andPOP » Harry Potter

Aussie to Join Cast of Twilight

Vanessa Baker — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:01:29 +0000

Australia’s Xavier Samuel has been given a role in Eclipse, the third instalment of the Twilight franchise, reports Perez Hilton. Xavier, 25, will play Riley, a vampire who assists Victoria in her attempts to murder Bella.

“I was up against some truly great actors who I’m privileged to be considered among,” he said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity.”

Channing Tatum and Harry Potter’s Tom Felton were reportedly also considered for the role.

Filming for Eclipse is planned to begin August 17 and wrap October 31. It is tentatively scheduled for release June 30, 2010, following the second film, New Moon, which hits theatres November 20.

Harry Potter Actor Jamie Waylett Sentenced for Drugs

Vanessa Baker — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:40:22 +0000

Jamie Waylett, who plays Vincent Crabbe in the Harry Potter films, pleaded guilty to growing ten cannabis plants in his mother’s London home, reports the BBC. The 20-year-old actor was ordered to do 120 hours of community service.

He was arrested after police found pictures of the plants on his camera, which they seized after he took a picture of the officers – which is prohibited under the Terrorism Act – as his friend, John Innis, 20, drove past them.

“I extend my sincere apologies to all producers, cast and crew and all at Warners and most especially to all Harry Potter fans,” said Waylett.

He received a police reprimand and two warnings between 2001 and 2005. No further details were given about these incidents.

“Mr. Waylett, I accept that the cultivation of this cannabis was on a small scale, and this was not in any way a commercial venture on your part,” said District Judge Timothy Workman upon sentencing the actor. “Nevertheless you used a sophisticated growing system to do so. I give you credit for pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity, your co-operation with police and the fact that you are, until now, a man of good character.”

Innis was sentenced to six weeks in a young offenders’ institution and fined £500 after admitting to possessing a knife and 11 bags of cannabis.

Cheryl Rudden, the lawyer for both Waylett and Innis, said, “If I may emphasize that they are both extremely sorry and remorseful for what they have done and certainly would seek to be setting an example.”

Waylett can be seen in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth and most-recent instalment of the Harry Potter franchise, which opened in theatres July 15.

‘Half-Blood Prince’ Opens With An Impressive 58.3 Million

Ilan Mester — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:22:14 +0000

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” the sixth installment in the “Potter” franchise, grossed an estimated $58.3 million as reported by box-office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations.

The sixth “Harry Potter” film has seen the biggest-ever opening day thus far for the series. The movie, based on J.K. Rowling’s hit book of the same title, grossed Hollywood’s fourth-highest single-day score, trailing behind “The Dark Knight,” this summer’s blockbuster hit “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” and “Spider-Man 3.”

Although “Half-Blood Prince” — starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint — came fourth in terms of opening night figures, it topped “Dark Knight” in the midnight screenings category after the sixth “Harry Potter” movie brought in a hefty $22.2 million in midnight screenings alone.

Draco Malfoy From Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince Interview on andPOP

Robert Ostfield — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:09:09 +0000

Draco Malfoy (or Tom Felton, whatever you prefer) sits down with Jordan to discuss the newest release from the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince. Also take note to the cool Harry Potter storefront created in downtown Toronto where we filmed the interview.

Emma Watson Enrolls at Brown

Vanessa Baker — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 22:47:19 +0000

Correcton: andPOP initially reported that Emma Watson was attending Columbia University while in fact she is attending Brown University.

Harry Potter star Emma Watson will be attending New York’s Brown University in the fall, reports Perez Hilton. The British star, 19, who plays Harry’s friend Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, will be living in a dorm room and says she’s looking for some “normality” in her life.

“As long as there are no Harry Potter posters on the wall, I will be fine and happy,” she said, adding she hopes her roommate isn’t a fanatic of the series.

“I really hope they are a really massive Harry Potter fan,” teased Watson’s co-star, Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry. “I hope you walk in and the first thing you see is your face on a duvet.”

Watson says she thinks she’s “reasonably okay to live with.”

She will be taking a break from acting to study English literature. The Independent reports, to avoid attention, she has enrolled as Charlotte E. Watson, rather than her given name, Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson.

The sixth of the eight films in the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, hits theatres July 15. The films are based on the popular novels of the same name by J.K. Rowling.

New Harry Potter Movie To Open Earlier Than Expected

Eva Lam — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:07:42 +0000

The opening date for “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” has changed again, but Muggles shouldn’t despair – this time, it’s moving up in the calendar.

Warner Bros. has announced that the sixth film in the J.K. Rowling series will now hit theatres on July 15, two days earlier than planned. The Wednesday release will give the movie a head-start on the weekend box office for a potentially huge five-day gross.

“Every day the kids are out of school in summer is just like an extra Saturday,” Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros., told the AP on Tuesday.

The franchise’s most recent release, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” also hit theatres on a Wednesday during the lucrative summer blockbuster season.

“Half-Blood Prince” was originally slated for release last November, but Warner Bros. announced in August that the film would open in July 2009 instead, citing the success of the previous movie’s July opening as well as the Hollywood writers’ strike.

The seventh and final installment, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” will be released as two films, with part one opening on Nov. 19, 2010 and part two coming out on July 15, 2011.

Harry Potter Star Arrested On Drug Charges

Ilan Mester — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:58:20 +0000

Jamie Waylett, the actor who plays Vincent Crabbe, one of Draco Malfoy’s sidekicks in all six “Harry Potter” installments was arrested in London for suspicion of possessing marijuana on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old was stopped while driving with a friend. Officials found eight bags of pot in the vehicle according to US Weekly and many British reports.

After searching the vehicle, police raided the young actor’s London-area home that he shares with his mother and three siblings, where they discovered 10 plants. These plants are believed to be cannabis worth a hefty approximate $2,900.

According to the report, the plants were growing next to a Playstaion system, under hydroponic lights.

Waylett has only acted on screen in the “Harry Potter” films and is due in court sometime in July, the same time “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” is set to hit theatres worldwide.

Killer Convicted in ‘Harry Potter’ Actor Murder

Ilan Mester — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:28:41 +0000

The man charged in the stabbing that led to the death of actor Robert Knox, who plays Ravenclaw student Marcus Belby in the upcoming film “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” has been convicted according to reports by The Associated Press.

The actor’s stabbing took place outside of the Metro Bar in London last May. Knox was killed trying to defend his younger brother. He suffered from five wounds and died later that same day.

At the time of the incident, the 18-year-old had just finished filming the latest installment of “Harry Potter.” The actor had also signed on to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” to return as the Ravenclaw student.

Knox’s mother, Sally, read a statement in court saying, “As a mother and parent, I can never forgive the person responsible for taking my son Robert’s life, or the devastation that has been caused by these actions”.

J.K. Rowling Gets Political

andPOP Staff — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:37:16 +0000

It seems the author of the hugely successful Harry Potter series has stepped into the political arena.

According to CTV.ca, J.K. Rowling reportedly donated $1 million pounds ($1.8 million CAD) to Britain’s Labour Party.

Rowling accused Britain’s Conservative Party, headed by David Cameron, of working against poor parents.

Britain’s Prime Minister and head of the Labour Party, Gordon Brown said he was “delighted” with the donation.

In a statement Rowling said, “David Cameron’s promise of tax perks for the married is reminiscent of the Conservative government I experienced as a lone parent. It sends the message that the Conservatives still believe a childless, dual-income, but married couple is more deserving of a financial pat on the head than those struggling, as I once was, to keep their families afloat in difficult times.”

Rowling has publicized the fact that she was a struggling single mother prior to becoming wealthy from the success of the Harry Potter series.

Daniel Radcliffe Diagnosed with Dyspraxia

Irene Ogrodnik — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:36:02 +0000

Daniel Radcliffe, the star of “Harry Potter,’ suffers from a mild form of dyspraxia.

According to E! News, the star has a neurological disorder that often impairs coordination – which is often mistaken for sheer clumsiness.

“Yes, Dan Radcliffe does have dyspraxia,” his rep says. “This is something he has never hidden. Thankfully his condition is very mild and at worst manifests itself in an inability to tie his shoelaces and bad handwriting.”

Radcliffe is about to make his Broadway debut in ‘Equus,” which is set to kick off Sept. 5.