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Recently, BBC News interviewed Harry Potter and the Cursed Child show-makers J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne on the making of the play.
Interviewer Will Gompertz starts by asking about the process of three people co-writing one play. After many discussions between the three creators, the story of Cursed Child was fleshed out and ready for writing. John Tiffany explains:
‘We didn’t start writing the play – or Jack didn’t – until we’d agreed on what that story was.’
Jack Thorne then started on writing the script that is soon to be published in (script)book form.
‘Jack produced an amazing script’ Jo Rowling says in reply to his ‘very self-depricating’ remarks about attempting to write a script.
Rowling then comments on her concerns prior to the play being released to the public:
‘I don’t think I realised how anxious I was … I mean, this is putting me back ten years. Potter attracted a lot of madness, and a lot of hype, and going back to that place, I realised on Wednesday night how anxious that had made me, because I knew how much expectation there would be, and I didn’t want to let fans down.’
Gompertz then asks if there’s a sense that Jo doesn’t ‘own’ Potter anymore. After so many fan creations, so much theorising about her stories and characters, this is a good question to ask. The level of expectation put on J.K. Rowling to deliver the stories that we want as fans could make it seem like the stories are almost ‘owned’ by the fanbase, but Rowling thinks otherwise:
‘I wouldn’t go that far, Will’ Rowling shoots back, whilst Tiffany and Thorne chuckle knowingly.
‘Because, you know, that would be – and I’m deadly serious – that would be to disavow what that world was to me.
Seventeen years that world was mine, and for seven of those years it was entirely mine – not a living soul knew anything about it. I can’t just uproot that from all those personal experiences that inform those stories and say, “I’m throwing that away now”, and that’s how that would feel.’
Jack Thorne chips in, saying:
‘As a fan, you want it to be her world, not our world … it’s her world that we’ve been allowed to play in.’
Will Gompertz then remarks to Director John Tiffany that ‘Jack and Jo had it easy’ in comparison, as Tiffany’s job is to ‘make their imagination a reality on stage’. Tiffany responds:
‘It’s not all bells and whistles, it’s not all glitter guns and cannons. Actually, a lot of it is very very simple magic and illusion, and stage craft … there’s not really a huge amount that could go wrong’
After provoking what was almost a whimper of fear from Jo Rowling in that last comment, Tiffany explains his rather laid-back attitude:
‘We’ve done it very very carefully, so it’s not kind of a wing and a prayer.’
Gompertz asks Rowling whether she could imagine ever creating another world which had as profound an impact as the Potter world:
‘No’ She replies, ‘and nor would I want to. I feel as though I did that, and I love it. It takes up so much mental space, it takes up a lot of space in the world now. I think I would be on a fool’s errand to try and do that again’.
Be sure to watch the full interview at the BBC here. This interview followed The Guardian’s interview with the trio prior to Cursed Child‘s opening this week (here), and the New York Times’ coverage of a roundtable discussion with the cast and crew of Cursed Child here.
Yesterday, the official Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Twitter account tweeted this photo of Ron (Paul Thornley), Draco (Alex Price), and Harry (Jamie Parker) in anticipation of the first public preview of Part 2 of the play.
The unlikely trio stands together in full wizarding attire, and while we aren’t sure what brings them together or the cause for their serious expressions in this photo, it only makes us more excited to see the play and script book!
Catch another (spoiler-free) glimpse of the play in our report on an earlier photo shared of Rose Granger-Weasley onstage.
As Leaky stated on all of its social media, we will be honoring J.K. Rowling and the cast and crew of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’s wishes to “Keep the Secrets.” We will not be reporting on any content of Cursed Child, but we will share any small details that Pottermore–J.K. Rowling’s website–deems acceptable to share. No spoilers.
Just as the curtains were rising for the first preview of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child earlier this week, Pottermore shared a photo of Rose Weasley standing in the middle of the Great Hall, during what appeared to be a sorting ceremony. Read more of Leaky’s report on that here.
In that photo, the world was presented with a new set of House banners! Pottermore tweeted today, revealing a clearer picture of these banners as concept art.
Every house banner incorporates its mascot into the initial of its house, rather than using what became known as “Harry Potter font.” As expressed before, multiple times, the play is a continuation of the books, not the movies (movie canon differs from book canon). Because of this, it is not surprising the banners differ from the movies, but could potentially fulfill the description of house banners in the books.
However, the banners do not seem to support official house colors; unless, differing from both book and movie canon, the house colors are now different. Because book canon and movie canon differ, many fans know that Ravenclaw’s house colors are different in the films than in the books. Ravenclaw’s colors are blue and bronze by book canon, and blue and silver by movie canon. In the movies, the shades of the other house colors don’t stay true to for either. If these new banners are representing house colors, Gryffindor and Slytherin’s colors are the only set of colors that have remained mostly true to both book and movie canon.
Last week, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany–both co-writers of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child alongside J.K. Rowling–sat down with producers, actors, and other major forces in the play’s production for a roundtable discussion. The participants talked about the story’s conception, the decision to tell the story in play format, and–naturally–the difficulty of avoiding spoilers.
Colin Callender, one of the Cursed Child producers, says of the play’s journey:
“None of us, all quite experienced in the theater world, have ever experienced anything of this magnitude and intensity before.”
On playing such a beloved character, actress Noma Dumezweni (Hermione) says:
“The weight of expectation is huge. But for me that pressure has been outweighed by getting text messages from mums I know saying how huge it is for their mixed-race daughters that I am playing Hermione. Ultimately it’s a theater piece, I’m a theater actor and doing a job as best I can.”
Public previews of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child began yesterday, June 7, at the Palace Theatre in London. The play officially opens on June 30.
Read the full interview at NY Times.
Many readers of The Leaky Cauldron have been asking whether or not print copies of the Cursed Child scriptbook will be available in languages other than English, and available in bookstores outside of the U.K, U.S and Canada.
Unfortunately, neither of these will be the case, meaning that fans from countries outside the U.S and U.K will have to buy copies from Little, Brown in the U.K and Scholastic in the U.S / Canada and pay shipping. However, Pottermore confirmed that international readers will be able to buy a copy digitally from midnight, June 30th following preview performances of the play:
“The Special Rehearsal Edition script will be available to buy around the world, digitally by Pottermore and in print in collaboration with Little, Brown in the UK and Scholastic in the US and Canada.”
Pottermore also gave more information on the process behind turning the Special Rehearsal Edition of the script into a Definitive Edition (which is set for release in 2017):
“The Special Rehearsal Edition of the script will be available for a limited time, and gives readers the earliest opportunity to read the eighth story – just after the play has opened at London’s Palace Theatre. In this edition, readers will have access to the script used by the cast and creative team during rehearsals and previews.
During the preview period, in front of a live audience, the script will be fine-tuned by the creative team. It’s a chance to make tweaks outside the rehearsal room and based on the reactions of a real audience.
A later, Definitive Edition of the script is set for release in early 2017. This final and complete edition will replace the Special Rehearsal Edition in bookshops, both in print and digitally.
The Definitive Edition will contain the perfected, definitive script with final stage directions and annotations, as seen on opening night and beyond. This edition will also include extra content, such as writing from the play’s creative team.”
Hopefully this news isn’t too disappointing for readers outside of the U.K, U.S and Canada – we’re hoping print editions of the scriptbook will open up to international markets in 2017 along with the Definitive Edition script. Finger’s crossed!
Read more at Pottermore here.
Several hours ago, Part 1 of the first public preview of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child began at the Palace Theatre in London.
The photo above–tweeted by the official Cursed Child twitter account–shares a photo of Rose Granger-Weasley in full Hogwarts attire, standing in what appears to be the Great Hall with the four House banners hanging overhead. Her peers stand behind her in four groups (one for each House, we wonder?), and since Rose is starting her first year at Hogwarts with her cousin, Albus Potter, this just might be a sneak peek of her Sorting!
The first public preview of Part 2 of Cursed Child will be shown on Thursday, June 9, and the official opening is on June 30.
We’re all anxiously awaiting our chance to soak up more of the Wizarding World, and we’ll continue to share updates as we get them, keeping in mind J.K. Rowling’s request to “Keep the Secrets”.
J.K. Rowling has a message for the fans of Harry Potter, which she posted to her twitter this morning. In that video she asks that all of Harry’s fans stay spoiler free after seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts 1 and 2, so that as many people as possible will be able to enjoy the magic Rowling, Tiffany and Throne have in store for us fans.
Cursed Child being a play is a new media for the Potter fans, so as the limited numbers trickle in to see Cursed Child the rest of us are left to just wait our turns. So please do not spoil it for all of us.
This is especially important to someone like me who joined the Harry craze a few books in, so I know the travesty of finding out about a certain ministry workers family ties (still just a little bitter). So again, let’s all ban together and try to make this magic last forever. Cursed Child is starting preview shows now!
Check Out this amazing Interview with The Creators of Cursed child John Tiffany, J.K. Rowling, and Jack Thorne.
By:
Emma Pocock,
on 6/6/2016
Blog:
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Cursed Child is set to start preview performances tomorrow, and in the midst of J.K. Rowling, director John Tiffany and writer Jack Thorne preparing for their opening day, The Guardian spoke to them about their two years of collaboration on the project.
Commenting on the ‘warmth and ease’ of the relationship between the three creators, writer Sarah Crompton says that the ‘friendship and ease between them bodes well for the collaboration that has sustained them for more than two years’.
We are reminded that this is the only interview the trio will give before the opening of the play. Jo recently tweeted a photo of a badge saying ‘#KeepTheSecrets’, which is the running message of the play’s promotion. In a recent backstage glimpse of the play (which you can watch here), the door to the rehearsals room bore a sign saying ‘Keep Calm and Keep the Secrets’.
Jo also tweeted a video today, asking all seeing the preview performances and beyond to keep the secrets of the play under wraps, so not to ruin the story for those unable to see the play or those attending slightly later dates:
On keeping the secrets:
“I’ve been through this many times,” says Rowling. “And I hope we get there without any major spoilers, purely because people will have an amazing experience if they don’t know what’s coming.
“Generally speaking, Harry Potter fans are a community, they have each other’s backs, and they want to have that mystery and the sense of surprise. So we’re hopeful. But it won’t be the absolute end of the world. We’re not going to be throwing tantrums about it but we hope for the audience’s sake that we can get there.”
Two weeks ago, The Guardian’s Sarah Crompton met with the trio, and Rowling understandably hadn’t been sleeping much:
“I’ve been awake since 4am … We were in the theatre last night and I saw a scene that’s very close to my heart, in costume, on the set And it was quite overwhelming”
Director John Tiffany is clearly no stranger to Jo’s amazement with the play:
“Jo has been around for a lot of the process,” Tiffany chips in. “A lot,” she agrees. “But last night was the first time I had been into the theatre and seen everything so fully realised. And it was… extraordinary.”
“We did a fist bump, didn’t we?” says Tiffany, smiling.
“Well, I tried to do a fist bump with you,” Rowling shoots back. “And you tried to shake it. So that wasn’t our coolest moment. But in fairness it was dark…” “And I am not known for my first bumps,” says the director. “Nor am I, really,” adds Rowling. “I just felt the moment demanded one.”
Talking about their nerves, Jo – the 4am riser – feels she could take a lot from Tiffany’s relenting composure. He says that his unshaken nerves were unexpected:
“If you had asked me a year ago how I’d be feeling today, I think I’d probably have said I would be crumbling biscuits in the corner. But I feel remarkably sane.”
“You are so calm,” Rowling interjects. “I am less calm.”
The magic started in a meeting between J.K. Rowling and the play’s now-producer, Sonia Friedman – after speculating the idea and bringing in Tiffany and Thorne, Rowling was completely on board:
“You can probably imagine I have been asked to do something else with Harry Potter five times a week ever since the series ended. Sonia just wanted to explore a theatrical production and I knew her by reputation obviously and thought I would really like to meet her and hear what she had to say.”
On Tiffany and Thorne’s involvement:
“That’s the reason this happened because I thought I will never have the opportunity to work with such great people again,”
Of course, Jack Thorne is a self-proclaimed ‘total Potterhead':
“I still consider myself a Potterhead and I hope the Potterheads don’t hate me so much after this that I am never allowed to be one again.”
Yet Tiffany was unaware of this when he invited Jack to become writer of the play:
“He asked me when we met at the tube station on the way to The South Bank Show awards,” remembers Thorne. “So glamorous,” laughs Tiffany. “And so appropriate, the tube station,” adds Rowling mysteriously. Thorne continues: “And he said, ‘What do you think about it?’ And I went a bit nuts in the street. Only because I’m so incredibly shy, nobody would have seen or realised I was going nuts.”
In an amazing turn of events, Jo Rowling and John Tiffany revealed that they actually met informally years before. Jo was a single mother, writing The Philosopher’s Stone in Edinburgh Cafes, completely unaware of the phenomenon it would become:
One of her favourite haunts was the Traverse theatre, where Tiffany was assistant director. “It was one of the first places in Edinburgh you could have a cappuccino,” remembers Tiffany. “I was there meeting actors and writers a lot, and I remember seeing a woman writing, with a pram at her side. We got to saying hello and I remember once Jo said, ‘Do you mind if I’m here…’”
“Because I hadn’t bought a lot of coffee,” she explains, before Tiffany adds: “Then a year or so later I realised who it had been. And she didn’t come to the Traverse any more.”
Jo says her and Jack Thorne are similar in many ways, making the bond between the three a lot easier to work with. They’re serious about the play, yet seemingly lighthearted, calm and honest in their approach to working with one another. Rowling seems to have completely entrusted her story to the two creators:
“Jack and I are similar in many ways,” says Rowling. “We’re both, notwithstanding how chirpy we are being right now, quite introverted people who are very happy alone in a room, and there are many parallels in our working practices and I felt like he was one of my tribe.”
“And we bonded over the haircut,” he adds, before asking her permission to tell the following story. “We were talking about the way people don’t realise quite how horrible age 10 is. That was the moment I realised it was possible I could never have friends. Other people would have friends and I never would. And I was talking about buying a coat: I bought the same coat as Matt Cox, who was a considerably cooler kid in the year and I had to wear it to school every day because my mum had bought it for me and it was the only coat I was going to get. He wore it a lot better and everyone thought I was copying him.”
He still shudders at the memory. Then Rowling adds, quickly: “And I had exactly the same experience. I had the same feather cut at 10 as Susan Hook. I went into school and everyone thought you are trying to be Susan Hook, you pathetic human being. We had exactly the same experience of being deeply uncool. And that’s what haunts you.”
Tiffany and Thorne understand the power of stories to impact people in complex and important ways, and clearly know the role that Harry Potter has had on so many people’s lives:
“When you’re growing up it’s very easy to feel lonely and insecure,” says Tiffany. “And what Jo managed to capture, I think, was a world which made those people feel less lonely.”
Rowling explains why she took on the project, and trusted Jack with the writing:
“I never set out to build a big community, but I don’t think there is a writer alive who wouldn’t want to have that many people react to their work,” she says. “That’s what happened. People came inside the world with me.
This is why [Jack] is the right man for the job, because he just gets it. That’s pitch perfect. The big reason why people loved Potter was that it felt like it could be. That sense that there is more to the world. Just on the other side. Even within touching distance. There’s more. It is the promise of another world and it doesn’t have to be a magical world but to a lonely child or an insecure person or anyone who feels different or isolated, the idea of having a place where you do belong is everything.”
“From the moment he produced the first outline, I thought bingo, that’s it.
On whether she ever considered writing the play herself:
“I am not so arrogant that I think when you’ve got an absolutely top-class playwright offering to do it that I’m going to say, ‘Well, I’ve never done it before but I’ll do it.’ It’s a question of knowing the limits of your own competence. I was reasonably involved in the Potter scripts. I’m more familiar with that world. I felt a degree of confidence writing a screenplay but I had supreme confidence that Jack was going to write the play that I was going to love and he has. So you can’t ask fairer than that.”
Later she comments on stage writing being a ‘revelation’ to her:
“It is a totally new language to me,” she says. “So watching Jack and what he can do on the page and his understanding on what will then translate on to stage has been such a revelation to me. I know novels and I know movies but this is a different world entirely. Jack has access to a paintbox that I don’t have because I don’t understand the medium.”
Thorne smiles. “To be honest, ever since I wrote Let the Right One In, I’d write something like, ‘They run through a forest and then are strung up on a tree and brutally murdered’. I’d just write it on a page and make John do it. And he does”
The world of Harry Potter seemed silent to us for a long time – the play has returned the magic to us all in a new form, and Fantastic Beasts is introducing us to new elements in the world of magic that we’ve not encountered before. Rowling says that the stories never left her, even whilst she worked on The Casual Vacancy and Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike novels:
“It was 17 years and just because I’ve stopped on the page doesn’t mean my imagination stopped,” she says. “It’s like running a very long race. You can’t just stop dead at the finishing line. I had some material and some ideas and themes, and we three [she nods at Tiffany and Thorne] made a story.”
“But I carry that world around in my head all the time,” she acknowledges. “I am never going to hate that world. I love that world. But there are other worlds I want to live in too. To be perfectly honest, I just feel if I enjoy it, I’ll do it – and if I don’t, I won’t.”
“I always said never say never, and the reason I said that was truthfully that I did have this residue in my head in both directions – in Fantastic Beasts…, which is going back, and in this play, which is going forwards. So I still had this material in my head.
“It’s been amazing because there are roots over there and shoots over here, so it is keeping it very consistent and doing it all at the same time. We are sharing a lot between the worlds.”
The medium chosen for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child intrigued us all – when we heard there would be an ‘eighth story’ many expected another book, some thought it would be a film – many were confused when the scriptbook was announced – it’s a method of storytelling that’s new to us all, but theatre has captured the imaginations of creators for centuries, so perhaps it is only fitting that one of the greatest stories of this century moves to the stage. Rowling explains the reasoning behind the process:
“I kept being asked whether I would make a musical and I don’t like musicals,” she says, grimacing. “Theatre, on the other hand, I love. I find it a seductive world – there is nothing like seeing an actor perform live. But I had never had anyone approach me or propose anything that excited me like this.
“I think that, as a theatrical experience, as a play, it will be unlike anything people have seen before. And once people have had this theatrical experience, they will understand why this was the perfect medium for the story.”
The play is an art form unlike any other, yet in this day and age it seems to be neglected – Rowling herself admits to never having considered its appeal before. Jack Thorne and John Tiffany are trying to bring it back with J.K. Rowling, in style:
“The phrase John hates more than any other is ‘I should go to the theatre more often’ because it contains the idea that going to the theatre is an obligation.” “Like eating your vegetables,” Rowling chips in. “Or going to church,” adds Tiffany. “And that,” continues Thorne, as if in three-part harmony, “is the death of theatre. This is an opportunity, I guess, to get people who don’t feel they should go to the theatre to go to the theatre, and then discover that they want to go to the theatre.”
John Tiffany and Jack Thorne also unpack the reasoning behind Cursed Child being in two parts (as two separate plays):
“You would have had no space for character,” says Thorne. “It would just have been plot, plot, plot.”
Tiffany explains: ”Where film can eat up story, theatre needs space and breath. Once we thought of doing it in two parts, it felt naughty to begin with, but we felt we didn’t want to short change the story. We were very nervous up until the moment when the audience started to buy tickets, and the response was overwhelmingly fantastic, because the fear was that people would think we were just exploiting this. But it wasn’t that in any way, shape or form.” Rowling adds: “We had space to do what we were talking about doing.”
We’ve all seen the unsettling underbelly of Potter fandom rear its head in response to the casting of the Potter trio in Cursed Child – the casting of Noma Dumezweni as Hermione in particular sparked an enraged response.
Some claimed that this casting was ‘against canon’, it was against the films, it was against the book covers, it was against descriptions of Hermione (as having ‘very brown’ skin in Chapter 4 of Prisoner of Azkaban, with her infamous brown ‘bushy’ hair), it was – apparently – just wrong.
Perhaps these remarks did not come from a place of racism, or at least were not intended to come from such shallow places. Perhaps any move away from Emma Watson portraying Hermione would have been met with anger, perhaps people can’t understand that one medium of storytelling does not define another.
Whatever the case, J.K. Rowling commented on the response with the truth: Noma plays Hermione Granger well and – in the author’s opinion – fits the character perfectly:
“With my experience of social media, I thought that idiots were going to idiot,” she says. “But what can you say? That’s the way the world is. Noma was chosen because she was the best actress for the job. When John told me he’d cast her, I said, ‘Oh, that’s fabulous’ because I’d seen her in a workshop and she was fabulous.”
Unknown to Tiffany, when he made his casting call, there had in fact been a “black Hermione” theory around in Potterworld for years. Yet the strength of reaction surprised him. “I am not as Twitter familiar as Jo and Jack, so I hadn’t encountered its dark side, which is just awful,” he says. “The anonymity breeds horrors so after a while I stopped reading it. But what shocked me was the way people couldn’t visualise a non-white person as the hero of a story. It’s therefore brilliant that this has happened.”
Rowling settles the issue with a firm affirmation of Hermione’s state as a fictional character who can be interpreted in a variety of manners:
“I had a bunch of racists telling me that because Hermione ‘turned white’ – that is, lost colour from her face after a shock – that she must be a white woman, which I have a great deal of difficulty with. But I decided not to get too agitated about it and simply state quite firmly that Hermione can be a black woman with my absolute blessing and enthusiasm.”
The play will be ‘as purely as theatrical as possible’, according to Tiffany:
“Not a bombastic spectacle that makes people sit back,” he says. “It’s hopefully something that pulls you in. It is absurdly ambitious theatrically but it’s also about the audience and the imagination, which is exactly what a novelist does as well.”
Read the full Guardian interview here!
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts 1 and 2 start previewing tomorrow, June 7th, with the official opening of the play taking place on July 30th (alongside the release of the Cursed Child special rehearsal edition scriptbook). Forty low-cost tickets for performances will be released each week every Friday at 1pm – find out more at the play’s website here!
Furthermore, if you’re interested in attending Cursed Child Midnight book release parties on July 30th, find out more about GeekyCon’s exclusive event in Orlando here, and Barnes & Noble’s nationwide events here!
Inquirer.net recently sat down to talk to Daniel Radcliffe about Cursed Child, magic and his acting career thus far. Dan recently starred in Swiss Army Man and Victor Frankenstein, and will soon be appearing as Walter Mabry in Now You See Me 2.
Mabry is a wealthy, magical entrepreneur who has captured the Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Lizzy Caplan) – you can catch glimpses of his character in the movie’s trailer (below).
On whether or not he’ll be likely to see Cursed Child:
“I don’t know if I would. Because I feel like me going to see that show, it might become more about the fact that I was there seeing that show that night than anything else.”
At which point the Inquirer hinted to him that he might just be able to sneak into the show, asking if he was keeping up with the show:
“Do you really think that’s possible (for me to sneak in) (laughs)? No, I haven’t been keeping tabs. But I know Jamie Parker is playing me (Harry), which I’m very happy about, because he’s a great actor.”
Dan also said that he doesn’t see Harry Potter co-star Rupert Grint very much anymore (he’s working on his own TV comedy at the moment!), but did say that he saw him “at the beginning of the year, or the end of last year”.
On working with Michael Caine:
“Growing up in England… he is someone that you grow up being aware of as an institution. He’s everything that I want to be when I grow up as an actor.
When I first started working on “Potter,” there were crew members who have known Michael and had worked with him on various projects. To listen to them talk about Michael and the respect that they have for him, it made me, as a young actor, go, “God, I want to do that.”
When you work with him, he is utterly professional and also really good fun. He enjoys his job so much. I do love my job and I am thinking, if you aren’t having fun at work, you shouldn’t be there.
But watching Michael—I guess he is in his 80s by now—act at four o’clock in the morning in cold and dark England and still be there…
So many other actors would have been complaining and moaning. Michael is unflappable, and he’s still having a good time, telling stories, joking and laughing. He knows everyone’s name. It was a pleasure to be around him, to watch him work and to work with him. It was extraordinary.
Whenever I need a bit of a boost, I just go on Michael Caine’s IMDb page.”
On Swiss Army Man and its many complexities:
“I am not staying away from [romantic-comedy] roles. I think it’s more that it’s actually a lot harder to write something happy than it is to write something dark. There’s a lot of different versions of darkness that are very interesting. It’s harder to make happiness interesting onscreen for whatever reason.
“Swiss Army Man” sounds like a dark character because I’m playing a dead guy. The film does have its dark moments, but it’s got a lot of levity and joy. For me, that film is about joy. It isn’t a traditional rom-com, but it’s definitely got some lightness to it.”
Read the full interview over at Inquirer.net here, which includes more about his character in Now You See Me 2. Watch the latest trailer for the film below!
By:
Emma Pocock,
on 6/4/2016
Blog:
The Leaky Cauldron
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If you’re not in Florida for GeekyCon’s exclusive Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two scriptbook release party, you may be in luck!
Barnes & Noble will be throwing a whole month of parties in the lead up to the midnight release of the Cursed Child Rehearsal Edition scriptbook (June 30th), beginning June 24th.
Business Wire reports:
“Barnes & Noble, Inc., the nation’s largest retail bookseller and a leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today announced that it will host a month-long celebration in advance of the publication of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One & Two. The events will kick off on Friday, June 24, at 7 PM when all stores nationwide will feature activities designed to give participants of all ages the opportunity to relive the magic of Harry Potter, and enter the Barnes & Noble exclusive Harry Potter Limited Edition Cover Prints Sweepstakes for a chance to win a set of 7 Harry Potter Limited Edition Cover Prints, available exclusively at Barnes & Noble, up until the July 30 Countdown to Midnight Party. On Saturday, July 30, starting at 8PM, customers can visit their local Barnes & Noble for the fan-favorite Countdown to Midnight Party leading up to the midnight release of the epic eighth story, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One & Two. At the Countdown to Midnight Party, two customers from each store who entered the sweepstakes will be chosen at random. Then, on Sunday, July 31, customers can return to their local store to share their perspectives on the new book and participate in additional Harry Potter-themed events, with activities and giveaways.”
Customers can enter sweepstakes (once entry per store, per day) up to the midnight release party, where two winners per store will be chosen at random. If you fancy entering the sweepstakes, just ask a local Barnes & Noble bookseller to find out more details, Official Rules and information on events and activities taking place at nearby stores:
“At the June 24 event, Barnes & Noble stores across the country will set up a coloring station where participants will have the opportunity to color various Harry Potter-themed materials including the 4 House Crests (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin) and a special Owl Post Postcard exclusive to Barnes & Noble that they can send to friends to invite them to the Countdown to Midnight Party. In addition to trivia and activities for Harry Potter fans to enjoy, many giveaways will also be available at the event while supplies last, including Harry Potter vintage posters, bookmarks and more. Stores will also host a robust Harry Potter trivia event. In addition, the Barnes & Noble Café will be offering special Harry Potter-themed treats including The Cheesecake Factory Bakery’s® fun and delicious Chocolate Witchout Cupcake (a Barnes & Noble Café exclusive), The Decorated Cookie Company’s delightful Witch Hat and Cauldron Decorated Shortbread Cookies, and the Passion Potion Iced Tea, a bewitching shaken blend of brewed passion tea, raspberry and vanilla flavors.
All stores nationwide will also host a Wrebbit 3D™ Harry Potter™ event, in celebration of Harry Potter’s arrival at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, during which Harry Potter fans of all ages are invited to participate in the assembly of Wrebbit 3D™ Hogwarts™ Astronomy Tower, an 875-piece 3D puzzle. In addition, Barnes & Noble will put on display a fully-built, first-to-market Wrebbit 3D™ Hogwarts Express™ 3D puzzle in all stores for customers to marvel in and enjoy.”
Business Wire also report on the midnight release schedules:
“Harry Potter is back, and on Saturday, July 30, at 8PM, Barnes & Noble stores nationwide will host a special Countdown to Midnight Party leading up to the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One & Two, a special rehearsal edition script book, which goes on sale July 31 at midnight. The party will feature a special Muggle Wall where customers can share their favorite memories of Harry Potter as well as several amazing giveaways. On Sunday, July 31, customers can return to their local store to discuss the new book and participate in special Harry Potter-themed events and activities, as a follow-up to the Countdown to Midnight Party the night before.”
It’s set to be an exciting month, coinciding with preview performances of Cursed Child in London!
Find out more and pre-order the Cursed Child scriptbook over at the Barnes & Noble website (here), and read the full Business Wire article here.
If you can make it to Florida and you want to join a night of old-school Potter book release festivities for only $20 (which includes a ball, costume contents, sorting, quid ditch, wizard chess, special guest appearances and more), find out more about GeekyCon’s midnight release party here!
The following article was written by Georgia Gates, who attended a press event and breakfast with Mira Mina and Eduardo Lima for the opening of the House of MinaLima.
Just days before the official opening, Leaky was given the privilege of attending a first look tour of ‘House of MinaLima’ – an exhibition and shop featuring the iconic graphic design work from none other than the immensely talented Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima.
Located perfectly amongst the cobbled streets of Soho in the heart of London’s West End, the four floor town house provides visitors with a culmination of Harry Potter graphic art spanning ten years, a series of stunning comprehensive prints titled as ‘Illustrated Collective Nouns’, and other illustrated work in-between. There is in addition, and much to fans excitement, the MinaLima shop located on the ground floor which comprises a wide selection of special edition prints and Harry Potter prop memorabilia.
On entering the exhibition, it is an immediate struggle not to pick up everything from the artwork shop, which displays an array of textbook replicas, beautifully illustrated notebooks and a limited number of selected posters and framed prints for avid Potter fans. As I am guided upstairs it feels as if I have stepped in to a Diagon alley town house, with the film aesthetic coinciding perfectly with the use of selective dated furniture, low, closed in ceilings and creaking floorboards.
After admiring the extensive work on display over all four floors, I was keen to ask how the fifteen years of work had affected the talented duo as graphic designers.
“When Harry Potter came along, that gave us a total scope to evolve as a graphic designers which we hadn’t planned to do. It gave Eduardo and I a fantastic opportunity to grow. So many people who worked on the films saw it as a school of craft because everyone was learning lots of new things. Often when you do graphic design on films it’s the stuff you don’t see, like a tax disk on a car or the signage on the side of a building but actually with Harry Potter it was so different because so many things were featured.”
Looking around the room, the flooring of the 3rd level is an almighty spectacle, covered entirely in every tiny hand drawn detail of the Marauder’s Map.
“It was all hand drawn. The original maps I would have drawn, scanned in all the artwork and reproduced around thirty to 40 maps. You have to do everything thinking about how it will be made in multiple.”
When asked what the best part about their entire experience on the films had been, Mira explained how much they had to become fully immersed in to the minds of each character.
“The best part was having to think as the characters, so if if I’m the Marauder’s, how would I communicate each little piece of crafty information, or if I were a Weasley, how would I sell as much product as possible to my clients.. It’s about removing yourself from being a designer and trying to enter in to the story.”
Has working in Harry Potter changed your approach to new projects?
“Yes I think so. I probably wouldn’t be called for one but I don’t think we would do a modern, contemporary film because we know what our strengths are now, and we’d rather do fantasy or historical based films. Even downstairs you’ll see a lot of our book projects and our own designs are anchored towards a retro style. We love doing research and things that inform that. And then you can transfer that in to your own ideas rather than just copying it.”
In terms of ‘Fantastic Beasts’ a lot of the materials have been revealed since we last spoke to you. Even though you can’t give too much away, can you tell us anything that you’ve particularly enjoyed about the graphic design of the film?
“In the muggle world of Harry Potter, we had to design all of the graphic design from the scenes of the café, food design packaging, newspapers etc. But of course, in 1920’s New York, anything that’s muggle in the 20’s is just so fascinating and totally opened our eyes to a whole new aesthetic. We love that period anyway! Even when we weren’t doing wizard designs it was still interesting.”
Do you think you’d enjoy working within any other Era?
“I’ve no idea, but I’m hoping that the next stories might be a bit later so that we can go full Art deco style. But anything up to the sixties. If we were given an Elizabethan film tomorrow it would be interesting because we’d have to research and work out what materials to use and so on.”
Moving away from the wizarding world and on to separate projects, the ‘Illustrated Collective Nouns’ prints are a visual feast, largely geared towards wildlife but also based around the concept of witty phrases used to describe a team of people and animals. I was intrigued to find out exactly how the pair came up with the idea behind the prints.
“We started with two friends who were really in to collective nouns, so we came together and researched as many collective nouns that we knew existed. A lot of them go back to 15th century Hunting terms. They’re not contemporary, they were used in language and they’ve evolved, so that was how it started. A bit like Potter being a story, it started with a language. They were so charming and funny, we love to bring to bring humour in to our work wherever possible. Being the client and the artist we could just go for it and do something from the heart, so that was how it was born. We kept finding more and more collective terms, there’s probably around a hundred in the book!”
Has your working relationship changed over the last fifteen years with the likes to new projects?
“We’re really lucky that we really get on. It is like a perfect working marriage. We’re very complimentary in how we work as well. In any marriage, you work out who’s good at what. We share the same sensibilities in design but we approach them differently. So, if there’s any hand work I tend to stick to it, but then I might give it to Eduardo or it’ll be the other way round. Of course, now we have a business so there’s that element, so Eduardo is very good with that.”
Is there a particular aspect of design that either of you are drawn to first or is it balanced?
“If there’s anything that needs hand illustrating that’s me”. Mira says.
“But Eduardo is really good at seeing how busy things are put together. But over time, I’ve noticed I’ve started getting more busy and he’s started to tone down a bit. It sounds a bit romantic but we haven’t had a row yet. It’s pretty good, we’ve invested so much now as a business and designers that we’ve got to just keep going. There’s lots of serendipity and dare I say it, destiny. Even finding this building, we didn’t have a plan. It all sort of evolved. At the end of the day I don’t want to go home!”
With ‘Harry Potter And The Cursed Child Parts One & Two’ opening at the Palace theatre just a few minutes walk from the exhibition, fans will have the perfect opportunity to become fully immersed in the wizarding world in a single day. House of MinaLima hopes to encourage the audience to take a short visit during the two hour intervals. It opens to the public today, June 3rd and entries are free!
As promised Pottermore delivers their final cast photos for the upcoming play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Tuesday we got a sneak peek at the Potter Clan, Wednesday we met the Granger-Weasley crew, and today we get our first look at the Malfoys.
Alex Price will play the role of Draco and his son Scorpius will be played by Anthony Boyle.
As Scorpius Malfoy, Anthony looks the spitting image of his stage dad. J.K. Rowling said: ‘I love Draco and Scorpius – they actually look related!’
Anthony Boyle is a long time stage actor. He is excited to play the role of Scorpius. He knew that it was really happening the day he died his hair blonde.
‘It was such a game changer,’ Anthony said of his new look. ‘As soon as I saw it, it was like, “Okay, I’m playing Scorpius Malfoy – this is real now.” That was such a big moment.’
Scorpius will be a big hit amongst the female students at Hogwarts. J.K. Rowling added,
‘I’ve got a feeling Scorpius is going to do nothing to turn girls off the Malfoy men.’
Alex Price has been in several notable television shows in the UK. He came to the character of Draco wanting to make it his own while still honoring Rowling and her characters. In discussing how he is bringing Draco to the stage he stated,
‘Jack Thorne’s script. Start right there,’ Alex said. ‘And there’s obviously a massive history of books to draw on. You could tie yourself in knots worrying about it. But our first job is to serve this play and J.K. Rowling’s characters as best we can.’
As previews begin soon for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Pottermore has revealed multiple cast members this week. Visit Pottermore to see how these actors are handling the pressure of bringing to life this play.
Over the past week, Pottermore have been revealing portraits of characters in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Yesterday, they gave an exclusive look behind the scenes of the photoshoot, giving us a chance to hear from the actors portrayed.
Jamie Parker (who will be portraying Harry in the play) introduces the shoot – a ‘first glimpse of Harry, and the rest of the gang’. He later says that the nearing opening day for the play is ‘immeasurably exciting’.
The shoot really gives a feel for our new generation of Potter characters. Rose Weasley (Cherelle Skeete) looks shrewdly at the camera, giving off the same daring, intelligent vibes as her mother, Hermione (Noma Dumezweni). Draco Malfoy (Alex Price) and his son Scorpius (Anthony Boyle) are seen looking intensely at the camera for their shoot, whilst Albus and Ginny are constantly smiling on set.
Watch the video below to see more, and take a look at the portraits of the Potter family, the Weasleys and the Malfoys.
Yesterday Leaky reported on the first cast photos from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, revealing a family portrait of Harry, Ginny, and Albus. Today Pottermore has provided us with more cast photos, this time of the Granger-Weasley Family.
Ron (Paul Thornley), Hermione (Noma Dumezweni), and Rose (Cherelle Skeete).
‘It’s 19 years later when the play begins,’ Paul explained. ‘Ron is married to Hermione Granger and they’re now the Granger-Weasleys. Our magnificent daughter Rose Granger-Weasley is about to start at Hogwarts, which is obviously a big day for everyone.’
Paul Thornley will be playing the role of Ron. Rowling reveals that Ron hasn’t changed much since his days at Hogwarts.
‘Ron in his forties isn’t very different from Ron in his teens, except that his feet hurt a bit more. Paul’s so funny and brilliant in the role.’
As previously reported Noma Dumezweni will play the role of Hermione. Rowling is excited about the casting of Noma as Hermione and claims she understands her character “inside out”.
Cherrelle Skeete has been cast in the role of Rose Granger-Weasley. While Rowling didn’t reveal much about Rose’s character she provided some interesting details.
‘Rose is like her mother, but more secure, more grounded. She was born to wizards and knows her place in the world. Cherrelle plays her perfectly: bossy but deeply loveable.’
These cast photos have given us a glimpse at Harry Potter and the Cursed Child visit Pottermore to learn more about what the actors have to say about their characters and the play itself. Also, Pottermore will be revealing more cast photos tomorrow. It is exciting to see this play come to life!
We know you have all been waiting with anticipation for the return of your favorite podcasters…and it’s time! There is a new Pottercast available on iTunes. Episode #257 talks about the upcoming fan convention unlike any other–GeekyCon.
Pottercast and Leaky will take part in hosting GeekyCon and its Harry Potter events, including the Cursed Child midnight release party!
Also wondering why PotterCast disappears for long periods of time? Have no fear, the Potter podcasters talk about their plans to get Pottercast back on track again!
Thanks to our amazing listeners for sticking with us!
(If the newest Podcast isn’t showing up in the Feed, refresh your iTunes several times. Go to “My Podcasts,” “Pottercast,” “Feed,” and refresh. For those of you who haven’t subscribed to PotterCast it may take a couple of days for the newest episode to appear on the iTunes page. Sorry for any inconvenience.)
With only a week until the previews begin, Pottermore confirmed the casting of Ginny and Albus in the upcoming production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child–and included a few sneak peeks at the actors (including our new Harry) in-character in new cast photos!
This Potter family portrait introduces us to Cursed Child’s Ginny (Poppy Miller), alongside Albus (Sam Clemmett) and Harry (Jamie Parker).
Of our new Harry, actor Jamie Parker, J.K. Rowling says:
“He simply is Harry now. There’s a kind of relief in watching him, he gets it so right.”
Poppy Miller is Cursed Child‘s Ginny, and portrays a “kind and cool” mother to the Potter clan, according to J.K. Rowling.
Sam Clemmett is seen in his Hogwarts robes in this character portrait as Albus Severus Potter. Clemmett had the idea that the robes are hand-me-downs from his older brother, James, and we think the imagery works well.
Of Clemmett’s casting, J.K. Rowling (mysteriously) said:
“There’s much I could say about Sam-as-Albus, but we’d be into spoiler territory so quickly I’ll just say we couldn’t have cast better.”
Pottermore promises to reveal more Cursed Child character portraits later this week, and we can’t wait!
Visit Pottermore to read more and to see what Parker, Miller, and Clemmett had to say about taking on their newest roles.
This morning, one Potter fan on Twitter had a very important question for J.K. Rowling: ‘Will the Cursed Child make me cry?’
J.K. Rowling tweeted back pronto, and now it’s official: if you don’t cry, they haven’t done their job right!
With preview performances starting next month, we’ll be able to test Jo’s statements and confirm whether the play is a tear-jerker. We have absolutely no doubts that we’ll be sobbing through the entire show (and scriptbook)!
Take a look behind the scenes with J.K. Rowling here!
By:
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on 5/27/2016
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GeekyCon 2016 has just announced that it is creating a large-scale, old-school, Harry Potter release party to celebrate the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The book comes out on July 31, 2016, the last day of the convention, which means that it will be the site of one of the biggest midnight parties in the country.
And this party is just one of all the cool and amazing events and activities scheduled for the weekend long festivity that is GeekyCon. As GeekyCon was once a Harry Potter-only convention and is planned by the same crew that brought us LeakyCon, it is backed by and attended by some of the biggest Harry Potter fans on the planet. As many of the people who run GeekyCon are still the biggest Potterheads, and have attended more than their fair share of Harry Potter book parties from 2004-2007, they decided to recreate the Harry Potter Book Midnight Release Party experience!
The party will be hosted by classic Potter podcast MuggleCast and PotterCast, and many others with experience and knowledge of Pottermania. The fun will start at 7 PM with the convention’s traditional Esther Earl Rocking Charity Ball. Starting at 10:00 PM, festivities will convert themselves into a huge Harry Potter and the Cursed Child midnight book release . In tried and true Harry Potter Book Midnight Release party fashion, there will be a set of games, activities, and events to take part of–including, but not limited to:
- Costume Contests
- Sorting
- Trivia and other games
- Wizard Chess
- Quidditch
- Wizard Rock performances
- Face painting and other crafts
- Video retrospectives
- Appearances from special guests
- Put your name in the Goblet of Fire! (Submit your predictions, and we’ll go through them together at Sunday’s programming!)
- Share in the Pensieve: Submit memories about Harry Potter and your experiences; we’ll be sharing them throughout the night.
- And a lot more!
At midnight, everyone will begin to receive their book copy of the Cursed Child script! You must reserve a copy, and purchase will happen on site. Full, detailed instructions will shortly follow this announcement.
Fans in the Florida area, and maybe those who want to apparate further, can choose to come to just the party (which includes the ball) for $20, to enjoy the night’s festivities. If you are a full registered GeekyCon attendee, you can join us for the whole weekend — during which there will be a lot of Harry Potter related festivities and programming. Sunday we’ll be discussing Cursed Child almost nonstop!
Are you pumped up yet? We are so excited!
For more information about GeekyCon, visit the GeekyCon website. For tickets to this absolutely fantastic geeky convention, please visit this link.
This morning, J.K. Rowling tweeted from London. After being up all night with a “Robert-related brainwave” that made the insomnia worth it, our tired beloved author made her way to Cursed Child rehearsals.
After arriving at rehearsals, Jo released to her fans on twitter a sketch she had drawn for the play. A sketch of new wand designs for the Trio (Harry, Ron, Hermione), Draco, and Ginny.
Now, before everyone gets their panties in a bunch, I’ve been thinking about this for the last few hours, and once again Jo is not breaking canon, though that initially may appear to be the case.
As much as we love to movies, Jo’s canon resides primarily in her books. Hermoine may be white in the movies, but according to the books she can be any ethnicity or nationality the reader imagines–and often the ethnicity the reader most identifies with. (Before all of you start pointing to chapter 21 in Prisoner of Azkaban, “white face” is a euphemism for scared. Chapter 4 of the same book reads, “They were there, both of them, sitting outside Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor — Ron looking incredibly freckly, Hermione very brown, both waving frantically at him.” She could be tanned, or she could be naturally darker skinned. Arguably, Hermione can be any race–it’s never directly specified. Does it really matter? NO.)
The wands described in the books give readers the wood and core materials and the length. Nothing is mentioned about design. In the first two Harry Potter films, Chirs Columbus opted to make everyone’s wands fairly similar in design. Alfonso Cuaron first brought uniquely designed wands to the films in Prisoner of Azkaban. Whether you love or hate the third movie, it was revolutionary with how the Potter books were portrayed on film, and did deviate from Jo’s world (though Jo did give her approval on the variations).
The materials of the five wands are still the same, as well as the length. For the first time, we are seeing the wands of the five main characters as Jo envisioned them.
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Adding to the torrent of great interviews from the grand opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Hollywood this week, SnitchSeeker have posted interviews with Tom Felton and Warwick Davis, on which attraction they think should be added to the park.
Tom Felton stayed loyal to his character, saying he’d love to see Malfoy Manor, and even said he’d agree if he was asked to be involved in the process of making it!:
“I would like to see Malfoy Manor – obviously a bit biased there. I think it would maybe make a good ghost house or some sort of like spook train or whatever. There’s enough dark sides of that house to scare any child, I think. Yeah, there’s more look forward to. Something tells me this isn’t the end of it.”
On Fantastic Beasts, Tom Felton was confident that the newest venture in the cinematic Wizarding World will live up to Potter fans’ standards:
SnitchSeeker: What are your thoughts about the Fantastic Beasts series? What are you hoping to see, as a fan, as part of the series?
Tom: No expectations. I haven’t thought about it. I know it’s the dream team. You’ve got Heyman, Yates and Rowling back together, so they can’t really do much wrong, I don’t think. I have every faith in their ability to convert Jo’s work to the best of their abilities. I just think it’s exciting that she’s keeping the flame going, in a different sense. She’s creating more content.
SnitchSeeker: What would be your advice to that cast, just coming into this fan base, for Eddie Redmayne and everybody else?
Tom: I don’t think they need to take advice from us. We don’t share any similarities, really. At 9 and 10 years old, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. They know exactly what they’re getting themselves into. And Eddie’s an Oscar-winning actor. The last thing he needs is advice from me.
Tom also spoke about his career choices, and projects he’s currently involved in:
SnitchSeeker: What do you have coming up, project-wise?
Tom: Something released? A few things this year. There’s an animation film called, Sheep & Wolves, there’s a British spy film called, Stratton and a film that I just did with Troian Bellisario, an American drama called, Feed. I have no idea when any of these films will be out, but I know they will be at some point. This year’s going to be mostly commercial.
SnitchSeeker: You pick so many different projects. How do you choose them? What motivates you?
Tom: Just people. I don’t particularly go for character or story. I mean, it all plays a part, but I’m more interested in working with people that I get on well with. I don’t consider the outcome to be the reward or the result. I just purely base it on my experience, and what comes out of it is really neither here nor there to me. If the Harry Potter films were a complete failure, I still would have loved them as much as I did. So yeah, just enjoying the experience.
Watch SnitchSeeker’s video of the interview below, and read the full interview here.
Warwick Davis also told us what he’d add – he takes a dark route, similar to Tom – it’d definitely be interesting to see some sort of haunted mansion-esque ride with the darker places in the Wizarding World featuring somehow!:
SnitchSeeker: If you had a voice in how to expand the Wizarding World here or in Orlando or even Japan, what would you like to see come to life?
Warwick: I would like to see Azkaban. I’m intrigued about what goes on in Azkaban. We hear about it but we never really get a chance to see in Azkaban. So I think that’d be interesting.
SnitchSeeker: How would you envision it?
Warwick: A dark experience, wouldn’t it be? It’d be spooky, kind of like a Haunted Mansion-type thing that they have at Disneyworld. You go through and it’s one of those exploratory rides that takes you through. Lots of shocks and stuff, and really into special effects.
Speaking on Fantastic Beasts and Cursed Child (which Warwick admitted he’d love to have a part in), Davis seems just as excited as Tom, with all the trust in Jo Rowling and Jack Thorne to give us amazing stories, and links this to the abilities of the theme park to add to the Potter stories in ways we’d never imagined:
SnitchSeeker: So Fantastic Beasts and Cursed Child, it’s basically a new chapter in the entire Wizarding World. What are your thoughts on it – starting with Fantastic Beasts?
Warwick: Fantastic Beasts will, I believe, give us another glimpse into the Wizarding World J.K. Rowling’s imagined. That’s quite exciting, isn’t it? It’ll be a slightly different perspective of that world. I’m looking forward to seeing the movie.
SnitchSeeker: Have you poked J.K. Rowling to get her rolling there? Because we know there are goblins in Fantastic Beasts?
Warwick: You don’t know who to drop hints to, these days. I used to do that with Star Wars. That was my old trick. If there’s a character, I would hope that they would ask me to do something. As I said, I’m just excited that they’re actually going to make some more stuff that gives us another look into that world.
As do things here in the Wizarding World. Forbidden Journey is a chance to experience further adventures – something you don’t see in the movies. So all of this stuff expands on it. The play in London will also do a little bit more of that, as well. It’ll be a slightly different glimpse into the world.
SnitchSeeker: So what advice would you give to the actors in Fantastic Beasts, as somebody whose been surrounded by millions of fans over the years? They’re about to hit that, as well.
Warwick: They’re certainly going to find it an interesting experience. And one I should imagine they’re preparing themselves for because, obviously, when we made the first Harry Potter film we knew the books were really successful, there were two books out at that point.
We never had a concept of how successful the movie was going to be. And then the fact that we were going to go and make eight in total. So at this point I imagine they actually have some idea like, “Yeah, this could be pretty huge, this.” But, you never can tell, but they’re always going to be known for being cast members in Fantastic Beasts. That’s what’s going to happen.
In terms of projects he’s working on, Warwick is very secretive – SnitchSeeker try to get us some hints, but to no avail, unfortunately! We look forward to the eventual revealing of his role in films to come:
SnitchSeeker: So what’s coming up for you, project-wise?
Warwick: I’m in loads of stuff at the minute. Much of it I can’t talk about, which is a shame, but rules of secrecy exist quite prominently in the film industry now. There’s lots of exciting things, but stuff I can’t talk about. Sorry.
SnitchSeeker: Possibly back in Star Wars?
Warwick: Again, I couldn’t talk about it.
Again, see SnitchSeeker’s interview with Warwick below, and read the full interview with him here.
Catch more with Tom, Warwick and other Potter actors from the event here and here!
A graduate of London’s Central School of Speech and Drama, 26-year-old Cherrelle Skeete’s appearance on the cast breakdown for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has raised many questions, mainly due to The Voice reporting that she has ‘a leading role’ in the play. Could Cursed Child have found its Rose Weasley?
The Birmingham-born actress first appeared on the West End in The Lion King in 2012, and in the Olivier-nominated Amen Corner at the National Theatre a year later. Her other theatre appearances can be found here.
Skeete made her TV debut in the BBC series Call the Midwife, and starred in the BBC1 drama Ordinary Lies. She also appeared as Dee Dee in Danny and the Human Zoo, which also starred Evanna Lynch!
According to The Voice, Skeete ran the Paris half-marathon for Children With Cancer, has worked with the Lozells-based Lighthouse Project, which aims to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation.
In January, she spoke at Birmingham Town Hall on her concerns about the increases in shootings in Birmingham, as part of an annual tribute to Martin Luther King Jr, saying:
“This generation out there now needs to be healthy in heart and mind so we can change what is going on out there.
“We need a new generation of young people who can rise up and be anything they want to be – even if it doesn’t yet exist.”
Born in 2006, Rose Weasley should be 11 years old in 2017, when ‘Nineteen Years Later’ should technically be set, meaning she’ll be starting Hogwarts alongside Albus Serverus and Scorpius. This has raised questions about the probability of 26 year old Cherrelle Skeete playing the daughter of Hermione and Ron.
Anthony Boyle was announced as Scorpius Malfoy last month, and at 21 years old, proves that it is certainly not out of the question for Skeete to be portraying Rose Weasley.
She is certainly an amazingly talented actress, and we look forward to seeing if the rumours were true!
Read more about the actress here, and find her Twitter here.
Cursed Child is opening for previews in late May 2016, and for official opening performances in July 2016 at London’s Palace Theatre – bookings are being taken until May 2017!
Fans of Phillip Pullman’s book series His Dark Materials may remember the the 2007 movie adaptation of the first book, called The Golden Compass, and look back with vague disappointment at what we were given, yet a sombre sadness that the movie series was left unfinished.
Now, Phillip Pullman is teaming up with none other than Cursed Child writer Jack Thorne to pen a tv show based on the trilogy!
Hypable reports:
“It is such an honor and a privilege to be given this opportunity to delve into Philip Pullman’s world,” said Thorne in a statement to Deadline. “The His Dark Materials trilogy are vast and glorious books full of beautiful characters and I’m going to work as hard as I can to try and do justice to them.”
“I’m delighted to welcome Jack Thorne as writer on the TV dramatization of His Dark Materials,” added Philip Pullman, who will be an executive producer on the series. “Jack is a writer of formidable energy and range, and I’ve greatly enjoyed talking to him and learning about his plans for bringing His Dark Materials to the screen. I’m certain he’ll do a superb job, and I look forward to seeing the whole project develop as he shapes the story.”
The series will be aired on BBC One. Read the original article by Deadline here, reasons why TV could be the perfect format for the series at The Guardian here, and the original BBC announcement of the TV adaptation back in 2015 here.
We look forward to hearing more about Thorne’s newest venture!
Incredibly successful, Tony-award winning, Olivier-award winning Harry Potter and the Cursed Child producer, Sonia Friedman, sat down for an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Kirsty Lang. The two talked of how the Harry Potter sequel came to be–how an idea was developed into producing a play.
Though J.K. Rowling has played a large part in the writing and production of the Harry Potter sequel, Sonia Friedman and a fellow producer had the idea for a Harry Potter play, a new story, and brought it to Rowling’s attention. While working on the script for Fantastic Beasts, Jo turned down the offer to write the script for Cursed Child and handed over the reigns of her world to Jack Thorn.
Sonia Friedman was very clear in emphasizing that Jo has been incredibly instrumental, “very crucial,” “very involved in the story,” and apart of all aspects of the production process for Cursed Child. After Jo said “yes,” and her gave approval to explore the idea, she was introduced to John Tiffany who lead her to Jack Thorn.
Friedman also addressed her responsibility for casting, and the discussion around Noma Dumezweni playing Hermione. Dumezweni is an incredibly talented actress, and her performance in workshops won her the role of Hermione. When Friedman was asked if she was purposefully making a political statement about race with Dumezweni’s casting, she said no, “not in the casting of Hermione.”
Sonia Friedman goes on to talk about her other plays, the beginning of her career, and the difference between working on the London West End and on Broadway.
The entire interview (only 28 minutes long) can be heard here.
Back in 2007, J.K. Rowling told us about a very intriguing new project – a ‘political fairytale’ that has yet to see the light of day:
However, this morning a fan asked her about this project, and it appears that Jo may have given up on it – for now!
We can imagine how busy she must be, leading the double life of bestsellers Rowling / Galbraith, writing new wizarding world stories, leading the script for Fantastic Beasts and overseeing Cursed Child.
Speaking of Fantastic Beasts, Rowling also told us that she’d be watching a first cut of the film yesterday, reminding us just how close the release date really is! Well, that is if you’re patient enough to call November close…
Thanks to Hypable for the heads up!
Harry Potter actors have been making a splash with the success of their new acting projects. Their stage work has been exceptional, as well as their silver screen work–Olivier exceptional. Both members of the old and new Harry Potter family have been honored with nominations. Among the nominees are Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge), Kenneth Branagh (Gilderoy Lockhart) and Sonia Friedman (producer of Cursed Child).
Imelda Staunton has been nominated for Best Actress for her role in Gypsy. It is her 11th nomination, 3 of which she has won awards for. A video of the Olivier Nominee answering a few questions about her staggering role can be seen below.
Kenneth Branagh has had an extraodinary year with his Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company. He is also nominated for Best Director and Best Actor in his play The Winters Tale. The Official London Theater reports:
“Following a year of hugely high profile appearances on the London stage, the hotly contended leading acting categories both see five names make each list. Last night’s newly crowned Academy Award winner Mark Rylance (Farinelli And The King), Kenneth Branagh (The Winter’s Tale), Kenneth Cranham (The Father), Benedict Cumberbatch (Hamlet) and Adrian Lester (Red Velvet) will face off for Best Actor, while Gemma Arterton (Nell Gwynn), Denise Gough (People, Places And Things), Nicole Kidman (Photograph 51), Janet McTeer (Les Liaisons Dangereuses) and Lia Williams (Oresteia) are in the running for Best Actress.
“Chichester Festival Theatre’s triumphant West End hit Gypsy has earned a staggering eight nominations at this year’s Olivier Awards with MasterCard, with the show’s stars Imelda Staunton and Lara Pulver both in the running for awards.
“2016’s awards mark a huge success for Branagh. His current inaugural Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company season at the Garrick Theatre has garnered a total of seven nominations, including a nod for Judi Dench in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category, and sees the stage and screen legend nominated in both the Best Actor and Best Director categories.
“Kinky Boots’ leading men Killian Donnelly and Matt Henry will go head to head for the Best Actor in a Musical Award, joined by the similarly conflicted pairing of Guys And Dolls co-stars Jamie Parker and David Haig. Rounding up the category is Mrs Henderson Presents’ Ian Bartholomew.”
The new Harry Potter family has been experiencing great success. Jamie Parker (the adult Harry in Cursed Child) is nominated for Best Actor in a Musical Award. Sonia Friedman (Cursed Child producer) has received a staggering 20 awards through her production company.
The entire list of nomination list can be seen here. The Olivier Awards will take place April 3, on ITV.
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