NEWS FOR THE DAY 28.05.06

Filming Begins in Scotland for Order of the Phoenix

Second unit crews have begun filming in Scotland this week for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This is North Scotland reportsthat the crews are now on location filming in Glenfinnan, Glencoe, and Glen Etive. This involves filming for background shots, as well as scenes using doubles for the main leads.

"...the first of the action saw a Harry Potter double on location at Glenfinnan, in front of Bonnie Prince Charlie's Monument, skimming flat stones across Loch Shiel. Film crews in boats recorded the action, as excited tourists visiting the monument looked on eagerly.

Local man Donald MacLean who was watching from the loch shore, said: "Once Harry's double got the hang of it he was able to send the stones quite a long way."

The article continues on noting that they filmed some snowy scenes earlier, and are also doing some filming with the aid of a helicopter. Filming for the principal actors will soon be on hiatus, and will resume in mid-July. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is due in theaters July 13, 2007.

Bloomsbury Purchases Methuen Drama Ltd.

Bloomsbury, publisher of the Harry Potter series in the U.K. has announced that it purchased Methuen Drama Ltd. on Thursday for 2.35 million ($4.4 million USD). In doing so, Bloomsbury has acquired the publishing rights for the works of such playrights as Oscar Wilde, including "The Importance of Being Earnest;" David Mamet, including "Glengarry Glen Ross;" Michael Frayn, including "Copenhagen" and "Noises Off;" Edward Albee, including " The Goat: Or, Who is Sylvia?? and , including "The Life of Galileo" and "Mother Courage and her Children;" and Anthony Minghella, including "Truly, Madly, Deeply." Quotage:

"Methuen Drama, with about 700 titles in print, will become part of Bloomsbury's A&C Black division, which publishes some of Bernard Shaw's most famous plays, among other works."