MOVIE NEWS
THE chair where best selling author JK Rowling sat while writing the first Harry Potter novels being auctioned for charity.
The signed dining room chair, which is accompanied by a letter from the author, is expected to raise £20,000 at an auction for children’s charity the NSPCC being held at Christie’s in London this week.
Ms Rowling writes: "Dear new-owner-of-my-chair, I was given four mismatched dining room chairs in 1995 and this was the comfiest. That is why it ended up stationed permanently in front of my typewriter while I typed out Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. My nostalgic side is quite sad to see it go, but my back isn’t."
Other celebrities like Brad Pitt, Robert Redford, and Tom Jones have also donated their chairs—I'd sure like to have J.K.'s ;)
MOVIE 3 OUT IN 2004?
All the main filming on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret finishes on Friday at Leavesden Studios, but a few more bits of info are starting to come out about this film and the next. The best news is that Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson will all be back for the third film, The Prisoner of Azkaban. That's the good news. The bad news is, to give the children in the cast a good break, filming won't happen until at least early to mid-2003. That means the film probably won't be out until 2004. And it looks like an announcement about who will direct the Prisoner of Azkaban will happen in the next few days. No contact! As for other children's roles in Azkaban - like Cho Chang - no casting has been done yet. And there won't be for quite a few months, so the film company says there's no point in trying to contact them about auditions! As soon as there's any more news on that, we promise to let you know.
What Filmmakers Used As A Double For The Basilisk
Unassuming is the word that springs to mind when you take a stroll around Ealing studios. The spot where some of British cinema's most enduring and idiosyncratic triumphs were crafted feels sweetly serene, tucked away as it is behind Ealing Common in the suburbs of west London.
...The new Ealing is modelling itself on this idea of an in-house creative community. It still rents its offices and soundstages to outsiders - George Lucas gathered his Attack of the Clones cast here for some last-minute reshoots, while the crew of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets alighted here a few weeks back for some shots in the vast water tank under one of the soundstages. (The hose that doubled for a sea-serpent is still forlornly lying in the murky water.)
Now, isn't that interesting? But I wonder why they even used a water tank? Maybe there's some water in the Chamber, perhaps...
HOW FANTASY HAS RAPPED IT AROUND OUR FINGERS
From the spookiness of "Signs" to the old-fashioned wizardry of "The Lord of the Rings," the long-lasting trend is clear. Comedy and action still draw crowds, but fantasy is the genre of choice for filmmakers and audiences who want to tap into cinema's most imaginative possibilities.
At one end of the spectrum are sword-and-sorcery sagas set in exotic places. At the other end are science-fiction stories, which are more grounded in reality, but use their futuristic technologies as perfunctory backdrops for magical adventures. Some pundits think the wave of fantasy filmmaking will subside, especially if war movies continue to grow in popularity following the Sept. 11 attacks and new anxieties arise over safety and security. Enthusiasm for pictures like "Black Hawk Down" and "We Were Soldiers" suggests some truth here.
But others feel the apprehensions caused by Sept. 11 are giving fantastic films more appeal than ever.
Film and the fantastic have a long history together. Fantasies danced on screens a century ago, when magician-turned-director Georges Méliès filled early nickelodeons with pictures like "Summoning the Spirits" and "The Phrenologist and the Lively Skull." He turned to the past for many of his ideas and images – borrowing from literature, painting, and other art forms.
...Fantasies flourished for millenniums before cinema was invented, though, so factors rooted deeply in human nature are clearly at work.
Some people get so caught up in otherworldly tales that they lose sight of what's actual and what's not – as "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling proved when she told an interviewer she's received many letters addressed to the fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, sent by youngsters who hope she'll pass them along to headmaster Dumbledore.
Once upon an archetype
Harry's personality carries a clue to the popularity of tales like his. He's a likable boy, and by the standards of traditional fantasy, he's a believable, three-dimensional character.
More important, he's as ordinary as the rest of us – setting aside the wizards in his family tree – and his all-too-human traits make him something of an underdog. Magic and enchantment give him extraordinary abilities we'd all love to have, and by reading or viewing his adventures, we share vicariously in his ability to tap mystical sources of mastery and power. What worked for the Brothers Grimm still works for Rowling and her contemporary colleagues.
In his own unpretentious way, Harry is what folklorists call an archetype – a character who represents an ideal image of a personality or idea, and may carry lessons inherited from the turbulent history of human existence.
...We see aspects of ourselves in archetypal characters, and we identify with their stories because we recognize our experiences in the tasks they undertake and the challenges they face. Archetypes are endlessly fascinating because we all start life as children prone to magical, wishful thinking.
Themes reflecting the deep uncertainties of childhood – household mysteries; fears of being left alone; the sheer size, strength, and inscrutability of the adult world – surge through our dreams and reveries for the rest of our days.
Fantastic stories bring these to the surface in safe, unthreatening forms, allowing us to confront and deal with them afresh. "The stuff of fantasy is the mental life of childhood," says Murray Pomerance, chair of the sociology department at Ryerson University in Toronto, "and it's reborn with every generation. To engage in fantasy is to return to the point of view of childhood."
Such tales can also renew our intuitive awareness that there's more to reality than the world we perceive with our senses. Part of fantasy's enduring appeal is its willingness to tap into a wider realm that everyday logic can't grasp. At its most effective, fantasy offers a way of enlarging our mental and moral horizons.
Not everyone sees this as a plus, as religious debates over the "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings" series repeatedly show.
Writing for the Decent Film Guide, Internet movie commentator Steven D. Greydanos commends "Harry Potter" for "redemptive themes ... of good vs. evil, of loyalty and courage, of the evils of bigotry and oppression." But he notes that others "have attacked the young hero of Rowling's series as a veritable poster child for the occult," and suggests there might be a slippery slope from Harry's adventures to fare he finds more problematic, like "Dr. Strange" comics, books on witchcraft, and TV shows like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
In sum, not all fantasies are created equal. What some find an adventure in mind-expanding fun may strike others as the opening of a dangerous doorway – itself a timeless fantasy theme, stretching from venerable folk tales to "Monsters, Inc."
Another factor in fantasy's enduring appeal is the way it leads readers and viewers to choose sides in arguments over everything from the overarching meaning of a story to the most esoteric details of setting, lore, and the "rules of the game" that give even the most flamboyant flights of fancy a foothold in human rationality.
...Fantasies are diverse in another important way, too: Some are worth watching or reading, others aren't. The imaginative realms meticulously etched by J.R.R. Tolkien in "The Lord of the Rings" and C.S. Lewis in his "Chronicles of Narnia" novels are gateways to psychological and historical insight as well as hugely exciting places to visit.
And a growing number of filmmakers are finding it a fertile source of inspiration.
ARE ORPHANS ACTUALLY A HOLLYWOOD FAD NOW?
What's with all these dead parents in this summer's kids movies?
The parents of Lilo in Lilo & Stitch are dead. The parents of Calvin in Like Mike are dead. The parents of Arnold in Hey Arnold! The Movie are nonexistent. The Powerpuff Girls have no parents in The Powerpuff Girls Movie – just a scientist who invented them in a laboratory. And Stuart Little 2 revolves around Stuart, a happily adopted former orphan, and his friendship with an orphaned bird named Margalo.
Sara Greiner, 11, of Dallas says she's not crazy about the trend.
"It kind of bugs me that every film is about an orphan. I don't feel comfortable with the idea of little kids losing their parents. Sometimes I get scared, too."
Martha Satz, a professor of English at Southern Methodist University, says the orphan theme is a time-honored literary tradition.
"It's a children's fantasy," she says. "When parents say no to them, they can say, 'These are not my real parents because they don't recognize how wonderful I am, that I am potentially heroic and I can save the world.' "
The Harry Potter books fit this paradigm, she says. She says they are a healthy outlet for a child's natural megalomaniac visions.
Without any parent to help him, Harry Potter must save the world from Voldemort, just as the Powerpuff Girls must thwart evil monkeys and Lilo must rescue Earth from aliens. Calvin must save a pro basketball team from defeat (and his orphanage from a mean orphanage director), and Arnold must free his neighborhood from developers.
HPSS PROPS GO UP FOR SALE
Props from Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone are being raffled for charity.
They include two of the letters used in the film inviting Harry Potter to Hogwarts School, a T-shirt worn by one of the film crew, a hat and a poster.
The raffle is raising money for the Iain Rennie Hospice at Home, which provides free nursing care for patients in the Chiltern area of Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
Other prizes include tickets for the Queen musical We Will Rock You, a DVD player and a video recorder.
THE BOY WIZARD WAS SEEING SIGNS
The director of The Sixth Sense has revealed he turned down the chance to direct Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone.
M Night Shyamalan says he decided not to make the film because he had already begun working on his latest movie Signs, which stars Mel GIbson.
Shyamalan says directing the Harry Potter films would have been "too long a commitment."
Though it is interesting, I'm not exactly sure as to the absolute accuracy of this.
WAS THERE ANOTHER CHOSEN BEFORE DANIEL RADCLIFFE?
"It's important to remember that the audience creates stars," says Los Angeles casting director Mike Fenton, former president of the American Society of Casting Directors. "There was a rumor before 'Harry Potter' came out that the lead didn't test well, that he was too dull, and the producers wouldn't use him in No. 2. But they had to because the audience embraced him.
Daniel Radcliffe, too dull?! Well, not really...I wonder if they're talking about him or another Harry, chosen before?
WHAT'S THE OFFSCREEN FUTURE OF DANIEL RADCLIFFE?
IT'S the curse of the child actor. For every Haley Joel Osment, there's a Macaulay Culkin. Some hit, some miss. Some -- like the cast of Diff'rent Strokes -- end up in rehab or jail.
The latest to hit the slippery slope is Nicholas Hoult. He seriously steals scenes from major stars Hugh Grant and Toni Collette in the English romantic comedy About A Boy.
Hoult has the puffy red cheeks and pudding-bowl haircut that make a kid adorable. But they're not really the assets that work for actors once they hit 20.
And Hoult can't say he doesn't want an acting career when he grows, because he attends London's Sylvia Young Theatre School.
And his mother is, reportedly, a piano and voice teacher, spookily like his character's mother in About A Boy, played by Collette.
With Hoult's three siblings also training in the business, the chances of him opting out are slim.
He was spotted by a director when he was three and was in his first film, Intimate Relations, with Julie Walters and Rupert Graves, at five.
He's also appeared in The Bill and was one of the many who auditioned for the role of Harry Potter.
Fortune might have favoured him though. The chances of Daniel Radcliffe forging a successful career after the incredible typecasting of at least three Harry Potter films are slim. Hoult is not yet typecast, which is the key.
Macaulay Culkin struggled to escape not only his parents' choking grip but also the audience perception of him as the cheeky kid in the Home Alone series.
His father's decision to put him in some chilling dramas aimed to erase Macaulay's cutesy My Girl image. Kit Culkin even threatened to pull his son from the coming Home Alone 2 if he wasn't cast as the nasty psychotic in The Good Son.
...The child actor to emulate is Billy Elliot star Jamie Bell. The all-acting, all-dancing Brit has already been cast in three films since last year's smash, including a big-budget version of Nicholas Nickleby with Nathan Lane, Jim Broadbent and Barry Humphries.
He is proof positive for success as a child actor. The talent is far more important than the charm.
MORE ON ALFONSO CUARON AS POA DIRECTER
Alfonso Cuaron has been signed to direct Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third movie in the Harry Potter series for Warner Bros. Pictures, it was announced today by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Motion Pictures, Warner Bros. Cuaron is best known for directing the critically acclaimed Y Tu Mama Tambien as well as the enchanting children's classic A Little Princess. Production is scheduled to begin in England in the first quarter of 2003.
"Prisoner of Azkaban" will reunite the principal cast from both the record-breaking "Sorcerer's Stone" and the upcoming "Chamber of Secrets," and will introduce new characters from the ever-expanding world of Hogwarts School. The film will be produced by David Heyman, Chris Columbus and Mark Radcliffe for release by Warner Bros. Pictures in the summer of 2004.
Stated di Bonaventura, "We have prided ourselves on fulfilling our promise to the millions of fans to remain faithful to J.K. Rowling's beloved books. We are certain that Alfonso's gifts as a director will sustain that commitment and continue to bring the adventure and fantasy of this wonderful series to life onscreen in even more compelling ways."
"I've come to love all of the cast and crew on these movies and have completely immersed myself in this amazing and intricate story," said producer Chris Columbus, who directed the first two Harry Potter movies. "But, as I've made the decision to step into the role of producer for the third film, I am thrilled that we have found someone as talented and inspired as Alfonso to take over the reins as director. It will be a pleasure to work with him on this project."
"In Alfonso Cuaron, I know we have found the right director for 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,'" said producer David Heyman. "He has a unique vision and sensibility as a filmmaker, and an extraordinary ability to inspire memorable performances in children and adults alike. His humanity and belief in the magical possibilities of film and life make him the ideal choice."
"I am so pleased to be entrusted with presenting the continuing Harry Potter saga," said Cuaron. "It has captured the imaginations of many people, myself included, and I am so excited to join an amazingly talented cast and crew. To be able to add my own contributions to this rich and creative material is a wonderful opportunity and I know the collaboration will be a great one."
I wonder if he'll stay on for Goblet of Fire? WB would probably wanna see how he does with PoA first though...thanks to BSB5Angels for the alert!
BIG NEWS! Alfonso Cuaron Is Chosen As PoA Director!
For the past two months in Harry Potter-ville, the name of the director who would take over the franchise from Chris Columbus was a bigger mystery than the whereabouts of Lord Vol-- that is, He Who Must Not Be Named. Columbus, who directed the franchise's blockbuster first installment (''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'') and is currently shooting the second (''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'') announced at the end of May that he would not direct the third movie, ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.'' Warner Bros. came up with a short list of three candidates for the director's chair, but it was unclear whose name would come out of the sorting hat -- until now.
One candidate was Callie Khouri (''Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.'') Another was Kenneth Branagh, who is playing Professor Gilderoy Lockhart in ''Chamber of Secrets.'' But Branagh tells Entertainment Weekly he is now out of the running. ''There was a little talk about it, but now it's definitely not going to happen,'' he said on Friday. ''I don't know what I can say, but I think a candidate has been chosen. It is a person who I know and like and will make everyone happy,'' Branagh said. ''He is an exciting choice.''
That ''he'' seems to indicate the third candidate, Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron. Cuaron may be best known for his current Spanish-language indie hit, the brazenly sexual ''Y Tu Mama Tambien,'' but he also directed the acclaimed children's fantasy film ''A Little Princess'' for Warner Bros., a movie based on a British novel and set in a boarding school. He also directed the Ethan Hawke-Gwyneth Paltrow update of Charles Dickens' ''Great Expectations.''
While ''Chamber of Secrets'' is set to open this November, ''Azkaban'' isn't expected to be ready until 2004. Although Columbus cited a desire to return with his family to the U.S. as the reason he was stepping down, he is expected to remain in England and serve as a producer on the third film.
This is great news! Just by reading about the "positive atmosphere" surrounding this him, I've got the feeling he'll do very well with PoA (considering it might be one of the most fun films to work on in the HP series thus far)!
UPDATES ON POA RELEASE, CASTING, AND PEEVES
All the main filming on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret finishes on Friday at Leavesden Studios, but a few more bits of info are starting to come out about this film and the next.
Click here for info on the films!
The best news is that Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson will all be back for the third film, The Prisoner of Azkaban.
That's the good news.
The bad news is, to give the children in the cast a good break, filming won't happen until at least early to mid-2003.
That means the film probably won't be out until 2004.
And it looks like an announcement about who will direct the Prisoner of Azkaban will happen in the next few days.
No contact!
As for other children's roles in Azkaban - like Cho Chang - no casting has been done yet.
And there won't be for quite a few months, so the film company says there's no point in trying to contact them about auditions!
As soon as there's any more news on that, we promise to let you know.
Fudge
The Chamber of Secrets is out on 15 November and Potter fans will be delighted that Cornelius Fudge does appear in the movie.
He's played by British actor Robert Hardy. He's most famous for appearing in a long running BBC series All Creatures Great and Small.
And he played the doctor in Thunderpants!
Someone who won't be in the movie is Rik Mayall as Peeves. But he didn't even get to film any scenes this time around - the part of Peeves was cut out before filming started!
Wow, the filmmakers must really have something against Peeves :p
Guardian Unlimited has this interesting word:
Most definitely seems so, after reading what DallasNews.com says:
NorthJersey.com is talking about the good guys (superheroes and such) and the actors who play them in the movies:
News.com.au has this funny article on child actors:
ComingSoon.net has more on today's decision by WB to hire Alfonso Cuaron as PoA's director:
EW.com has news of Alfonso Cuaron winning the director's seat for PoA: