| INDUSTRY BUZZ | | Posted Wednesday, October 25, 2006 11:03:11 PM by Blog57 Team | | No experience necessary: Last spring, nearly every piece was in place for Fox to launch its own swords-and-sorcery franchise in the "Harry Potter"-"Lord of the Rings" vein. The studio had acquired Christopher Paolini's best-selling novel "Eragon," hired visual effects wizard Stefen Fangmeier to direct, and signed up Industrial Light & Magic and New Zealand powerhouse WETA ("King Kong") to create special effects. There was just one problem. After months of searching, "Eragon" producers had failed to find a lead actor who could carry the film. Two days before the project was set to shut down, 18-year-old Edward Speleers showed up at a last-ditch London casting session. "The first time I read from a couple of scenes they'd prepared," Speleers said last month during a visit to Los Angeles.... | |
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| | | Harry Potter Actress Drops Out | | Posted Tuesday, October 03, 2006 11:03:22 PM by Blog57 Team | | HARRY POTTER actress EMMA WATSON has threatened to drop out of the final two movies in the big-screen adaptations of the children's book series. Watson, who is earning a reported $1.8 million (GBP1 million) for playing HERMIONE in the fifth movie HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, admits she is reluctant to sign on for the films as she will be 20 by the time they are completed. The 16-year-old actress says, "I don't know yet. Every film is so huge and it's a long time. "I love to perform but there are many other things I love doing." HARRY POTTER STAR DESPERATE FOR DATING MAGIC 01/10/2006 23:17 .... | |
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| | | Phoenix Rising plans to make full use of New Orleans sites for the ... | | Posted Saturday, September 09, 2006 9:23:45 AM by Blog57 Team | | As the conclusion of the Harry Potter series of books and movies nears (although Harry Potter Book 7 does not yet have a release date and J.K. Rowling is reportedly still finishing writing it, the fifth Harry Potter movie is in production and the 6th has already been given a release date), special events focusing on the Harry Potter phenomena are increasing – this includes both Harry Potter fan conferences and official Harry Potter events from the author, publishers and producers. One of 2007’s major events will be Phoenix Rising, an academic and fan conference on the Harry Potter phenomena taking place in New Orleans , May 17 – 21. Phoenix Rising’s focus will be rebirth – a major theme of the Harry Potter series and particularly appropriate for an event set in New Orleans . Programming will cover a wide range of topics and styles – including the presentation of academic papers looking both at the text of Harry Potter and at the series as a cultural phenomena. Phoenix Rising will also have an emphasis on the arts – encompassing aspects of the Harry Potter films's production, as well as fan activities such as fanfiction, fanart and costuming.... | |
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| | | Rupert to appear on GMTV's 'Today' show | | Posted Saturday, September 02, 2006 11:03:57 PM by Blog57 Team | | It would seem that Rupert Grint from the Harry Potter movies will be hitting the interview shows next week to promote "Driving Lessons" with an appearance on GMTV's Today show in the UK. The show airs from 7 - 8:35 am and Rupert will appear this coming Tuesday, September 5th. Thanks to Sam for the tip. .... | |
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| | | Harry Potter struts around in Ottoman style | | Posted Wednesday, August 16, 2006 5:19:41 PM by Blog57 Team | | The Kopar family, which has been in the business for three generations, produces the sandals to be used as gifts and for movies. Hseyin Kopar, in Konya to attend a shoe fair, said they had provided 2,500 pairs of sandals in 1999 to be used in the movie Alexander. In Troy, 165 such sandals were used. We have been making these sandals for the past 40 years. Everything used in natural. Currently, we are in the process of producing another batch for a new film, said Kopar. He said these sandals could be used in daily life, adding, The leather used is cow hide. You can wear it in the city.. It can keep the feet both warm and cool because everything used in it is natural. .... | |
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| | | Movie more than stunt for director | | Posted Friday, August 11, 2006 7:04:47 PM by Blog57 Team | | BEFORE directing movies such as "Final Destination 2," "Cellular," "The Perfect Storm," "The Matrix Reloaded" and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," among others, David R. Ellis worked for more than 20 years as a Hollywood movie stuntman and stunt coordinator. But the 53-year-old semi-retired stuntman and self proclaimed "surfer dude" from Malibu says that little of his previous work prepared him for the fun and excitement he had directing more than 450 snakes in "Snakes on a Plane." The movie, which opens Aug. 17, also stars Julianna Marguiles and Kenan Thompson. During a recent phone interview, here's what he said. Q: What did you like most about directing "Snakes on a Plane"? A: Well, when I heard that Samuel L. Jackson was going to be kicking some snake butt in the film, I had to come aboard.... | |
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| | | Passionate about Potter | | Posted Wednesday, July 26, 2006 1:00:50 AM by Blog57 Team | | The pope, when he was a cardinal had warned, You never know where these things are going to lead". Meanwhile, the High Priest of the first Church of Satan, USA has called it Godsend. And as for the rest of the world, it cant seem to get enough of it; with JK Rowlings Harry Potter, the word phenomenon becomes a gross understatement. The figures are astounding enough: Potter merchandise worth 1bn sold to date, the first 3 Harry potter movies raking in a combined 1.35bn, more than 265 Harry Potter books sold in over 200 countries, written in 62 languages and in 2003, JK Rowling was estimated as being richer than Queen Elizabeth. But what is more impressive is the unbelievable amount of hype/craze the books have been generating. For example, the day a new Harry Potter book hits bookstores rivals Oscar night in terms of the fanfare and buzz it generates.... | |
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| | | Shyamalan would protect JK's work | | Posted Friday, July 21, 2006 7:05:13 AM by Blog57 Team | | Earlier in the week we let you know that director M. Night Shyamalan had been offered the first Harry Potter movie, which he declined due to other film commitments. In a recent interview, when asked about 'Potter' he adds that he would be the "greatest protector" of JK's work, would choose the last movie if given a choice of which of the movies to direct and that passing on the first movie still "haunts him." Shyamalan was interviewed by TLC and you can read a snippet from the interview below: .... | |
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| | | Rants 'n' Raves: Gamer Radio | | Posted Tuesday, July 04, 2006 1:21:42 AM by Blog57 Team | | Here's what a few of you had to say about our recent stories. To post a remark online in our feedback forums, enter your comments in the text box at the end of any story (registration required). Additionally, you can give our Skype feedback line a call at (415) 992-NEWS (415-992-6397), or message us on Skype at our user name: wirednews. Re: Why No Lester Bangs of Gaming?By Clive ThompsonFrom: Genghis You neglect another aspect of game criticism: Yes, video games may be influential like rock music, but there is no generic distribution. There's no radio or TV for video games. Every time someone wants to play a video game they have to pay for it (or break the law to get it). The medium doesn't lend itself to the type of criticism you speak of specifically because the availability of games depends on cash flow.... | |
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| | | Will Harry Potter perish? | | Posted Friday, June 30, 2006 3:04:23 AM by Blog57 Team | | HARRY Potter may perish in the final installment of the boy wizard series in which two main characters die, author J.K. Rowling hinted in a television interview. Author Rowling, 40, said she was well on the way to finishing the eagerly-awaited seventh Potter book. "I wrote the final chapter in something like 1990, so I've known exactly how the series is going to end," she told a chat show on Channel 4 television. "The final chapter is hidden away although it's now changed very slightly. One character got a reprieve. But I have to say two die that I didn't intend to die," Rowling said. "A price has to be paid, we are dealing with pure evil here. They don't target extras, do they? They go for the main characters - well, I do." Asked whether one of the casualties would be Potter himself, Rowling said she had never been tempted to kill off the magician before the finale.... | |
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