NEWS FOR THE DAY 11.04.06

Clip From Rupert Grint Film "Driving Lessons"

A clip from "Driving Lessons" a new film starring Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Julie Walters (Molly Weasley) is now online. As we told you previously, this film is to screen in a few weeks at the Tribeca Film Festivalin New York, and tickets are now available. To watch this lovely scene from the new movie, click here.

Also a reader let us know that Rupert, along with fellow Potter actors James and Oliver Phelps (Fred & George) are due to appear on the Jo Whileyshow next week, which airs on BBC Radio 1. More info when we get it.

Another Book Seven Release Date Rumor

Todaythe Guardian newspaperfeatured a piece on UK Harry Potter book publishersBloomsbury, and there was a mention of Book Seven "probably" being released next year. The article highlighted again the future plans of the company after the last book comes out. Quotage:

The fact that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the latest and sixth in the series, is also the penultimate cannot have escaped the attention of Bloomsbury's shareholders. Newton talks about sustaining the franchise with "launches" of Harry Potter products (audiobooks, cloth-bound boxed sets, and so on) until 2011, but the truth is that after the final volume of JK Rowling's series appears, probably in 2007 and then in paperback in 2008, the company has just three more years of mega-bucks revenues. Of course, Harry Potter will be a fantastic backlist asset, still worth millions of pounds a year, but the 100m-plus turnover figures and double-digit profits are going to have to come from elsewhere.

Again, while this is possible, any release date is still possible, and we do NOT know for certain if Book Seven is in fact coming out next year. Jo has recently said the book "is coming along nicely" and she is enjoying writing it, but beyond that we do not know when it will be released. This is an interesting article none the less, and gives some insight into the company that publishes the Harry Potter books.

West Ham Football Manager Cites Harry Potter as Influence

Alan Pardew, manager of the West Ham United Football Club says that the Harry Potter series, especially Prisoner of Azkaban has been a strong influence on him and on his team's success this season.

"'I surround myself with strong characters, winners and people who I like to think have good, sensible morals.

'I include all my staff and players in that, and if I don't see it in an individual, then I get rid of that person.

'I don't like people who drain my time and energy. If you've seen the Harry Potter films, we use the term 'dementors' - people who can draw the life out of you in terms of your energy.

'So we eradicate the 'dementors,' encourage the positive people, and that spreads around to create the team spirit we have here.'"

Dean Thomas will be delighted!

More information may be found here.