Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Jarvis Cocker Writes Songs for 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/21/jarvis-cocker-writes-songs-for-fantastic-mr-fox/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/21/jarvis-cocker-writes-songs-for-fantastic-mr-fox/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/21/jarvis-cocker-writes-songs-for-fantastic-mr-fox/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Further ensuring that the band Pulp should have new fans in the future, front man Jarvis Cocker continues to seek younger listeners. This time, in an interview with Time Out Chicago, he claims to have written a few tracks for Wes Anderson's stop-motion-animated film The Fantastic Mr. Fox, which is based on the novel by Roald Dahl. He says there are three or four songs and then some music that could become part of the film's score. Additionally, in response to questions regarding his solo track "Disney Time", he notes that writing music for a kid's movie is his chance to "do better" than Disney films, at least in terms of corrupting young minds.

A few years ago, Cocker contributed to the soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and even appeared in the movie as a member of the fictional group The Weird Sisters, performing the songs he composed, "This is the Night", "Do the Hippogriff" and "Magic Works." Pulp has also written songs specifically for movies in the past, including a rejected theme song to the 007 movie Tomorrow Never Dies (both the original version of "Tomorrow Never Dies" and a retitled version called "Tomorrow Never Lies" were later released as a bonus track and a B-Side, respectively). In the interview, he suggests that Quantum of Solace could now use his solo effort "Quantum Theory", to which he'd change the lyrics appropriately.

When QOS arrives in theaters this fall, don't be surprised if Cocker's song isn't heard. As for Fantastic Mr. Fox, we'll have to wait until November 2009 to see if the man's music makes its way to impressionable ears.

[via I Watch Stuff]

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]]>007disney musicalsDisneyMusicalsharry potterharry potter and the goblet of fireHarryPotterHarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFirejames bondJamesBondjarvis cockerJarvisCockerpulpquantum of solaceQuantumOfSolacethe fantastic mr. foxTheFantasticMr.Foxtomorrow never diesTomorrowNeverDieswes andersonWesAndersonChristopher CampbellMon, 21 Jul 2008 16:32:00 EST'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' Teaser!http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/18/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-teaser/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/18/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-teaser/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/18/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-teaser/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



So you know that 15-second Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince teaser that's playing before The Dark Knight? Yeah, well it's just hit The Tube ... and you can see it above. Unfortunately, it's very much a teaser in that there's no actual footage from the film at all. All we hear is Dumbledore's voice saying, "Once again, I must ask too much of you Harry." Then there's some lights, and -- ta da -- we get the title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Following the title, there's this: Select Sequences in IMAX 3-D. Yeah, I'm thinking that will look pretty damn cool. I wish we had more to give you Potter nuts right now (you can also check out our nifty gallery below), but this is all there is. However, a little wizard told me there might be some more gifts arriving soon ...

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hits theaters on November 21.

Gallery: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince



[Thanks Alejandro from BlogHogwarts]

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]]>cinematicalharry potterharry potter 6 teaser trailerharry potter 6 trailerHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince TeaserHarryPotterHarryPotter6TeaserTrailerHarryPotter6TrailerHarryPotterAndTheHalf-bloodPrinceTeaserErik DavisFri, 18 Jul 2008 11:02:00 ESTDiscuss: When Characters Are Recasthttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/14/discuss-when-characters-are-recast/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/14/discuss-when-characters-are-recast/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/14/discuss-when-characters-are-recast/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



This summer may be confusing to some less blog-literate moviegoers thanks to two recast roles. In both The Dark Knight and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, a prominent character is played by a new actress. In the former sequel, "Rachel Dawes" will be played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, replacing Katie Holmes, who had the role in Batman Begins. In the latter, "Eveyln Carnahan O'Connell" will be played by Maria Bello, subbing for Rachel Weisz, who appeared in both The Mummy and The Mummy Returns.

This certainly isn't the first time characters have been recast with different actors, and over at The Onion, the A.V. Club has listed 20 such memorably jarring switcheroos, which they're calling The Darrin Effect (after the famous character replacement on TV's Bewitched), in television and film. Surely everyone recalls when Sarah Chalke took over the part of "Becky" on Roseanne; the writers even occasionally even slipped in some reflexive jokes about it. And let's not forget the glaring problem of recasting Jodie Foster's Oscar-winning role of "Clarice Starling" -- Julianne Moore played the part in Hannibal. Or the tragic yet surprisingly respectable replacement of Michael Gambon for a deceased Richard Harris in the Harry Potter movies.

Continue reading Discuss: When Characters Are Recast

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]]>batmanbatman beginsBatmanBeginsbewitchedfeaturedhannibalmaggie gyllenhaalMaggieGyllenhaalmaria belloMariaBelloroseannesplashsplash tooSplashTootammy and the bachelorTammyAndTheBachelorthe dark knightthe mummythe mummy 3the mummy returnsthe mummy tomb of th...the silence of the lambsthe sting IITheDarkKnightTheMummyTheMummy3TheMummyReturnsTheMummyTombOfTh...TheSilenceOfTheLambsTheStingIix-menChristopher CampbellMon, 14 Jul 2008 20:02:00 EST'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' Photo Gallery!http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/08/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-photo-gallery/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/08/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-photo-gallery/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/08/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-photo-gallery/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,



Finally! This is the day you've all been waiting for (well, maybe not all of you -- but I'm sure there's a few of you, if not one or two of you ... or maybe a few imaginary readers too). Our friends over at Warner Bros. sent over a whole group of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince photos so that we can strap them all together and show them off in a big, bright shiny gallery. So, it is with great joy that I introduce you to Cinematical's official Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince photo gallery!

(I'll let you catch your breath from screaming so loud ....)

Done? Good. Below you'll find 16 gorgeous images from the film, all of which feature your favorite characters from the Potter universe. Me? All I want is a pair of those Luna Lovegood sunglasses. What's up with those? Maybe Warners will hand them out at Comic Con so I can run around, freaking people out. So trippy. So cool. Me want. Check out the gallery below.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince arrives in theaters on November 21.

Gallery: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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]]>cinematicalharry potterharry potter and the half-blood princeharry potter and the half-blood prince movie photosHarryPotterHarryPotterAndTheHalf-bloodPrinceHarryPotterAndTheHalf-bloodPrinceMoviePhotosErik DavisTue, 08 Jul 2008 17:32:00 ESTNew 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' Pics!http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/08/new-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pics/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/08/new-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pics/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/08/new-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pics/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Well, nothing is quite as cool as Luna Lovegood in her Spectrespecs, but there are a few more images from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince floating around the net (these are courtesy of Ace Showbiz). You can check out Rupert Grint's head-protected Quidditch getup at the dining table with Harry and Hermione above... (Can anyone tell me why he doesn't free his head while he eats? Does he fear that he'll lose his helmet?) And the other pic at AS has got Harry having a pow-wow with Professor Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), who is sporting an affably devilish facial expression.

This time around, Harry is in his 6th year at Hogwarts, and he finds "a potion book signed by the self-titled half-blood prince." There'll be scares for sure, as well as wackiness, and what you can see above -- some good rounds of Quidditch. This will all hit the screen November 21.

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]]>CinematicalHarry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceHarryPotterAndTheHalf-bloodPrinceJim BroadbentJimBroadbentRupert GrintRupertGrintMonika BartyzelTue, 08 Jul 2008 14:34:00 ESTRupert Grint Plans for the Future, Takes Role in Edgy Indie Dramahttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/06/rupert-grint-plans-for-the-future-takes-role-in-edgy-indie-dram/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/06/rupert-grint-plans-for-the-future-takes-role-in-edgy-indie-dram/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/06/rupert-grint-plans-for-the-future-takes-role-in-edgy-indie-dram/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Harry Potter has got to end sometime, and by "sometime" I mean in less than three years when the second cinematic half of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows sees release. And some people would like to still have a career when that happens, thank you very much. To that end, Rupert Grint -- a.k.a. Ron Weasley -- has taken a role in an indie film called Cherry Bomb, which sounds about as far from Harry Potter as you can get without developing an erotic fixation on horses.

The film, written by acclaimed playwright Daragh Caville, focuses on three teens who set out for a wild weekend of drugs, sex and crime only to see it escalate into something far more serious than they imagined. It co-stars relative unknowns Robert Sheehan and Kimberley Nixon, and is set for release next year.

While Daniel Radcliffe has tried more extreme methods of branching out (mainly by taking that infamous role in Equus, which is coming to Broadway per the above link) and Emma Watson hasn't done very much at all (she voices a character in this year's The Tale of Despereaux, but that seems to be it), Grint has spent what spare time he has toiling away in indieville. Cherry Bomb was preceded by the reasonably well-received and much less racy Driving Lessons, about a troubled boy's friendship with a retired actress.

Continue reading Rupert Grint Plans for the Future, Takes Role in Edgy Indie Drama

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]]>cherry bombCherryBombdaniel radcliffeDanielRadcliffedaragh cavilleDaraghCavilledriving lessonsDrivingLessonsemma watsonEmmaWatsonkimberley nixonKimberleyNixonrobert sheehanRobertSheehanrupert grintRupertGrintthe tale of despereauxTheTaleOfDespereauxEugene NovikovSun, 06 Jul 2008 15:32:00 ESTBunch More 'Harry Potter 6' Photos Hithttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/03/bunch-more-harry-potter-6-photos-hit/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/03/bunch-more-harry-potter-6-photos-hit/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/03/bunch-more-harry-potter-6-photos-hit/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



November 21 is slowly inching closer, and Potter Mania is starting to heat up. Just in time for the Fourth of July, we've got a whole slew of new Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince pics to enjoy. There are seven tasty shots over at USA Today, including the one above, plus another two over at Moviefone.

You're not going to see many drug and sex paralells in these pics, but there is the obligatory trio discussing some important fact (in this case, the potions book), the wonderful Dumbledore, Draco looking much tougher and ticked off, and well, hit the jump to see my favorite one of all.

Continue reading Bunch More 'Harry Potter 6' Photos Hit

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]]>Monika BartyzelThu, 03 Jul 2008 11:02:00 EST'Harry Potter 6' Has "Sexual Energy and Drug Parallels"http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/02/harry-potter-6-has-sexual-energy-and-drug-parallels/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/02/harry-potter-6-has-sexual-energy-and-drug-parallels/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/02/harry-potter-6-has-sexual-energy-and-drug-parallels/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I didn't get beyond the fifth Harry Potter novel, so I'm not familiar with what goes on in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I never would have thought, however, that it features an adorable version of Voldemort (which reminded our own Kim Voynar of the young Anakin of The Phantom Menace), nor would I have ever imagined, in my wildest years, that it is anything like Trainspotting. Yet that's what Daniel "Harry Potter" Radcliffe told Empire regarding the upcoming movie adaptation. He specifically likened Half-Blood Prince to the heroin-heavy movie, admitting that it is indeed strange to mention those two films in the same sentence. He also stated that in his movie, "there's a fair amount of sexual energy and drug parallels."

Now, of course, that doesn't mean there's actual sex and drugs featured in the movie. And this wouldn't be the first time the Harry Potter films included suggestive imagery or content. One of the early installments (I think it was the original, Sorcerer's Stone) features a scene in which Harry experiments with his wand under the covers late at night. Like with a similar scene from Spider-Man, in which Peter Parker wakes up in his own sticky web, it's pretty obvious what real-world experience the scene is meant to parallel. So, I'm not surprised that as the Harry Potter movies get darker and the cast grows up that we'll be seeing other kinds of innuendo. And knowing the franchise so far, even if the suggestive imagery or content is easily deciphered, there's sure to be good messages tied in. It's not like Warner Bros. would permit improper subliminal encouragements.

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]]>daniel radcliffeDanielRadcliffeharry potterharry potter and the half-blood princeharry potter and the sorcerers stoneHarryPotterHarryPotterAndTheHalf-bloodPrinceHarryPotterAndTheSorcerersStonespider-manthe phantom menaceThePhantomMenacetrainspottingChristopher CampbellWed, 02 Jul 2008 20:34:00 ESTHarry Potter Update: Pics of Young Voldemort, Looking Cute and Mostly Harmlesshttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/28/harry-potter-update-pics-of-young-voldemort-looking-cute-and-m/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/28/harry-potter-update-pics-of-young-voldemort-looking-cute-and-m/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/28/harry-potter-update-pics-of-young-voldemort-looking-cute-and-m/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

This morning I got an email from Snitchseeker.com, a Harry Potter fansite, pointing me to some pics they have up of young Hero Fiennes-Tiffin (nephew of Ralph Fiennes, who plays the evil Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise). Fiennes-Tiffin is playing Young Tom Riddle (aka the Future Dark Lord, Voldemort) in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Nice call on the part of the casting director to have a relative of Fiennes play the younger character.

You can see all the pics over on Snitchseeker; they're apparently from another film the young actor is in, Bigga than Ben. Fiennes-Tiffin looks oh-so-sweet-and-innocent -- he hardly looks like the sort who'd grow up to wreak havoc on the wizarding world, tossing around Imperius curses at his enemies and plotting to rid the world of good guys like Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter. But then again, it's always the innocent looking ones who sneak up on you and turn out to be evil dark lords trying to take over the world, isn't it?

Continue reading Harry Potter Update: Pics of Young Voldemort, Looking Cute and Mostly Harmless

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]]>daniel radcliffeDanielRadcliffeemma watsonharry potterharry potter and the half blood princeHarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrincehero fiennes-tiffinHeroFiennes-tiffinralph fiennesrupert grinttom riddleTomRiddlevoldemortKim VoynarSat, 28 Jun 2008 17:33:00 ESTFrom Page to Screen: 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/11/from-page-to-screen-harry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/11/from-page-to-screen-harry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/11/from-page-to-screen-harry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Few adaptations have been pored over and scrutinized for adherence to cannon as intensely as the Harry Potter films. Every omission and deviation gets pounced upon immediately. Speculation ran rampant that each of the later, longer volumes would be split into two films to accommodate J.K. Rowling's sprawling storylines, until it was finally announced that the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, actually will be. In a few weeks, I'll take a look at the prospects for David Yates' Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, due this November. This week, I want to look back at the sole Potter installment to date where the film not only did right by the book, but expanded it, improved it, brought it to life. And that would be Alfonso Cuarón's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

I'm usually lavish in my praise for the film; I'm fond of saying that I like it better than Cuaron's purportedly more "serious" works like Children of Men and Y Tu Mamá También. What I don't often get a chance to mention is that I'm much less enamored of the novel on which it's based. Don't get me wrong -- Rowling's Azkaban is still Harry Potter, and as such it's fast, and funny, and filled with all sorts of wonderful, world-building detail. But when I read it, shortly after tearing through The Sorcerer's Stone and The Chamber of Secrets, I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed. It seemed a little contrived, I thought, and overdramatic; a little cheesy. The climax involved a lot of ALL-CAPS YELLING to signify big emotion, the whole thing feeling like it was about to turn into a wizard soap opera. And I remember rolling my eyes at the time-travel, which felt like a cheat despite being gracelessly telegraphed a dozen times.

Continue reading From Page to Screen: 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'

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]]>alfonso cuaronAlfonsoCuarondaniel radcliffeDanielRadcliffedavid yatesDavidYatesfeaturedharry potter and the half-blood princeharry potter and the prisoner of azkabanHarryPotterAndTheHalf-bloodPrinceHarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkabanEugene NovikovWed, 11 Jun 2008 23:02:00 ESTNew Promos From 'Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince"!http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/10/new-promos-from-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/10/new-promos-from-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/10/new-promos-from-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,



A bunch of new Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince promotional images have surfaced, thanks to the intrepid reporters at SnitchSeeker. They were spotted at the New York Licensing Expo -- and, funnily enough, the coolest character shots came from the Opal Yarn display. (As a knitter who specializes in such things as Harry Potter scarves and Jayne Cobb hats, I find that quite gratifying.) Tonks' poster is pictured above, and it is definitely my favorite of the bunch. I have included Lupin and Ron after the jump as, frankly, the posters of Harry look vaguely recycled to me. But if you are dying to see the rest, along with some cool new Harry Potter merchandise, visit SnitchSeeker. And thanks to the gang there for sending these along to us. As it is a long time until November 21st, it is nice to have little peeks to keep us going.

Continue reading New Promos From 'Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince"!

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]]>Daniel RadcliffeDanielRadcliffedavid thewlisDavidThewlisHarry Potterharry potter and the...HarryPotterHarryPotterAndThe...Natalia TenaNataliaTenaRupert GrintRupertGrintElisabeth RappeTue, 10 Jun 2008 20:02:00 ESTHarry Potter to Present at the Tony Awardshttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/02/harry-potter-to-present-at-the-tony-awards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/02/harry-potter-to-present-at-the-tony-awards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/02/harry-potter-to-present-at-the-tony-awards/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

When I was a kid, I watched all the awards shows ... except the Tonys. Even when I was involved in theater as a teenager I wasn't a follower of Broadway. And I lived an hour away from Manhattan. But today's youths may be more interested in tuning in to the 2008 Tony Awards, because everyone's favorite boy wizard is among the presenters. Daniel Radcliffe will likely be there solely to promote his Broadway debut this fall, in Equus, but that shouldn't deter fans of the Harry Potter films, the latest of which, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, also opens in the fall. Despite the significance of Radcliffe's role in Equus (remember those sexy photos?), Radcliffe will presumably be dressed fully and sharply.

Other presenters include Laura Linney, Alec Baldwin, Marisa Tomei and Radcliffe's costar in both the Equus and the Harry Potter films, Richard Griffiths. This year's Tonys are also of interest to movie fans for its nominees, which include movies-turned-musicals Cry-Baby (4 nominations), Xanadu (4 nominations), The Little Mermaid (2 nominations) and Young Frankenstein (3 nominations), as well as the comic adaption of The 39 Steps (6 nominations), based on the John Buchan book that Alfred Hitchcock and others turned into hit films (with a fourth version reportedly in the works).

The Tony Awards will be held at Radio City Music Hall, and broadcast live on CBS, June 15.

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]]>alec baldwinAlecBaldwincry-babydaniel radcliffeDanielRadcliffeequusharry potter and the half-blood princeHarryPotterAndTheHalf-bloodPrincelaura linneyLauraLinneyrichard griffithsRichardGriffithsthe 39 stepsthe little mermaidthe thirty-nine stepsThe39StepsTheLittleMermaidTheThirty-nineStepsxanaduyoung frankensteinYoungFrankensteinChristopher CampbellMon, 02 Jun 2008 22:02:00 ESTA Couple New 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' Photos Appearhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/01/a-couple-new-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-photos-app/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/01/a-couple-new-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-photos-app/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/01/a-couple-new-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-photos-app/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



New Image removed at request of studio; we've replaced it with another image from the film

Above is a new photo from this fall's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; there's another one after the jump. There's rarely anything substantive to say about photos from upcoming movies, but with Harry Potter, the look of each film has been pretty distinctive, and often instrumental to the series' success. No one's yet topped Alfonso Cuarón and Michael Seresin's work on Prisoner of Azkaban, but I have high hopes for Half-Blood Prince, which was one of my favorite Harry Potter novels. Part of the reason I like it so much is that J.K. Rowling had the guts to plunge its characters into absolute, nearly hopeless despair, particularly toward the end. The movie could be powerful if it finds the courage to embrace that darkness.

David Yates, who turned in an impressively serious, almost businesslike Potter installment with Order of the Phoenix, returns for Half-Blood Prince. The grainy gloom of the photo above suggests to me that he might have the right idea. Unless I miss my guess as to what part of the film it's taken from, it depicts one of the most pivotal moments in the entire series. The movie needs to get it right.

You can click through for the second photo, or click here for an image released back in March.

Continue reading A Couple New 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' Photos Appear

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]]>alfonso cuaronAlfonsoCuarondavid yatesDavidYatesharry potter and the half-blood princeHarryPotterAndTheHalf-bloodPrincejk rowlingJkRowlingmichael seresinMichaelSeresinEugene NovikovSun, 01 Jun 2008 13:02:00 ESTRIP: Reel Important People -- May 27, 2008http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/27/rip-reel-important-people-may-27-2008/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/27/rip-reel-important-people-may-27-2008/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/27/rip-reel-important-people-may-27-2008/#commentsFiled under: ,

  • Joseph Pevney (1911-2008) - Director, Actor - Directed James Cagney as Lon Chaney in Man of a Thousand Faces, Boris Karloff in The Strange Door, Debbie Reynolds in Tammy and the Bachelor, Frank Sinatra in Meet Danny Wilson, Joan Crawford in Female on the Beach, Martin and Lewis in 3 Ring Circus, which he also co-wrote, and Rock Hudson in Back to God's Country, Shakedown, Air Cadet, 1951's Iron Man and Twilight for the Gods. Beginning in the '60s, he mostly directed for television, including a number of episodes of Star Trek. Prior to directing, he acted in films noir of the '40s, including Robert Rossen's Body and Soul and Jules Dassin's Thieves' Highway. He died May 24 in Palm Desert, California. (The Desert Sun)
  • Sydney Pollack (1934-2008) - Oscar-winning Director, Producer, Actor - Won two Academy Awards for directing and producing Out of Africa and was nominated for directing and producing Tootsie and for directing They Shoot Horses, Don't They and for producing Michael Clayton. For more on his career and death, read Eric's full post.
  • Del Ankers (1916-2008) - Cinematographer, Photographer - Shot the early Jim Henson shorts Wilson's Meats Meeting Film #1 and Wilson's Meats Meeting Film #2 and appears as himself in the former. He also shot Henson's actual Wilson's Meats commercials. He died May 15 in Great Falls, Virginia. (Washington Post)

Continue reading RIP: Reel Important People -- May 27, 2008

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]]>dick martinDickMartinharry potter and the half-blood princeHarryPotterAndTheHalf-bloodPrincelaugh-insydney pollackSydneyPollackChristopher CampbellTue, 27 May 2008 17:02:00 EST'Half-Blood Prince' Actor Killed in Bar Fighthttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/26/half-blood-prince-actor-killed-in-bar-fight/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/26/half-blood-prince-actor-killed-in-bar-fight/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/26/half-blood-prince-actor-killed-in-bar-fight/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Some sad news from London over the weekend: Rob Knox, an 18-year-old actor who has a small role in this fall's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was stabbed to death during a brawl outside a bar late Friday night. According to London's Telegraph, Knox was defending his younger brother from the attacker, who had two knives and stabbed three other people besides Knox.

The attacker, a 21-year-old man, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. His other three victims, all young men around the same age, had injuries that were not life-threatening, according to BBC News.

Knox (pictured here with his mother) plays Marcus Belby in Half-Blood Prince, which finished principal photography a week ago. Marcus is a minor character in the book, a seventh-year Ravenclaw student who tries unsuccessfully to join the "Slug Club," the potions professor's group of favorite students. The Times says Knox, who will make his big-screen debut in Half-Blood Prince, had signed to potentially play the role in the seventh film, too.

Harry Potter distributor Warner Bros. issued a statement of sympathy for Knox's family. Various British news sources have noted that Knox was the 14th teenager murdered in London so far this year, and that 11 of those deaths were stabbings.

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]]>cinematicalharry potterharry potter actor killedharry potter and the half-blood princeHarryPotterHarryPotterActorKilledHarryPotterAndTheHalf-bloodPrinceRobert KnoxRobertKnoxEric D. SniderMon, 26 May 2008 10:02:00 ESTEmma Watson Joins 'Napoleon and Betsy'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/18/emma-watson-joins-napoleon-and-betsy/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/18/emma-watson-joins-napoleon-and-betsy/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/18/emma-watson-joins-napoleon-and-betsy/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

It's been a busy week for Emma Watson. Not only did she turn 18 (a landmark which caused no small amount of cheering among the guys I know -- you pervs!), and not only did she inherit her Harry Potter fortune, but now she's landed her first real non-Potter role. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she is going to star in Napoleon and Betsy, a historical romance written and directed by Benjamin Ross. It is set to begin shooting in the fall to work around the scheduled 2009 start of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Watson will play Betsy, a young and headstrong noblewoman who is trapped on the island of St. Helena. There, she meets and falls in love with the exiled Napoleon. It's based loosely on a true story -- the real Betsy was all of thirteen, and wrote a book recalling how Napoleon enjoyed playing childish games with her and her siblings. Not quite Harlequin material. I can't help but think that a movie about a playful Napoleon might be more interesting than a bodice ripper. (Possibly, bodices will not be ripped.) The role originally belonged to Scarlett Johannson, who gave it up when the film headed in a younger direction. She is still set to produce the film.

As Napoleon was 46-years-old when exiled to St. Helena, they must really be aiming for the "creepy" level. Perhaps Hollywood will re-imagine him as a handsome twenty-something. I'm envisioning James McAvoy, at least for Watson's sake.

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]]>emma watsonEmmaWatsonharry potterHarryPotternapoleon and betsyNapoleonAndBetsyscarlett johanssonScarlettJohanssonElisabeth RappeFri, 18 Apr 2008 19:32:00 ESTDiscuss: When Does Fandom Go Too Far?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/16/discuss-when-does-fandom-go-too-far/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/16/discuss-when-does-fandom-go-too-far/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/16/discuss-when-does-fandom-go-too-far/#commentsFiled under: ,

Between seeing We are Wizards at SXSW last month, Elisabeth's excellent Geek Beat column on cosplay and costuming (that's her at the right, dressed as Queen Gorgo), JK Rowling squaring off in court with Steven Vander Ark over this Harry Potter Lexicon, and following the wonderful Twilight fan sites more closely of late, I feel like I've been double-dipped in fandom recently. All this has got me thinking on the concept of fandom and fantasy and what drives people (like myself) to obsess about fictional worlds and characters, and where the line is between healthy love and admiration for books and films and unhealthy obsession.

Don't get me wrong here ... I totally love fansites.. Fans who maintain fansites give hours and hours of their personal time to keeping those sites going, and when sites get popular, they have to recruit other obsessed fans to help them out, all while maintaining the quality of the site and keeping away trolls (and, in the case of Twilight Moms, maybe a few irate spouses to boot!) But how much is too much?

Continue reading Discuss: When Does Fandom Go Too Far?

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]]>cosplaycostumingfan sitesfandomfeaturedharry potterharry potter lexiconHarryPotterLexiconjk rowlingJkRowlingtwilighttwilight lexicontwilight momsKim VoynarWed, 16 Apr 2008 22:03:00 ESTHarry Potter Fan Breaks Down in Tears on Standhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/16/harry-potter-fan-breaks-down-in-tears-on-stand/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/16/harry-potter-fan-breaks-down-in-tears-on-stand/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/16/harry-potter-fan-breaks-down-in-tears-on-stand/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A Harry Potter fan broke down on the stand in court yesterday during the trial for the case brought against him and RDR Books by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling over a published version of a Harry Potter lexicon. According to this AP piece over on Yahoo about the trial, Steven Vander Ark, a devoted (some might say slightly obsessed) fan of the Harry Potter series, got turned onto all-things-Harry while working as a children's librarian at a Christian school; since then, the now 50-year-old fan has devoted countless hours to building and maintaining the online Harry Potter Lexicon, one of the most popular web sites for fans of the series.

Of course, we've all been following this story for a while now. Rowling never took issue with the website, which included lists compiling all the characters, creatures and spells from the massive and hugely successful series. The trouble started when RDR contacted Vander Ark about doing a print version of the Lexicon. Vander Ark was smart enough to get a clause in his contract that specified the publisher would be responsible for legal expenses if they got sued for copyright infringement -- bet he's glad now he thought ahead about that.

Continue reading Harry Potter Fan Breaks Down in Tears on Stand

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]]>harry potterharry potter lexiconHarryPotterjk rowlingsteven vander arkStevenVanderArkKim VoynarWed, 16 Apr 2008 14:02:00 ESTNew 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' Image!http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/19/new-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-image/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/19/new-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-image/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/19/new-harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-image/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

UPDATE: We've added a clearer version of the image above.

You'll have to excuse the blur in the photo above; it's a scanned version of a photo that's popped up in the new issue of Nick Magazine, and has surfaced over at a Brazilian Harry Potter fansite called Oculemencia. Here, we get our first look at Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) as they sit around in the Gryffindor Common Room. Hermione seems to be reading a paper of some kind, and Ron is just hanging out, staring at the two as if to say, "Can we just, like, go see Horton Hears a Who or something?"

This photo will now be added to the first one that was released back in December. It also follows the recent news that the final Harry Potter flick, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be split into two films. David Yates is expected to direct. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will arrive in theaters on November 21.

[Thanks to Enock]

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]]>cinematicaldaniel radliffeDanielRadliffeemma watsonharry potterharry potter and the deathly hallowsharry potter and the half-blood princeharry potter movie photosHarryPotterHarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallowsHarryPotterAndTheHalf-bloodPrinceHarryPotterMoviePhotosropert grintErik DavisWed, 19 Mar 2008 19:32:00 ESTSXSW Review: We Are Wizardshttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/17/sxsw-review-we-are-wizards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/17/sxsw-review-we-are-wizards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/03/17/sxsw-review-we-are-wizards/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Quick, raise your hand if you're a Harry Potter fan. Yeah, there are a lot of boy wizard fans, which is probably why a documentary about Harry Potter fandom sounded like a great idea. We Are Wizards, though, is not so much a documentary about Harry Potter fandom in general, as it is about the "Wizard Rock" bands that have grown up around the franchise, and a couple of the bigger Harry Potter fan sites.

The film introduces us to some of these Wizard Rock bands, including Harry and the Potters (brothers Paul and Joe DeGeorge), Draco and the Malfoys (brothers Brian Ross and Bradley Mehlenbacher), and The Hungarian Horntails, headed up by seven-year old punk rocker Darius and his four-year-old brother, Holden, who write songs they call "dragon rock."

Continue reading SXSW Review: We Are Wizards

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]]>brad neelyBradNeelydraco and the malfoysdraco malfoyDracoAndTheMalfoysDracoMalfoyharry and the pottersharry potterjosh kourysxswsxsw2008the hungarian horntailsTheHungarianHorntailswe are wizardsWeAreWizardswizard people dear readersKim VoynarMon, 17 Mar 2008 22:02:00 EST