In the last installment of wonderboy magician, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Daniel Radcliffe's Harry finally got to get his smooch on with Cho Chang. With another book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and older, more insistent adolescent urges, it's Ron Weasley's (Rupert Grint) turn... with a certain girl named Lavender Brown. A whole bunch of hopeful kids, around 7,000, tried out for the role, but a Reuters source says that it has gone to 20-year-old Jessie Cave. The actress hasn't had too much work, but she did appear with Helen Mirren in Inkheart, and will star in a BBC drama called Summerhill next year.

Rupert Grint told CBBC's Newsround: "I was involved with the Lavendar Brown audition and the whole Lavendar thing. Her name's Jessie, and she is really cool, and it's going to be really funny." Man, what a tough job -- getting to go to a casting call and smooching who knows how many girls? I would hope they at least whittled the hopefuls down a little first. While it sounds exciting, smooching 7,000 girls has to give a guy chapped lips, at the very least. Emma Watson, everyone's favorite Hermione, also chimed in about the casting: "She seems really sweet and perfect for the role of Lavender. The casting is so good and I am looking foward to her scenes with Ron. I think it's going to be quite a comic film."

If you're itching to know who else is cast, you won't have to wait too much longer. Reuters says the full cast will be released soon.

On the way home from the midnight screening of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, my 10-year-old daughter/resident Harry Potter fanatic and I had a lively discussion about the books versus the films, which of the five Harry Potter films she likes the best, and which stay truest to the books from which they are adapted. Interestingly, her least favorite film of the series to date is my favorite -- the fourth film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (I actually prefer Alfonso Cuarón's directing for Prisoner of Azkaban, and would love to see him back at the helm for the seventh film, but I like better the storyline of Goblet of Fire).

Although I agree with other Harry Potter fans who've said the fourth book was overlong and could have perhaps been shorter without losing much, I felt that the fourth film did an excellent job of trimming away a lot of the fat, while focusing on those key points that drove the plot forward along the arc of the overall series.

Last week's License to Wed contest reinforced a couple of things for those of us over here at Moviefone. One, if it's bald and looks semi-crazy, it must be Britney Spears. Two, Michael Jackson jokes never get old. Congrats to our License to Wed loot winners below. They'll take home a beach towel tote, a Frisbee and a magnetic word set among other goodies. Alas, they will not be receiving the mechanical pooping baby pictured.

1. "I never even knew the Neverland Ranch had a gift shop." -- Todd G.

2. "Look, he's got your plastic." -- Ross M.

3. "You expect me to hold this thing?" ... "THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!!"
-- JD3

See full image and all captions

This week, we have a photo from the eagerly anticipated Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth chapter in the beloved boy-wizard saga. This time around, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) brace for the return of the vile Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and battle to free Hogwarts from the iron-fisted authoritarian rule of Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). And, in the midst of all this, Harry apparently finds some time to chill in a telephone booth with Ron's dad (Mark Williams).

Writers of our three favorite captions for the photo below will win a veritable Goblet of Fire full of Harry Potter swag, including a Death Eaters T-shirt (handy for those times when you just have to eat the deceased), a wooden notebook with quill and ink (so you can chronicle your hopes and dreams, Ginny Weasley-style) and some Potter temporary tattoos (because you know Harry loves to show off his ink). Good luck!

UPDATE: WINNERS ANNOUNCED! Click Here

Post title edited to remove the details of the latest rumors. Obviously, don't continue reading below if you don't want to know the latest round of rumors.

The U.K. paper The Telegraph recently sat down with the stars of Harry Potter -- HP himself, Daniel Radcliffe, Hermione gal Emma Watson and Ron Weasley -aka- Rupert Grint. During the chat, Watson commented on the rumors circulating about the hacker rumors that circulated recently: "I really want to know what happens. There's a guy who claims he's been able to hack into J. K. Rowling's account, and he's saying that Hermione's going to die, and I found myself getting sad. I hadn't contemplated her dying." Somehow, her death hadn't occurred to me either, and now I'm feeling bad myself. You see, I have this uncanny tendency to really like characters who end up getting axed. Twin Peaks, Scream, Buffy, you name it. (And a different Potter character too, although I won't say who.) If it actually happens, I'm sorry, Emma! It certainly would be a big blow of a twist on the whole death thing. So many people expect Harry to die now that killing Hermione could possibly hurt more. Eh, let's hope not. I don't want to end my Potter experience bummed out.

The interview also delves into lighter topics as well. Radcliffe is apparently a big Peter Sellers fan and wants a film future with dramatic and light-comedy, as well as a whole new kind of world if he was a leader: "Somebody asked me today what I would do if I was a leader of a country and it would be flying saucers and unicycles -- everybody needs a unicycle in life." As for Rupert, ah that kid... It seems he bought an ice cream truck that he drives around: "I don't know why I bought it, but it's really cool. I've always had an interest in the ice cream industry. It's really cool; it's got a freezer in the back and a big kitchen with sinks. It's got a bell that plays a tune. It's really cool." Cool indeed.

When I saw the name of Warner Brothers' new website for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I was concerned. I worried that JoinDumbledoresArmy might be some sneaky plan by the Bush administration to draft our youngsters into fighting overseas. But after closer inspection, the site appears legit. It allows you to enroll alongside Harry, Ron, and Hermione to fight the Dark Arts and also to send messages to Dumbledore's Army that will appear on the website. The messages that have been left so far range from the heroic -- ("We must band together against the Dark Lord," says Larry R.) to the cryptic --("I'm of Brazil, yeah!!! LOL," says Eder F.) to the profound -- ("EEEEEEEEEEEE!" says Katie A.)

Once you enroll in the Army, you can download wallpapers, skins, banners, images, and buddy icons. I must admit, I did not enroll -- I fear a 26 year-old man signing up for "Dumbledore's Army" would surely put me on some sort of pedophile watch list -- but I did play the site's game: "Dark Arts Defense." The object of the game is to master spells. I won my school's spell-ing bee three years in a row, but alas, those skills did not translate. You have a wand, they give you symbols and you're supposed to trace them out in the air to defeat your opponent. There's a training course, but I got cocky and skipped right over it, which was a mistake. I must say, the game was a lot of fun, but playing it was quite a blow to my self-esteem. The current high score: 318,071. My score: 6.

British tabloid News of the World is touting a major scoop this morning, and is printing direct quotes from Rupert Grint to back it up -- nevertheless, take it with a grain of salt. We're talking about British tabloids, here. The story, which has also been picked up by the New York Post, claims that 16-year old Emma Watson, a.k.a. Hermione Granger, has bowed out of the Harry Potter series, refusing an apparent last-ditch offer of around $4 million for each of the last two films. With the other two main players, Radcliffe and Grint, both signed for the completion of the series, the paper claims to have gotten confirmation from Warner Bros. that Watson is a holdout, meaning her part may have to be recast if this story actually holds water.

The actress has allegedly grown tired of the series and may have been moved towards a major career shift after a recent incident in which a stalker made his way to her high school and actually came in contact with her. "Emma doesn't want to do it anymore. She's tired of being known as 'that girl from Harry Potter," Grint reportedly told the paper, although the Post seems to mis-label this quote as having come from Radcliffe. Grint also adds: "Daniel and I are distant from her now. We don't text or talk to her when we are not filming." Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth film in the series, is due to start filming in a few months. Again, this is all unofficial rumor-mongering at this point, and not the first time we've heard this stuff either.

It's old news by now that Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe will be appearing nude on stage in London during a production of Equus. However, we've recently come across this poster for the upcoming play, and it's hard not to find it just a little bit disturbing. They've even made Radcliffe's nipples into the horse's eyes, and it'll be hard to look at Harry Potter the same way again. The play is about a boy who really loves his horse, and Radcliffe decided to take the role to prove that he could play other parts besides the boy wizard.

There is no doubt that Radcliffe has been offered plenty of other acting roles that would show off his debatable acting skills, but this just really seems off the charts. I recently saw the film Driving Lessons with Rupert Grint who plays Ron Weasley, and he does a great job in the film without dropping a stitch. Plus, with Equus being only a London stage play, won't that limit the amount of people who are going to see what Radcliffe's range is? I guess his parents are supportive of this move, which seems hard to believe, but to each his own. It will be very interesting to see what the public reaction will be to this play. Our prediction: Either shock and empty theater seats, or Potter fans come to see Harry in a whole new light.

[Via Towleroad]

I'm not exactly sure at what age a person is officially grown-up. Some would say you're an adult at 18, Jews feel you're a man at 13. Me, I'm pushing 30, and my wife still calls me a little twit. The way I see it, I'll never be a grown-up because, as each year passes, there will still be more to accomplish, lessons to learn and experiences to encounter.

The following films all feature characters who are going through the process of growing up, be it mentally or physically. Some are youngsters looking to explore new feelings and emotions, while others are older, stuck between the secrets of their past and a troubling future. Welcome to this week's Trailer Park ...

Rejoice, all ye US Harry Potter maniacs: Driving Lessons has been picked up for North American distribution. Woo hoo! Thanks to Sony Pictures Classics, all of you (or at least those of you who live in cities that have arthouse theaters -- I'm guessing this one won't be hitting the local multiplex) will get to see Rupert Grint spreading his non-Ron wings. The film, which had its American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, "follows a struggling young poet [that's Grint] who accepts a summer job with a former star of stage and screen, Dame Eve Walton [Julie Walters]" who "whisks the boy off on a misbegotten road trip from London to Scotland." Chris was unimpressed by the movie when he saw it at Tribeca but, given the built-in audience that Grint brings along with him, it's unlikely that Sony is too worried about losing money on this little purchase.

Aside from its dialects and locations being distinctively English and Scottish, Driving Lessons feels very American. The coming-of-age film, which stars a stone-faced Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter films), has a story that seems straight off the assembly line of our own indie scene. Some of the conventions used in the script include the out-of-his-league crush, the casual virginity-loss, the overbearing and/or religious parent, the life-changing road-trip, and the cross-generational relationship that begins as student-mentor and ends as everlasting friendship. Such tried-and-true elements are not specific to the States, but with so many novice filmmakers here relying on generic adolescence as their easy starting point, the conventions have become staples of American cinema.

Grint plays Ben, a boy so far on the verge of manhood that he states his age as precisely 17½. He's not very ready for the world, though, thanks to his strict, protective mother (Laura Linney) and his weak father (Nicholas Farrell). When urged to get a summer job, Ben finds employment as an assistant for an aging actress named Dame Evie Walton (Julie Walters, who plays Grint's mom in the Harry Potter films), who not only helps him to grow up, but also helps him to have fun with the transition into adulthood, as well.

Action has recently started up on the set of the new Harry Potter flick - and information is now beginning to emerge in what is sure to be the first small rocks of an impending avalanche of Potter news. I know we just got through with the last Potter blitz, but rabid fans are no doubt already anxious for news on their boy Harry, and we are here to please. Empire Online recently dug into the Potter events, and they share some rather interesting information. According to producer David Heyman, the shooting thus far has concentrated mostly on a few action shots - namely, some stuff involving the centaurs and Grawp. Heyman said this of course involves a lot of blue screen work, but indicated the young actors are more than up to the task after the work they've done for the previous films.

Regarding the vast size of the fifth novel, Heyman expressed his displeasure with having to make cuts or changes, but assured fans that it was a great script stamped with author JK Rowling's seal of approval. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry, in case you somehow didn't know) has said he is very excited about the project, as the fifth book is actually his favorite of the series thus far. He and Heyman agree that while Harry is an emotionally charged character in the novel due to his teen angst, he will come across as more than just a whiny teen in the film. Radcliffe credited the new director David Yates, praising him for his ability to explore Harry's emotional and psychological journey. In fact, both Radcliffe and Rupert Grint have nothing but good things to say about the new man in charge...which hopefully bodes well for the fifth installment in the film franchise.

• Breaking News - Hong Kong action director Johnny To delivers this watchable Woo-alike about a police force that loses the support of the public when a robbery goes bad and is covered by a local news program. The set pieces are pretty tight, even if the drama and the statement To tries to make about the power and responsibility of the media doesn't fully come through.
• Free Enterprise: Special Edition - A self-effacing turn akin to Marlon Brando's in The Freshman and Pauly Shore's in Pauly Shore Is Dead is William Shatner, sending up the cult of personality that has followed him since the original Star Trek series ended its five year mission two years early in 1969. When fanboys Rafer Wiegel and Eric McCormack meet their boyhood idol, he is far from the super-cool man for all seasons they have long worshiped. He's bent on staging a one-man musical version of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, a great running joke that culminates in the brilliant payoff that is the Shatner/The Rated R rap duet, "No Tears For Caesar". Writer-director Robert Meyer Burnett has created a love letter, not just to Trek, but to anyone who has ever loved anything with fanatical passion, and this long-overdue 2-disc treatment gives it the respect it was not afforded when it was first released in 1999. Check out the Pop-Up Video style trivia track, which annotates the geekery, new special effects, the making-of feature Where No Man Has Gone Before, and the unaired TV pilot, Café Fantastique, which features the real fans who inspired this smart, hardy-har-har trek. A sequel, My Big Fat Geek Wedding, has been listed on the IMDB for nearly 3 years now, and Mindfire Entertainment's website features a rudimentary mention of it, though no firm details are available as yet.
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Special Edition - Death, and the gloomy heft that comes with it, visits Hogwarts in the fourth and most satisfying installment in the ongoing series so far. When an evil thought vanquished literally rears its ugly head again, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermoine (Emma Watson) team up to expose it. Like the overwhelmingly dark Revenge Of The Sith, this is the first to bear the PG-13 rating (for "sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images"), though its decidedly down ending makes it feel more like The Empire Strikes Back. It is not unreasonable to expect studio Warner Brothers to keep their three leads on through Harry Potter and the As-Yet-Unwritten-and-Untitled Year 7 Story. This, of course, is despite the fact that they will be in their early 20's by then, but let us not forget that at least one of the 90210 kids was practically eligible for Social Security by the end of that run. Even at 157 minutes, the book has still been truncated, but it is doubly encouraging to know that kids will know what is missing and will sit still for that long in order to be able to go on smartly about it. The second disc is chock-full-o' extra goodies, and is available in full- and widescreen editions. A single disc version is also available.