NEWS FOR THE DAY 21.04.06

OotP Release Dates Confirmed

WB has said today that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be released in Bulgaria on July 20, 2007. As expected and usually practiced, the UK will get the film the same day as North America, July 13.

Jim McManus to Play Aberforth Dumbledore in Order of the Phoenix

Agents for Jim McManus have confirmed to Leaky today that the actor will play Aberforth Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This also confirms for the first time that the role will be in the film; in addition to being Dumbledore's brother and once charged with using inappropriate charms on a goat, in book five Aberforth was the unnamed bartender (who smelled of goats) in the Hogs Head pub. He witnesses the first meeting of Dumbledore's Army. With Mundungus absent from this film (at least as of yet), he will be the only one to do so onscreen.

Jim McManus has a hearty stage, film and television career spanning back to the 1960s, including roles in Tipping the Velvet in 2002 and Lawless Heart in 2001. He was also in Buddy's Song in 1990 and Dr. Who in 1977. His stage career has included work with English Theatre of Rome and The Godot Company, and has included roles in Pinocchio and The Boys from Syracuse.

New Interviews with Actors David Thewlis and Richard Griffiths

There are two new interviews today with actors from the Harry Potter films. In this piecewith the Evening Standard, David Thewlisdiscusses his career, his joy at parenthood, and his relationship with his partner Anna Friel. The interviewer mentions that he thought David would be more maniac like his role in the hit film Naked. David responds:

"That was a long time ago," he says. Then he laughs. "But I can do mad," he says. "I am Professor Lupin in the Harry Potter films, remember..."

David will return again as Remus Lupin in Order of the Phoenix.

Richard Griffiths, who will return as well as Uncle Vernon in Order of the Phoenix, is the subject of anew interviewwith the New York Post. Richard says he is always attracts the attention of children , but notes:

Vernon is the most unsympathetic character, so the kids expect me to be horrible. And who am I to disoblige them? I mean, I love kids, but I couldn't eat a whole one."

As for his kid co-stars in the Potter films - Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint - Griffiths says that as the movies get "darker and increasingly complex, massive acting demands are going to be made on them." And he wonders: "Will they have the emotional technique to do it? It's going to be very interesting to find out."

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is currently filming in England, and will be released in theaters on July 13, 2007.

Hats Off for Potter Actors

Several actors from the Harry Potter films have donatedtheir hats for a "Celebrity Mad Hatter" Charity auction. Actors Alan Rickman (Prof. Snape), Dame Maggie Smith (Prof. McGonagall), and Emma Thompson (Prof. Trelawney) are among the celebrities who have donated their hats for this auctiondue to begin on April 27 on Ebay. The Mad Hatter auction is being held to " raise funds for people affected by the genetic skin blistering condition EB (Epidermolysis Bullosa)." Others contributing to thisDebRA UK charityauction include actor Ewan McGregor, Graham Norton, and band members from Maroon Five.

J.K. Rowling Donates to MS Research Center

In what was described as "major cash donation", author J.K. Rowling has offered her support tohelp funda new Multiple Sclerosis research center in Edinburgh. Jo, who is a patron of MS Society Scotland, has long been interested and involved in the fight against this disease which claimed the life of her mother. Jo is quoted as saying:

"It means a great deal to me to be able to provide support for this much-needed research centre. It is an extremely exciting step forward in the ongoing battle to try to unlock the mysteries of MS and which will hopefully, one day, lead to a cure."

MS Society Scotland director Mark Hazelwood added: "JK Rowling is a hugely committed patron with a great passion for the cause of multiple sclerosis and that has helped us in all sorts of work." Last month, Jo also hosted a lavish gala ball fundraiser for MS; some additional photos from the event are up now on the MS website. Thanks to Martin, Kirsty, Pete, Donna, and all who emailed!

Leaky on Your Phone: m.leakynews.com

While savvy TLC users know that our text-only page is compatible with most mobile phones, we've gone a step further and opened up LeakyMobile, your on-the-go Harry Potter resource at the very convenient-to-type m.leakynews.com. In this extremely scaled down Leaky page that fits just right on your phone you get the latest batch of HP headlines as well as some info you might be on high alert for, and which you can only get so specialized on Leaky: a book seven info page and news feed, and a movie five info page and news feed. And, very shortly, going to www.leakynews.com from your phone should shoot you right over there anyway. You can also page through our news archive as if you were on the site itself. It's super-streamlined to keep you on the HP cutting edge when you're on the run, so bookmark it and enjoy!

Update: Since this went live we've been playing with more and more accessibility and content options; there's now some more info on the book and movie pages, and we'll be implementing a couple of convenience features shortly as well. Keep checking! :)