NEWS FOR THE DAY 27.04.06

Cover Art to Half-Blood Prince Paperback

Scholastic has released the cover art for the paperback edition of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince which you can see in our galleries, here.Looking very similar to the original, Half-Blood Prince will be released in paperback here in the US on July 25; the UK paperback from Bloomsbury is due a month earlier on June 23.

Nicholas Hooper Rumored to Score Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

HPANA originally reported, and now Digital Spy has seconded, that director David Yates's longtime friend Nicholas Hooper will score Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. As always, these things are up in the air until confirmed by an official source, but this one is looking more solid by the minute.

Tony Maudsley to Play Grawp in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Leaky is happy to reveal that Tony Maudsley is confirmed to portray Grawp in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, representatives for the actor confirmed to Leaky today. The role is that of Hagrid's giant half-brother that he brings back from his travels. Grawp was confirmed to be in the film when producer David Heyman said as much to TLC/MN at the Goblet of Fire premiere in November. This casting was rumored by MN a few months ago.

We don't yet know if this is a fully-CGI'd role or not; it's very likely there will be a lot of computer animation involved, as Grawp exists on a higher altitude than all characters. We only now know it's not a complete voiceover, or he wouldn't be needed in the studios; he'll likely interact with mostly green/blue screens as he works, and the character's physical traits will be molded after him, similar to Andy Serkis' Gollum in Lord of the Rings.

Maudsley is known for roles in Vanity Fair and Sleepy Hollow. He has worked with the Garrick theatre company as well.

Update: WB has followed up with a confirmation of Tony as Grawp. All official from all sides, folks!

WB: McManus as Aberforth, "Very Minor Role"

Last week we revealed that Jim McManus would play Aberforth Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; today WB said that Jim's role is "very minor," which should allay some of the crazy speculation over the meaning of McManus being cast as it relates to book/film seven. If the role is the same as it is in the book, he will be the barman at the Hog's Head and will witness the first Dumbledore's Army meeting, in place of Mundungus Fletcher, who, at the moment, is not in nor planned for inclusion in the film.

Prague Philharmonic Releases CD of Music From the Harry Potter Films

The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by James Fitzpatrick, has released a new CD entitled "Music From the Harry Potter Films." The CD's fifteen tracks include selections composed by both John Williams and Patrick Doyle, and showcase music from all four films released to date. You can listen to samples and purchase this fantastic CD through Leaky's Cauldron Shop, here.

New Mini- Series on BBC for Jason Isaacs

The BBC announced todaythat actor Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) would be starring in a new six part mini-series called "State Within." In what is being called a "high octane, complex, action-packed conspiracy thriller", Jason has the lead role of Mark Brydon, the British Ambassador to the U.S. Filming for this new mini-series is currently underway in Toronto through July, and will be broadcast later this fall on BBC One.

Also, Empire has published a new interviewwith Jason, where he discusses another upcoming project called "Good." Jason was very funny when discussing his role in the Harry Potter films as Lucius, as he described those fabulous long blond locks he sports in the films.

You have a strange relationship with your wig then?
I do, well the wig is on time-share with Paris Hilton and she comes round. It takes a lot longer to prise it off me at the end of the day because I fancy myself as the lead singer of Sweet. Nah, it's not very long, they're all terribly slick with it. I miss it. I like the wig. I'm not a man who gets to disguise, I look pretty much the same in everything I do except for Harry Potter and I get to wear a fabulous wig.