The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies
The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies |
| Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:06 PM PDT It's hard to believe that more than a decade ago the idea of a Harry Potter movie was being conceived. Who would have thought that soon after the release of the first movie, Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, the Harry Potter franchise would be a world-wide phenomenon. The film series, with the final installment scheduled to premiere on 14 July 2011 in Malaysia, is based on the Harry Potter novels by British author J.K. Rowling, who in an interview said she first came up with the concept while on a train ride from Manchester to London. "The idea of Harry Potter fell into my head. A scrawny, little, black-haired, bespectacled boy became more and more of a wizard to me." She ran with the idea and began writing Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone when she returned home. When the book was finished, publishers thought it was too long, but Barry Cunningham, who was with Bloomsbury Children's Book decided to take a gamble. The gamble paid off … big time. The book received numerous literary awards and soon in 1999, Rowling sold the film rights of four Harry Potter books to Warner Bros. and the lady who was reportedly living on benefits became a multi-millionaire and by the end of last year, the author was named "Most Influential Woman in Britain' by leading magazine editors. As of March of this year, Forbes magazine has estimated that Rowling's net worth was US$1 billion. But the franchise has not only been good to its author. The lead, Daniel Radcliffe, was spotted by producer David Heyman and writer Steve Kloves in a theater. "There sitting behind me was this boy with these big blue eyes, I remember my first impressions. He was curious and funny and so energetic," Heyman said in an interview. After convincing the 11-years-old's parents, Radcliffe auditioned and got the coveted role. Today the Harry Potter franchise has earned the actor several awards and has made him one of the richest young men in Britain with over 60 million pounds to his name. Harry Potter's Emma Watson has also done well for herself. The English actress, who plays Hermione Granger, had only acting parts in a few school plays before she was picked over thousands auditioning for Hermione's role. Although Watson initially indicated that she might not return after Harry Potter And the Order Of The Phoenix, saying she wanted to further her education, she relented and returned to sign on for the final installments saying she "could never let Hermione go". Watson received a reported two million pounds (double of what she was first offered). In an interview with Reuters, Watson, who enrolled at Brown University in Rhode Island for a four-year degree, said she was putting her education on hold indefinitely to concentrate on her commitments, namely acting. Apart from her acting career, Watson has also dabbled in the modeling world. The now 21-year-old made her modeling debut for Burberry's Autumn/Winter campaign in 2009. Late last year, the actress was named the new face of French cosmetics giant Lancome. She is the brand's youngest ambassador to date. Most recently, Watson who gave herself a pixie crop when the final movie shot was completed, was named Britain's best dressed woman in a Glamour magazine poll. A somewhat least popular star of the Harry Potter franchise is Rupert Grint, who plays Harry's best mate, Ron Weasley. But Grint isn't bothered by the lack of publicity he's gotten. In an interview with a British newspaper, the 22-year-old actor said he rather enjoys he's quiet life and that it gave him time and opportunities to do what he wanted to do – work on more independent projects with smaller budgets. Grint has already taken roles in a few movies, Thunderpants, Wild Target and Cherrybomb. He stars next in the anti-war movie, Comrade, in which he takes on the lead role. As for the franchise itself, the end of the movie isn't the end of the franchise. DVD sales for Harry Potter And The Deadly Hallows - Part 1 shot up to the No. 1 spot on Nielsen Videoscan's chart when it was released in April. It's no doubt that when the second part is released on DVD and Blu-ray, it will top the charts as well. Early next year, Potter fans will also be able to catch a glimpse of how the movies were made when Hollywood studio, Warner Bros. opens the doors of its Leavesden facilities where much of the franchise was filmed. Called Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making Of Harry Potter, the tour will feature original sets, costumes, props and effects used in all eight Harry Potter movies, Reuters reports. Among the exhibits on the three-hour tour is the set for the Great Hall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, headmaster Dumbledore's office and other attractions to be announced at a later date. Currently under construction outside London, Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden is set to be one of the largest studio production facilities in Europe when it opens next year. And if fans can't wait for the studio tour, there's always the Harry Potter exhibition currently on show in New York City. The exhibition, Harry Potter: The Exhibition, opened at Discovery Times Square will run through 5 September 2011 before it goes international. Most recently, the Potter franchise received another shot in the arm when author J.K. Rowling unveiled the full extent of her latest project – Pottermore – a free-to-use website that will feature "extensive new materials about the characters, places and objects in the much-loved stories," all written by Rowling. From her announcement online on the Pottermore website, Rowling says the content on Pottermore will supplement the Harry Potter stories, rather than create brand new stories. In Pottermore, Potter fans will be able to purchase Harry Potter ebooks, find new illustrations and take part in the interactive "Moments", which will allow users to "move through the chapters" and experience places like Hogwarts and Diagon Alley firsthand. In a statement released by Rowling about the new site, she said: "I wanted to give something back to the fans that have followed Harry so devotedly over the years, and to bring the stories to a new digital generation. I hope fans and those new to Harry will have as much fun helping to shape Pottermore as I have. Just as I have contributed to the website, everyone else will be able to join in by submitting their own comments, drawings and other content in a safe and friendly environment." eCentral.my in partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures and TGV Cinemas and supported by Galaxie magazine and RedFM, will be holding a Harry Potter Retrospective – the screening of all Harry Potter movies – from 5 to 11 July climaxing with the premiere of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 on 12 July with an additional screening of the final movie on 18 July at TGV Sunway Pyramid. Remember the journey before it all ends in an epic battle between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort. Click here for details. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Lohan released from house arrest after 35 days Posted: 29 Jun 2011 05:32 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (AP): Lindsay Lohan was freed from house arrest Wednesday morning, ending a drama-filled 35 days and opening the next chapter in the troubled starlet's efforts to put her court troubles behind her. Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Lohan's electronic monitoring equipment was removed shortly before 10 a.m. and she was removed from the jail system around 10:20 a.m. Lohan is not entirely free. She still has to complete 480 hours of community service, complete an anti-shoplifting class and comply with other terms of her release. Her spokesman, Steve Honig, said Lohan is "very focused" on resuming her community service, which is being performed at a downtown Los Angeles women's shelter and will also require her to work at the county's morgue. Lohan, 24, was sentenced to four months in jail in May for violating her probation in a 2007 drunken driving case by taking a necklace from a jewelry store without permission earlier this year. She pleaded no contest to the theft and received no additional penalties, but will remain on probation for several more months. Lohan's shorter confinement was the result of jail overcrowding in Los Angeles' only women's jail and mandatory credits, but it was not without drama. Just days into her captivity, authorities were summoned to Lohan's home in the beachside community of Venice because her monitoring equipment reported her out of the area. The equipment had to be replaced because of a faulty battery in the actress' ankle monitor, and after officials learned that a houseguest had spilled a drink on another piece of monitoring equipment. Lohan was summoned to court last week after probation officials told a judge the actress had tested positive for alcohol. Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner determined after reviewing Lohan's case file that the actress was no longer required to undergo random drug tests and that she had not been ordered by a previous judge to abstain from alcohol. Sautner did order the actress to stop hosting parties while serving house, telling her at one point, "Don't give people a reason to hate you." Lohan has struggled to put a pair of 2007 drunken driving and drug arrests behind her. She was jailed twice and sent to rehab twice last year for failing to comply with the terms of her probation. She was accused of the necklace theft roughly three weeks after her release from rehab. She has said she wants to resume acting and remains a cast member of a biopic of the infamous New York Gotti crime family titled, "Gotti: In The Shadow of My Father." Shooting on the film is expected to begin later this year. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
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