NEWS OF HBP

New Mention of "Half-Blood Prince" in Film Review Magazine

Harry Potter and the A-Levels Books


The Daily Mail is reporting tonight that Harry Potter is now required reading for A-level students in the UK. The paper says that Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (Sorcerer's) Stone is one of the books students will be tested on in exams given by the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), the largest exam board in the UK.

According to the paper, students "taking the English language and literature A-level next year will study Rowling's first Potter volume – the 12th best-selling book of all time and the basis for a Hollywood film – along with one other book for the module Themes in Language and Literature. They will have to write a 1,200 to 1,500-word piece of coursework comparing the "approaches" of J.K. Rowling and the other writer.Examiners will mark students on how they relate story lines and the activities of Harry Potter and his friends to the context of the times. And students will have to show an understanding of J.K. Rowling's use of language, described recently as gibberish by a High Court judge. They will also have to write their own 500 to 800-word story inspired by the book."

While many here may view this favorably, apparently some in the English government are not as excited about the inclusion of the Harry Potter series along side other classic works such Shakespeare's Hamlet and Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre.

Professor Alan Smithers, a special adviser to the House of Commons Education and Skills Committee, said: "The point of English literature is to provide works that have stood the test of time and that allow people to understand their place in the world as others have understood it.I don't think Harry Potter is appropriate as a set text; I don't see how it fits in with that. It may be an enjoyable read but I don't think we are just trying to keep people occupied."

Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, added: "This is all done in the name of relevance and popular culture, but it is not why children go to school.They should be encouraged to read and understand the great works of English literature. Harry Potter may be what children want to read, but that doesn't mean it should be part of an A-level."

Last night the AQA said: "Harry Potter is a genuine example of literature of our time and therefore entirely deserves its place in this unit. We believe that it will prove a popular and engaging inclusion."

Harry Potter: The Traveling Exhibition Movies


There is some additional exciting news today for fans of the Harry Potter films, as the Becker Group, along with Warner Brothers Consumer Products are announcing a special traveling Harry Potter exhibition. According to this press release, this will be a "state-of-the-art exhibition highlighting artifacts from the Warner Bros. films based on J.K. Rowling's beloved book series." Due to debut in Spring of 2009 "in a major market," this traveling exhibition will make stops at ten or more cities world-wide over a five year span. While specific ticket information and cities for this exhibition are not yet available on the official HarryPotterExhibition.com website, the press release indicates Harry Potter fans can expect to see quite a bit of items featured in the beloved movies, including "elaborate displays of authentic costumes, props and artifacts" and even "the Gryffindor common room and Hagrid's hut." They also indicate items from the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films will be added to later stops of the exhibit.

"We're thrilled to partner with Becker Group to produce this multi-dimensional exhibition dedicated to the iconic Harry Potter film series," said Brad Globe, president Warner Bros. Consumer Products. "Fans around the world will finally be able to see the incredible craftsmanship and detail that went into creating their favorite props and costumes."

"Creating this magical tour around such a legendary property is a true milestone for Becker Group, both as a company, and a source of creative entertainment-based attractions," said Glenn Tilley, president and chief executive officer of Becker Group."We've dedicated ourselves to delivering an exciting experience for visitors that will meet the standards set by the films based on the novels by J.K. Rowling," added Eddie Newquist, president of Becker Group's Creative Studio and Exhibits.

Official: "Deathly Hallows" Part One Due November 19, 2010

As readers will recall, last month we told you that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows would be made in two films, with the LA Times stating the first of the films was due out in November of 2010. Thanks to Coming Soon who let us know they can now report an exact date for the release of the first of these films: November 19, 2010.UPDATE: This date has also been officially confirmed to us by Warner Bros. While no date for the second of the "Deathly Hallows" films is yet available, the LA Times previously stated May, 2011, and in their official press release, WB said to look for the film in Summer, 2011.

A reminder that both Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films will be directed by David Yates, with Steve Kloves as screenwriter , David Heyman producing, and will star Dan Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson among others.

"Order of the Phoenix" and Emma Watson Receive Nominations at 2008 Constellation Awards

The nominations for the 2008 Constellation Awards have been announced and have recognized the "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" film and actress Emma Watson for awards. First, Miss Watson was nominated in the category of 'Best Female Performance in a 2007 Science Fiction Film, TV Movie, or Mini-Series' for her role as Hermione Granger in the fifth film. The next nomination went to the fifth film for its achievements in costuming in the category of 'Best Technical Accomplishment in a 2007 Science Fiction Film or Television Production.' Jany Temime, the costume designer for OotP, received this nomination for the film.

The Constellation Awards recognizes the best science fiction and fantasy films and television productions of the past year with emphasis on contributions from Canadian companies and performers. Voting has now begun and is open to all Canadian citizens or permanent residents, as well as attendees of the Polaris 21 convention or members of the TCON Promotional Society. Complete information as well as the ballot and submission guidelines can be found right here. Voting ends on June 15th and the winners will be announced at the upcoming Polaris 22 convention during the weekend of July 11th, 2008.

"Harry is unhappy for a lot of this film, mainly because people keep trying to kill him. And his love life is awful, too." LOL! That was good! Completely agree about what he said in regards to Jo's writing! I think that's what makes the Potter books this successful, because despite all the magic and "this is just a fantasy" world, she makes it so amazingly real, that,well, it seems to be just that! Ya, I know, "What do you, it's NOT?!"

But this article made me feel a bit sad too 😭 . It's going to end, so soon now that you think of it. These ten years have passed so fast, what's another three years or so? And once it's all over, really and truly, then it's just going to be so weird. The actors are definitely going to feel strange not coming back to shoot more Potter, but it's going to be strange and sad for the fans too, of course! Gosh, I'd better stop thinking about it, or I'll just depress myself…

From the length of time between the release dates, it's clear WB isn't treating it as a two-part film…they're treating it as two separate movies.

I predict that sales of the Part One DVD will be the highest of any DVD in the series, because what will everyone want to do the day before they see Part Two at the theater? Watch the Part One DVD, of course!

yeah yr rite....and jessica playing lavender is v pretty...it was a bit surprising..wonder dat some1 mature looking like her can play d kiddish n girlish role well 😆

Originally posted by: vrits

yeah yr rite....and jessica playing lavender is v pretty...it was a bit surprising..wonder dat some1 mature looking like her can play d kiddish n girlish role well 😆

yeah Jessica is pretty,she looks older than Ron,but she will suit in her role of Lavender coz Rupert also looks big 4 his age(Ron is younger ).

More six months 2 go 4 HBP 😭 dying 2 see it 😭