How to use this Page

Two generations of Ginny were present at the Palace Theatre when Bonnie Wright met Poppy Miller.

The two are eerily similar, continuing the theme of excellent casting surrounding the Potter franchise:

Cherrelle Skeete’s (Rose Weasley) robes are looking great in this shot:

Helena Bonham Carter also met the cast in costume – Sam Clemmett as Scorpius definitely looks like a mini-Draco!:

We hope they both enjoyed the performance!

Ezra Miller has put more thought into being sorted into a house than many fans have realized. “It means too much to me…I respect the sorting process…I know the Sorting [Ceremony] was written by J.K. Rowling, but I still can’t risk it. What if I get Slytherin? I couldn’t live with myself. I need to be in Gryffindor. If I didn’t get Gryffindor, I wouldn’t know who I was anymore.”

To Ezra, sorting has been such a pinnacle of his growth and career that he says, “I just can’t accept a sorting unless it’s by Helga Hufflepuff or Godric Gryffindor directly. I can’t take it unless it’s signed off by all four founders of Hogwarts. I mean, J.K. Rowling is all four founders of Hogwarts..She’s all of them. But I certainly can’t think about that too much…It’s too much, I’ve spent too much of my life caring about it.”

Being an avid Harry Potter fan has been taken to the next level by Ezra, who will be playing the character Credence in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He has been so involved in the character and everything related to JK Rowling’s world that he went into super fan mode when he was actually able to meet her. “Meeting her was unreal. I had so many questions. Talking to the person who created the world I’ve spent so much time in…it just didn’t feel real.”

This all inevitably leads to the fact that Ezra is amazingly dedicated to not only his role, but the entire magical world of Harry Potter. And that, is why we love him.

Read the interview in its entirety on Pottermore.

Today is the day. This is not a drill. Today is the first time in nine years that Harry Potter fans get a full Harry Potter story (in the form of a play) about the Trio and the rest of the gang as adults, 19 years later. WHO ISN’T EXCITED?

All the excitement, all the buzz, massive country-wide costume contests, breaking best-selling records (even though it is a play script!), it is happening again! Three turns of a time turner, and we find Harry Potter release parties happening all over the world, tonight. Barnes and Noble is hosting midnight release parties in almost all of its stores, and if you are in the Orlando area, we highly encourage you to join some of the biggest Harry Potter fans at GeekyCon with a day pass.

The GeekyCon 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 online (here), 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.

It isn’t only the script that is released today. The Cursed Child is a play, and it’s official opening night is tonight.

The Pottermore Twitter is being continuously updated by the minute, as the Cursed Child gala unfolds in front of the Palace Theater. J.K. Rowling and the creators of Cursed Child are greeting fans, and introducing opening night to the public.

"I want Potter fans everywhere to be able to see this play" – @jk_rowling #CursedChild pic.twitter.com/ah683SR3tW

— Pottermore (@pottermore) July 30, 2016

“Telling people what happens is like unwrapping children’s Christmas presents in front of them” – John Tiffany pic.twitter.com/XwyLq3Jj1Z — Pottermore (@pottermore) July 30, 2016

“We’re going into twelve hours of theatre and partying” – Producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callendar #CursedChild pic.twitter.com/USLG94joFG — Pottermore (@pottermore) July 30, 2016

In addition to covering the gala and the premiere, Pottermore will be following Sam Clemmett, who is playing Albus Severus) the star of the show, possibly the Cursed Child), behind the scenes.

We’ll also be going behind-the-scenes with @sam_clemmett here and on our Harry Potter Snapchat Live Story. pic.twitter.com/CoYztSxDDU

— Pottermore (@pottermore) July 30, 2016

The Harry Potter Play London Twitter will be doing a similar Twitter series, but following Anthony Boyle, who is playing the role of Scorpius Malfoy. Anthony will be showing fans what it is like behind the scenes of Cursed Child with his daily routine.

.@antoboyle: “Before the half hour call I go to the wig department, where the lovely Cassie plays with my hair.” pic.twitter.com/4uwUWjPuSu

— Harry Potter Play (@HPPlayLDN) July 30, 2016

Pottermore released an article this morning, detailing when Jo Rowling met the Cursed Child cast–watching her Boy Wizard, his friends and family, come to life in their adult form. Everyone gather into a large circle to introduce themselves to the group by giving their names and the roles that they played. Pottermore reports:

When the circle of induction finally reached J.K. Rowling she said, ‘I’m Jo… Well, you know what I did.’

There was a long, sweet, earnest pause as we all stopped to think about exactly what she has done and why we were all here. Excitement unfurled across the party.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story – the story that fans have wished, dreamed and begged to have since Deathly Hallows. It’s an adult life for Harry, Ron and Hermione that, until now, we’ve only been able to imagine for ourselves. They’re really back.

[…]

J.K. Rowling has always enigmatically said ‘never say never’ when asked about the prospect of a new Harry Potter story. ‘…Until these two came to me,’ J.K. Rowling said, with a look of fond incredulity toward producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender.

It was Sonia and Colin, of course, who did the unimaginable: They helped J.K. Rowling to bring her characters back and released them on stage, in a two-part play directed by the brilliant John Tiffany. Together they assembled this group of gifted creatives – starting with writer Jack Thorne.

‘None of this would have been possible without that man,’ J.K. Rowling said, as she pointed across the room to Jack, a very tall man trying to hide behind two much shorter women. He beamed at her with a sweet modesty that belied the gargantuan task he had just completed. Jack is, after all, the only person in the world who has been trusted to write Harry, Ron and Hermione back into life.

To read the article in its entirety, read here.

.@jk_rowling on the red carpet at the #CursedChild gala performance. pic.twitter.com/WmYIOpc817

— Harry Potter Play (@HPPlayLDN) July 30, 2016

The main Fantastic Beasts Quartet (similar to the Trio–Harry, Ron and Hermione),  Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol and Dan Fogler, sat down with Pottermore for an exclusive interview. The group was gathered in their bus at Comic Con in San Diego, which took place this last weekend, and discussed their weekend with the PMC.

The leader of the Quartet, Newt Scamander (or Eddie Redmayne in the No-Maj world) answered first, telling Pottermore:

‘I feel like what’s extraordinary about Comic-Con is that so much energy comes into the city for four days and you feed off that,’ says Eddie. ‘So, your adrenaline is pumping and pulsating through your body and you kind of feel elated. Slightly like you’re floating on a different planet. You almost can’t take it in; it’s too much visual stimulus.

‘You see people everywhere dressed in costume – I saw a guy dressed as Newt Scamander. I was like “I love it!” And there’s this Funko toy… That’s kind of amazing, although I think I’m going to take mine home and put freckles on it.’

The Fantastic Beasts limited edition Newt Scamander POP made its debut at SDCC. It is currently available through the Barnes and Noble website (here), and should be reaching other venders soon.

Katherine Waterston, who plays Newt’s future wife, Tina, said that, for her, SDCC and conference experiences were about the fans. She told Pottermore,

‘I’ve had conversations where someone is shaking and sweating because they know I’m in Fantastic Beasts. So I keep thinking of those people I know who love it so much, when I’m looking at this sea of smiling faces.’

Dan Fogler is the only one of the Quartet with Comic Con experience, talked about his previous visit to San Diego. Apparently, it was at that uneventful (for him, he said) Comic Con that he received a phone call letting him know he was a part of Fantastic Beasts!

The casts opinions on all the secrecy surrounding the films, and more can be found here, on Pottermore.

Fantastic Beasts has been taking San Diego’s Comic Con (SDCC) by storm! Introducing a new trailer, hosting live Q&A with fansites (Leaky, too!) and panels, the Fantastic Beasts cast and crew has been revealing a lot of new movie magic. Also, keep an eye on the new Wizarding World snapchat for more inside looks at SDCC 2016.

One of the snaps on the new snapchat, and also added to Twitter, revealed Eddie Redmayne showcasing Newt Scamander’s wand for Noble Collection at SDCC 2016.

Eddie shows off his wand from @noblecollection. Follow Wizarding_World on Snapchat! #FantasticBeasts#SDCC2016pic.twitter.com/bob67OgIaI

— Fantastic Beasts (@FantasticBeasts) July 24, 2016

Noble Collection is one of the greatest distributers of official Harry Potter merchandise and movie replicas. Fans have been wishing and hoping for Fantastic Beasts movie merchandise, and that indeed will eventually be the case. Even better, it seems that Fantastic Beasts merchandise and movie replicas will be added to the Noble Collection!

David Yates sat down with the Los Angeles Times to talk about his first Comic-Con experience (San Diego is hosting this years International Comic Con this weekend) and Fantastic Beasts.

David Yates, David Heyman, and most of the Fantastic Beasts cast are taking San Diego and the 2016 International Comic Con by storm. As a part of Warner Bros most anticipated fall film release, many eyes are on the magical events and activities Fantastic Beasts is hosting at SDCC 2016.

For those of you who have never been to a Comic Con, it is quite an experience–and David Yates is learning this too. Yates is enjoying his first Comic Con, a little sad he’s missed out on other opportunities like this. The LA Times reports on his experience at SDCC and taking the Potter Universe into new, unchartered territory with the more adult Fantastic Beasts films.

It’s kind of hard to believe that you’ve never been to Comic-Con before.

I have so missed that opportunity because everyone — actors, directors, producers — they always tell me what an amazing experience it is. We were always in the thick of one of the “Potter” movies, so I was never able to make the trip. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s such a sort of touchstone of what’s ticking in popular culture. I’m really thrilled. 

The Potter books and the movies got more mature as the characters got older. “Fantastic Beasts” looks like it’s the continuation of that.

“Beasts” hasn’t got any kids in it. Well, it’s actually got one lovely kid called Faith [Wood-Blagrove], who plays a character called Modesty, but generally it’s a film with grown-ups. So it’s a more adult development of what Jo has done before but still with lots of magic, still with lots of fun. It’s the best of both worlds, I think.

I think that what’s interesting is it speaks to Jo’s curiosity about the world and her observation of the world that we see around us. It speaks to themes that are important now, as well as all the lovely magical stuff and her genius for character. Even though it’s set in New York in 1926, she’s interested in themes that resonate now about a divided world and a polarized world and how important it is to recognize otherness and embrace it and not to be afraid of it. That’s always been an aspect of her work, and it becomes more so now.

For all the kids who grew up watching these films — and as I grow old making some of these films — and for everyone who loved the books and grew up with them, I think this will feel like a really interesting return to her universe.

This is the first time people will go into a movie set in that universe and not have a sense of what the characters look like or where the story will go. How do you approach that as a filmmaker?

In a way, it’s quite liberating. Coming at it from a completely blank canvas, to me, is an advantage. People aren’t bringing any sort of baggage with them.

There aren’t bits that are going to be left out. There isn’t the same frustration that can happen if a favorite chapter has been left out of the movie. This is a story from Jo’s imagination, and people are going to hear it first in the theater. And I think that is tremendously exciting.

 

The entire interview can be read here.

Fantastic Beasts’ official Facebook page and Twitter is promising more chances to view and be a part of Fantastic Beast SDCC 2016 events. After today’s open Q&A at 5:30 pm EST, which Leaky will be attending, Fantastic Beasts’ Facebook page will continue live coverage of the panel and cast discussion. See below:

Can’t make it to #SDCC2016? See the magic of the #FantasticBeasts cast at 10:10pm on our Facebook page! pic.twitter.com/2PsTdh9yIG

— Fantastic Beasts (@BeastsMovieUK) July 23, 2016

Mr. and Mrs. Potter reunited on Thursday when Bonnie Wright (along with Chris Columbus–director of the first two Potter films) attended a performance of Daniel Radcliffe’s new off-Broadway play Privacy.

Bonnie later posted a photo of the three to her Instagram and shared her thoughts on the performance:

 “Reunion! Congrats Dan on another stellar performance. Google is terrifying and I’m now scared to use my phone. Can say no more. Go see Privacy!”

Reunion! Congrats Dan on another stellar performance ?? Google is terrifying and I’m now scared to use my phone. Can say no more. Go see Privacy!

A photo posted by B O N N I E W R I G H T (@thisisbwright) on Jul 21, 2016 at 8:56pm PDT

The documentary-style play is inspired by the actions of Edward Snowden and takes a critical look at the concept of privacy in the digital age. Privacy runs through August 14 at Public’s Newman Theater. 

Read more at Entertainment Weekly.

With the first Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie due to roll into theaters this November, first looks at film merchandise are beginning to surface.

LEGO website, Bricks Fans recently released images of the packaging of Fantastic Beasts LEGO sets. The new LEGO sets were advertised in the Argos catalogue in the U.K. The images show Newt Scamander, a LEGO Niffler, and MACUSA. The pictures can be seen below. Bricks Fans reports:

“The [LEGO Dimensions Story Pack based on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them] will be available in November and will feature a Magical Congress of the United States of America-themed Gateway to add to the LEGO Toy Pad along with a Newt Scamander Minifigure and Niffler gadget. The book also reveals that [the] Story Packs will retail for £39.99 and will feature a 6 level story campaign to enjoyed based on their relevant movies.”

Warner Bros. recently released the first official Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them t-shirt. This is the first official piece of film merchandise added to the Harry Potter franchise. It is a simple black t-shirt sporting the official Fantastic Beasts logo fans have seen in the Fantastic Beasts trailers. Warner Bros. described the tshirt, saying:

“This is our very first printing of our very first official shirt for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the upcoming film based on J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World! Orders placed by Friday, July 22nd will ship on Friday, July 29th. After this, the next batch will ship in mid-August.”

 

This t-shirt can be preordered here.

After portraying Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter films, Alfred Enoch has been starring in US drama How to Get Away With Murder, and is currently taking a break from TV to play Edmund in a filmed, critically-acclaimed theatrical production of Shakespeare’s King Lear, which will also star Don Warrington.

Huffington Post took some time to catch up with Enoch as part of their Wise Words interview series:

When and where are you happiest?
Working. Theatre, particularly, being on stage. Not that I like it more than TV, but the release of being on stage is very exciting to me. There comes a point when you go on and it’s beyond any rehearsal or correction, you just have to commit. When you’re in the wings, and you have to go on, it can be very freeing, but you have to trust that you’ve done enough work. I find that exhilarating.

What would you tell your 13-year-old self?
Rejoice. Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter that much. Throw yourself into it, and don’t check yourself.

What 3 things are at the top of your bucket list?
Go for a really long walk, Camino Del Santiago or something that big.
Do more plays.
Go back to Brazil.

What was the last good deed or act of kindness you received?
We’re about to start shooting the next season of this TV show ‘How to Get Away With Murder’, and everyone is so enthused to see each other. I’ve been in a different continent, other people have been travelling for work, scattered to the winds and now we return. There’s a lot of warmth when everyone gets back together.

Alfred also spoke about his wider beliefs – what happens when we die, good advice to live by, and occasions when he’s felt like we might live ‘in the presence of something bigger than ourselves':

“I love walking in London, and architecture is a big thing for me. I like the idea of the past happening in a certain place, I find it elusive and I love to try to bridge that gap between then and now. It can be a city, or equally the wilderness, but it can have that same feeling. In Malibu a while ago, I went for a walk with my parents, the sun was setting, and it just felt… immense.

Equally, I felt like that doing ‘Lear’ at the Royal Exchange. It’s a fantastic theatre, it has this dome and we used to come down from the dressing room, full of excitement and adrenalin, about to open a show, after all the work. I remember coming down the first few shows, looking up at glass dome which hangs over the theatre module, and feeling the wonder.”

Enoch’s appearance in King Lear: The Film will be available on demand in the UK and internationally for three months here. The film is a Talawa Theatre Company, Royal Exchange Theatre and Saffron Cherry TV production, in association with Lion Eyes TV and commissioned by The Space.

Royal Exchange Theatre gives more details:

“Captured at the Royal Exchange Theatre in May 2016, King Lear played to sell out theatre crowds during its run, winning 4 and 5 star reviews across the board and was described by the Guardian as ‘as close to definitive as can be’.

The original ‘intelligent and theatrical’ (Guardian) stage production was directed by Michael Buffong (A Raisin in the Sun, Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, All My Sons) and was a co-production between Talawa Theatre Company and the Royal Exchange Theatre in association with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.”

Read more here, and watch a promo below!

Harry Potter’s beloved Matthew Lewis (the heroic Neville Longbottom) is returning to the stage in a London West End production of Owen McCafferty’s Unfaithful. The play is described as a dark comedy about relationships on the edge. Working with Sean Campion (Stones in His Pockets), Niamh Cusack (The Winter’s Tale) and Ruta Gedmintas (Backbeat), Matt Lewis released promotional photos and posters on his twitter this week:

POSTER REVEALED for London premiere of ‘Unfaithful’ featuring Matthew Lewis & Ruta Gedmintas – photo by Darren Bell pic.twitter.com/2FrNuOtuec

— Kevin Wilson (@KevinWilsonPR) July 15, 2016

Liaison:@Ruta_Gedmintas & @Mattdavelewis star #Unfaithful @found111ldn from Aug26 info via https://t.co/6gf8K5xUDy pic.twitter.com/9khaXolmMc — Baz Bamigboye (@BazBam) July 14, 2016

Can’t wait to get started on this. Great people, class venue, superb play. Buzzing. https://t.co/D1gFX3Ff6P

— Matthew Lewis (@Mattdavelewis) July 14, 2016

What’s On Stage reported on the casting, saying:

“Matthew Lewis, best known for playing Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter film franchise, will star in the London premiere of Unfaithful, a new play by Owen McCafferty (Shoot The Crow).

“Directed by Adam Penford (A Small Family Business), the play is a dark comedy about relationships on the brink. It was first performed at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, in 2014.

“Lewis’ theatre credits include Verdict and Our Boys at the Duchess Theatre.

“Unfaithful runs at Found111 from 31 August to 8 October,with previews from 25 August.”

Earlier this week, Emma Watson had the privilege of revealing the first movie poster for her much-anticipated film, Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast.

The poster features the film’s iconic red rose in it’s frosted protective glass. The beautiful flower is alive and healthy, without a single petal dropped. The surrounding castle is dark, cold, and gloomy.

She revealed the teaser on her Facebook page, posting:

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, also starring Dan Stevens (the Beast) Ian McKellen (Cogsworth), Harry Potter’s Emma Thompson (Mrs. Potts), Josh Gad (Le Fou), Ewan McGregor (Lumiere), Kevin Kline (Maurice), Stanley Tucci (Cadenza) andLuke Evans (Gaston), is set to premiere March 17, 2017.

On Wednesday, two Hermiones were in the same place at the same time and not a single Time-Turner was involved.

Emma Watson attended a performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and her reaction has us feeling a little emotional.

Emma shared her thoughts on the play–and her thoughts on meeting her “older self”, Noma Dumezweni–on her Facebook page. Of the experience, she said:

 “Having seen it I felt more connected to Hermione and the stories than I have since Deathly Hallows came out, which was such a gift. Meeting Noma and seeing her on stage was like meeting my older self and have her tell me everything was going to be alright, which as you can imagine was immensely comforting (and emotional)!”

Noma shared the love in a few tweets of her own.

1. Now I feel I can share the maHUSSIVE Joy I felt, alongside the company when a beautiful, humble and very kind young lady saw @HPPlayLDN.

— MissNoma (@MissDumezweni) July 7, 2016

2. @EmWatson It really was quite emotional to be in your company… And Thank you 4 your lovely self. We spoke of you with MAJOR respect ??!

— MissNoma (@MissDumezweni) July 7, 2016

3. Blessings Dear @EmWatson and Thank You! ???xxx pic.twitter.com/SIAqUxLBtm

— MissNoma (@MissDumezweni) July 7, 2016

Emma also met Sam Clemmett (Albus Potter), Anthony Boyle (Scorpius Malfoy), producers, and others involved in the making of Cursed Child.  

.@EmWatson backstage at #CursedChild with @MissDumezweni @antoboyle @sam_clemmett + producers & friends pic.twitter.com/Ac1Lw13zSF — Harry Potter Play (@HPPlayLDN) July 7, 2016

Harry Potter past has met the present, and it couldn’t be more magical.

It was SO lovely to meet you @MissDumezweni. #Hermiones pic.twitter.com/xkh0PQyZEr

— Emma Watson (@EmWatson) July 7, 2016

In a series of “round ups” we have been summarising the many movies, plays and other projects associated with Harry Potter alumni. The YA cast from Potter includes the trio and J.K. Rowling’s ‘Big Six’, so it’s unsurprising that they’re on all sorts of exciting endeavours!

Aside from being UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and leader of a feminist book club, Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) is – as we know – an amazing actress. She’s currently in cinemas starring as ‘Lena’ in The Colony – a thriller based around the cult Colonia Dignidad.

She recently interviewed The Circle co-star Tom Hanks on feminism and the movie industry – the movie is based on Dave Egger’s book, and is set for initial release this year.

Emma is also set to portray the iconic leading lady Belle in Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast in 2017. Even ‘the original Belle’, Paige O’Hara, is excited to see her take over the role!

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) has recently appeared in is currently in cinemas as a villain in Now You See Me 2, and has just started in his theatre role in Privacy, which features Edward Snowden.

A new trailer and poster for Dan’s upcoming spy-thriller Imperium have recently been released, which you can view below – he will be portraying nervous undercover FBI agent / white supremacist, Nate Foster. The film is set to be released in August. Entertainment Weekly reports:

“The director says — worryingly — that the more he learned about the topic, the more timely and relevant it seemed. “We’re witnessing a surge in far-right groups all across Europe; in some cases they’re nearly winning national elections,” says Ragussis. “We have a stereotype of what it means to be a white supremacist, but when I began collaborating with Michael and doing my own research, I was stunned by the depth and the extent of this movement.”

Ragussis made every effort to authentically portray the experience of going undercover, as well as the modern-day white supremacist community. “There’s a large white supremacist rally in the middle of the film that we had spent months researching and planning,” the filmmaker explains. “There were so many details that had to be captured to try to make it real and authentic. I’d read about them, seen them, watched videos of them — but to actually see it come to life by our own hands was something I’ll never forget. Someone even called the news and erroneously reported a Klan rally in their neighborhood! So to that extent, I suppose we did our job.””

Dan will also star in Jungle – a psychological thriller based around the story of Yossi Ghinsberg’s memoir of his trip to the Amazon, which was included in The Discovery Channel’s I Shouldn’t Be Alive.

Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) is set to star in Sick Note with Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), after his recent performance in Moonwalkers with Fantastic Beasts actor Ron Perlman

Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) has been cast as a series regular in CW’s The Flash. He will be portraying Julian Dorne – a Central City Police Department crime scene investigator. Read more here.

Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley) recently wrote, produced and directed short movie Medusa’s Ankles with Potter co-star Jason Isaacs, which is set for release this year. She also raised money for Film Aid by making her own ‘Come Dream With Me’ t-shirts, which got the support of many Potter co-stars, and even J.K. Rowling herself!

Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) is currently starring in  Me Before You alongside Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games), Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who).
He is also (almost) confirmed to be  co-starring as ‘Lenny’ in Terminal, along with Margot Robbie , Simon Pegg, Mike Myers and more. The film is being produced by Harry Potter producer, David Barron. Read more at Matthew lewis.com here.

Alfred Enoch (Dean Thomas) will be returning to CB’s hit show How to Get Away With Murder for its third season on September 22nd.

Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) and Katie Leung (Cho Chang) recently took the Ilvermorny sorting tests on Pottermore, both being sorted into the same house as J.K. Rowling: Thunderbird:

I feel like I just cheated on Hogwarts, but ok. #Thunderbird #Ilvermornysorting pic.twitter.com/B2pbgHtB86

— Evanna Lynch (@Evy_Lynch) July 3, 2016

Sorted. #Ilvermorny

A photo posted by Katie Leung (@_katieleung_) on Jun 28, 2016 at 11:59pm PDT

Evanna also appeared at the premiere of David Yates’s new film The Legend of Tarzan:

Katie Leung is set to star in The Foreigner – a film based on 1992 novel The Chairman, and co-starring Pierce Brosnan and Jackie Chan.

Lastly, Jessie Cave (Lavender Brown) has continued to make videos on her eponymous Youtube channel (here). She also appeared in Call the Midwife, and is set to star in Modern Life Is Rubbish, directed by Daniel Gill, who is known for being assistant Director on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

Hope you’re looking forward to all these upcoming features from our favourite YA Potter actors as much as we are! Be sure to take a look at the adult actor round ups, split into Part 1 (here) and Part 2 (here)!

All of the Harry Potter actors, or alums, have been keeping busy doing what they do best–acting! In a series of “round ups” we will be doing our best to summarize the acting projects of all the Harry Potter star alums, many movies, plays and other projects–many of which sound amazing and may peak different Harry Potter fans’ interests.

Fiona Shaw (Aunt Petunia Dursley) joined the cast of the SyFy channel’s upcoming horror series Channel Zero: Candle Cove. The mini-series, set to premiere this fall, is based off Kris Straub’s online short story of the same title. Channel Zero: Candle Cove will be a mini-series made up of two 6-episode seasons. Season two is scheduled to be released in 2017. Variety Media describes the story, saying:

“[Channel Zero: Candle Cove] centers on [protagonist Mike Painter’s] obsessive recollection of a mysterious children’s television program from the 1980s – and his ever-growing suspicions about the role it might have played in a series of nightmarish and deadly events from his childhood…Mike Painter, a child psychologist who was a child himself when he witnessed the mysterious disappearance of his twin brother, Eddie, and four other children from their small town, Iron Hill, in 1988. Decades later, he is compelled to return to his hometown to investigate what really happened all those years ago, only to find that it – whatever it was – may be happening all over again. 

“Shaw also stars as Marla Painter, Mike’s mother and a widow. Marla is shocked when Mike returns home and is reluctant to relive the events of the long-ago disappearance of her son and the other children of Iron Hill.”

Bill Nighy (Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour) will be gracing the stage of London’s National Theatre as he joins the production of “Stuff Happens.” The production will be a rehearsed reading, with Bill Nighy set to play the Narrator. The production will only take place for one night, July 6, on the publication day of the Chilcot Inquiry report. The play’s author, David Hare describes the play (which was first performed in 2004):

“In 2004 Nicholas Hytner said the National Theatre could not call itself by that name if it did not have a play about the invasion of Iraq in that calendar year. He was right. And now, 12 years later, when the inquiry into those events is to be published, it seems appropriate to mark the event by presenting the play which first laid out the diplomatic process leading to the most controversial foreign policy decision of my life time.”

Julie Walters (who played the beloved Molly Weasley in the Harry Potter films) has joined the cast of a film adaption of Peter Turner’s memoir Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. The Hollywood Reporter describes the film, saying:

“The story follows the playful but passionate relationship between Turner (Bell) and the eccentric Oscar-winning actress Gloria Grahame (Bening). What starts as a vibrant affair between a legendary femme fatale and her young lover quickly grows into a deeper relationship, with Turner being the one person she allows herself to turn to for comfort and strength. When Grahame — known for roles in films like The Big Heat, Oklahoma and The Bad and the Beautiful — collapses and refuses medical attention, Turner is forced to take her into his chaotic and often eccentric family home in Liverpool.”

Julie Walters will play the role of Peter’s mother. Production on the film began today.

Next on the list, Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) has joined the cast of the up coming film, The Death of Stalin. It is currently unknown what role Jason Isaacs will play within the film, which is based off of a graphic novel of the same title. Variety reported:

“‘The Death of Stalin’ has everything: comedy, tragedy, truth, lies, life, death, bravery and cowardice. All under the shadow of Stalin’s Terror. So I’m really pleased we have an amazingly multifaceted cast who can give us all these things and more. It’s an unbelievable ensemble — great actors, brilliant comedians, fantastic personalities — and together they give us all the horrific drama and base absurdity of the crazy last days of Stalin and the power struggle to succeed him.”

“’The Death of Stalin’ is based on true events and set in the days following Stalin’s collapse as his core team of ministers tussle for control; some want positive change in the Soviet Union, others have more sinister motives. Their one common trait? They’re all just desperately trying to remain alive,” according to the press statement.”

Along the lines of the comedic, Emma Thompson will making an appearance as an OBGYN in the Bridget Jones’s Diary sequel, Bridget Jones’s Baby. It is absolutely hilarious. Her character was debuted on the newest trailer for the film, which was just recently released. It can be seen below! The synopsis of the film states:

“After breaking up with Mark Darcy (Firth), Bridget Jones’s (Zellweger) “happily ever after” hasn’t quite gone according to plan.  Fortysomething and single again, she decides to focus on her job as top news producer and surround herself with old friends and new.  For once, Bridget has everything completely under control.  What could possibly go wrong?

Then her love life takes a turn and Bridget meets a dashing American named Jack (Dempsey), the suitor who is everything Mr. Darcy is not.  In an unlikely twist she finds herself pregnant, but with one hitch…she can only be fifty percent sure of the identity of her baby’s father.”

Bridget Jones’ Baby hits theaters September 16.

Unfortunately, after facing healthy complications and taking the advice to lay off working, Harry Potter’s John Hurt (Mr. Ollivander) announced he had to withdraw from his involvement in the newest production of The Entertainer. Mr. Hurt said in his statement:

“I have recently been in hospital with an intestinal complaint and although I am much improved and on the road to a full recovery, my doctors have advised that it is too soon for me to undertake a lengthy and arduous stage role.

“It is therefore with great sadness and disappointment that I must withdraw from The Entertainer.”

The play is a Kenneth Branagh (Gilderoy Lockhart) production. The Telegraph reports:

It is not yet clear who will replace Hurt in the role, though an announcement is expected soon.

Previews of the play, in which Kenneth Branagh plays Archie Rice, begin at London’s Garrick Theatre on August 20. This is the last play of Branagh’s year-long residency at the theatre.

This was to be the first time Hurt had appeared on the London stage in 10 years. In February, he described himself as “proud and privileged” to be involved in the project.

“I am thrilled to be invited to play Billy Rice in this production of what I believe to be one of the great plays of the 20th century,” he said.

The Entertainer will play at the Garrick Theatre from August 20 until November 12.

Helena Bonham Carter sat down for an interview with Market Wired. She discussed loving to dress up in crazy costumes for characters that were vastly different from her–acting as an escape from herself. Helena talked of experimenting with her wardrobe and keeping parts of her past characters’ costumes. Market Wired reported:

“I want to dress up. I don’t want to look like me. I want to feel I have escaped me. Like this one (Alice Through the Looking Glass) is easier to watch because I really don’t look like me. I wish I had special effects in every movie,” the Brit says.

“Oh yes, it’s completely therapeutics,” she says. “I am not naturally very angry. But is quite tiring to be continuously angry, so it took a lot of sugar and caffeine. It’s amazing that you don’t have to pay for the therapy, but you get paid.”

“In daily life, you can use them as costumes, I think. They are a bit magical, and they can have the ability to transform you. Not necessarily just totally from the outside, but it can solicit something else from the inside.”

Bonham-Carter, who has played in over six of her ex-husband´s movies, says she has kept some of the costumes that she wore over the years.

“I should have kept more, because sometimes you do get attached. But you know what I tend to keep?” she laughs. “My character’s underwear. So I have the bloomers and the camisoles. You want to keep something, but it has more to do with letting go of the character.”

More of the interview can be read here and seen below!

Last but certainly not least, Warwick Davis (Griphook, Flitwick) will be a guest on a panel at a Star Wars Celebration Europe in London! The Celebration with take place next week, July 15-17. To learn more about scheduling, visit Collider.

Many thanks to our friends at MuggleNet for the heads up!

Our adult Harry Potter alumni have been keeping busy lately with a multitude of projects, taking part in everything from new films to the theatre–and even one concert!

Toby Jones (voice of Dobby) will join Art Parkinson (Game of Thrones) and Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey) in the upcoming film Zoo, based on the true story of a 12-year-old boy and friends who join up with an older woman to save a baby elephant during the Belfast air raids in 1941.

Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy) has received much praise for her star performance as Hester Collyer in The Deep Blue Sea, which is to be broadcast live to select cinemas around the world during the September 1 performance at the National’s Lyttelton Theatre.

An eerie first trailer for the second season of Fortitude, starring Sir Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore) was recently released. Gambon stars alongside Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who), Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games), and Dennis Quaid (The Day After Tomorrow, Frequency) in this Icelandic psychological horror series.

Kelly MacDonald (Helena Ravenclaw) has joined Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasley) in the upcoming film Goodbye Christopher Robin, which centers around the life of A.A. Milne (the author of Winnie the Pooh) and Milne’s relationship with his son, Christopher Robin. Domhnall will play the role of A.A. Milne himself, and Kelly will take on the role of Olive, Christopher Robin’s nanny.

Domhnall is also attached to an as-of-yet unnamed thriller–currently referred to as Day 6–alongside an all-star cast consisting of fan favorites like Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Javier Bardem.

The first trailer and movie poster for the highly-anticipated Denial–starring Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew)–were released last week giving us our first look at the film, which is based on the book History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier.

The film–which also stars Academy Award winners Rachel Weisz and Tom Wilkinson–is based on the true story of the legal battle of Deborah E. Lipstadt. Lipstadt and her legal team went up against David Irving (Spall), who–when Lipstadt asserted him a Holocaust denier–accused her of libel.

Jim Broadbent (Horace Slughorn) joins an all-star cast in the latest installment of the Asterix series, Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods. The film–which is the first feature-length 3D film in the series–will open in cinemas this August.

The year is 50 BC. Gual is entirely occupied by the Romans. Well, not entirely…

One small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders. Julius Caesar (Jim Broadbent), exasperated by the situation, decides to change tactics. Since his armies are unable to prevail through force, Roman civilisation itself will charm the barbaric Gauls. And so he has a luxurious housing complex built near the village for Roman families, called ‘The Mansions of the Gods’.

Will our Gaulish friends resist the lure of easy money and Roman comforts? Will their village become a simple tourist attraction? Asterix and Obelix are going to do all they can to thwart Caesar’s plans.

Lastly, Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge) joined husband Jim Carter (Downton Abbey) and the folk duo Show of Hands at a concert in Devon commemorating the Battle of the Somme centenary. During the event, Imelda and Jim read poems penned by war poets.

Of their participation, Imelda said:

“We were delighted to be asked to work on the centenary project. The music is beautiful and the poems work so well. It is very moving and we feel very proud to be a part of it.”

Thanks to our friends at Mugglenet for the heads up!

In the latest episode of The Jess Cagle Interview, Daniel Radcliffe talks about working with hugely successful actors such as Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith and Ralph Fiennes in his role as Harry Potter, and reveals a few stories about the late Richard Harris, and comments on being intimidated by Ralph Fiennes!

Dan is told to describe the actors he worked with. He calls Emma Watson ‘smart‘, Rupert Grint ‘funny‘, Maggie Smith ‘sharp as a knife, in a wonderful way … tough and quick witted’, Alan Rickman ‘generous‘ and Michael Gambon ‘out of control, funny, just mad in a great way, again’.

Richard Harris he says ‘The first thing that comes to mind is phoenix, I suppose – there was this one moment where Fawkes, the animatronic phoenix in the second film … Richard thought it was a real bird’

Dan says of Richard Harris’ death:

‘I remember it was devastating, it was so sad … I’d never known a person who had died before so it was crazy. I feel like looking back it’s just one of those things where you just have to go “I am so lucky to have worked with him” – it’s an amazing thing to be able to say now … the films he made are going to be true parts of history, a lot of them, it’s going to be an incredible thing to be able to say that I worked with him.

I’ve spent some time with his granddaughter, Ella, who’s also a wonderful person- his whole family was incredibly sweet to me … I was involved a little bit in a memorial service for him and they were just incredibly kind and warm”

Dan describes Helena Bonham-Carter as ‘nuts, and fabulous … I love her‘

He then calls Ralph Fiennes ‘genuinely intimidating’:

‘I remember when I was 15 doing scenes with Ralph for the first time. He was even scarier than Alan was at first … Alan was super intimidating to start off with as well, but then you get into it, but Ralph genuinely scared me for a few years.’

Dan then imagines working with Ralph on a comedy in the future, and says it was ‘a hell of a learning experience’ to have worked with him.

Read more at Entertainment Weekly, and watch the interview below!

Public previews for Daniel Radcliffe’s new off-Broadway show, Privacy, start tomorrow at Newman Theater, and to add even more interest to an already unique production, Radcliffe will participate in a one-minute “conversation” with Edward Snowden during the play. Snowden’s contributions to the play will be prerecorded video while Radcliffe performs his part live for the theater audience.

This unusual aspect was not part of Privacy when it first ran in London–despite repeated efforts by the show’s creators, James Graham and Josie Rourke, to reach Snowden–but last week, Snowden’s lawyer gave word that Snowden would participate.

The documentary-style play is inspired by the revelations of Edward Snowden and centers around the concepts of privacy and technology in the modern era. Snowden–a former NSA contractor–is accused by the Department of Justice of violating the Espionage Act due to his association with the WikiLeaks organization.

Read more at NY Times.

Daniel Radcliffe shared his story of meeting Donald Trump on the Late Night With Seth Meyers before talking about his new off-Broadway play Privacy. 

Radcliffe tells that he met Trump while visiting New York City for the first time as an 11-year-old for an appearance on the Today Show. According to Radcliffe he was marched over to meet Trump and when the presumptive Republican presidential nominee asked how he was doing, Radcliffe told him that he was nervous about what to talk about in the show. Radcliffe states that Trump’s response was the following:

“You just tell them that you met Mr Trump!”

Radcliffe also talks about his new off-Broadway show Privacy, which is co-created and written by James Graham and Josie Rourke. According to Broadwayworld.com “Privacy is a timely exploration of the digital age that will feature a cast of seven, including Radcliffe as “The Writer.”” In addition to Radcliffe the cast includes De’Adre Aziza, Raffi Barsoumian, Michael Countryman, Rachel Dratch and Reg Rogers.

Broadwayworld.com writes:

“Inspired by the revelations of Edward Snowden, Privacy explores our complicated relationship with technology and data through the funny and heart-breaking travails of a lonely guy (Daniel Radcliffe), who arrives in the city to figure out how to like, tag, and share his life without giving it all away. The play uncovers what our technological choices reveal about who we are, what we want and who’s keeping track of it all. This provocative theatrical event will ask audiences to charge their phones, leave them ON during the performance and to embark on a fascinating dive online and into a new reality where we’re all connected…for better or worse.”

Privacy will begin previews for a limited engagement on July 5th in the Newman Theater. The official press opening of the play will be on Monday, July 18.

Natalia Tena (who played the ever-fabulous Hufflepuff and Auror, Tonks, in the Harry Potter films) stars in an animated short film called Fishwitch, previously titled Once Upon an Iceberg. As Leaky reported previously (read here), the short description of the animated short calls the film “an ugly fairy tale with a lot of heart.” The animated short is currently in production, running at about 8 minutes total.

The plot outline reads:

“When Tootega the Sea Witch catches Derek the Singing Merman in her net, she assumes she can use her powers to get rid of him, just like everyone else. Except Derek is not like everyone else, and Tootega soon finds her heart melting under Derek’s influence – quite literally.”

Natalia Tena will be playing the protagonist, Tootega the Sea Witch. Sam Apley, Tena’s partner from her musical band, Molotov Jukebox, will be taking the role of Derek the Singing Merman.

The short film will be screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, in competition with other short films that will be shown. There are tickets still available to see Natalia Tena as Tootega, more information can be found on the film’s Facebook page, here. The new trailer for the short film can be seen below!

FISHWITCH Trailer from adrienne dowling on Vimeo.

In a recent interview with GQ earlier this week, Dan Radcliffe (Harry Potter) talked about his journey from playing our favorite boy wizard, to playing the role of a farting corpse in his new film, Swiss Army Man. Radcliffe has played a diverse set of roles, and Now You See Me Two has him playing a muggle who is bad at magic tricks (rather than a boy wizard who is better than average at magic, but no Hermione).

Radcliffe is a busy man and already back to filming another movie. GQ reports:

As a famous person, you’re choosing lots of parts these days that involve solitude and getting away from civilization.
The group of people I’m out with is [f-ing] awesome, so I’m having a really good time. This is an incredibly fun job, and it’s very rare as an actor that you feel like you’re earning your money, where you actually go home feeling physically like you’ve worked a really good day. We were filming by a river last week, and the river rose ten meters overnight, so three of our sets got washed away. It’s not normal making a movie like we are, out in a [f-ing] jungle.

Do you have lots of bugs and [stuff] eating you out there?
There are bugs eating us, yes. But we were making this film about this guy who went into the jungle and struggled desperately to survive for three weeks. I’m not in any way a method actor, but if I’m playing a guy who’s starving and I’m going home at night and tucking into a [f-ing] pizza, I’m making it much harder for myself to do my job.

But you’re at a place where you don’t really have to take on rough s–t like making movies in jungles if you don’t want to. So why do it?
I get a lot of credit that I don’t deserve—people notice that I pick very different things more than they do with other actors, because I played one part for so long. Paul Dano (Radcliffe’s co-star in Swiss Army Man)…his career is [f-ing] amazingly varied, and everybody I know wants the same thing, which is they want as diverse a career as possible.

Like, it’s my total ambition at some point in my life to be in some massive [****y] big disaster movie. But I’m in an amazing position, which is that I have a certain amount of financial security and that allows me to do things that make me happy, and things that will fulfill me and challenge me, with people I’ll have a good time with. You hear horror stories about actors all the time, and I’ve worked with so few of them compared to the amount of stories I’ve heard. I’ve been incredibly lucky, and I do believe life is too short to work with arseholes.

I just saw Now You See Me 2 (in theaters June 10), and in it you’re a rich young tech guru who’s a spoiled dick. I think you do derive extra joy in playing a d**K on screen specifically because you aren’t one.
Totally. You’re absolutely right. Ricky Gervais talked to me about doingExtras for the first time. I was like, yes, please—finally, a chance to show that I have a [f-ing] sense of humor about all this. Because you are confronted very regularly with the expectation that A) you’re gonna be a d**k, B) you’re gonna fail, and C) “Do you really deserve this?”

How’s fame been treating you? Has your fame settled down sincePotter?
I think so. It took me a few years to work out my priorities. Now I pick things that I think will make me the most happy, and not try to think, “What’s gonna be the most successful thing I can do?” You can be despondent about the fact that you’re never gonna be in something that big again, but that’s [f-ing] idiotic. I’ve been in the most successful thing I ever will be in, and to me it’s a huge relief. Because you just go, “Okay, that’s literally never gonna happen again.”

Would you do a Star Wars movie if you were asked?
I’d love to. I would jump at the chance. I have absolutely no tolerance for people who are not [f-ing] delighted to be on set every day, because you should be.

What made you want to play a farting corpse [in Swiss Army Man]?
The farting didn’t even enter my head as being a weird thing. I was really quite taken aback when we sound mastered it and it caused such a weird reaction in some people. [Many people at Sundance walked out of the initial screening, possibly because one of the opening scenes involves Paul Dano riding Radcliffe’s dead body like a jet ski, only powered by farts.] I can understand it being not for everyone, but controversial? It’s not like we’re making a massive racist remark. It was very strange to me but also kind of entertaining.

Were you upset by the negative reaction?
I remember there was one tweet—I’m not on Twitter. I don’t get involved. But I did get sucked in over that period, and there was one tweet that did get under my skin, because it was a guy that was all p–sed off. He hashtagged one of his tweets #makebettermovies, which I was just like, f-ing—it’s from a man who’s never made a movie! The s—ttiest film you’ve ever seen has had such f-ing hard work put into it! You can’t say s**t like that.

For Swiss Army Man, did they also make you fart and groan on cue? Or did they add all the farts in post-production?
I definitely can’t fart on cue. That is beyond me. They were all done later. The directors basically announced if anyone wanted to just go over to the sound recordist, Steve, and fart, he would record it and they would try and put it in the movie.

Could you see yourself not acting at some point? Taking a permanent break?
Not really. I don’t think I could ever enjoy that if I wasn’t in some way going back to contributing to a film in some way.

My daughter wanted me to ask you why you wanted to be an actor.
Because it was so much better than being at school!

Harry Potter alum, Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) recently sat down for a photoshoot with Interview Magazine. In this photo shoot, Matt kept all of his clothes on. He also discussed his life in the five years since the wrap up of the Harry Potter films.

Matt Lewis has covered a number of roles since his Longbottom days. He has taken on everything from romantic comedies and “chick flicks,” to sketchy characters in crime dramas. Matt explained to Interview Magazine how he came to take on such roles, saying:

“Some of the more interesting characters are the ones that aren’t heroic, that aren’t James Bond-esque,” Lewis explains over the phone. “I quite like the interesting ones, so I never really say, ‘I won’t do that, I won’t do this’ or ‘I want to do this or that.’ I like to keep an open mind… [I’m interested in] the idea of people wanting to discuss something that’s happened in their life or that’s impacted or changed them,” he continues.

“On the flip side of that, sometimes it’s nice to do something that’s fun, a movie where people are going to come in, and switch off for an hour and a half. I feel like if you can do one of those two things, if you can tell a great story that affects people or you can make them have fun, then you’re doing all right.”

Matt Lewis discussed how he took on the role of Patrick in the summer flick, Me Before You, and his darker character of Sean in the TV drama, Happy Valley.

On Patrick: “It was quite different. In the book, Patrick is a bit of a dick. He is obviously very focused on himself; he’s self-centered and won’t give a whole lot of time to Louisa’s needs, wants, and potential in life. We wanted to keep the inherent features of Patrick in the movie but we wanted to make it a little bit less black-and-white, a bit more ambiguous as to her ultimate decision. We wanted to see more of a reason why Louisa was with Patrick for the seven years…It can be a scary thing to suddenly leave your life behind and say, “I’m going to go and realize my full potential.” It can be quite daunting and we wanted to convey that.”

On Sean: “There were quite a few nerves involved with that for the few months of preparation for it. I just wanted to make sure that I did it justice.”

Then it was just the idea of trying to get into Sean’s mind. Luckily, for me, Sally understands her characters very well; she has vivid images of where they’ve come from, where they’re going, why they do what they do, etcetera. I had to pick at her brain and find Sean’s motivation, which was daunting for sure, but it all helped in trying to create this character—this young man who is very, very lost.

You don’t play him as the bad guy; you just play what’s on the page and you play his life, and his life was that he moved from town to town, no one had really ever given a shit about him, he’s got a very bad temper and often he regrets that. He drinks a lot and he can’t remember and it’s that frustration more than anything. The anger is a result of the frustration and once you realize that, the rest of it starts to fall into place.

In a flash back to when he was just 11 years old. Matt Lewis recounted his first day on set of the Harry Potter films. He discussed working with award-winning actors, such as Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith, but particularly recalling being in awe of Rik Mayall who was cast as Peeves, a role that didn’t make it past final edit cuts. Lewis talked about how Harry Potter changed how he approached acting, and took on different roles.

“I can remember quite clearly being 11 years old on the first one. We were at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland and it was the scene with Madam Hooch, where we have the broomstick lesson and Neville flies off and crashes into the wall…

“They looked after me very much and I had a week of my life just flying on this broomstick around this beautiful castle in the North of England. I thought, “If this is what my career is, if this is what I’m going to get paid to do for a living, then this is the dream.”

“I was sort of unaware of the caliber of who I was working with, but definitely their fame and their ability to a certain degree. There were a lot of things that those guys had been in and done that I was a huge fan of. At the time, I was a ridiculously big fan of Rik Mayall, who sadly passed away a couple of years ago. Rik was cast to play Peeves the Poltergeist in the first film, and unfortunately he was cut out in the end because of time issues, but he was superb in it.”

“I sat next to him at the read-through and I was completely lost for words. He really took me under his wing and started chatting me through the different characters behind the camera, who everybody was and what their job was, and he signed my script. It was a huge moment to be in that read-through surrounded by all of these amazing people who I’d seen on TV and then they were friendly and so unassuming.”

“Then the worst thing happens, you get to 15, 16 and start to realize, as you’ve already said, the sheer caliber of what they’ve done. You become much more aware of the craft and the medium. All of that camaraderie you’ve built up over the years suddenly takes a big hit because you go, “Oh god, I’ve been so blasé with these people. They’re actually all incredible and I’m just here chilling out with them.” So then you get a whole new fear that comes along. I was 18 when I finally got over that.”

When moving forward from the Harry Potter films, and looking to be recognized in other roles, Matt Lewis expresses the same catch-22 of the other Harry Potter “child stars”–eternal gratefulness that Harry Potter was their start, but seeking to break the labels of their Harry Potter characters and gain recognition for their acting abilities in other roles. Matt Lewis stated:

“It was an exciting time and quite strange [having done] them for 10 years but I was very ready to finish when we came to the last one. After playing the character for that amount of time, I wanted to do different things, I wanted to find new characters, and explore new avenues. I literally had no idea what I was going on to…”

“I wasn’t keen to jump back into a robe and be a wizard in something anytime soon but [I was interested in] anything that came up, really. I felt very much that I was starting at the bottom rung again and that being in Harry Potter was no gimmick; I was going to have to leave that behind to lose the Neville Longbottom tag and prove that I could do other things, learn, and understand.”

The article continues as Matt discussed growing up in Leeds, acting with his brother Anthony, hoping to work with his brother Chris, almost getting trampled to death by cows with his Me Before You costars, and much more. The entire article may be read here, accompanied by a gallery of pictures from the photo shoot.

Tickets are now available for purchase for the off-Broadway production of Privacy, starring Daniel Radcliffe. As announced last month, Radcliffe is set to take on the role of “The Writer” in the play, which is inspired by the revelations of Edward Snowden and explores the concept of privacy in the digital age.

This unusual play actually encourages its audience to stay connected during the performance:

“Privacy explores our complicated relationship with technology and data through the funny and heart-breaking travails of a lonely guy (Radcliffe), who arrives in the city to figure out how to like, tag, and share his life without giving it all away. The play uncovers what our technological choices reveal about who we are, what we want and who’s keeping track of it all. This provocative theatrical event will ask audiences to charge their phones, leave them ON during the performance and to embark on a fascinating dive online and into a new reality where we’re all connected…for better or worse.”

Privacy will run July 5 through August 14 at Public’s Newman Theater. The play’s opening night is scheduled for July 18.

To learn more, visit broadway.com.

This morning, the first trailer for Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast debuted on ABC’s Good Morning America (ABC is owned by Disney, and is a considered a Disney company). Many fans waited with anticipation, since yesterday’s announcement. Many fans were hoping for a first look at Emma Watson as Belle–in her classic blue dress and white apron, or, if we were lucky enough, Belle in her iconic yellow ball gown.

Fans got neither.

The first trailer for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast was very similar to the first one-minute (or less depending on how you measure fours short scenes) trailer for Warner Bro’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The familiar music starts, a shiver runs down fan’s spine. You hear the actors deliver selected lines for the first time…without seeing them fully (we do see Emma Watson’s face behind the glass holding the Beast’s rose). The trailer can be viewed below:

One thing we learned for sure is that the set of the live-action Beaty and the Beast is gorgeous. A mixture of computer animation and physically built sets, the Beast’s castle gets the most screen time in this featured trailer. ABC released the trailer, saying:

The first ever trailer for Disney’s new live action version of the classic movie “Beauty and the Beast” debuted exclusively on “Good Morning America” on Monday.

The movie stars Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as Beast. Others in the cast include Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Audra McDonald, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson. The film will be releases on March 17, 2017.

The Disney animated musical romantic fantasy was a hit when it premiered in 1991, and the following year it became the first animated film to ever be nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Picture category.

Actors, authors, artists, and musicians alike are taking stand to urge voters against Britain leaving the EU. Stars, including our own Helena Bonham Carter and Sir John Hurt and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch, argue that taking such a step would hurt the creative industries in Britain. Over 250 celebrities signed the letter, published by the Telegraph, in it they wrote:

From the smallest gallery to the biggest blockbuster, many of us have worked on projects that would never have happened without EU funding or collaborating across borders. Britain is not just stronger in the EU, it is more imaginative and creative. Our global creative success would be severely weakened by walking away.

Many of those who signed are worried about where their industries would end up if Britain left the EU, calling it a “leap into the unknown.” They believe that, without the EU, Britain will lose it’s creative influence on the world. Britain has been center stage, creatively, for decades, centuries, even; people are afraid that making such a drastic decision as no longer being a part of the EU will hurt them beyond repair.

Not all actors are backing the ‘Remain’ campaign. Those like Michael Caine and the creator of Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes, have said they will be voting against it. Caine believes that the EUs rules on freedom of movement put a damper on young English talent. Fellowes said in an interview with Daily Mail:

It’s not just that I think they are important – because they are – but I think it’s the wrong direction. History has for hundreds of years been moving towards government that is answerable to the people and suddenly we have done an about-turn and we’ve gone back to the Austro-Hungarian empire. I don’t think that’s the right direction.

Thursday, June 23rd, will be a day full of politics as the referendum is held. Several television networks will be hosting debates, so we will see arguments from both sides before we receive the tally of votes and ultimately the fate of Britain.

See more on the subject here.

Beedle the Bard may be the king of storytelling in the Wizarding World, but it’s the Bard of Avon who reigns over the English-speaking Muggle one.

Saturday, April 23 marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, and several of our favorite Harry Potter film actors will be celebrating his plays in the coming weeks.

The main event is a cooperative effort of the BBC and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC): the BBC Shakespeare Festival 2016.  The BBC announced that David Tennant (Doctor Who but also Barty Crouch, Jr. in the Harry Potter films) will host Shakespeare Live! from the RSC on BBC2 this Saturday at 8:30 pm BST.

Tennant will be joined by Joseph Fiennes, Judi Dench, Ian McKellan, Benedict Cumberbatch and others in a special variety show at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s theater in Stratford, England.  The production will also be screened live in cinemas across Britain and Europe.  Movie theaters in the United States will host the event one month later, on May 23, as The Shakespeare Show.

Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore in several Harry Potter films) is participating in the BBC celebrations by playing Mortimer on The Hollow Crown: The War of the Roses television series with Benedict Cumberbatch this year.

Into Film ambassador Kenneth Branagh (Gilderoy Lockhart in the Harry Potter films) has a Q&A session at Belfast’s Queen’s Film Theatre as part of BFI’s Shakespeare anniversary events.  Several of Branagh’s Shakespeare films will screen, including Much Ado About Nothing (1993), which he directed and starred in with Emma Thompson (Sybill Trelawney in the Harry Potter films) and Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films).

Branagh’s Henry V (1989) will also show, featuring Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid in the Harry Potter films) and Emma Thompson.

Please join us in lifting a tankard of Butterbeer to celebrate over 400 years of William Shakespeare’s genius with some of our favorite Harry Potter film stars.  Huzzah!