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With the first screenings beginning last night, Now You See Me 2 is now in theaters!

Daniel Radcliffe’s face graces our the big screen as he appears in the movie as Walter Mabry, a spoiled billionaire who kidnaps the Horseman (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, and Lizzy Caplan) and tricks then into committing a heist. The Horseman, however, have other plans. They come up with an elaborate stunt to expose Walter Mabry and clear their names.

Coming from a lifetime in the Harry Potter world, you’d think Daniel Radcliffe would know quite a bit about magic. Well, he reveals, in this USA Today article, that he isn’t as good as Harry was with magic tricks.

“The one thing I can kind of do is the bit I screw up in the first scene,” says Radcliffe, 26, flicking an imaginary card from one hand to the other. “I can actually do that, but then the one time I missed, I was like, ‘Ah, that’s definitely going to be the (take) they use.’ Failure is always funnier than success, particularly when it comes to this character.”

Daniel tells that to prepare to play a smart yet bratty young billionaire, he looked to his private school classmates as inspiration. He clarifies that, while a lot of good, perfectly nice people come out of private schools, occasionally there will be those who have a false sense of entitlement which causes them to be quite arrogant. “I saw him as a product of that environment,” says Daniel.

Playing Walter Mabry in this illusion themed sequel to the 2013 surprise hit gave Daniel Radcliffe a chance to not on play the villain for the first time but also to work with a line-up of A-list actors. Being able to work with Michael Caine was particularly gratifying for Daniel. “A long-held personal goal of mine,” Daniel says of Caine, who plays Walter’s father in the film. “Growing up in England, you hear Michael talked about so much, with such reverence. Knowing that I’d have significant scenes with him was amazing.”

See more about the film here. Be sure to catch the film in theaters everywhere and see the trailer below!

Three actors have been cast for the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child show: Jamie Parker will play Harry Potter, Paul Thornley will play Ron Weasley, and Noma Dumezweni will play Hermione Granger. Dumezweni hails from South Africa; many have taken notice that a woman of color will hold the role of the clever muggle-born witch.

Here’s more from The Daily Mail:”In the eight films Harry, Hermione and Ron were played by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, ending with The Deathly Hallows Part 2 in 2011. However, Rowling never made a point of Hermione’s ethnicity, and there’s no textual evidence to indicate that she is, necessarily, white.”

The Guardian reports that the opening date for this two-part play has been set for July 2016. The story takes place nineteen years after the events of the Battle of Hogwarts. Earlier this year, J.K. Rowling revealed at the Pottermore website that this project will serve as the eighth story of her beloved book series. Follow this link to watch a video that showcases artwork. (via BuzzFeed)

On June 6, I’ll be speaking at the Global Family Reunion about my family, my interest in genealogy, ancestry, genetics, and the things we know and stories we tell ourselves about inheritance, and how my fascination with all of this became the book I’m writing. My talk will be at 3:30 p.m.

The reunion, brainchild of AJ Jacobs, also features Jacobs, Henry Louis Gates, CeCe Moore, George Church, Daniel Radcliffe, Lisa Loeb, and many others, and is a full day of events held on the old World’s Fair grounds in Queens. Everyone’s invited.

Tickets are available at EventBrite. Proceeds benefit the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. Free admission for kids.

Journalist and author A.J. Jacobs has been researching geneology for his forthcoming book, It’s All Relative. Not too long ago, he launched a crowdfunding venture for the Global Family Reunion Festival on Indiegogo.

Jacobs and his team hope to raise $30,000.00 for this event which is scheduled to take place on June 6th in New York City. It will feature more than dozens of speakers, musical performances, and a number of activities.

The video embedded above features appearances from former President George H. W. Bush, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, and Harry Potter movie series actor Daniel Radcliffe; Spurlock confirmed that he will appear at the festival. The proceeds from ticket sales will benefit two organizations, the Alzheimer’s Association of New York City and the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.

Journalist and author AJ Jacobs revealed the cover for his forthcoming book, It’s All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World’s Family Tree. We’ve embedded the full image above—what do you think?

During the research process for this book, Jacobs has tracked down several famous “cousins” including former President George H. W. Bush, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, and Harry Potter movie series actor Daniel Radcliffe. To learn more about this project, check out Jacobs’ TED talk.

Wallace is jaded, British, and wandering through life in Toronto when he meets his best friend’s cousin, Chantry. They form an immediate connection through offbeat humor and a general distaste for small talk. They leave the party together, and Chantry gives Wallace her number only to make it quite clear that she has a BOYFRIEND named Ben.

Wallace, still recovering from his cheating ex-girlfriend, tosses Chantry’s number. Of course, a little thing like that can’t keep them apart, and they soon become best of friends. But can men and women really be just friends?

This is the set up for Elan Mastai’s brilliant screenplay, What If. The plotline is vaguely similar to my favorite romantic comedy ever, When Harry Met Sally. That said, What If in no way steals from Harry and Sally. Instead, it wends it own quirky, modern, hilarious path toward what one hopes is a happy ending for Harry Potter … er, I mean, Daniel Radcliffe.

Let’s face it: whenever I see Daniel Radcliffe, I see Harry Potter. That said, he successfully shook the wizard off his back in his brilliant performance as Wallace. In an interview, Radcliffe said Wallace is the character he’s played most similar to himself. If that’s true, Radcliffe’s personality is freaking adorable, and I want to have a beer with him.

Not only is his comic delivery spot on, but Radcliffe isn’t a little boy anymore. Well, I mean, he’s short, but he’s officially a man, as proven by a nude scene in which I kept thinking, “When did Harry Potter grow pecs?”

Romantic interest Chantry is played by Zoe Kazan. I’d never seen her in anything before, but now, I love her because in Chantry, she created a loveable, odd artist person who struggles between her love for long-time boyfriend Ben and her fondness for Wallace. She, too, is comic genius, but this may all be due to screenwriter Elan Mastai.

This is his first full-length romantic comedy. Well, I dub him Rom-Com Genius. The dialogue is painfully funny (and sometimes awkward) but ingenious. For instance: “I just had sex and am about to eat nachos! It’s the greatest moment of my life!” (A line delivered by Wallace’s priceless best pal, Allan, whose every line is worthy of a chortle.) Add an additional smattering of colorful side characters, and you have a full cast to fall in love with.

I think what impressed me the most about the writing was that Mastai never took things too far. The comedy was not gross or over the top. It reminded me of conversations I have with my family and friends and hope no one’s listening to.

It’s no secret I’ve been having a hard time lately with my depression. Yet, by the time What If was over, I was smiling—really smiling. I felt good for almost an entire day, which is saying something for me. This is a film that makes you feel good. It makes you hug the person you love a little tighter. It makes you think funnier thoughts. Oh, and it totally makes you have a crush on Harry Potter … er, Daniel Radcliffe.

If you haven’t seen the trailer, enjoy:

Movie Wars: Saturday Edition

*YAWN*

DC wins, barely.  They showed the new Wonder Woman costume, and what sounds like an awesome trailer.

Marvel?  More cast for “Antman”, the announcement of “GotG 2″, and a teaser peek for “Age of Ultron”.

DC didn’t announce anything from other movies (as rumored by Nikki Finke.  Here’s her analysis of CCI so far). Could be DCE still hasn’t quite figured out the production schedule, especially for what follows SvB.

Marvel didn’t discuss anything past Ant-Man.  So, “Untitled” is “unknown”.  Might there be something announced at NYCC?

Marvel did win the TV battle, with the possible appearance of Mockingbird on Agents of SHIELD.  Although Ra’s al Ghul will appear in the next season of Arrow.

Guess I’ll go see Scarlett Johansson star in a superhero movie instead… (with Morgan Freeman!)

Here’s the updated movie scorecard:

*Peter Potter?

He is best known for playing Harry Potter – who could use an invisibility cloak every time he wanted to go unnoticed.
And it seems Daniel Radcliffe has come up with his own way to mingle with the masses as he demonstrated at Comic-Con at the weekend.
The 25-year-old donned a full Spider-Man suit as he walked around the showroom floor at the pop-culture convention… even stopping for pictures with oblivious fans.

* Zombie Walk Turns Critical as Car Hits Bystander

Officials said the victim was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. She’s expected to recover.

Two other people were also left with minor injuries.

The car’s driver has been cited, but he will not be criminally charged.

The incident remains under investigation.

This is not the first time something like this has happened.

Here in New York City, there are hundreds of police officers stationed along parade routes.  Sometimes, the parade will be stopped for traffic to cross.  How many of San Diego’s finest are on patrol downtown during Comic-Con?

* A struggling animator asks questions during the Family Guy panel.

 * Bleeding Cool shows the actual cease-and-desist letter from CCI to Salt Lake Comic Con.

I’ll let our legal eagle analyze this, but I always thought it was the hyphen that made the name.  There are a lot of “comic con” events out there, one run by a corporation which could easily fight CCI in court.

Here are the trademarks CCI owns/owned.  Myself, I look forward to the San Francisco Comic-Con.

* GoBankingRates.com calculates the cost of attending Comic-Con,

but makes too many mistakes to be link-worthy.  ($740 for airfare?)  Their total: $1,615.  Note that this does not include shopping, but does include cosplay.

And that’s it?!?

Okay… let’s see what the news services offer:

The Associated Press and AP Images

Getty Images

Reuters

Al Jazeera America

European Press Agency

(The source page.)

Want to filter out the celebrity photos?  Add “atmosphere” to the search.

—

Okay, that’s it for Saturday.  I’ll be back tomorrow to wrap up the news feed, and then there are some specific posts.

Harry Potter movie stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson reunited and reprised their roles as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. These new scenes will be part of a film that accompanies the “Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts” ride in the Diagon Alley section of the Harry Potter World theme park. The video embedded above features executives from Universal Orlando Resort discussing the details behind this ride. MTV interviewed Alan Gilbert, an art director who worked on both the "Gringotts" ride and the Harry Potter films, who confirmed the actors' involvement. He also revealed that Warwick Davis and Helena Bonham-Carter also came back to play Griphook and Bellatrix Lestrange. The Huffington Post spoke with Thierry Coup, the senior vice president of Universal Creative, who explained that "J.K. Rowling actually gave us a lot of creative leeway...You see, the story that we wanted to tell with this Universal Orlando attraction kind of ran concurrently with the events which occurred during Deathly Hallows. You see, our guests just happen to be at Gringotts Wizarding Bank opening a new account on the exact same day that Harry, Ron and Hermione are trying to break into Bellatrix Lestrange's vault to retrieve a horcrux." (via Complex)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Longtime Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery! producer Rebecca Eaton will publish her memoir with Viking in October. Making Masterpiece: 25 Years Behind the Scenes of Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery! on PBS will be written with Patricia Mulcahy.

Eaton has been an executive producer on Masterpiece since 1985, working on adaptations of many classic novels. Since she joined, the show has earned 44 Emmy Awards, 15 Peabody Awards, four Golden Globes, and two Academy Award nominations. Here’s more about the book from the release:

Eaton interviews actors, writers, directors and producers, and shares personal anecdotes—as well as photos from her own camera—from her decades-spanning career. She reveals what went on behind the scenes during such triumphs as Cranford and the highly rated programs made from Jane Austen’s novels, as well as her aggressive campaign to attract younger viewers via social media and online streaming. Along the way she also shares stories about luminaries such as Alistair Cooke, Maggie Smith, Diana Rigg, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kenneth Branagh, Gillian Anderson, and Daniel Radcliffe, whose first TV role was as the title character in David Copperfield.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

I saw Woman in Black at the theater last weekend, and let me put it this way: I was so terrified, I almost walked out. And I screamed like a baby.

The moment I saw the trailer for Woman in Black, I knew I would see it in the theater and possibly on opening night. It was not only because Daniel Radcliffe played the lead, although okay, that had a lot to do with it. I’ve always had a weird crush on the kid thanks to Harry Potter, all right? And since the Harry Potter series is over, I desperately look forward to more time with the guy. Woman in Black was my opportunity.

Furthermore, I love old style PG-13 horror films. Classic movies like The Haunting and Psycho used little touches that directors seem to have forgotten—but apparently not director James Watkins. He’s a newbie. He’s only made horror movies, and I haven’t seen any of his other ones. I can’t make a judgment on his general skills, but he nailed it with Woman in Black.

The movie is based on a book and stage play of the same name, by author Susan Hill. Danny boy plays Arthur Kipps—a lawyer who lost his wife in childbirth. That was a couple years ago, and now, his son has grown into a cute four-year-old. Arthur, though, never recovered from the loss of his wife, and he is now in danger of losing his job … unless he can redeem himself through a new assignment in the creepy, small town of Crythin Gifford. Arthur has to find the last will of a woman who died in the spooky house out in the marshlands. Once there, he realizes he might not be alone. He keeps seeing a woman dressed all in black wandering the premises. Of course, this is never a good sign.

Although Radcliffe does an excellent job of looking totally freaked for the entire ninety-five minutes, Watkins is to thank for the film’s suspense and overwhelming terror. It’s what you don’t see that’s important. It’s the face reflected in glass that’s gone when you turn around. It’s the door slamming and the possessed rocking chair. It’s the dark figure you swear you just saw behind you in the mirror. And man, does it work.

This is the kind of movie you don’t want to watch in the dark. It’s the kind of movie that makes you scream, cover your face, and just wish for it to be over. The day I saw it, Jake worked nights. I had to sleep in my house all by myself, and you better believe I hid my head under the covers. And to think, there wasn’t any gore in Woman in Black. There wasn’t any cussing. No sex. No drugs. Just a guy in a creepy house with candles and a vengeful ghost.

If you’re sick of movies like Saw and Piranha 3D, you need to see Woman in Black. It harkens back to a different time, when Hitchcock was king and dark hallways were enough to make you scream out loud. And trust me: you will scream out loud.

Don't turn around.