece of work. It is a companion to Rowling’s work, not a substitute for it. No one is going to buy the Lexicon instead of a Harry Potter book, or instead of seeing a Harry Potter film.”

Rowling, who is suing in the New York Southern District Court, in a case scheduled to begin on April 14, said that she felt “betrayed” by “a person who calls himself a fan”.

As a penniless single mother living in Edinburgh in the early 1990s, she struggled to find a publisher for the first book. Although worldwide sales of her seven titles have since topped 375 million, the pain of those early days has never left her.

She recalled them in dismissing RDR’s idea that fans could buy two encyclopaedias. It was “insensitive” to think that everyone could afford both, she said:

“While I am extremely fortunate now, having had periods in my life when I worried about having enough money to feed and clothe my daughter, it is obvious to me that many people do not have money to buy every book that appeals to them.”

Right to copy

In Britain and the US the work’s creator holds the copyright; this prevents substantial passages being reproduced without permission. In Britain the “fair dealing” provision allows use of copyright work for criticism and review. In the US rule, the third party must make a contribution in reproducing material.

Emma Watson loves to go fishing for a spell

Emma Watson may have made an estimated £10 million - and counting - from playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, but her real passion, Mandrake hears, is fishing.

"You can always expect a fresh trout or salmon when you go round to dinner with her these days," one of her friends tells me. "She finds it a very relaxing hobby, but it also appeals to the cunning side of her nature."

I am told that it was the actress's father, Chris, who first got her interested in fishing. The 17-year-old now makes her own flies and is donating one of her Grey Wulffs - that's a bushy, high-floating fly - to raise money for the Wild Trout Trust, which will go under the online "eBay" hammer on April 9. The trust hopes it will make at least £150 for them.

Emma is also keen on hockey and tennis. "It drives me nuts when friends say 'sport gives you muscles and it's so unattractive, and you get sweaty'," she declared, and added, yes, she did regard herself as a "feminist".

Harry Potter Radcliffe turns heavy smoker

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe's co-stars have warned him of serious health problems if he doesn't quit smoking 20 cigarettes a day.

Radcliffe has been nicknamed Harry Puffer on the set of the new Potter movie as he rushes off to smoke between takes. He is reportedly smoking a pack a day and this is worrying his friends, thesun.co.uk reports.

A source said: "Daniel has recently been smoking up to 20 cigarettes a day. Every time they call 'Cut', he lights up. It's disgusting. Friends and co-stars including Rupert Grint have been warning him about the dangers of smoking. But he doesn't take any notice."

Producers are also afraid that Radcliffe's image could be damaged if he is seen smoking in public.

"He's been having late nights out with stars like Kevin Spacey and Stephen Fry and seems to have picked up bad habits," the source added.

Harry Potter Stars: Daniel Radcliffe and Tom Felton Reluctantly Come Out of the Closet

During a small get together of Harry Potter stars, Harry Potter himself Daniel Radcliffe and Draco Malfoy, Tom Felton, reluctantly came out of the closet.

The house where Daniel Radcliffe and Tom Felton, finally came out of the closet.

It started out as an innocent game of 'spin the bottle' added with 'seven minutes in heaven'. For those unfamiliar with the games: 'spin the bottle' is when a group of people sit in a circle, preferably boy-girl-boy-girl. An empty glass bottle is spun by one of the members of said group, then whichever person the "neck" of the bottle points to, the two members have to kiss.

'Seven minutes in heaven' is when two people are locked in a closet for seven minutes to do what comes naturally. Now combine the two games.

It seems it was Mr. Felton's turn to 'spin the bottle' and it landed on Mr. Radcliffe. Since there was only one female, this does not come as a shock. Both young men headed into the closet. When they were in there for a full fourteen minutes, the other castmates got worried.

"They were in there way longer then they should have been. I think they thought it was seven minutes each. But I didn't ask," says Rupert (Ron Weasley) Grint.

"It was such a shock when we finally opend the closet. We had to wait a full hour and a half until they were done. We kept trying to tell them to come out, but they refused. We told them that it was ok, they could continue out of the closet," states Emma (Hermione Granger) Watson.

In the end the boys reluctantly agreed. However, Tom is claiming that Dan cheated. Dan says he nailed Tom fair and square. The two boys are planning to have a Monopoly, tournament style, rematch, and Mr. Felton swears he'll beat Mr. Radcliffe this time.

Emma Watson thrashes Harry Potter lads at Ping Pong

English actress Emma Watson has proven herself worthy of yet another feat, thrashing her male co-stars at table tennis.

The Harry Potter star is such an expert at the game that she scares off any male competitor.

Emma, who plays Hermione Granger, is currently filming Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince with Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe.

Ive got a table tennis table on set and were always playing between scenes, the Sun quoted Rupert, who plays Ron Weasley, as saying.

Dan has been having a lucky few months and weve both been getting really good but Emma is brilliant. We rarely play her now because it gets quite embarrassing, he added.

A while back, the Harry Potter trio, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, had made it to the Forbes list of Top-Earning Celebs Under 25.

Radcliffe, who plays the famous boy wizard in the blockbuster film franchise of JK Rowlings novels, has earned the sixth place on the list, with an annual earning of 15 million dollars.

Gary Oldman Takes Potter Break

Although a young person might not remember it, Gary Oldman used to do movies featuring characters besides Harry Potter and Batman. Playing good guys in those movies is a switch for those of us who remember him as the bad guy in Air Force One, Murder in the First, The Contender, Leon, and, well, almost everything else he’s done.

Variety says that Oldman is negotiating to join the cast of Rain Fall, a thriller set in Japan. His character is not disclosed, but since the main character is a Japanese/American hit man, it’s likely not going to be Oldman. More probably is the CIA station chief in Japan who is, naturally, one of the bad guys. The movie, based on a book by Barry Eisler, follows the hit man who has to protect the daughter of one of his victims from being knocked off by the CIA.

The director is Australian Max Mannix, who I’ve never heard of. He previously directed a dance/martial arts movie starring Jason Scott Lee. The film will be mostly in Japanese, although it is likely Oldman’s parts will be some of those that are in English. The remainder of the article discusses the financing of the picture, which is unique in Japan. I don’t really care much about how this $7 million picture gets financed and you don’t either, so let’s just say it is complicated and leave it at that.

Harry Potter author: I considered suicide

Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has revealed she thought of killing herself while penniless and suffering from depression as a single mother, according to a report in Britain's Sunday Times newspaper.

J.K. Rowling is now one of the world's richest women due to the success of her Harry Potter books.

At the time, Rowling had separated from her first husband and was living in a cramped apartment with her baby daughter.

She was able to afford the rent only after a friend paid the £600 ($1,189) that she needed, the newspaper quoted her as telling a student reporter at Edinburgh University.

"We're talking suicidal thoughts here, we're not talking 'I'm a little bit miserable,'" Rowling said.

"Mid-twenties life circumstances were poor and I really plummeted. The thing that made me go for help . . . was probably my daughter.

"She was something that earthed me, grounded me, and I thought, this isn't right, this can't be right, she cannot grow up with me in this state."

Rowling said she then sought professional help.

While the 42-year-old has spoken before of her battle with depression, it was the first time she had admitted that she contemplated suicide, the newspaper said.

It was then that Rowling began writing the first Harry Potter book, which was eventually published in 1996.

Since then, more than 325 million books -- translated into 64 languages -- have been sold around the world and Rowling is now one of the world's richest women.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince First Photo

From WB we have the first photo for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. David Yates, who directed this year’s summer blockbuster “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” returns to direct “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” David Heyman, the producer of all of the Harry Potter films, is producing the film, together with David Barron. Screenwriter Steve Kloves, who scripted the first four installments of the film franchise, is adapting the screenplay based on the book by J.K. Rowling.

David Heyman said, “I am really excited that David Yates and all our cast are back for the sixth film and welcome some wonderful new additions to our ensemble. We all share a commitment to Jo Rowling and to Harry Potter fans around the world to keep making these films the best they can be and, as we head into the final installments, I can promise that this level of commitment will not waver.”

Once again heading the cast, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are reprising their roles as young wizards Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who are facing new challenges and dangers in the wake of Lord Voldemort’s return. They will be reunited with returning Harry Potter cast members, including Helena Bonham Carter, David Bradley, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Natalia Tena, Julie Walters and David Thewlis, as well as Evanna Lynch, Matthew Lewis and Bonnie Wright.

Two award-winning actors are joining the film’s all-star cast in their first Harry Potter film. Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent (“Iris,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”) has been set to play Potions Professor Horace Slughorn, who gives Harry an old Potions textbook that had once belonged to the Half-Blood Prince, which proves invaluable to the young wizard. Award-winning actress Helen McCrory (“Becoming Jane,” “The Queen”) will play Narcissa Malfoy, mother to Draco Malfoy and sister to the evil Bellatrix Lestrange.

Additionally, several young newcomers will be making their feature film debuts in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” Jessie Cave has won the role of Lavender Brown, who has eyes for Ron Weasley. Nine-year-old Hero Fiennes Tiffin is playing the role of the young Tom Riddle at age 11, while 16-year-old Frank Dillane is playing the teenage Riddle, who is already on the path to becoming the evil Lord Voldemort.

In “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” Lord Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and Wizard worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching.

Two-time Oscar nominee Bruno Delbonnel (“A Very Long Engagement,” “Amelie”) will serve as the director of photography, marking his first Harry Potter film. He will be joined by returning Harry Potter veterans, including production designer Stuart Craig, editor Mark Day, costume designer Jany Temime, creature & make-up effects designer Nick Dudman, special effects supervisor John Richardson, visual effects supervisor Tim Burke and composer Nicholas Hooper.

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” will be released on November 21, 2008, by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2008) Still 2

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2008) Still 1

Johnny Depp Pulls Out Of Harry Without Warning

Johnny Depp has pulled out of Harry Potter leaving the producers with a big mess to clean up and a lot of explaining to do.

Depp pulled out with no warning and has caused not only mess and disruption but has left Harry himself deeply pained and upset.

"He pulled out without telling me" said Daniel Radcliffe, star of the Harry Potter movies "One minute he was in next minute he was out. It was so quick. I am hurt. Deeply upset about the whole thing. It took me unawares."

Depp has told friends he pulled out of Potter the way he did because he wanted to be on top. However Radcliffe was on top which annoyed Depp.

Depp always prefers to be on top.

"I wanted to be top billing in this production" said Depp, explaining why he had pulled out of the final installment of the Harry Potter movie franchise. "I couldn't have Radcliffe's name above mine in the credits so I pulled out."

Depp had been reported yesterday as starring in the second part of the final Harry Potter movie 'The Deathly Hallows' - it seems as though that this is now unlikely to happpen.

Sneak Peek at Next Harry Potter Movie

From left: Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe Photo by: Jaap Buitendijk / Warner Bros.

My, how they've grown. From left, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Harry Potter himself (Daniel Radcliffe) begin their sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth installment in the film series, due to open in theaters Nov. 21.

In it, Harry happens upon an ancient book mysteriously marked "Property of the Half-Blood Prince" – which helps the trio learn more about evil wizard Lord Voldemort's dark past.

Last week, it was also learned that the seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling's series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, will be divided into two movie installments. Muggles, rejoice!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Still

Though we don't get to see the real Half-Blood Prince (wink), we do get to see our trio of title characters as they try to learn of recent developments by reading the Daily Prophet. Unfortunately the publication is more concerned with covering up news at the moment.

Like Harry Potter, No. Hampton teen overcomes scars

NORTH HAMPTON — Resident Max Sopher was chosen as a state semifinalist in the Letters About Literature program. The contest, sponsored by the Center for Book at the New Hampshire State Library in Concord, selected 25 letters from a pool of 220 submissions.

Judges working on behalf of the Library of Congress will award $100 to each first-place winner. State winners will advance to the national competition where they could win a $500 Target GiftCard and a $10,000 Letters About Literature Reading Promotion Grant for their community.

Max, who describes himself as just a normal 13-year-old who likes to tell stories, said he "Did it for the money."

Well, sort of.

"I saw the contest flier at North Hampton's Public Library," Max said. "It said that if your letter wins, your library gets the money."

The contest theme encouraged young readers to explore their personal response to a book and then express that response in a creative, original way.

At first, Max wasn't so sure he wanted to talk about or share his letter with the press. It is personal. Yet, in understanding what he wrote could in turn serve as inspiration to other people — not just kids — he relented.

"I'd written Christopher Paolini several years ago, and got a three-page response back," Max said. "He gave me advice on writing and everything. For this contest I wrote to J.K. Rowling."

Like Harry Potter, Max had been "scarred as babies." And, again like Harry Potter, Max felt self-consciousness and carried a sense of unfairness about their scars.

Harry's scar was a small one on his forehead. Max's is seven inches long and crosses his chest. Over his heart to be exact.

Max was born with a congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot, requiring open-heart surgery when he was just five months old. There's a possibility Max may need another surgery in the future.

When Max's grandfather, who lives in Florida, read Max's letter he responded, "You made lemonade from lemons!"

It may be no coincidence that Max took first place nationally in the Middle School Exposition category for The Writing Conference, Inc., writing on the topic of "courage."

Last spring, Max won a national award for a personal narrative he submitted to the K12 Holdren's Heroes (home school curriculum) writing contest.

"He's been making up characters since he was 5 years old," said Michele Sopher, Max's mom. "These characters were either completely imaginary or inspired by a stuffed animal. He created lives and worlds for these characters that grew more complex as he got older."

"I just like to write from my own observations," Max said. "Things I see or feel myself or in others. My own dog was the inspiration for a recent story."

The comic strip-drawing, basketball/guitar/violin-playing teen isn't waiting around to hear this March if he's a finalist in the Letters About Literature contest, though. He's busy preparing materials to enter a contest sponsored by The Mark Twain Young Authors Workshop and polishing a novel to submit to the Scholastic Writing Awards.

Rare Harry Potter book conjures up £4000 at auction

A RARE copy of the first ever Harry Potter book has fetched almost £4000 at auction after being sold by a library for £2.

The tattered novel, which still has the library's label and barcode attached to it, was put on sale nine years ago because it was in such bad condition.

Now the limited edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by Merchiston-based JK Rowling, has fetched 2000 times it's sale value at auction.

The book was sold for a couple of pounds during the sale at Wellingborough Library, Northamptonshire, in 1999.

A spokeswoman for the county council said: "Someone has certainly got very lucky. The book was sold almost 10 years ago because it was in such poor condition and wasn't a bestseller."

The novel was resold during a Harry Potter auction at Christie's in London yesterday.

A total of 20 of the wizard books were sold for a combined £36,560.

Despite being worn, the library copy still attracted much interest. Loosely inserted in the book was a slip of paper bearing Rowling's signature, which the seller won in a competition in 2000.

Mr Jackson said: "Like most library copies, the book has had its vicissitudes and has been restored. But this is the Harry Potter that everyone wants."

Published in 1997, the novel was considered to have such modest prospects that publishers Bloomsbury ordered a first print run of just 500 copies. About 300 of those were distributed to school libraries.

Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Lily Allen - an unusual love triangle

Emma Watson has managed to find herself in yet another random celebrity lurve situation.

After being spotted with Johnny Borrell of Razorlight last month, she's now landed herself in the the middle of a good ol' fashioned love triangle - starring herself, Lily Allen and Rupert Grint (aka Ron Weasley of Harry Potter fame).

Closer magazine recently reported that Lily and Emma had been fighting for the ginger-headed one's attention.

According to Closer's 'source' (I assume this was a nosey shop assistant?), Emma and Rupert were out shopping in London when Rupert popped into a changing room (hopefully not to try on anything in shades of pink or red - such difficult colours for redheads). His phone rang and Emma answered - apparently to a rather hostile Lily!

The source said: "She picked up the call and I heard her say: 'Why am I answering his phone? Because he's rather occupied at the moment. Is there something you want? ...We're busy right now, like you should be, Lily." *

Ooh, the intrigue!

* I admit this could easily be another Lily and not, in actual fact, the Lily Allen. But isn't gossiping fun?

The BIG Three

RUPERT GRINT as Ron Weasley, DANIEL RADCLIFFE as Harry Potter and EMMA WATSON as Hermione Granger in Warner Bros. Pictures' fantasy "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."

British army watches Daniel Radcliffe's back

DANIEL Radcliffe is being protected by four ex-SAS soldiers after receiving a death threat.

The Harry Potter star has been assigned the security team - all of who used to work for the elite British army force, the Special Air Service - after worried movie bosses feared for his safety.

A source told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "There is a real concern for Daniel's welfare. No one has said what has been going on. It's all hush-hush - but security has been massively ramped up. Daniel has the four guards with him at all times."

The 18-year-old star is filming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and although the nature of the threat - which was received via Warner Bros. who are producing the movie - is unclear, bosses aren't prepared to take any chances.

The actor switched cars three times on Saturday night as we went to and from the film set.

His regular driver - used by the star for seven years and considered "part of the family" - has been temporarily replaced.

Daniel has now been given a "chase car" which follows the vehicle in which he is travelling in case of emergency.

The source said of the SAS guards: "They are all experts in evasive driving, threat assessment and close protection. This isn't about keeping an eye out for the paparazzi - these guys are looking for something far more sinister."

The protection is similar to that given to Britain's Princes William and Harry when they are not on military duty.

Emma Watson is dating 'nobody'

British actress Emma Watson seems to have come under the spell of a new man who calls himself “a nobody”.

The mystery man, who is called Jay by his pals, works in finance. He was seen with the Harry Potter actress at the Empire Awards after show party on Sunday Mar 09.

Emma, who had been linked to Razorlight singer Johnny Borrell and co-star Daniel Radcliffe, was very open about her latest romance. She was seen as being very shy at first, but as the party progressed she let her loving side emerge.

The two were seen snogging and holding hands at the bash, which was held in trendy London club Carbon, with him getting a cheeky grope of her bum and thigh whenever the chance arose.

When he was questioned about the reason for Emma dating him, he had a very straightforward answer for it.

“Nothing. I’m a nobody. I work in admin,” the Sun quoted him as saying.

The duo was seen leaving the club separately around midnight, but were again spotted later entering her hotel and spending the night together.

Yates to Finish 'Harry Potter' Film Saga

British director David Yates said he is honored to have been chosen to film the final installments in the Harry Potter movie franchise.

Yates also helmed Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and is now in production on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Warner Bros. announced Thursday that J.K. Rowling's seventh and final book would be broken into two movies to be filmed by Yates and released in 2010 and 2011.

I've had great pleasure working with a tremendous cast and crew thus far, Yates said. It's a wonderful world to work in and be part of and to create within, and I consider it a great privilege to continue to bring Jo's extraordinary world to the screen, and to be the director to complete this epic and exhilarating journey.

It has been an honor for our studio to be entrusted with bringing J.K. Rowling's extraordinary book series to the screen, and we have always felt a great responsibility to be true to her vision, added Jeff Robinov, president of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group. We could not imagine the final chapter of the film franchise being in better hands than those of David Yates.

Eight is the magic number for Emma Watson and Harry Potter

The news is in! The last Harry Potter film, The Deathly Hallows, will be split into two parts, with the first due out in 2010.

Well, I'm sure Emma Watson will be delighted to reprise the role of Hermione Granger. But she'll probably be slightly less excited about donning her character's dodgy wardrobe for another two films.

Emma, seen here at the Empire Film Awards looking stunning in a gorgeous strapless white number, is clearly worlds apart from her character Hermione. Y'know, the one who prefers less 'chic', more 'geek'? Although there is a hint of Hermione coming through though with those less than spellbinding sandals...

I wonder whether Emma will try and inject her favourite Chanel, or some Dior gear into her wizarding wardrobe? Let's face it, anything's better than those hideous Weasley jumpers.

Hold up, Emma - only three films to go!

Final "Harry Potter" movie split into two parts

Warner Bros. has conjured up some Hollywood magic for the final installment of the wildly popular "Harry Potter" movies, splitting the seventh and final book into two films, the movie studio said on Thursday.

Part one of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" will debut in late 2010 and be followed months later by part two.

"We feel that the best way to do the book, and its many fans, justice is to expand the screen adaptation of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' and release the film in two parts," Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, said in a statement.

The first five films in the series have been huge hits with a total global box office nearing $4.5 billion. The sixth movie is now being filmed.

The movies are based on British author J.K. Rowling's best-selling fantasy novels about the adventures of boy wizard Harry Potter and his friends as they grow from kids into teenagers at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Deathly Hallows," the seventh and final book in Rowling's series, was published last July to huge fanfare, selling some 11.5 million copies in its first 10 days in the United States.

But the final volume is a long saga at more than 750 pages, and it is filled with many twists and turns as Harry and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley wrap up their story lines. Harry faces -- once and for all times -- the dark Lord Voldemort who murdered his parents.

Because of the many adventures in "Deathly Hallows," Rowling, the movies' producers and Warner Bros. all agreed that two movies were necessary to truly tell the end story.

"'The Deathly Hallows' is so rich, the story so dense and there is so much that is resolved that after discussing it with Jo, we came to the conclusion that the two parts were needed to do it justice," said producer David Heyman, who first took the project to Warner Bros. in 1997.

The books and movies also have been a huge money maker beyond theater box offices and DVDs. They have spawned products from toys to T-shirts to a planned theme park.

By some estimates, "Harry Potter" represents a $20 billion business, so an eighth film will likely only expand the enterprise.

Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry, and his co-stars Emma Watson (Hermione) and Rupert Grint (Ron) are now filming the sixth movie -- "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." All three have said they would appear in "Deathly Hallows."