Official HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF THE AZKABAN Countdown Thread [Archive]

dh1989

12-01-2002, 01:26 PM

Here is an article from the L.A. Times about the changes in the third Potter film and the problems that may occur around Hogwarts.....

Now that "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" has scared up monstrous box-office numbers, just like the first movie, here's how the plot thickens in coming episodes:

Warner Bros. has been forced to hire a new director for the third installment. The original one burned out after the breakneck pace of back-to-back productions. The planned release date has been delayed because the parents of the actor who plays Harry wanted him to attend a prestigious school rather than being tutored on the set.

Meanwhile, the fourth J.K. Rowling adventure book is so fat -- 734 pages -- no one is sure it can be shaped into a single movie without slicing scenes, which could alienate the protective author and her fanatical young readers.

As for book No. 5, it's still in the works -- and even longer than the last one.

On top of all this, the clock is ticking for the three young stars of the "Potter" series, who already are beginning to outgrow their roles, raising the dicey issue of whether adolescent audiences would embrace a new Harry, Ron and Hermione.

As successful as the "Potter" film series has been so far, it also has become arguably the most complicated and uniquely unpredictable movie franchise ever undertaken. Warner Bros. President Alan Horn calls the effort "a Herculean task."

No other long-running movie series -- not "Star Wars," James Bond or "Batman" -- has been forced to juggle the competing interests of literary loyalty, artistic license and commercial considerations on such a grand scale.

"It's a unique balancing act," studio Chairman Barry Meyer says -- one that gets trickier, not easier, as the franchise stretches toward the end of the decade and possibly beyond.

"Things you think may be a slam dunk may not be," says media analyst Tom Wolzien of Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.

In all, Warner Bros. plans on making seven movies based on Rowling's completed and pending books about a bespectacled boy and his pals at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where young witches and wizards learn the finer points of potions and wands while tumbling into frightening adventures.

The studio got into the game early and cheaply. Just before the first book -- "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" -- became an international sensation, Warner Bros. paid Rowling a meager $50,000 for the right to keep rivals at bay. The following year, the studio paid an additional $500,000, this time to exercise its option to make a movie.

Since then, "Sorcerer's Stone" has generated an estimated $1.5 billion in revenue for the studio and its corporate parent, AOL Time Warner Inc., from worldwide box-office receipts and DVD, television and merchandising sales. "Chamber of Secrets" appears headed down the same road to riches, grossing an estimated $87.7 million in North American theaters last weekend.

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Movie a Year Planned

The initial plan was to maintain a schedule that would allow the studio to release a movie every year, keeping audience anticipation high. For the first two films, the strategy worked. Not so for No. 3, which won't be out until 2004 -- proving that nothing can be taken for granted when working with young stars on an ambitious scale.

Production on "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" was delayed until February when the parents of leading boy Daniel Radcliffe, 13, asked for a recess. They told the studio and London-based producer David Heyman their son had been accepted into a top-drawer school and they would like him to attend the first semester. The parents of co-star Emma Watson, 12, who plays precocious witch Hermione, wanted their daughter to study in a real classroom too. For two years, the young actors had been tutored on the set.

"The kids wanted a break," studio chief Horn says. "We're talking about real people here."

Their director, however, wanted to drop out completely.

Chris Columbus, whose works include the mainstream hits "Home Alone" and "Mrs. Doubtfire," had planned on directing all seven "Potter" pictures. But last summer, halfway through shooting "Chamber of Secrets," he told the studio he was simply too spent to even contemplate a third movie, let alone four more after that.

The normally indefatigable Columbus has spent three years filming in London, uprooting his wife and their four children (ranging in age from 5 to 13) from their San Francisco home.

After beginning production on "Chamber of Secrets" just three days after the debut of "Sorcerer's Stone," Columbus says he couldn't imagine starting another grueling regimen of 16-hour days.

"I didn't think I could give the actors the same amount of energy ... and I wanted to spend more time with my family," Columbus says. "I had the insanely naive vision that I would direct all seven movies. But ... I realized that if I even attempted to do the third movie, I might not make it."

Breaking the news to the studio was tough, but not nearly as hard as telling the young actors with whom he had grown so close, especially Radcliffe.

Still, Columbus won't be heading back to the Bay Area soon. To ensure a smooth transition for the youngsters and their new director, Alfonso Cuaron, he agreed to stay on as a producer until "Prisoner of Azkaban" is completed late next summer.

"My only rule is that the set has to be a completely comfortable place -- no screaming, no angry outbursts, no selfish behavior," Columbus says.

The change in directors also could have a dramatic effect on the look and tone of the franchise. Although Cuaron has been lauded for his artistry, he has never shepherded a huge commercial success or directed a big-budget, complicated production with lots of visual effects. The first two "Potter" movies each cost about $140 million to make.

What the studio did see in Cuaron was his distinctive style and range. He directed this year's sexually explicit Spanish-language sleeper "Y Tu Mama Tambien," a coming-of-age story about two teenage boys who become intimate with the same older woman. On the other end of the spectrum, he directed Warner's visually enchanting but financially disappointing 1995 children's movie "A Little Princess," which is set in a New York girls' school.

"He has a great sense of magic, boundless imagination, a real compassion for children and a keen understanding of teenage life and its nuances," "Potter" producer Heyman says.

Cuaron's biggest challenge may be one out of his control, one that sets the "Potter" franchise apart from any other movie series.

Although the young stars were supposed to age one year with each movie -- as the characters do in the books -- the plan has gone awry. With production delayed, their ages will be out of sync by the third movie, a gap that is expected only to widen with each new installment.

"We're experimenting with cryogenic techniques to simply freeze the actors until we're ready to go again, but so far there's no scientific evidence to suggest that it's a workable plan," Horn jokes.

The child actors in the "Potter" franchise are unusual because they have given face to literary characters cherished by millions of young readers.

*

Casting Challenges

It will be tricky enough to replace Professor Albus Dumbledore, portrayed in the first two "Potter" movies by Richard Harris, 72, who died last month. But the thought of replacing Harry or his closest cohorts is enough to unnerve Warner executives fearful of breaking the spell with fans.

Horn says he hopes he will not confront that decision. But if he does, there'll be only one option. "We'd have to find new kids," he says.

At this point, Radcliffe, Watson and 14-year-old Rupert Grint, who plays Harry's sidekick Ron, are under contract for only one more movie. They have not been asked to sign up for No. 4, according to Horn, because production isn't slated to begin until spring 2004.

With so much money riding on the advancing ages of the children, there is little room for the kinds of creative and strategic delays that typically plague Hollywood productions. As a result, pressure is mounting to keep the productions on track.

The studio only recently closed a deal with screenwriter Steve Kloves to begin adapting Rowling's lengthy fourth book, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." If Kloves can't figure out how to squeeze the material into one movie, the studio might have to make two, Horn said. And that would further distance the actors' real ages from those of their screen characters.

Then again, condensing the voluminous book into one movie carries its own problems. Harry Potter audiences expect to see every twist and turn from Rowling's books leap from the page to the screen.

The status of "Harry Potter" No. 5 is even murkier, raising concerns about just how long the momentum can be maintained.

Warner had hoped Rowling would be done writing "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" by last summer because the studio wanted to release the video and DVD of "Sorcerer's Stone" at the same time the book was published.

So when will Warner get a peek?

"Zero idea," Horn confesses. When he saw the author at the London premiere of "Chamber of Secrets," "she didn't mention it and I didn't ask."

According to a spokeswoman at Scholastic Inc., Rowling's U.S. publisher, the author is "putting the finishing touches" on her fifth book. And though that may be good news for the studio, Rowling has told her publisher that book No. 5 will be "one chapter longer than [No.] 4."

Horror whore

12-01-2002, 01:27 PM

For the teaser poster I would love it if they had a dementor! That would keep it simple. Maybe a dementor standing with it's hand exposed since J.K. Rowling described so vividly what their hands look like in the book.

dh1989

12-01-2002, 01:29 PM

'Daniel Radcliffe says he's kind of excited about seeing who will play his potential girlfriend Cho Chang in the next movie.

But he says he won't get to help decide who plays her.

Harry meets Cho Chang for the first time in book three, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. There's instant chemistry between them, which develops even more in book four.

dh1989

12-01-2002, 01:31 PM

Originally posted by Horror whore
For the teaser poster I would love it if they had a dementor! That would keep it simple. Maybe a dementor standing with it's hand exposed since J.K. Rowling described so vividly what their hands look like in the book.

That'd be awesome! I am really excited to see how they do the Dementors without being called "Ringwraith rip-offs". And it would be a spooky PoA teaser. Good Idea!

The Other

12-01-2002, 04:22 PM

Yes, a Dementor on the teaser poster would be great!

Jerk Shapiro

12-01-2002, 05:43 PM

I'm boycotting CoS because it was my least favorite book. But my favorite is PoA, so I'll be there when this one comes out. I loved the Sirius Black character and all the twists. It should also be a better adaptation because of the new director.

dh1989

12-01-2002, 06:12 PM

You should see CoS. It has some great action scenes, its very funny, and has an engaging mystery film. Are you a Potter fan? CoS is a great book. Not the best, but damn good. Why would you boycott?

The Other

12-01-2002, 06:27 PM

That's a silly comment, MOVIE-Maniac 8.

You're boycotting THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS because it was your least fave book, but will be there opening day for THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN? If you're a fan of the series than I don't see why you would boycott one of them because it happened to be your least favorite.

dh1989

12-01-2002, 06:54 PM

Supposedly, Gary Gero(Harry Potter animal coordinator) wants the dog below to be Sirius' Animagus form. This five year old Black Lab was in films like Dog Park and Dog Show......

http://images.countingdown.com/images/countdowns/movies/28985/1011/982835_main.jpg

dh1989

12-01-2002, 07:36 PM

CountingDown.Com recently talked to Wayne Barlowe, a man working on pre-production art for PoA. The interviewer talked mostly about Hellboy, but one of the questions was about Potter....

CountingDown: We hear that your next project is doing preproduction art for the third Harry Potter movie – are you at liberty to talk about your work on that project so far?

Wayne Barlowe: No. (laughs) It’s an ongoing process, I’m enjoying working with the people in the UK, this is a new experience for me. I was over there two weeks back about... I met with the director and the production designer, they were both terrific guys. The guys that were already there, the two artists, are also extremely talented guys and I got along real well, and that was very pleasant. And now I’m back here, scanning my artwork in, feeling somewhat removed from the progress of it, but I think doing some very different work from what I did on Hellboy. But it’s satisfying and it’s a lot of fun, and I have to admit I hadn’t read any of the Harry Potter stuff up until I worked on this, and it’s a challenge, it’s fun.

dh1989

12-01-2002, 07:43 PM

Here is an article from AICN about Radcliffe's double prepping for the filming of this movie....

A friend of mine takes riding lessons here in the UK. Specifically a town called Chelmsford in Essex.

One of the instructors let it slip that Daniel Radcliffe's stunt double is practicing bare-back riding for the filming of the next Harry Potter film - Prisoner of Azakaban, presumably for the scenes with the Hippogriff, Buckbeak.

dh1989

12-01-2002, 07:46 PM

Here is an older article, but it should be posted because it has some great stuff from Alfonso Cuaron himself........

Well, slap us on the back and call us ahead of the game, for even before the second instalment of Potter magic hits our screens next month, Empire Online has got the inside nod on how J.K Rowling's third novel, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is shaping up from the very man in charge, Alfonso Cuaron. And trust us, it's going to be interesting.

The surprise choice to replace Chris Columbus as director of the most loved literature of the last few years, Mexican-born Cuaron is perhaps better known for scoring a major international hit this year with his small-budget, sexed-up Spanish language film, Y Tu Mama Tambien (And Your Mother Too) as well as for his previous adaptations of Great Expectations and A Little Princess. When Empire Online cheekily asked whether the adolescence lust and raging hormones of Y Tu Mama will make an appearance at Hogwarts along with Harry’s first crush, Cuaron joked – at least, we hope he was joking - "Sex in Harry Potter? It's going to be steamy…magical," before adding, "We'll have digital effects too!" A frightening thought.

And after working on such an independent, small-scale film as Y Tu Mama, Cuaron has no problems at all with the prospect of tackling the huge project that will be The Prisoner of Azkaban. Describing "Jo Rowling" as "super cool, a great creative ally," he said, "I think we have a great connection creatively. I feel very good about it."

With production for Harry Potter and the Prison of Azkaban scheduled for next Spring, Cuaron, like Columbus before him, is busy enjoying his stay in good old Blighty. "I've always liked London and spent long periods here but never quite as long as this. I'm just having a blast working on this film and collaborating with everyone and walking around London everyday." And he stresses that Pottermania is as big in Latin America as it is in the rest of the world. Letting slip he had a small niece mad about Harry, it's safe to say that Cuaron must now be one of the world’s favourite uncles.

Its from EMPIRE ONLINE, btw.

freakandgeek

12-05-2002, 03:38 AM

Originally posted by dh1989
What do you schmoes think should be on the teaser poster? I think it would be cool if they had Hermione's schedule with all the classes at the same time

thats a really good one. that would be awesome! good one good one!

freakandgeek

12-05-2002, 03:44 AM

just like the second one, i am REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY excited about this film! i can;t wait until next year. its going to be a long year......but i can't wait! there is really no other movie for next year that i am really really excited about...cept this one of course!

dh1989

12-05-2002, 06:54 PM

http://images.countingdown.com/images/countdowns/movies/28937/1011/2407472_main.jpg

There were some reason rumblings that Tom Felton would not be returning to play Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin bully, in the third Potter flick, but this article from CountingDown.Com can ease all of our fears...

Contrary to recent rumors that Tom Felton was not intending to appear in the third Harry Potter movie due to commitments with another picture, it appears that he is still on board. A representative from his website told us exclusively that though he was originally somewhat down on the filmmaking and subsequent fame, he has come to quite enjoy it in recent months and is intending to appear in Prisoner of Azkaban.

:)

dh1989

12-05-2002, 07:07 PM

http://us.ent4.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/twentieth_century_fox/star_wars__episode_ii___attack_of_the_clones/christopher_lee/starwars.jpg

.... will not portray.......

http://us.ent4.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/warner_brothers/harry_potter_and_the_sorcerer_s_stone/richard_harris/harry.jpg

This is a blurb from CountingDown.Com....

Despite rumors that he would take over a key role in the "Harry Potter" movies from the late Richard Harris, actor Christopher Lee says that is only a rumor and that it is false. He says he has half a dozen other films in his future, including the next sequels to "Star Wars" and "Lord Of The Rings," according to an interview in Variety with senior columnist Army Archerd.

Michael_myers

12-06-2002, 06:40 PM

Really, it's not Watson, Radcliffe and Grint I'm worried about growing up, it's Tom Felton. The kid's already 15, while the others are 12 and 13. He'll be in twenties playing a 17 year old! Not good! But, I think if they changed the actors, it could be the death of the series.

xirtam

12-06-2002, 11:48 PM

20 year olds play 17 year olds all the time! Haven't you ever seen a teen movie?

dh1989

12-09-2002, 03:52 PM

Well maybe Christoper Lee IS interested in playing Dumbledore? Here is a quote from CountingDown.Com.....

He makes no secret of the fact that he would love to play Professor Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster role so memorably created in the first two Harry Potter movies by the late Richard Harris.

He firmly scotched rumours swirling around the movie industry: "I was never approached to play the part. I have not been approached to play the part."

But he did add: "I could certainly play the character but it wouldn't be the same way that the late Richard Harris played it."

blankpage

12-09-2002, 09:36 PM

Well obviously many of you know how I feel about the Harry Potter films, and about this film.

About the Lee Topic- I am wary about Lee portraying Dumbledore. Obviously no one will ever do it like Harris did it. But still putting that fact behind me he doesn't seem like a match make in Heaven. But I am sure his is capable doing the role. I think it would be interesting.

Hopefully the troubled behind the scene's wont bring it upon into the movie. I am looking forward to it a whole lot :D

BTW, I have thought of an idea for a teaser poster. It could show Siruis Black's Dog, and lurking in the shawdow's we get a little glimpse of Black, and show his eyes to bring some evil. I could work, it could.

xirtam

12-10-2002, 09:49 PM

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
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I thought Sirius WAS the black dog...

malcolm1980

12-10-2002, 10:17 PM

Originally posted by dh1989
What do you schmoes think should be on the teaser poster?

I'd like the teaser poster to be that of a WANTED poster of Sirius Black describing him as armed and dangerous.

blankpage

12-12-2002, 12:27 PM

Originally posted by xirtam
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
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I thought Sirius WAS the black dog...

Oh yeah your right. I must have forgotten about that.

I still like the idea that I gave, but just the dog.

freakandgeek

12-19-2002, 07:41 AM

this is my second favorite of the series (i think my fave list goes 4, 3, 2, 1)....so i am really looking forward to this one. i think this book has really awesome characters. actually, i think the characters in this book are the most interesting (i like the goblet of fire the best because quidditch if my fave part of harry potter and g.o.f. has tons of it)....i love harry potter and i can't wait til next year! yay!

i wonder who will play dumbledore. i think ian mckellan would be good, but he's already a big character in lotr....so who knows, but i think he'd be good!

dh1989

12-19-2002, 09:40 PM

One of the most colorful characters in the third book is Uncle Vernon's sadistic sister. She is the one who loves to cuddle Dudley, and make fun of Harry. She has been cast. This is from CBBC Newsround.....

Hot new casting details for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban are beginning to emerge.

There's no news yet on key roles like Sirius Black or Professor Lupin.

But we can tell you that the role of Aunt Marge - Uncle Vernon's monstrous sister - will be played by British actress Pam Ferris.

A photo of her:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38606000/jpg/_38606221_pam150.jpg

Can't wait until we learn who is going to play Lupin and Sirius.

dh1989

12-20-2002, 03:36 PM

Here is an article about a PoA shooting location. This is from BBC News. Here you go.....

"Glencoe venue for new Potter movie"

The next Harry Potter film could be filmed in Glencoe.
Warner Brothers Production has lodged a planning application to build a set for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Local councillors have still to consider the plan and officials have not yet recommended a decision.

But if consent is given, it is thought the local economy could be boosted by up to £3m from the 400 crew and cast thought to be involved in the making of the third movie in the Harry Potter series.

The application, which will be considered by Highlands Council, is likely to be given the go-ahead because of the boost it would bring during filming next February, March and April.

There could also be a huge spin-off in tourism if Glencoe is shown to the viewing public worldwide.

The planning application includes a gatehouse, sundial garden and stone cottages that form part of the famous Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where Harry Potter learned his magic skills.

The application is for the film village to be at Torren on the edge of Glencoe village, not far from the Clachaig Inn, famous among climbers and hillwalkers from all over the world.

The West Highland scenery has already been seen in the two previous films - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - with Glen Nevis and the Glenfinnan Viaduct prominent in some scenes.

'Welcome boost'

Fort William and Lochaber are no strangers to playing host to the film world.

In the summer of 1995, the town was visited by Mel Gibson and Liam Neeson for the making of Braveheart and Rob Roy, and Highlander starring Sean Connery was filmed in parts of Glen Nevis.

Local councillor Drew McFarlane Slack said: "This Harry Potter film will again bring a welcome boost of visitors in the area.

"These films always bring in visitors wanting to see where they were shot.

"For example each year there is a group of young people from Southern Italy who make a pilgrimage here to see where Highlander was filmed."

Glencoe community councillor Iain Brown added: "None of us realised how much good Braveheart would do in attracting visitors to the area, and it would be magic if there was a similar spin-off from Harry Potter."

JCR

12-21-2002, 10:21 AM

Glencoe is very bleak at times. That will be good for the Dementors.

dh1989

12-26-2002, 06:49 PM

This is from a Christopher Lee interview I found at THE LEAKY CAULDRON...

I was in Vienna, then Germany and then I went back to England and there was this flood on the Internet. It came on to my Web site, of course, eventually. People asking. Then it went into the radio. Then it went onto television. Talk and interview shows -- not with me. Then it went into the press. "He's going to play Richard Harris's part!" And then, of course, everybody asked me, "Is it true?" I said, "No. It isn't." "Well, what do you mean it isn't true?"
I said, "Look. A man has been dead for three or four days. I think it's in extremely bad taste to discuss this sort of thing and very inappropriate." When he was buried, which was only a few weeks ago, it's still inappropriate that somebody starts this. Because I'm then faced with answering this question. I think that people probably don't believe me. They think that I've done some sort of secret deal.

All I can say is that nobody ever asked me to play that part before Harris played it. And nobody has me right up to this very second. Nobody. So it's entirely a rumor. If they did ask me, I would probably say "Yes" and be very pleased. But they haven't. That's the important thing. It's not good when this sort of thing starts, you know. It's not good. It gets out of control. It's embarrassing for me and my agent is going crazy. The phone never stops. The Times printed something. The Times of London, for God's sake. Said: "Three years ago, of course, Christopher Lee was offered the part and turned it down." Totally untrue. I was never offered it. Ever. So that's the end of that story.

Nate6

12-27-2002, 01:37 PM

From the IMDb:

McKellen Heads to Hogwarts
British acting knight Sir Ian McKellen will replace the late Richard Harris as Professor Albus Dumbledore in the third Harry Potter movie. The 63-year-old star, who also plays wizard Gandalf in the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, is set to appear in the third installments of both rival films - after signing to take on the role of the Hogwarts headmaster in Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban. McKellen takes over the role from Harris - who died of cancer in October. Movie bosses had hoped to cast Harris in the new film - which is due to begin filming in February - by using computer animation and film footage. But they found they did not have the required film available. Fellow Brit Christopher Lee - another Lord Of The Rings star - was among those tipped to replace Harris. A source on the Warner Bros movie set says, "Everyone has been sworn to secrecy about Ian McKellen getting the role of Dumbledore. One of the production staff let it slip and now it is spreading like wild fire. He got the part just before Christmas but Warner's won't announce it until the New Year. Bosses thought he was the perfect replacement for Harris and, as we all know, he is capable of playing the part of a wizard. They are not worried about people getting The Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter confused. They are two very different films."

Wonder if it's true. Seems like it is, but you can never trust the IMDb and their "reputable sources." McKellen is a great actor but we don't want HP and LOTR confused, I would have rather gone with Richard Attenborough or Peter O'Toole.

quoth_the_raven

12-27-2002, 03:48 PM

well, if it is true, hes got my vote.

dumbledore the white anyone?

dh1989

12-27-2002, 05:01 PM

I've heard about this, and I am not sure whether its true or not. I would love it if it was true. McKellen is a superb actor, and has clearly shown he can bring a literary wizard to the screen wonderfully(Gandalf). Although, IMDB and The Sun(where I heard of this) are not reliable sources. The Sun was the one who reported that Dumbledore's face would be digitally added on to a double. I'll wait until David Heyman makes this official.

P.S. I am going to merge this with the PoA countdown.

dannywalker17

12-27-2002, 05:28 PM

I certainly hope this is not true, and it's not really because I don't like Harry Potter, but I just don't think he should play such similar parts, and I don't think he would. It's just like we discussed in my Chronicles of Narnia thread. No one from LOTR should be in the Narnia movies because they are too similar and the same goes for HP. Its even worse though in HP's case because it's coming out at the same time. Like I said, I pray to God its not true.

arto_j

12-28-2002, 11:06 AM

Ian McKellen's official website has denied that rumor that he has signed on to The Prisoner of Azkaban. He is not signed, and Christopher Lee also said that he hasn't even been offered it. The Sun is (like about all British tabloids) definitely not a trustworthy source for information on films, especially casting news.

BarkingSparrow

12-28-2002, 12:07 PM

The change in directors also could have a dramatic effect on the look and tone of the franchise. Although Cuaron has been lauded for his artistry, he has never shepherded a huge commercial success or directed a big-budget, complicated production with lots of visual effects. The first two "Potter" movies each cost about $140 million to make.

What the studio did see in Cuaron was his distinctive style and range. He directed this year's sexually explicit Spanish-language sleeper "Y Tu Mama Tambien," a coming-of-age story about two teenage boys who become intimate with the same older woman. On the other end of the spectrum, he directed Warner's visually enchanting but financially disappointing 1995 children's movie "A Little Princess," which is set in a New York girls' school.

Hmmm. I find this part interesting. A similar situation with the LOTR, PJ of course, was another virtually unknown director also with an unique style. I question whether WB will give Cuaron the degree of artistic freedom though, that PJ enjoyed.

Congerking

12-29-2002, 07:13 PM

Originally posted by arto_j
Ian McKellen's official website has denied that rumor that he has signed on to The Prisoner of Azkaban. He is not signed, and Christopher Lee also said that he hasn't even been offered it. The Sun is (like about all British tabloids) definitely not a trustworthy source for information on films, especially casting news.

I read that Christopher Lee would say YES if he were asked to play Dumbledore. But as of yet, he said that he has not been asked.

Santa Clause

12-31-2002, 09:49 AM

I can't wait until it comes out. The book was awesome. I hope it comes out early 2004.

CrimsonRiver

01-02-2003, 02:10 PM

You might get your wish. Rumor has it to release June 04.

http://www.moviehole.net/news.php?newsid=814

dh1989

01-02-2003, 04:15 PM

Coming Soon! reports that the WB has officialy denied the rumors that either Ian McKellen(The Lord of the Rings) or Michael Gambon(Sleepy Hollow) will play Dumbledore......

Both TV Guide and Entertainment Tonight are now saying that E! Online was incorrect in reporting that Michael Gambon was cast as Professor Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

According to both news outlets, Warner Bros. denied both rumors that Michael Gambon or Ian McKellen will play the role. The studio had no further comments about the casting.

The McKellen rumor has been around for a while now, but the Gambon rumor is fresh. This is what E! Online reported.....

Michael Gambon, who picked up Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his virtuoso performance as Lyndon Johnson in HBO's Path to War, will be donning the robes as Dumbledore for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, according to a source familiar with the production.

Although the exact terms of Gambon's deal are not known, he'll presumably play Dumbledore in the remaining Potter films. Aside from Prisoner of Azkaban, Warner Bros. is committed to turning Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire into a film. J.K. Rowling's still-in-the-works Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the two planned but untitled final installments are also likely destined for celluloid, but no timetable is in place.

Once again, that proved to be ENTIRELY UNTRUE.

Here is a photo of Mr. Gambon...
http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0253126/364.jpg.
Thanks to the IMDB for that.

***

I must say I am getting worried. The shooting is not far off, and the script is finished. Almost every great senior citizen British actor has been denied by the WB. I hope we get an annoucement soon who'll fill Dumbledore's pointy hat.

dh1989

01-02-2003, 04:39 PM

Here is a list of ALL actors who have been officialy denied by the WB to receive the part of Albus Dumbledore....

Sir Ian McKellen-
http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Events/0528-osc/mckelle2.ian

Richard Attenborough-
http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0116621/1-10.jpg

Richard Harris(Digital face added on to stunt double partnered with audio clips never used)-
http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0241527/1803.jpg

Peter O' Toole-
http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0093389/fcstil_0431-1.jpg

And, Michael Gambon pictured in the above post.

P.S. I think these are all of the major ones. Did I forget one?

Double P.S. The ideal actor would've been Richard Burton, but he has passed away.

dh1989

01-02-2003, 04:42 PM

I just got an idea. A little lightbulb popped up over my head, and I thought CHARLES DANCE!

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0106537/fcs_lt_0069.jpg

BarkingSparrow

01-03-2003, 05:34 PM

Coming Soon is reporting that Gary Oldman has been signed for the next two Potter films, although the specific role has not yet been identified. Assuming this is true, I'm assuming he'll play Sirius Black.

dh1989

01-04-2003, 12:29 AM

Yes, he must be. There are only a few roles that are in both PoA and GoF. When you have an actor of Oldman's stature, I doubt they'll give him a role like Stan Shunpike, the Knight Bus employee who serves Harry in the third novel and is seen fliriting with a Veela in the fourth. I never thought of him as Black, but it should be great. A very talented man, and he has the possible to scare the crap out of people. See Dracula by Coppola, if you think otherwise.

dh1989

01-04-2003, 12:38 AM

Here are some photos of Mr. Oldman.....

http://us.ent4.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/dreamworks_skg/the_contender/gary_oldman/contender.jpg
The above is him in the Dreamworks political drama, The Contender.

http://us.ent4.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/columbia_pictures/panic_room/gary_oldman/panicpre3.jpg
The above is him at the premiere of the David Fincher thriller, Panic Room.

Here is a biography of him.....

Whether playing a punk rocker, an assassin, a war vet, or a ghoul, Gary Oldman has consistently amazed viewers with his ability to completely disappear into his roles. Though capable of portraying almost any type of character, Oldman has put his stamp on those of the twisted villain/morally ambiguous weirdo variety, earning renown for his interpretations of the darker side of human nature.

Born Leonard Gary Oldman in New Cross, South London, on March 21, 1958, Oldman was raised by his mother and two sisters after his father, an alcoholic welder, left them when Oldman was seven. Nine years later, Oldman left high school to work in a sporting goods store; in his spare time, he studied literature and later acting under the tutelage of Roger Williams. He went on to act with the Greenwich Young People's Theatre and, after attending drama school on a scholarship, worked with the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow. Oldman next worked in London's West End, where, in 1985, he won a Best Actor and a Best Newcomer award for his performance in The Pope's Wedding. By this time, he had made his film debut in Remembrance (1982) and had appeared in two television movies, notably Honest, Decent and True (1985).

Oldman got his first big break when he was cast as Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy (1986), Alex Cox's disturbing docudrama account of the punk rocker's tragic relationship with Nancy Spungen. Oldman's unnervingly accurate portrayal of the doomed rocker won rave reviews and effectively propelled him out of complete obscurity. The following year, he turned in a completely different but equally superb performance as famed playwright Joe Orton in Stephen Frears' Prick up Your Ears and earned a Best Actor nomination from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for his work. After moving to the U.S. that same year, Oldman appeared in Nicolas Roeg's Track 29 (1988), and in 1990, he had one of his most memorable -- to say nothing of cultish -- roles as Rosencrantz opposite Tim Roth as Guildenstern in Tom Stoppard's brilliant Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

Oldman's first American role in a major Hollywood film was that of alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald in Oliver Stone's JFK (1991). He then gave a creepy, erotic performance in the title role of Francis Ford Coppola's rendition of Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), a lavish film that proved to be the most commercially successful (next to JFK) of Oldman's career to date. In addition to playing such eccentrics as Drexel Spivey, a white pimp who grows dreadlocks and tries to prove himself a black Rastafarian in True Romance (1993), Oldman went on to play more conventional characters, as evidenced by his straightforward portrayal of a crooked cop in Luc Besson's The Professional (1994), his performance as Beethoven in Immortal Beloved (1994), and his role as the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale in the disastrous 1995 adaptation The Scarlet Letter.

In 1997, Oldman made his directorial bow with Nil by Mouth, a bleak, semi-autobiographical drama about a dysfunctional blue-collar London family that Oldman dedicated to his late father. The film proved to be a controversial hit at that year's Cannes Festival, and the first-time director won a number of international awards and a new dose of respect for his work. He subsequently returned to acting with Luc Besson's The Fifth Element that same year, made while he took a break from editing Nil by Mouth. He also gave an enduringly cheesy portrayal of the sinister Russian terrorist bent on wresting world domination from American President Harrison Ford in the blockbuster Air Force One (1997) and followed that up by playing yet another villain in the 1998 feature-film version of the classic TV series Lost in Space.

Oldman has made headlines for his private as well as professional life over the years, both for his well-publicized battles with alcohol and his marriages to actresses Lesley Manville and Uma Thurman. In addition to his son Alfie with Manville, Oldman has two children by his third wife, American model and photographer Donya Fiorentino. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

I recieved all of this from Yahoo Movies!

Horror whore

01-04-2003, 03:14 PM

I really hope he isn't Sirius Black, he's way too old!

Congerking

01-04-2003, 09:01 PM

i agree. gary oldman is too old to play sirius black. VIGGO MORTENSEN should be sirius black, hands down.

dh1989

01-04-2003, 10:23 PM

It is also possible Oldman could be Peter Pettigrew.

According to the award winning Potter site The Harry Potter Lexicon, Sirius(along with Snape, Lily, James, Peter, Remus, and Severus Snape) were all born in 1960. Oldman was born in 1958. So that is only a two year difference. Now what do you guys think of Alan Rickman? He was born in 1946. So thats a fourteen year difference from his character.

dh1989

01-04-2003, 10:28 PM

Originally posted by Congerking
VIGGO MORTENSEN should be sirius black, hands down.

Oh no! Then Sirius would re-program the Dementors to wear t-shirts saying "No More Blood For Oil!" and instead of giving Harry terrible visions, they'd whine on Charlie Rose. Actually, I still prefer Christian Bale as Sirius. Though he is 14 years younger than Sirius he is a great villian actor, was born in Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK and is a very talented man. Plus he is not doing anything for a while. His last project was Equilbrium. His picture is below:

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Events/0467-vel/balechri.sti

dh1989

01-04-2003, 10:31 PM

I was looking at other recent photos of Oldman, and I noticed those two above made him look quite old. Look at the below photo of him with his significant other....

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Events/0378-los/oldmang1.ry%23

Horror whore

01-04-2003, 11:55 PM

I think Ewan McGregor would be the perfect Sirius. But I know he won't get the role because Episode III and Harry Potter 3 will be filming at the same time...

dh1989

01-05-2003, 12:00 AM

Originally posted by Horror whore
Ewan McGregor

I was hoping he would be able to play Lupin, but of course EPISODE III will get in the way. Damn Lucas! :mad: Well, I do like the Star Wars series, I just wish McGregor could be in a Potter film. Great actor.

01-05-2003, 05:03 PM

Christian Bale - Pembrokeshire, Wales you say? That's right. But did you know this is only a 30 minute drive from my house?

What a small world we live in.

Extra Trivia: The full sized Millennium Falcon was housed in a storage room in a town in Pembrokeshire for many years. I never saw it, it was before my time.

dh1989

01-06-2003, 05:36 PM

According to AICN, Ian Brown(of the Stone Roses) has signed on to play a small role in PoA. Who? Here is a photo....

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2002/11/IanBrown1.jpg

My guess is Stan Shunpike, the employee of the Knight Bus who speaks in an odd-fashion and tells Harry some info about Sirius Black.

dh1989

01-08-2003, 05:32 PM

The Leaky Cauldron has posted a rumor about three characters who may not appear at all in PoA......

We've been hearing rumors that Cedric Diggory (no casting ever announced), Oliver Wood (Sean Biggerstaff) and Colin Creevey (Hugh Mitchell) will not be in PoA at all - not even in the background. We're checking into these rumors to see what we can confirm but at present, please consider them just that - rumors. It can also be noted that in the latest Sean Biggerstaff interview, he says he has not "as of yet" signed on for the third HP movie.

I can understand Cedric. He was barely in the third book, but Oliver Wood and Colin Creevey were. I'd like to put emphasis on Wood. The third book was his best. I loved how he was crazed to win the Quidditch Cup even more, as it was his final year at Hogwarts. I hope this is just a rumor.

dh1989

01-08-2003, 05:35 PM

This article from ICLiverpool tells who Richard Harris' family wants to play Dumbledore....

THE brother of Richard Harris has urged the makers of the next Harry Potter film to give the role of wise and benevolent Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, to the late actor's former hellraising pal, Peter O'Toole.

Speaking from his Dublin home, Harris' brother Noel, 70, told the Daily Mirror: "I think Peter is the only man who could follow my brother in the role.

Dicky made that role his own . He will be a hard act to follow. Peter was a great friend of Dicky's for most of his life. An he has similar qualities on screen.

"Our family would be delighted if he was offered the part."

Filming on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is due to begin in March, but the casting of the pivotal role of Dumbledore has still not been finalised and is giving Warner Brothers studio an increasingly painful headache.

Harris tragically died of cancer in October last year at the age of 72, but was so dedicated to fighting the disease that he continued to work on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, even though he had lost three stone in weight due to chemotherapy and was sometimes so ill that a body double had to be used as a stand in.

In a typically bold Harris-ism just a few weeks before his death he told director Chris Columbus "If you f****** think about recasting me, I'll f****** kill you!"

Noel said: "He loved the role and was especially looking forward to getting his teeth into the third installment, Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban, because Dumbledore gets a much meatier role.

"He talked about how great it was going to be. It's a tragedy he died before he could do that one."

He added: "Of course he would have been happy to see it go to Peter. I just hope he is offered it and then it will be a decision for him to make."

:(

xirtam

01-08-2003, 09:22 PM

Oliver Wood should be in it--it's his final year, and after this he won't be in it at all anymore! The third book has what seems to me to be the Quidditch climax, they don't really NEED to include Quidditch in the books anymore, and Oliver has a big part in that.

Arc

01-09-2003, 08:45 AM

I know it will be good, but if they want it to be perfect...

http://home.iprimus.com.au/nicolethompson/fts/graphics/g-oto03.jpg Hi, I'm Peter O'Toole. Since my drunken friend Richard Harris is DEAD, I will now be playing the doped up mentor.

http://home.iprimus.com.au/nicolethompson/fts/graphics/g-ewan01.jpg Hi, I'm Ewan McGregor. I'm spunky and will be playing the only Dark Arts teacher who gave a s***.

http://www.dunaujvaros.com/tallozo/bulvaria/images/020312_judelaw.jpg Hi, I'm Jude Law. I have MAD CRAZY EYES and will be playing the MAD CRAZY FUGITIVE.

http://www.filmfestival.gr/2001/directors/alfonso_cuaron.jpg Hi, I'm Alfonso Cuarón. I'm the new director for Potter and am going to make this installment the GOLDFINGER of the series. Woohoo!

http://images.countingdown.com/images/features/684319_thumb.jpg Hi, I'm Cameron Diaz. I don't play any character from the book, but I do have three, count them, three full nude scenes in the new movie.

The news on AICN about Cuarón "shaking up the franchise" and the fact that O'Toole is still in the running gives me a warm feeling in my chest. I think... It is... Love.... Wait, nope, it's a STROKE... AAHGGHSAFASGADFBfdgfdggg

ColinM

01-09-2003, 10:50 PM

I'm surprised to have read so many schmoes don't like the idea of Gary Oldman playing Sirius Black. I think he'd be great for the part. He's such a fantatsic actor.

dh1989

01-10-2003, 09:50 PM

Here is an article from MTV News about Oldman's possible involvement in PoA, with comments from his manager.....

Harry Potter, get ready to meet Count Dracula.

Gary Oldman ("Bram Stoker's Dracula," "Hannibal") has been offered the role of Sirius Black in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," the third installment in the kid wizard series.

"They've asked him to do 'Harry Potter' and I know he's really seriously looking at it," said Oldman's manager, Douglas Urbanski, who stressed that a deal has yet to be finalized. "He's delighted to have been offered the role, especially because he's got kids — he's a full-time single dad."

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" is scheduled to begin production in February. Chris Columbus, who directed the first two films — "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (2001) and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002) — will serve only as co-producer on "Azkaban," having handed over the directing reigns to Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón ("Great Expectations," "Y tu mamá también"). Daniel Radcliffe will continue to handle the lead role for the series, which has been a huge success at the box office.

In English author J.K. Rowling's book, Sirius Black is the escaped "Prisoner of Azkaban," who eventually turns out to be Potter's godfather. Black also appears in the fourth book, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire."

Oldman is best known for his chameleon-like ability to slip into bizarre characters — like late punk icon Sid Vicious ("Sid & Nancy," 1986); dreadlocked drug dealer Drexl Spivey ("True Romance," 1993); strangely coiffed bloodsucker Prince Vlad Dracula ("Bram Stoker's Dracula," 1992); and more recently, revenge-obsessed cannibalism victim Mason Verger ("Hannibal," 2001).

Warner Bros. is reportedly eyeing a June 2004 release for "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."

dh1989

01-13-2003, 10:15 AM

Maybe Gambon is a possible? This is from Entertainment Weekly.......

"CASTING: Gosford Park star Michael Gambon, 62, is negotiating to play Dumbledore in Warner Bros. Harry Potter franchise. "They've offered, and he wants to do it," says his agent. Gambon would replace Richard Harris, who died in October. The third film in the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, is due in theatres June 2004."

:confused:

dh1989

01-14-2003, 03:54 PM

Here is a quote from director Cuaron about the new Potter film....

"I don't know if 'dark' is the word for it because there's a great deal of humor (in the third tale)," Cuaron says. "I would say that rather than going into darker territory, it goes into more emotional territory. Because the characters are a little bit more grown up, the experience is completely different. In the first two books, the fear was outside, like a boogie man. But here, the fear comes from inside. When you're 13, you stop believing in the boogie man and start dealing with the monsters inside."

Sounds good!

dh1989

01-14-2003, 03:57 PM

This is an article from The Leaky Cauldron about the casting of Sirius Black......

One of the main supporters of the (valiant, if unsuccessful) fan campaign to get actor Jason Carter cast as Sirius Black has written to inform us that a conversation with WB's PoA casting office yielded the quote, "The part's on offer, it's gone." They did not say who it went to, did not say a deal was made, and we remind you that this person could have just wanted to get off the phone. Speculate as you will... (and thanks so much, dear person who sent that in - who I know to be a truthful soul.)

Jedi

01-15-2003, 07:02 AM

Well, let me tell you guys that this thread rocks! I'm glad I'm back. As for THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN I guess that Gary Oldman is an excellent choice. Look at his performances in The Contender, Hannibal, Leon, Air Force One, True Romance and other films. He REALLY is a great actor.

As for the role of Dumbledore I think that Omar Sharif will be a good choice too. He has this old-tender-wise looks of the charecter. Peter O'Toole is a great choice, too. No doubt of that.

I'm dreaming night and day that the people involved in it will soon announce a Febuary 2004 release date. Summer 2004 is still far, far away for me! :(

dh1989

01-15-2003, 07:57 AM

AICN is reporting that Peter Pettigrew has been cast. Read......

Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
I can’t run the e-mail I got from today’s source, because it would tie him to other scoops from the past (which were 100% accurate, btw), so I’ll just repeat the salient detail:
Timothy Spall has been cast as Peter Pettigrew for HARRY POTTER & THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN.
I made the mistake earlier of saying it was Professor Lupin he was playing, so the TalkBackers below aren't crazy. At least, not more crazy than normal. As fans of the series know, Pettigrew is also called Wormtail, and Spall is a hell of a choice for him. If you’re not familiar with Spall’s work, shame on you. He’s one of those character actors who can go from hilarious to heartbreaking in one quick move, and right now, you can see him in Doug McGrath’s wafer-thin but enjoyable NICHOLAS NICKELBY. He’s a welcome addition to the world of POTTER, and should do a great job with Wormtail. Add him to the ensemble that includes Gary Oldman and Michael Gambon (both of whom are still rumored to be joining the cast, and who appear to be close to confirmation by the studio), and it’s obvious that Alfonso Cuaron is putting together a great cast for his first time at-bat with this franchise.

Here is a photo of Mr. Spall from Yahoo! Movies....

http://us.ent4.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/cannes/cannes_film_festival_2002_photos/timothy_spall/cannes2.jpg

I must say that I did not imagine Wormtail as being fat. In fact, if I remember correctly, he was pratically dead from starvation and illness, and was very thin.

For a look at his filmography, go to: http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&id=1800019400&cf=movies&intl=us.

dh1989

01-17-2003, 12:18 AM

The Daily Mirror is reporting that actor David Thewlis(Total Eclipse) might be being considered to play Lupin. Read...

Our favourite actor David Thewlis is all set for a wizard new year.

The 39-year-old - who is dating gorgeous actress Anna Friel - has landed a role in the next Harry Potter film.

He will play Professor Lupin who helps Harry out during his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Our source says: "David is thrilled. He and Anna are massive Harry Potter fans."

Shooting on Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban starts later this year.

Our spies also tell us that Sir Michael Gambon IS set to replace the late Richard Harris as headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore.

Photo:

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/mirror/jan2003/0/2/0006DEAB-8A43-1E26-A13280BFB6FA0000.jpg

dh1989

01-17-2003, 12:22 AM

NME.Com has released an article reviving the rumor of music star Ian Brown having a cameo in the third Potter flick....

IAN BROWN is to pay a visit to HOGWARTS - making a cameo appearance in the next HARRY POTTER movie!

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, the third movie in the series, 'Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban' is due to hit screens next year.

Based on the massively successful JK Rowling book of the same name, the film follows the children's character in his third year at Hogwarts school for wizards, and is likely to be one of the biggest grossing movies in history on its release.

Sources have told NME that King Monkey signed up for a role after his wife Fabiola introduced him to a friend who is a casting agent on the project.

"He's going to have a screen test for a speaking part, but if that doesn't work out I think he'll be getting a bit part in the movie somewhere or other," a Manchester source told NME.

dh1989

01-17-2003, 11:55 AM

The Press and Journal have released an article telling more of the planned shooting locations for the third Potter film. Read....

A movie giant is to conjure up a set for the third Harry Potter film in a Highland auction mart.

It emerged yesterday that part of Lochaber Rural Complex at Torlundy, near Fort William, will be taken over by Warner Bros at the end of March.

Isabel Campbell, a director of the complex, revealed: "The multi-purpose auction mart is to be transformed into a film set. Part of the penned area will be stripped down to accommodate the building work. Warner Bros will be using all the empty space at the complex for filming and offices."

Construction work will be undertaken in April, with cameras rolling the following month.

There seems to be more shooting location news for PoA than there was for CoS. This is most likely due to one location mostly: Hogsmeade. Some new locations can be filmed on sets at Leavesden Studios like the Divintation classroom, The North Tower, and others. Hogsmeade CAN be on a set, but it'd be nicer to go to a real Scottish village.

I'll try and find some photos of this location. If I can, I will post 'em here..... :)

dh1989

01-17-2003, 12:10 PM

Here are some photos. Now these are just shots of the general area, and these may not be featured in PoA. Just to give you an idea of the landscape and architecture.

This is from Thistle Cottage(This what I imagine a Hogsmeade shop to look like)....

http://www.btinternet.com/~woodlandhouse/thistle/tc.jpg

These are from Lochaber.Com.....

http://gallery.lochaber.com/data/502/709891.jpg

http://gallery.lochaber.com/data/502/9image018.jpg

http://gallery.lochaber.com/data/502/7cowwhillnorth.jpg

http://gallery.lochaber.com/data/502/7ssdt.jpg
(Photo Above: Gosh, clear those people out, and put in some Wizard extras, and you've got Hogsmeade!)

http://gallery.lochaber.com/data/502/1ferry.jpg

http://gallery.lochaber.com/data/500/7hill_pony_in_conaglen.jpg

http://gallery.lochaber.com/data/504/7steam_train.jpg

dh1989

01-20-2003, 03:23 PM

Just kidding! :) This is an article from CBBC Newsround about everyday children being in the Potter films.....

So you're desperate to be in the Potter movies. But how far would you go for the chance to be in the background?

That's what more and more kids are doing in Gloucester.

The King's School is next door to the famous Gloucester Cathedral, whose cloisters have been used for Hogwarts corridors in both movies.

And when extra actors were not available to fill up the scenes during shooting of the Chamber of Secrets, pupils from the school were drafted in instead.

CBBC Newsround has discovered that it's meant that school has seen the number of applications grow by a record level in the past year.

Even though most of the extras only saw themselves for a few seconds, but that was enough to make mates jealous!

Charlie, 15, was very chuffed with his part in the film: "I saw myself for a few seconds - I just saw my quiff and that was good enough for me.

"My friends are quite jealous that I saw my hair on the big screen!"

Jessica, 14, also an extra, adds: "All my friends were quite jealous I had been chosen. They would all love to come to this school because they would have the chance to be in the next HP film."

But be warned!

Being a pupil at the school doesn't mean you'll automatically get a part.

The film-makers only choose a few kids and there's no guarantee they'll go back there for extras in any of the future films.

Carol Smith from the school told the CBBC Newsround website: "We've had a steady increase in pupils over the last five years, but Potter has certainly helped."

"A lot of parents ask about the filming and lots our pupils are asked if they've been in the movies."

But the school insists it's also to do with the "rounded education" pupils get there.

Let's hope they don't get carried away and start potions classes!

CrimsonRiver

01-21-2003, 04:24 PM

I've been scouting around some Oldman sites and came across some pics of him in "The Scarlet Letter". IMO, he can pull off the look of Sirius. I keep hearing he a is a great actor, so I'm starting to get really excited about seeing his portrayal. Of course, if the rumors are true...

I've never posted a pictuire on here. I hope it works.

dh1989

01-21-2003, 10:31 PM

The Leaky Cauldron has posted a blurb about one of their "insiders" notes on the casting......

An extremely reliable, never-steered-me-wrong source says that Gary Oldman will indeed play Sirius Black, David Thewlis will indeed play Professor Lupin and Pam Ferris will indeed play Aunt Marge. There may be more confirmations on the way. Stay tuned.

dh1989

01-22-2003, 07:38 PM

CBBC Newsround has released an article confirming who will play a major role and a minor one: Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher Lupin and The Leaky Cauldron bartender, Tom The Inkeeper...

CBBC Newsround can confirm that an important role in the third Potter film, Prisoner of Azkaban, has been taken by award-winning British actor David Thewlis.

Thewlis will play kindly teacher Professor Lupin - who has a mysterious secret.

You may have seen him in the recent mini-series Dinotopia, or the fantasy film Dragonheart.

He's also famous for dating former soap actress Anna Friel.

We can also tell you that Tom, the innkeeper at the Leaky Cauldron, will be played by bald comedian Jim Tavare.

Tavare knows Tom looks like a "wizened, toothless walnut," so we're guessing he's not too vain!

Sirius still not cast

But there's no firm news yet about who will play Sirius Black.

Actor Gary Oldman has been linked to the role.

But sources on the film told us that, as of Wednesday afternoon, no one had signed on the dotted line to play Sirius.

Filming will begin on Azkaban in the next couple of months, so we'll let you know as soon as we do!

Photo of Thewlis:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38726000/jpg/_38726951_thewlis300.jpg

A photo of Mr. Tavare:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38727000/jpg/_38727333_jim150.jpg

dh1989

01-23-2003, 09:13 PM

FilmJerk.Com has posted an article telling why the WB have not confirmed Gary Oldman as Sirius Black. It is quite interesting, but there are some MAJOR spoilers within the article, so beware...

With 23 days to go until production begins February 17th in London, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" casting news is going into overdrive. BBC Newsround (part of the BBC news organization) confirmed yesterday the role of Defence Against the Darks Arts teacher Professor Lupin will go to award-winning British actor David Thewlis, while Jim Tavare has taken the part of Tom, the innkeeper at the Leaky Cauldron.

But where is the news about the Prisoner of Azkaban himself, Sirius Black? While Melissa Anelli of the Harry Potter fansite The Leaky Cauldron has stated that "an extremely reliable, never-steered-me-wrong source says that Gary Oldman will indeed play Sirius Black" (and a studio source confirms that to us as well last night), no official comment has been released yet by the studio. Even the BBC article states that "there's no firm news yet about who will play Sirius Black," while noting that Oldman has been linked to the role.

Since January 3rd, the Internet has been buzzing about Oldman's involvement. Because of this, we asked several casting associates what exactly going on here.

One casting agent, who spoke on the condition he be identified only by "Nil by Mouth" (an apparent nod to the actor's first directorial effort in 1997) said, "Oldman's deal is already signed, as of at least ten days ago. He has the time in his schedule blocked out for the film (this can be verified by IMDB, as no 2003 or 2004 releases other than the third "Harry Potter" installment is on his slate there), and he's ready to head back to London, where I believe he was born. I think this is going to be a great fit for Oldman."

"The reason the studio is not publicly acknowledging he has been cast is press strategy. They're going to do a slow burn on the casting announcements for the remaining characters, including Dumbledore, until they hit production time. They want to publicly maximize these announcements, and are most likely coordinating around last week's news about the fifth book in the series. Any press-smart studio with this kind of franchise will do this sometimes, as this is a business, first and foremost. Add in that "Chamber of Secrets" is still playing on over 1,000 screens right now and the DVD announced to be hitting in April. With a director unknown to most audiences, they're playing up as much as they can right. They're doing it smart."

Sirius Black, also known as Padfoot, is a central character to the third film, and also appears in the fourth book. At the beginning of "Azkaban," Black is detained in a prison for wizards, for the crime of killing 13 people with one simple curse. But he is wrongfully detained, as what caused him to be there was staged. Black eventually manages to escape, going on the lam while transforming himself into a loveable stray dog. Before he escaped the prison, he hears the guards relate that he often spoke that someone the person who caused him to be in this mess, that 'He's at Hogwarts...he's at Hogwarts...' His subsequent actions bring him into Harry Potter's world.

FoxForce5

01-28-2003, 01:59 AM

Does anyone know who will be filling out the rest of the cast for PoA besides those we know. For example, Lupin? I was just on a site that has a character profile for all HP characters and next to Lupin's was a pic of Ewan McGregor! Wouldn't that be great, though highly unlikely, hu? Also, there were pics of people I'm unfamiliar with bext to profiles of characters from the last 2 books.
Since shooting is suppose to start next month, I thought maybe someone would have a clue as to who is playing some of the other characters we don't...well I don't know about yet! :p

dh1989

01-28-2003, 03:08 PM

Lupin has been cast. British actor David Thewlis(Total Eclipse) will play the new Defense Against The Dark Arts Teacher.

Other known cast new members....

Aunt Marge - Pam Ferris

Tom The Innkeeper - Jim Tavare(This is somewhat strange because in the first film Derek Deadman played Tom. Remember this scene?

Tom: Hagrid! The usual, I presume.

Hagrid: No Tom. I'm on official Hogwarts business. Just helping young Harry here buy his school supplies.

Tom: Bless my soul, its Harry Potter!

That was Deadman as Tom. He has will not be in PoA.

Some roles still uncast...

Sirius Black(Gary Oldman has expressed interest and said he WAS offered the role, but no official announcement has been made).

Dumbledore

Prof. Trelawney

Cho Chang

Cedric Diggory

Ernie Prang

Stan Shunpike(Though a British rock star said he had a cameo, and he is suspected to play this role).

P.S. I am going to MERGE this with the official PoA countdown. All PoA film discussions should be handled there. Also, welcome to the boards FoxForce5. I hope you enjoy your time here. It always nice to see a Potter/movies fan here. :)

dh1989

01-29-2003, 08:49 PM

Here is a bit of sad news from the excellent Potter fan site TLC....

John Williams' fansite has posted a report from a Q&A he did in Washington, D.C. last Thursday. In it, he said that scoring PoA was not on his agenda, "although things could change." Thanks to Jennifer for the link.

If this happens, he will be truly missed, and I do not think they could find anyone to do a more amazing score. :(

dh1989

02-04-2003, 03:41 PM

CountingDown.Com has posted an article about a companies' plans to build minatures for PoA....

Cinesite Europe announced that the company has won a major contract for the models and miniatures on the forthcoming Harry Potter installment, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." Warner Bros. has subcontracted Cinesite with all the model unit construction and miniature photography.

Construction work will begin immediately on models of the Hogwarts and Privet Drive, and on other major structures for the film. The build will continue until early May at Shepperton Studios workshops. Photography is scheduled to run from early June into early September.

urbanlegend23

02-06-2003, 11:15 PM

POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR THE THIRD BOOK

My expectations of this film are VERY high. I LOOOOOOOOOOVE The Prisoner of Azkaban, my favourite book of all time, and if they don't include these things I will be pissed off...

Hermione going mental/being naughty to Professor Trelawney. My favourite part of the entire series. And then her slapping Malfoy. They HAVE to include that.

The Dementors I will be very specific about. I have this perfect vision of the Quiddditch match when the Dementors walk in, with rising music and Harry falling off the broom...they just have to be very good with all of the Dementors scenes, because they are J.K. Rowling's best creature creation yet.

I don't want them to overdo Malfoy's Dementor/fainting impressions like Rowling did in the book.

Harry going ape at Snape has to be done excellently, and I have great faith in Daniel, he'll pull it off.

I also must mention the time travelling thing has to be done excellently!! That's one of the best ideas Rowling ever had and THEY...MUST...DO...IT...EXCELLENTLY...!...! :)

...as you can see I will be very fussy with this film because the book is a MASTERPIECE, a great improvement on the other two films.

I have awesome faith in the director and writer so I think it will be one of the best films of 2004! And Pam Ferris was definitely MY FIRST CHOICE for the classic Aunt Marge! I am SO EXCITED about this movie!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!
!!!

!!!

:D

urbanlegend23

02-06-2003, 11:17 PM

OOh, just read that they're FINALLY includign Peeves in the movies! He will b played Rik Mayall!!!

I!!!!!!!!!!!!

CAN'T!!!!

WAIT!!!!

FOR!!!!

2004!!!!

:p ;) :D :cool:

dh1989

02-07-2003, 06:00 PM

The usuallly reliable website, The Leaky Cauldron, has posted an article about Cho Chang, Ravenclaw Seeker and Harry's crush, being cast. Read....

Actress Jennifer Nguyen today told a friend who is one of TLC's regular readers that she got word that she has been cast as Cho Chang in PoA. We haven't had confirmation from WB yet but we're working on getting it, so this should still be in the category of "unconfirmed information" - though we hope beyond hope that it's true, because we'd love for Cho to be a TLC reader.

?

dh1989

02-11-2003, 08:15 PM

CBBC Newsround has posted an article telling that the Cho Chang casting rumors are just that: RUMORS.....

With filming on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban due to start very soon, rumours have been sweeping the internet that the part of Cho Chang had been cast.

According to the whispers, an actress called Jennifer Nguyen would be filling the part.

But insiders at the studios have told CBBC Newsround the rumours simply aren't true.

Also in the article is a bit about CoS, that I'll report on here because it does not really merit its own thread...

And also on the subject of false rumours, many fans have been waiting eagerly for the DVD of Chamber of Secrets to be released.

They want to go through it frame by frame to check out speculation that JK Rowling had a tiny part as a witch in Knockturn Alley.

Well, we'll save you the trouble!

People at the studio tell us there's no truth in that rumour either.

But, don't worry, with the start of filming on the next movie being so close, more firm casting info should be coming our way soon.

Also, TheSnitch.Co.Uk has reported that we may be getting the first official image from the PoA film on Saturday. It is rumored to be a shot of the "violently purple" Knight Bus. Whether this is true or just fan wishes remains to be seen, but I certainly am interested!

TheSnitch.Co.Uk has also posted a blurb about REPTILES in PoA.....

A couple who has supplied various reptiles and small animals for the previous 'Harry Potter' films (think the iguana that Professor Quirrell held in 'Sorceror's Stone') has confirmed that 'Prisoner of Azkaban' will be using their "small creatures" again. The Bradford couple was unable to say anything more about which animals would be shown onscreen.

dh1989

02-12-2003, 03:44 PM

Filming on Alfonso Cuaron's "HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN" has begun and we've gotten our first images from the set! First, here is some proof from Coming Soon! that filming had indeed begun....

Interesting news hit today regarding the third installment of the "Harry Potter" series. The Los Angeles Times tried to get a statement from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuarón for his "Original Screenplay" nomination for Y Tu Mama Tambien.

The trade says that they couldn't get in touch with him because they were told the director is shooting the third installment in London at this time. Production was originally scheduled to start on February 17th in London at the Leavesden Studios.

Now, here is an article from The Sun about the Knight Bus, but beware of some MAJOR SPOILERS within.....

NOW that’s magic! Schoolboy wizard Harry Potter hops aboard this TRIPLE-decker in his third movie.

The over-sized London bus makes its debut in Prisoner of Azkaban, currently being filmed.

Our sneak preview reveals the giant purple Knight Bus, a real three-deck vehicle created specially from a red London double decker for the film.

It was pictured in West London yesterday.

In the third film from JK Rowling’s stories, Harry — played by Daniel Radcliffe — escapes in the Ministry of Magic bus after he is confronted in the street by baddie Sirius Black, in the form of a black dog.

When Harry steps aboard he finds dozens of wizards lying on beds while they wait to reach their stops. The Knight Bus is used to rescue wizards in distress.

It can take them anywhere — except underwater — and clears a route through London in the most spectacular special effects sequence in the film.

But the dramatic scene was considered too dangerous for star Daniel, 13, and a stunt double acts in his place.

The first Harry Potter film, The Philosopher's Stone, premiered in 2001 and took £620million at the box office.

Last year the second Harry Potter book — Chamber of Secrets — repeated the success of the first movie.

One highlight was Harry’s sidekick Ron Weasley escaping a speeding train in a flying Ford Anglia.

Here are some images from that same article....

The Knight Bus.....

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2003070201,00.jpg

The beds on board......

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2003070203,00.gif

Dan Radcliffe, who plays Harry, on set....

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2003070204,00.gif

Now, to conclude this exciting day of PoA news, Rex has posted some images from the PoA set to be found at: http://www.rexfeatures.com/cgi-bin/r2show0?f=Oldest&k=*403734&u=DEFAULT&s=rEeP723rtUzC42z5Tsmp1rpW.

urbanlegend23

02-12-2003, 10:07 PM

The Knight Bus looks brilliant - exactly how I pictured it! :D

dh1989

02-14-2003, 08:41 AM

dh1989

02-14-2003, 10:04 AM

Coming Soon! has posted a set report, and some sweet photos...

Shooting on the third Harry Potter is underway already at Leavesden studios - A local road has been closed for about 12 hours a day for the past few days.

Got some pictures today but unforunately not much going on during daylight! When it gets dark those huge cranes lift lightboxes into the air to illuminate an area (I would guess) around 50 square metres. Not sure what exactly they are shooting as it is impossible to get very close.

Have tried taking some night pictures (the cranes can be seen for a good mile or so) but they look very bad! I will try to get some around dusk today or tomorrow, assuming the lighting is up.

Also, something is being built and stored in the back lot, hard to say what though.

Photos:

http://www.comingsoon.net/cgi-bin/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Fantasy/Harry_Potter/Harry_Potter_and_the_Prisoner_of_Azkaban

dh1989

02-14-2003, 10:57 PM

CountingDown.Com has posted a photograph of Daniel Radcliffe on the set of PoA. It appears that Cuaron plans to include the "Harry's untidy hair" plot, which I dig. I am starting to get VERY excited for this film, and summer 2004 seems so far away, well at least I'll have the first two on DVD.........

http://images.countingdown.com/images/countdowns/movies/28985/1011/2875843_main.jpg

DevilMonkey

02-15-2003, 06:20 PM

A while back before i was a shmoe you were talking about what should be the new teaser poster and i thought maybe scabers or a full moon near the dark forest and a demontor i thought those would be cool. :)

dh1989

02-17-2003, 01:04 PM

The Leaky Cauldron has posted some cool stuff dealing with shooting of PoA. First, is a set report, which is quite long, so I'll post a sample photo and some quoatage, and the URL for the rest......

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/02/poamagnoliaset6.jpg

"Later that afternoon, I decided we should go past it again - who knew what or who we'd see behind those big fences. As we got closer, we could see some of the road surrounding the studios were blocked off, and we could see some huge lights blaring over a largish area of houses close to the studio. Once we parked the van, we walked towards the area and found filming cameras and a group of about 30 people, along with police keeping an eye on onlookers. We'd managed to stumble upon the filming of PoA! They were filming parts of the scene where Harry's just run away from Privet Drive, and has caught glimpse of the big black dog when the arriving Knight Bus causes him to fall over the gutter."

Find more at: http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/poasetreport.html

Second, is a set of two new shots of Dan on the set....

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/02/poawireimage3.jpg

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/02/poawireimage4.jpg

Now, this is an article from THIS IS GLOUCESTERSHIRE about a change in the location of Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry.....

Tourism in the county has been dealt another blow with the news that the next Harry Potter blockbuster will NOT be filmed at Gloucester Cathedral.

Cathedral officials say the third Potter film ??? Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, will definitely not be shot in its world-famous cloisters. The shock news comes as The Citizen reveals that Prinknash Abbey Pottery has been forced to close because the company which owns it has gone into receivership.

And this follows the announcement earlier this year that the National Bird of Prey Centre, in Newent, was leaving the town and relocating to the southern USA in 2004.

However, Gloucestershire's tourism chief Chris Dee insisted the future was still bright for tourism in the county.

The Potter films' producers at Warner Brothers are neither denying or confirming the claim.

A spokeswoman said: "We can not say which locations we will use until it is officially announced in March."

Tourists flocked to the Cathedral to get a glimpse of the cloisters, which became the corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the last two Potter films.

Geoff Crago, spokesman for the Cathedral, said: "We understood a few months ago it was very likely that the cloisters would be used for the third film.

"But we have now been told that will definitely not be the case. It is a big disappointment."

But he added: "Nevertheless, Harry Potter will, for many years to come, be associated with the Cathedral."

Another blow to the tourist industry in Gloucestershire comes with the closure of the Prinknash Abbey Pottery.

For many years, the main income of Prinknash Abbey, in Cranham, near Painswick, came from its pottery.

Monks from the 14th Century monastery started the business in 1942 from a hut in the old Abbey grounds.

But due to a dwindling number of visitors the abbey was forced to sell the pottery in 1996 to the Manchester-based company Heredities Ltd, who employed staff to take over the role of potters.

The pottery still operated on the abbey's premises and was open for public tours. Now all work there has ceased and its 12 employees have been made redundant.

The abbey, its bird park and its shop ??? which will sell the remaining pottery stock until it runs out ??? is still open as normal.

A spokesman for Heredities Ltd said its directors had decided to commence liquidation proceedings, but would not comment further.

Adrian Jones, general manager at the abbey, said: "We are trying to find alternative tenants for the pottery and hope that we can get it running again in some shape or form in the future.

"It is such a shame this has happened as pottery production is a very long-standing tradition here.

"It is world famous but I think pottery, in general, has lost its popularity.

"One of our managers will still be firing and decorating christening and birth goblets because they are very popular and they will be sold in the shop.

"But apart from that all production at the pottery has stopped."

It was also recently revealed that the legendary National Birds of Prey Centre, near Newent, plans to move to America.

Some falconry will continue at the May Hill centre, including teaching and courses, but these will not be open to the public in a drop-in basis.

The news comes after the publication of a damning report on the Government's attitude towards tourism in England.

The report, by the House of Commons Culture Committee, demanded a major injection of extra funding into the tourism industry.

Gloucestershire tourism officer Chris Dee, said: "I think the Government should take tourism more seriously.

"The fundamental point is that this area has greatly suffered in terms of tourism due to foot-and-mouth and then the events of September 11."

He said he was sad to hear the latest developments.

"It is, of course, disappointing to hear that filming for Harry Potter won't take place in the cloisters once again," he added.

"Apart from anything the visit by the film crew was an important piece of business for local hoteliers."

But he said he was confident that tourism in Gloucester has, and will continue, to thrive thanks to the magical world of Harry Potter.

He said the scenes filmed at the Cathedral were "out there forever" and had generated substantial positive international press coverage for Gloucester over the last two year, in places as far away as Japan and America.

He added: "There's no doubt in my mind that the city should be proud of its involvement with Harry Potter from the start, say 'that was great' and move on to the next big story.

"Gloucestershire is not the sort of place that only has one string to its bow."

Have a good day!

dh1989

02-18-2003, 10:44 PM

TheSnitch.co.uk has posted some great photos from the PoA set. First, are two new shots of the Knight Bus......

http://www.thesnitch.co.uk/news/newpoapics/1.jpg

http://www.thesnitch.co.uk/news/newpoapics/2.jpg

They've also added a photo of Ernie Prang, the bus driver.....

http://www.thesnitch.co.uk/news/newpoapics/3.jpg

Also, CBBC Newsround has posted an article about that SET VISIT I posted yesterday.....

One hopeful Potter fan visiting England decided to take a chance and went to the Leavesden Studios near London, just in case they saw some Potter filming.

Amazingly, Allison and her mum happened upon the filming of the Magnolia Crescent scenes from Prisoner of Azkaban.

Like any true Potter fan, the Australian tourist immediately whipped out her camera and took all the pictures she could.

Allison managed to get this blurry pic of Daniel Radcliffe at least

Allison then sent all the images to the Leaky Cauldron website along with a report on her experiences.

In the book, Magnolia Crescent is where Harry first sees the Grim after running away from the Dursleys. It's also where the Knight Bus appears.

Although Allison talks about security being strict on set, they were obviously friendly too.

A television had been set up for onlookers and a nearby policeman seemed very informed, sharing gossip about the production.

;)

dh1989

02-20-2003, 08:37 PM

Coming Soon! has posted an article about the filming of PoA, which features comments from some involved like producer David Heyman and director Alfonso Cuaron. The article also includes information about who is playing Sir Cadogan and Albus Dumbledore.....

Warner Bros. Pictures' Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban will commence principal photography in Leavesden, England, on February 24, it was announced today by Jeff Robinov, President of Production, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Renowned actors Gary Oldman, Timothy Spall (Nicholas Nickleby), Michael Gambon (Gosford Park), David Thewlis (Timeline), Pam Ferris (Matilda) and Paul Whitehouse (star of the BBC's The Fast Show) have joined the esteemed ensemble cast of the film, which is being directed by Academy Award nominee Alfonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien) and produced by David Heyman, Chris Columbus and Mark Radcliffe.

The executive producers of the film are Michael Barnathan and Callum McDougall. The screenplay is by Steve Kloves.

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and his friends Ron and Hermione return as teenagers to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their third year of study, where they delve into the mystery surrounding an escaped prisoner who poses a dangerous threat to the young wizard.

"We couldn't be more excited about 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' being in the hands of such a relentlessly imaginative director as Alfonso Cuaron, and are thrilled about the new actors he has assembled to join our already established cast," said David Heyman.

"To be entrusted with such rich and beloved material, and given the opportunity to collaborate with this extraordinary cast and crew on the next Harry Potter adventure is an honor," Alfonso Cuaron said. "I look forward to bringing this intricate story to the screen and sharing it with film audiences around the world."

"I'm so proud to have been involved in this truly amazing film series, both as a director and a producer," added Chris Columbus. "I look forward to seeing it grow as Alfonso and the cast and crew further our imaginations with their truly inspired work."

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Gary Oldman plays Sirius Black, the eponymous prisoner whose escape is thought to pose a great threat to Harry Potter; Michael Gambon plays the role of Professor Dumbledore, Hogwarts' venerable headmaster; Timothy Spall portrays Peter Pettigrew, an old friend of Harry's father, James Potter, from their days at Hogwarts; David Thewlis plays Professor Lupin, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor who harbors a mysterious secret; Pam Ferris plays Harry's overbearing Aunt Marge; and Paul Whitehouse portrays Sir Caddogan, a Knight who becomes the temporary guardian of Gryffindor Tower.

Reprising their roles from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets are Daniel Radcliffe in the title role; Emma Watson as Hermione Granger; Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley; Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid; David Bradley as Argus Filch; Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy; Richard Griffiths as Uncle Vernon Dursley; Robert Hardy as Cornelius Fudge; Alan Rickman as Professor Snape; Fiona Shaw as Aunt Petunia Dursley; Dame Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall; Julie Walters as Mrs. Weasley; and Mark Williams as Mr. Weasley.

A photo included with the article is of Alfonso Cuaron and Daniel Radcliffe talking about a scene in front of the Knight Bus. To check out the photo, click on the following link: http://www.comingsoon.net/cgi-bin/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Fantasy/Harry_Potter/Harry_Potter_and_the_Prisoner_of_Azkaban&image=hp31.jpg&img=&tt=.

Enjoy! ;)

Ghostface 2000

02-22-2003, 04:44 AM

hope this film is better than the first and second.

dh1989

02-23-2003, 01:11 PM

The Scotsman has published an article about a disaster on the set of "Prisoner of Azkaban". Read......

http://www.images.scotsman.com/2003/02/23/2302fireb.jpg

The new Harry Potter movie yesterday set the heather alight, months before it is due to be seen by cinema audiences.

During filming, the veteran steam train cast as the Hogwarts Express sparked a fire which destroyed up to 50 acres of heather moorland and trees on a Highland hillside.

A helicopter had to be brought in to bomb the blaze with water as over 20 firefighters and forestry workers struggled to prevent the fire, close to the Glenfinnan Viaduct in the West Highlands, from spreading and causing more damage. At one stage, fire was raging along a one-mile front.

Film-makers working for Warner Brothers were filming scenes for the third Potter movie - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Filming was temporarily suspended in the wake of the fire.

The train is used as the Hogwarts Express, which, in the JK Rowling novels and the films, magically transports Harry and his fellow pupils to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It has been used in the previous two Harry Potter films.

Sparks flying from the wheels of the train or from its funnel are believed to have ignited tinder-dry undergrowth as the train completed a run over the 90ft-high viaduct towards Glenfinnan station. Unusually for February, the area has not had any rain for 10 days.

The film-makers must have wished they had access to the Hogwarts book of spells for a vanishing trick as the blaze, which started around 12.30pm, raged out of control.

Although four appliances from Fort William and Mallaig rushed to the scene, fire chiefs quickly decided that a helicopter was needed to tackle the fire.

A spokeswoman for the Highlands and Islands Fire Brigade said: "We have dealt with several fires of this type across the Highlands today, but the Glenfinnan incident is clearly the largest."

One eyewitness described the fire as "absolutely spectacular". He said: "It looked as though the whole hillside was going up in flames. It was amazing to see the smoke and the flames dominating the landscape."

The devastated hillside belongs to the Glenfinnan estates, which is being paid by Warners Brothers for access to its land for filming.

A spokeswoman for the estate said: "The fire had a front of about a mile in length at one point and got into a forestry plantation.

"I wouldn’t like to say what caused the fire. The crew are here filming Harry Potter and they have been reversing the Hogwarts Express backward and forward over the Glenfinnan Viaduct."

The picturesque railway line had been closed yesterday to accommodate the filming. ScotRail passengers were being diverted by bus.

Around 40 extras, children recruited from local primary and secondary schools, were sent home early.

Sandra MacCallum’s son Lewis was one of the children, aged between eight and 14, who are being paid £35 a day to be extras on the Hogwarts Express.

She said: "He has had a great time, but I don’t think the youngsters were there at the time the fire started. Its great money for the youngsters."

The steam engine that was being used is owned by the West Highland Railway company.

The West Highland scenery has already ‘starred’ in the two previous films - Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - with Glen Nevis and the Glenfinnan Viaduct being prominently used in some spectacular scenes.

Locals had welcomed the film-makers back with enthusiasm, as the exposure received for the area from its prominence in the second film created a tourism bonanza.

Highland councillors expect the area to bank at least £3m from the filming of the third instalment alone.

Around 400 cast and crew are involved in the production and planning permission has just been granted for massive film sets in Glencoe and Fort William. The Hogwarts School of Magic Wizardry will be built at Torren near Clachaig. The longer term tourist revenue is likely to dwarf the initial direct income.

Visitor numbers at the Wallace Monument in Stirling more than doubled after Braveheart, which involved six weeks of filming in Scotland, and Badenoch and Strathspey now markets itself as Monarch Country to cash in on the international success of the Monarch of the Glen television series.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, due out next year, marks the directorial debut in the Potter series of Mexican Alfonso Cuaron, taking over from Christopher Columbus.

It appears no one was hurt.

DevilMonkey

02-23-2003, 09:38 PM

That could have been a tragedy!

dh1989

02-28-2003, 08:15 PM

icSouthlondon has posted an article about PoA shooting.....

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/icsouthlondon/feb2003/1/4/0000CADC-3920-1E5F-AF2080BFB6FA0000.jpg

HARRY Potter is coming to south London to film part of the latest chapter in the epic saga due for release next year.

Last-minute preparations were being made to a set under the railway bridge at Borough Market this week, for one of the scenes from the long-awaited Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is due to be shot next week.

Workmen were putting together a temporary brick doorway leading into premises underneath the bridge to be featured in the final production.

This is the latest in a series of film and television productions to be set in the south London location, which have included Bridget Jones' Diary, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Entrapment, which starred Bafta award winner Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean Connery.

In this film, the third of the series of JK Rowling's popular Harry Potter books, the teenage wizard comes face-to-face with Sirius Black, an escapee of a notorious prison for wizards.

Yet again young Harry's life is put at risk by the followers of the evil wizard Voldermort, but fear not, the lad and his mates will undoubtedly save the day.

The part of Sirius Black is played by New Crossborn actor Gary Oldman, who was a student at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama in Sidcup from 1976 to 1979.

Timothy Spall, who lives in Honor Oak, is also appearing in the film as Peter Pettigrew.

And it seems the workmen are not new to the world of film, as painted along the ladder was the title of the most recent film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Winifred Joseph, assistant financial controller at Borough Market, said: "I can confirm that filming of the Harry Potter film will be taking place at the weekend, on Sunday.

"The Third Hand Book Emporium is not one of our shops, that is something the film crew has created."

dh1989

03-03-2003, 03:29 PM

http://www.harrypotterofilme.hpg.ig.com.br/index.html

Just look for this heading:

"EXCLUSIVO: Imagens do set de Harry Potter e o prisioneiro de Azkaban em Londres"

dh1989

03-05-2003, 09:50 AM

There is a large update today for all of you! All of these photos and news are here thanks to the best Potter website on the internet, "The Leaky Cauldron".......

First, here are some cool new photos from filming. Due to their immense size, I'll just post the links.....

Daniel Radcliffe films a scene in Diagon Alley! (http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/03/RadcliffeLeakyBack.jpg)

The crew films a scene involving STAN SHUNPIKE! (http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/03/StanShunpike.jpg)

The Knight Bus is parked during the day, awaiting the busy night shoots. (http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/03/KnightBusDay.jpg)

A crew films the Knight Bus. (http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/03/KnightBusNight.jpg)

Another shot of the Knight Bus being filmed. (http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/03/KnightBusNight2.jpg)

Click here to learn more about Jimmy Gardner, who shall play Ernie Prang, the Knight Bus driver, in the third Potter film! (http://www.pfd.co.uk/scripts/get.py/actors/?actors%20Jimmy%20Gardner)

Click here for CBBC Newsround's many pictures from the PoA set! (http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/pictures/galleries/newsid_2821000/2821587.stm)

Enjoy! :)

dh1989

03-07-2003, 04:30 PM

Sean Biggerstaff made it official today. He will not play Oliver Wood in the Harry Potter film. I'll miss him, he was great as Wood, and I wish him luck in all future projects!

dh1989

03-10-2003, 12:57 PM

Click here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/tv_film/newsid_2836000/2836097.stm) to read Potter fan's reactions to Sean Biggerstaff (Oliver Wood) not appearing in PoA.

Satchmo

03-11-2003, 01:53 AM

Does not having Oliver mean there will be no Quidditch. It better not , it's a important part of POA. If there is no Quidditch I will forever hate the new director , unless he manages to bring more Draco and Hermione into it of course.

Annie Hall

03-17-2003, 01:38 PM

I wonder why Biggerstaff decided not to come back? Sure, he's a cute fellow and's got a lovely accent...but, he's not exactly getting any Oscar nods anytime soon. :rolleyes:

CrimsonRiver

03-17-2003, 04:29 PM

It wasn't up to Sean. The "powers that be" said the character of Oliver Wood will not be in the movie.

dh1989

03-24-2003, 07:27 PM

The Leaky Cauldron has posted an interesting set report from the PoA shoot at King's Cross Station! Read it below.....

I heard a rumour about filming at King's Cross train station in London awhile back. It was supposedly taking place on Sunday March 23, 2003 at 7am.

On Sat, March 22, I happened to be going to London and the only way for me to get there is to take a train directly from Hatfield (where I live) to K. Cross. I was talking to my friend Sarah and she asked if I was going to go in the next day to see the filming. I said no because I wasn't sure if the filming was actually going on, and if I wasted my time and money and got up at the crack of dawn to go, and there was no filming, I would have cried.

So we got to London Sat. about noon and all looked normal in K. Cross. I decided I wasn't going to bother the next day.

We got back to K. Cross at 9 pm to go home and there it was: a giant sign in front of the footbridge over the tracks that said, "Closed due to filming." The footbridge was where they filmed Harry and Hagrid in the first movie.

I knew then and there that it was for real.

I got there Sundary morning and saw some guys walk by me with lighting equipment. I almost cried because they were bringing it to a truck outside.

Then I walked into the station and what did I see? Hogwarts Express, giantly purple with steam coming from it. And all the fancy Platform 9 3/4 signs on the walls.

There were only 4 or so other people there, one of them being the girl who wrote to BBC Newsround and TLC after seeing filming at Crescent Moon - I met her and she was cool.

Soon, we went down the platform next to the Express, with nothing between us and the filming crew/actors but the actual train. They literally filmed with us in the backround.. Then they kept doing takes of the same scene with us standing there in the backround! The train was leaving and all the people were waving bye.

We had to leave the platform after awhile and stood near the gate where the actors had to come and go if they had to "take a break".

Within 5 minutes, Mrs. Weasley (Julie Walters) went on break - after she came out I asked for her autograph and got it. She was really nice!

We kept seeing the doubles for Daniel and Emma - the real ones weren't there - but Dan's double is a spitting image of him.

Rupert Grint was there, the Phelps twins, who play Fred and George Weasley, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's actors, Walters and Mark Williams). I got Mr. Weasley's (Mark Williams) autograph and George's (Oliver Phelps) at the end of filming. Then, Rupert came out. He couldn't sign autographs, the guard wouldn't let him stop. There were only about 5 of us there though, no one else knew about the filming. But Rupert was two feet in front of my face, had to walk by me to leave the station. There were no crowds or anything at all.

And then, the guard gave me an 8x10 black and white photo of the trio, signed by all three of them.

So, all in all an exciting day, though it left me exhausted. But I don't mind at all!

dh1989

03-25-2003, 11:24 AM

The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has an article about a strike on the set of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that could cause some problems.....

Filming on the set of the new Harry Potter movie has been thrown into turmoil - after workers voted to strike over a pay row. Construction staff for Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban are due to walk out this Friday, only weeks after shooting started. British tabloid The Sun reports that talks between set painters, carpenters and builders, and film bosses broke down late last week. The construction personnel were demanding an eight per cent pay rise - but movie-makers Warner Bros allegedly refused. Now - with some parts of the set only half built - workers will be packing away their tools, which means filming will come to a complete halt until an agreement is reached. One worker on the Leavesden Studios set in Hertfordshire, England, told The Sun, "None of us have had a pay rise since we worked on the first Harry Potter film more than three years ago. We had a meeting on Friday and were told we weren't going to be getting any more money. Around 90 per cent of the construction team said they will walk out. We won't return until this is resolved. If that means the film is delayed reaching cinemas, so be it. The ball is in the bosses' court now."

dh1989

03-28-2003, 07:57 PM

I have two stories for you today! First, is a bit with Emma Watson, from Coming Soon!, about the physical changes of the child cast and how Hermione will change in the third film....

The powers behind the "Harry Potter" films have been concerned about their young stars growing out of their roles before they get all the movies made, report columnists Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith.

"I've grown loads, and so has everyone else. I definitely see changes in everyone," says 12-year-old Emma Watson, who plays Hermione. She just started filming Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, with Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, and says, "We're the same age as our characters - nobody is trying to make us look younger."

Watson says we'll be seeing lots more of her in the third film than the last time around. "You're going to see changes in Hermione. She actually becomes a bit of a rebel. She's not going to take anything from anybody else."

And here is a piece about the crisis on the set of PoA ended from This Is Hertfordshire!.....

Construction workers set to walk out of filming of the third instalment of Harry Potter have called off the strike.

The freelance painters, carpenters and builders were due to strike on Friday, March 28, following a pay dispute with filmmaker Warner Bros.

The workers, who claim they have not received a pay rise in four years, were demanding an eight per cent increase.

However, the strike was called off after their union, the Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU), reached an agreement with Warner Bros chiefs.

Filming of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban will continue as normal.

Assistant general secretary of BECTU Martin Spence was "absolutely delighted" with the proposal by Warner Bros, which has been accepted by members.

DevilMonkey

03-28-2003, 09:19 PM

DH I bet you feel like I'm I posting this for nothing because nobody else has anything else to say well i would like to thank you for keeping me up to date with the new harry potter film so what im saying is your not doing this for nothing *begins to cry*

dh1989

03-29-2003, 12:45 AM

Originally posted by DevilMonkey
DH I bet you feel like I'm I posting this for nothing because nobody else has anything else to say well i would like to thank you for keeping me up to date with the new harry potter film so what im saying is your not doing this for nothing *begins to cry*

Thanks, DevilMonkey! :)

dh1989

03-31-2003, 11:01 PM

CBBC Newsround has posted a great article about Hagrid's locations in PoA....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39032000/jpg/_39032565_hagridhouse.jpg

This pile of scaffolding is about to be magically turned into a hideaway for Hagrid for the third Harry Potter film.
The makers of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban have spent £2m on making a set for the film in Scotland.

Hagrid's hideaway is perched 3,000ft up a mountain in Glencoe. The set will also include the gatehouse to Harry's school, Hogwarts.

The Sunday Mirror newspaper also says 400 cast and crew members will be moving to Glencoe for the filming.

Potter 3 started shooting in February.

Old faves - including Daniel Radcliffe as Harry and Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid - have been joined by loads of new stars, including Gary Oldman as Sirius Black.

There have already been a few hiccups with the shoot. A fire in the Highlands halted filming and then some of the crew threatened to go on strike.

But everything's been sorted out now and Hagrid's hideaway will soon take shape.

Also, Coming Soon! has posted an article featuring quotes from producer David Heyman and GARY OLDMAN......

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban producer David Heyman spoke with the San Francisco Chronicle about the switch in directors.

WATCH OUT FOR SPOILERS!

Heyman pointed out that in "Prisoner of Azkaban," the third in the Potter series, Harry and his pals have become teenagers. "Alfonso dealt with boys at the end of adolescence in his last movie, and in 'Harry Potter' he will deal with boys at the beginning, so there's a logical connection," Heyman said. Cuaron will have more time to craft his "Potter" installment than his predecessor. "Prisoner of Azkaban" won't be out until June 2004.

Gary Oldman was also asked about his role as the prisoner of Azkaban...

Gary Oldman, not known for appearing in children's movies, shares title- role honors with Harry. Oldman plays Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, who was framed for the deaths of Harry's parents and banished to Azkaban without a trial. "It's great being on the set," he told us. "It's like joining a family."

dh1989

04-02-2003, 08:01 PM

Tons of PoA set news today!

First, The Leaky Cauldron has recieved a brief set report. Beware of some minor spoilers.....

We went along to the POA filming in Palmers green yesterday and got chatting to a man working on the film; he was telling us some of the scenes that had been shot already - the aunt Marge bit is slightly different from the book, apparently she floats out into the conservatory and then into the sky, Uncle Vernon grabs her ankle and the dog jumps at his. Also ... they've kept ... Snape dressed in woman's clothing when the students have their lesson about boggarts with Lupin. Oh and apparently the models of the Dementors are really scary.

Also, Palmers has posted a set report and some photos....

We went back to Palmers Green on Tuesday night and saw the huge lights pointing down at an area at the bottom of Hedge Lane (I think that's the road). It was a fairly typical London suburban area which I guess is what they want. Part of the road was blocked off from 1900-0000. We were told no actors would be there. Once again this was the 2nd unit and they were just shooting the KB driving down the road. We timed it well - after about 5 mins of waiting (in the freezing cold!!) they started shooting. THe bus pulls out of Larches raod and swings road the corner and up the road, tilting incredibly as it corned and swerved past on coming cars! They did 2 takes while we were there.

Just before leaving we walked round the back or Larches Road hoping to see the bus from a distance. But it was sooo much better. They let us go right up to it, take as many photos as we wanted. I had 2 photos taken of me holding the hand rail 'about to get on'!! :-) Looked inside - there were 3 simple beds downstairs with a chair near the front - I guess for Stan. Very basic - far from luxurious travel in every sense.

Here are their photos....

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/03/KBinside.jpg

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/03/KBbackclose2.jpg

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/03/KBcornering.jpg

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/03/KBdrivingtowards.jpg

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/03/KBcloseside.jpg

dh1989

04-02-2003, 08:15 PM

Also, I forgot to post these sweet pictures from MuggleNet.....

http://www.mugglenet.com/images/gettingready.jpg

http://www.mugglenet.com/images/harrytrunk.jpg

http://www.mugglenet.com/images/readycamera.jpg

http://www.mugglenet.com/images/nightknightbus.jpg

http://www.mugglenet.com/images/ernieatwheel.jpg

http://www.mugglenet.com/images/crowdinrain.jpg

http://www.mugglenet.com/images/knightmoving.jpg

http://www.mugglenet.com/images/extravehicles.jpg

http://www.mugglenet.com/images/twoknights.jpg

:)

dh1989

04-05-2003, 02:27 PM

The Mirror debuted a small article talking to Anna Friel, David Thewlis' girlfriend, talking about his role in the next Potter film.....

"David is just starting work on the new Harry Potter film, so we'll have even less time together. He is playing Professor Lupin and has now become the favourite with all our friends who've got kids. Their eyes are huge with awe at the fact that David is going to be meeting Harry Potter. It will be brilliant - I'm really excited for him.

It will be nice to say to our kids one day, 'look there's Daddy,' especially with Gary Oldman and Michael Gambon, who is taking over the Richard Harris role of Professor Dumbledore. But I won't be as popluar as he is - the girlfriend of Professor Lupin doesn't sound quite as cool."

:)

Ghostface 2000

04-06-2003, 03:39 PM

Those pictures look great!!

DevilMonkey

04-06-2003, 04:50 PM

This movie is going to be by far the most magical based on just those pictures.

Horror whore

04-09-2003, 07:58 PM

I thought some of you might4 fight this interesting, I read it at BBC Newsround:

"Before Tuesday's launch Heyman says they finished a scene in the Gryffindor Common Room where Professor McGonagall is furious after Neville has left the password list lying aorund, as well as some of the Boggart scene."

DevilMonkey

04-09-2003, 08:50 PM

Originally posted by Horror whore
"Boggart scene."

:):):)

dh1989

04-09-2003, 09:25 PM

Originally posted by Horror whore
"Before Tuesday's launch Heyman says they finished a scene in the Gryffindor Common Room where Professor McGonagall is furious after Neville has left the password list lying aorund, as well as some of the Boggart scene."

That single paragraph makes me so incredibly happy. The Boggart scene was very clever and one the funnest scene in PoA. It'll be a dark film, but this great scene should provide some nice laughs for the audience. Very exciting news. Thanks Horror Whore! :)

DevilMonkey

04-09-2003, 09:38 PM

Originally posted by dh1989
That single paragraph makes me so incredibly happy. The Boggart scene was very clever and one the funnest scene in PoA. It'll be a dark film, but this great scene should provide some nice laughs for the audience. Very exciting news. Thanks Horror Whore! :)

Including comic relif

dh1989

04-09-2003, 09:55 PM

CBBC Newsround covered the CoS DVD launch. While talking to the stars, the topic of shooting PoA naturally came up. Here's the great article....

Rupert Grint couldn't be happier.

No, not because it's finally dawned on him that he's one of the Big Three actors in one of the most successful films of all time.

Or because he's got an army of girl fans following his every move.

But because, simply, he doesn't have to go to school.

Fair enough.

The Ron Weasley actor is back on the set of Harry Potter 3, where he belongs.

"I'm having so much fun," he told Newsround. "Filming is sooo much better than school, it's so good to get back to it.

'Suck up'

"We've been doing it for six weeks now and we're having such a laugh. It's weird - me, Daniel and Emma get on really, really well now. They're cool.

"I had to go back to school for a bit. My friends were great - it's the teachers who are the problem. They suck up a bit. I'm sorry!"

Rupert may be in the thick of filming the Prisoner of Azkaban right now, but that doesn't give him any privileges with a certain JK Rowling. He said he "couldn't wait" for book five, but he'd have to go out and buy it like the rest of us.

No sneak previews for the stars then!

Rupert's on-screen brothers, Chris Rankin (Percy) and Oliver and James Phelps (the twins), were almost as happy to be back filming. But they were quick to put young Rupert in his place.

"Rupert's a little brat!" Chris joked. "Filming's awful 'cos he's such a horrible child. Only joking Rupert!"

The twins added: "Being on set is just like going back to school. Everyone's like, 'hi, did you have a nice summer?' It's such a laugh."

Emma Watson, who plays Hermione Granger, said she was ecstatic to be back on the set of Potter 3, even though filming is pretty time consuming.

"It does take up a lot of your life," she told Newsround. "But it's worth it. It's a fantastic experience.

"I completely understand that I've been handed this on a silver plate. But it's really cool."

All of the young cast have had to cope with massive attention since the Philosopher's Stone came out in 2001. And some cope with it differently to others.

Sean Biggerstaff, who plays Quidditch heartthrob Oliver Wood, reckons he has a sneaky way of hiding from fans.

He told Newsround: "I avoid it by going out in disguise. I wear a beard and long hair, so it's not a problem for me!"

But Sean's cool about not being not being in Potter 3, even though his dedicated fans started a petition to keep him in it.

"It's a huge book, something has to go. It's fair enough. I wish them all well, but I might be back!" he said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39070000/jpg/_39070993_potter_group300.jpg

DevilMonkey

04-09-2003, 09:58 PM

I read that over on btheat site Horor Whore gave a link to interesting stuff if you ask me BTW DH ireally like how you color your words.

Ghostface 2000

04-13-2003, 04:08 PM

it's a shame that we have to wait till 2004 to Harry Potter & the Prisioner of Azkaban.

dh1989

04-13-2003, 05:06 PM

The Leaky Cauldron has revealed new PoA casting tidbits!

http://www.sonyclassics.com/afterglow/castcrew/christie-photo.jpg

Julie Christie ("Doctor Zhivago"), pictured above, will portray Madam Rosmerta, the barmaid at The Three Broomsticks, Hogsmeade's number one spot for butterbeer, in the 2004 Warner Brothers release "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"

http://www.the-jps.co.uk/themes/images/vicar.jpg

Comedian Dawn French ("Maybe Baby"), pictured above, will portray The Fat Lady, the portrait who protects the Gryffindor common room at Hogwarts, in the 2004 Warner Brothers release "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

I wonder why Elizabeth Spriggs, the actress who played The Fat Lady in the first Potter film, can not return. The only logical explanation could be she is busy with here British television show "Swiss Toni". Too bad, she was quite good, but I've heard many people say French is hilarious, so this is good news, I suppose. :)

bowieee

04-16-2003, 05:30 PM

Woah....

I didn't know filming had even been greenlit yet and look at all the progress they made. I just read all 4 pages of this thread and dh I want to say thank you for all your research and time it really really brought me up to date with this movie :)

I'm going to try to become a regular on this thread now that I've discovered it. The third installment was by far my favourite of the series and the one I have always looked foward to wanting to see on the big screen.

dh1989

04-22-2003, 02:00 PM

Originally posted by bowieee
dh I want to say thank you for all your research and time it really really brought me up to date with this movie :)

Thanks, it is great to have a new reader! :)

Here is some new news from CBBC Newsround....

With filming going well for The Prisoner of Azkaban, more sneak preview snaps are coming out showing various bits of set.

And we have got our hands on exclusive pictures of Hagrid's hut, some mysterious pumpkins and a spooky scarecrow which will have Potter fans wondering!

Recently you might have seen pictures in newspapers showing what was reported to be Hagrid's mountain hideaway.

The snaps, showing a hut surrounded with scaffolding, were taken from a film set in Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands.

But our exclusive pictures show the almost-completed hut.

And it's not Hagrid's "hideaway"!

It is in fact Hagrid's hut in Hogwarts' grounds.

As well as that, you can see loads of pumpkins and a scarecrow dressed in a Hogwarts uniform.

Professional photographer, Luke, who took the photos told CBBC Newsround's website: "Glencoe is quite a popular snowboarding and skiing place.

"You can see where the hut has been built from the road going up to one of big hotels there."

He had already been there once to snap the hut when it was being built.

But he told us: "The second time I went there, I went up and around the hill behind. You can't see that bit from the road."

Luke also told us there were loads and loads of boxes labelled "pumpkins" around the set.

Perhaps the pumpkins are for scenes leading up to Hallowe'en and Sirius Black attacks?

Or are they there for bits featuring Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures lessons?

You can also see in the main picture there are two spires. That's because two huts have been built there so scenes can be filmed in different ways.

We can't wait for more!

Here is the photo of Hagrid's renovated hut....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39125000/jpg/_39125653_hagrid300.jpg

And the pumpkins and scarecrow.....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39125000/jpg/_39125657_hagrid150.jpg

Horror whore

04-22-2003, 03:35 PM

So why are they building Hagrid's hut again?

Ghostface 2000

04-23-2003, 05:36 AM

i'm glad that dawn french is in it because she is a great actress/comedian.

CrimsonRiver

04-23-2003, 07:14 PM

I can't say whether this is 100% reliable, but in an article in a German magazine, available with a partial translation at

http://www.danielradcliffeexposed.com/

Daniel mentions a "quidditch match in which the special effects will put everything in the shade--It's called: Quidditch in Lightning and thunder! Also Heyman says its 90% sure that Daniel will be back for the fourth movie (translation wrongly says 3rd)

bowieee

04-24-2003, 10:12 PM

I like that new look for hagrids shack but I'm sort of scared what sort of visual direction this new director will take.... Way back when the first movie was coming out I had full faith in christopher columbus due to his track record but this guy I 'm not so sure about *gulp*

Pllllease be good :)

dh1989

04-25-2003, 08:11 AM

Originally posted by bowieee
this guy I 'm not so sure about *gulp*

If you get the chance to check out Y Tu Mama Tambien or A Little Princess, that should give you confidence that Alfonso Cuaron can deliver a superb Harry Potter film.

Horror whore

04-25-2003, 03:52 PM

A Quidditch match during a storm would be uber cool! It was during a storm in the book but I'd think it'd be pretty hard to film... (How do they film Quidditch anyway? I've never seen any pictures of the crew filming any part of a Quiditch scene...) It'd be the perfect atmosphere for the dementors to enter and for Harry to fall off his broom...

movies35

04-25-2003, 06:03 PM

DevilMonkey

04-25-2003, 07:36 PM

Originally posted by Horror whore
A Quidditch match during a storm would be uber cool! It was during a storm in the book but I'd think it'd be pretty hard to film... (How do they film Quidditch anyway? I've never seen any pictures of the crew filming any part of a Quiditch scene...) It'd be the perfect atmosphere for the dementors to enter and for Harry to fall off his broom... They will have the quidditch in a storm :) and they film qudditch by having the kids sit on broomsticks in a green room with a fan blowinjg in their face, and them making silly fces (like ah! BLUDGER!) And then I think they film people in crowds then in the end they put them all together to create a scene of quidditch , I think :)

Horror whore

04-25-2003, 08:20 PM

Originally posted by DevilMonkey
They will have the quidditch in a storm :) and they film qudditch by having the kids sit on broomsticks in a green room with a fan blowinjg in their face, and them making silly fces (like ah! BLUDGER!) And then I think they film people in crowds then in the end they put them all together to create a scene of quidditch , I think :)

That's what I thought too... It'd be nice to see some footage of them filming it though, but since the DVD is made for 5 year-olds there isn't any footage like that on the DVDs.

DevilMonkey

04-25-2003, 10:30 PM

Originally posted by Horror whore
That's what I thought too... It'd be nice to see some footage of them filming it though, but since the DVD is made for 5 year-olds there isn't any footage like that on the DVDs.

You are correct, sadly...

bowieee

04-29-2003, 02:54 AM

I've got the attention span of a 5 year old so they go down well with me ;)

dh1989

04-29-2003, 08:27 AM

I agree that a Quidditch game in a rough storm would be pretty cool, but I doubt it'll happen. Due to the fact that Oliver Wood is not returning to play Oliver Wood in the third film, I doubt Quidditch will be in it at all. It is a long book, some things need to go to make sure it is a suitable length.... :)

***

Here is an article from The Electronic Herald (UK) about Harry Potter fans in Glencoe stealing from the set of "The Prisoner of Azkaban"....

Souvenir hunters have spirited away some of the props from the Harry Potter film set in Glencoe.

Security has been stepped up after polystyrene pumpkins and plaster rocks were removed or vandalised.

Film company construction crews have been working with local tradesmen to construct a Harry Potter land near the Clachaig Gully.

Filming on location for Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban is due to start next weekend, and 350 members of cast and crew have been drafted in to Glencoe and the surrounding area.

However, sightseers, souvenir hunters - and vandals - have not been thwarted by any of Harry Potter's magic spells.

Much of the set, including Hagrid's Hut - the hexagonal stone structure Robbie Coltrane's character lives in - is built so close to the A82 Glasgow to Fort William trunk road it has become a visitor attraction.

Alongside the hut is a Sundial Garden, Pumpkin Patch and a Scarecrow. On the mountainside above is a huge turreted gatehouse and a massive staircase walkway leading through an Archway to Nowhere, which actually looks across to Ben Nevis.

The problem of pilfering may be down to the fact that part of the set is on a mountain-track right of way for walkers, climbers and mountaineers.

Here is an article about Mr. Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) from The Age (Australia). Most of it is about his turn as Mr. Darling/Captain Hook in the upcoming Peter Pan, but he does shed some light on his thoughts about Mr. Malfoy and the Potter filming experience.....

And last year, he gained a foothold in the Harry Potter series by playing wily wizard Lucius Malfoy, who is the white-haired father of Draco (played by Tom Felton) and an active Death Eater who keeps a secret chamber under his drawing room to conceal his Dark Arts equipment.

"I try not to be a cartoon but obviously he's a particularly unctuous man with some repulsive, disgusting views," says Isaacs when asked how he approached his role in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. "But currently - and certainly at the time - it seems to me that there were people like that getting elected all over Europe. With all these right-wing politicians and racist anti-immigration rants everywhere, it just didn't seem that farfetched that a leader of men would be talking about these things."

As for the challenge of working alongside the film's top-shelf cast, most of whom had already teamed up for the first Harry Potter film? "On the one hand you get a film like this with all those beautiful British characters and what I'm trying to do is outham them all," says Isaacs. "On the other hand, in order to pull it all off you've got to find something real about this guy."

Chamber of Secrets, which has just been released in Australia on DVD, is likely to be the first of several Isaac appearances in the Potter films, but almost certainly won't be his last. Although Malfoy doesn't appear in the upcoming Prisoner of Azkaban, he is set to return in the subsequent Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

dh1989

05-05-2003, 11:00 PM

CNN has posted a long piece about composer John Williams (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Hook). For some time, Williams was telling the press he had not been signed to score PoA, but it is now confirmed. Most of the article (http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/05/john.williams/index.html) is about his work on Speilberg's projects, like Catch Me If You Can. Here is the part that confirms the PoA news....

And the indefatigable composer shows no signs of slowing down. In addition to the upcoming "Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban," he's looking forward to some more projects with Spielberg, with whom he's worked regularly since the 1970s.

dh1989

05-15-2003, 10:42 AM

The Snitch has posted the first photos ever of the Dementors....!

http://www.thesnitch.co.uk/galleries/POA/Movie%20Images//Possible%20first%20look%20at%20dementors.jpg

WOW! :)

Jedi

05-15-2003, 11:18 AM

Originally posted by dh1989
The Snitch has posted the first photos ever of the Dementors....!

WOW! :)

Oh
My
God!

I though that there would b never a movie to better The Chamber of Secrets but the early stuff posted about Prisoner of Azkaban is fantastic. The Knight Bus was very cool but the dementors are..

Oh
My
God! :D

Jedi

05-15-2003, 11:21 AM

dh, I need a favor, whether through this thread or a private message, can you tell me about the main websites through which I can follow the HP news or read\see some cool stuff about the movies or the books?
I'll be some thankful!

PS: Great job on this thread :):):):):)

xirtam

05-15-2003, 04:57 PM

There is no way this movie will get anything lower than PG-13...

DevilMonkey

05-15-2003, 07:02 PM

Originally posted by xirtam
There is no way this movie will get anything lower than PG-13... In a uncle vernon voice:

To right you are.

I can not believe how fricking awsome that pic of the dementors is.... It shall soon be my new avatar if anyone will make it for me.... I am so psched! I love that pic! I feel like crying... I just clapped.

Horror whore

05-15-2003, 09:36 PM

Originally posted by DevilMonkey

I can not believe how fricking awsome that pic of the dementors is.... It shall soon be my new avatar if anyone will make it for me.... I am so psched! I love that pic! I feel like crying... I just clapped.

I have no words.... Okay, I do, AMAZING! And I want it as my avatar too, I guess we'll both have the same one! :)

dh1989

05-19-2003, 12:07 PM

Here is a small blurb from The Daily Express about the animals in the "Harry Potter" films.....

Animal trainer Julie Tottman, 32, gave the £1,000 hound a home and job after its owner took ill. He already played back-up in the second Potter film and this is his first time as lead dog.

A second mastiff named Hugo has retired as Hagrid's pet, with a third, Bella on the sidelines.

Julie, who runs Herefordshire-based Birds and Animals, said: "This breed is very strong willed and don't make good family pets, but they can be very loving."

Animals are all over the Harry Potter set, including a fox, raven, snowy owls and budgies. A Warner Brothers spokesman said: "Two other stand-in mastiffs were also rescued, one as the result of a divorce, the other because of bad treatment".

Jedi

05-19-2003, 02:46 PM

Originally posted by Horror whore
I have no words.... Okay, I do, AMAZING! And I want it as my avatar too, I guess we'll both have the same one! :)

:( I was going to make it my avatar too!
Next new hot pic will be MINE! :D

dh1989

05-20-2003, 09:43 AM

Here is today's update on the film adaptation of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"......

First, this is an update on the shooting from CBBC Newsround.....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39239000/jpg/_39239617_potter300.jpg

Harry Potter magic is once again casting a spell over tourism in the UK as Potter spotters flock to filming in the Highlands.

Over 400 cast and crew have set up camp around Glencoe where a huge open-air set has been built on the side of a mountain.

And local towns and villages are noticing how good it's all been for their businesses since filming started properly on Thursday.

Muggles from all over the country have been winging their way to the Highlands for a glimpse of the magic being created there.

Hagrid's hut has been built and there is a smallish castle structure too, says one local councillor.

He told the BBC: "The set looks wonderful - many people locally want to keep it but planners have said no."

The same thing happened with the first two Potter flicks. Filming took place in different places around the country, including Alnwick Castle in Northumberland.

Fans flocked to have their photos taken where Ron and Harry stood in the films.

And what that meant was the hotels and shops in those areas also had loads more visitors.

But Glencoe is no stranger to big Hollywood stars setting up home in their towns.

The scenery of Glencoe is extremely dramatic and ghostly. It's full of history and has been used in films for over 30 years.

Braveheart, Rob Roy and Highlander have all been filmed there.

The release date for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban hasn't been decided on, but it's thought it will hit our screens sometime in 2004.

Second is a update from the local Glencoe paper, Lochaber, on the shooting......

Harry Potter’s Hogwarts School has banned new pupils, film bosses have revealed
Dozens of youngsters want to be among the new intake at the famous school of magic and earn themselves a place alongside the young wizard and his friends.
But they’ve been told they’re not welcome.
And it’s got nothing to do with Harry’s arch-enemy the evil Draco Malfoy or Professor Snape – the move is down to studio bosses filming Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban at Glencoe.
Warner Brothers has been inundated with requests from kids and parents to be extras on set during the location shoot in the gloomy glen.
The scheduled start to the filming by Warner Brothers put on hold until today (Thursday) after incessant rain in Lochaber which even Harry couldn’t magic away!
But even the odd touch of snow hasn’t put off keen kids who want to appear as extras in next summer’s blockbuster.
Warner Brothers’ spokeswoman Vanessa Davies said yesterday: “We would say to children or adults who want to come along: ‘Please don’t think
there’s any chance that you’re going in the film’.
“We are getting calls from kids or parents or schools asking if they can come along to the film set and be extras.
“We do not have any need for them. We just don’t want children to come along and be disappointed.
“We don’t need that many to be involved as we have scenes that don’t require many extras.
“When you have children you are required to apply to the local council for a licence – what we are trying to do is discourage kids from coming along.”
Today (Thursday) 40 local schoolchildren who have parts as Harry’s disciples are hoping the cameras will capture them in Glencoe.
The 20 boys and 20 girls, all aged 13-14, who will be dressed in wizard and witch costumes are all agog at the prospect of their screen debuts.
They will feature mainly in the Sundial Garden outside Hagrid’s Hut.
Ms Davies said big names like Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) have been in the area.
She added: “It’s going extremely well and everyone has been incredibly kind.
“Obviously we have had loads of children around and from coverage in the newspapers you can see that Robbie Coltrane has been here.
“The rain has not actually stopped filming – any film production that goes on has scenes that you can shoot should it rain.
“We have been filming for the last few days and once the summer comes back out we will be back out.”
An insider confirmed it is expected the film crew will remain in the area for the next few weeks.
But locals said it was too wet in Glencoe for Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), his pals Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), Draco Malfoy (Tom Fenton), and Coltrane to venture out on location.
Outdoor sequences were due to be shot at the elaborately constructed set in Clachaig Gully and contingency plans made to shoot indoors at the huge auction market complex at Fort William.
But the cast and crew were hopeful of seeing cameras rolling at Lochailort and Hagrid’s Hut.
Finishing touches were put to Hagrid’s Hut over the weekend with on the mountainside above, a frontage of Hogwart’s School.
Towering above the hexagonal hut and the Sundial Garden, which now has its Pumpkin Patch and Scarecrow in place, is a turreted gatehouse and a staircase which leads through an Archway to Nowhere.
However, there was some last-minute battling against the elements – and the slopes – to get a series of Standing Stones – to actually stand.
And a few days ago Harry’s “Hypogriff”, the half-bird, half-horse contraption on which he rides majestically around, was moved onto the Glencoe set.
This is understood to be the most expensive piece of electronic gadgetry ever used in a film – and that’s including the complicated technology so beloved of the James Bond moviemakers.
So far this month, there has not been a dry day in nearby Fort William, the town which usually records the highest annual amount of rain – around 80 inches – in the UK.
And yesterday cast and crew put in an appearance at the Lochaber Rural Complex at Torlundy.
Warner Brothers have hired the huge auction mart building there to provide them with wet weather cover for indoor filming.
Harry and his pal, Ron, and Robbie Coltrane, were in evidence for a time.

Have a good day!

dh1989

05-22-2003, 09:11 AM

The Leaky Cauldron has posted 3 new photos from the set of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban......

Here are two pictures of Hagrid's re-designed hut....

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/MTarchives/images/2003/5/hut.jpg

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/MTarchives/images/2003/5/hut2.jpg

The final photo is of the gatehouse where the Dementors reside.....

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/MTarchives/images/2003/5/shack.jpg

dh1989

05-24-2003, 11:15 AM

Here is today's PoA update......

Here is an article on Cho Chang's film appearance and a small bit o' casting news from CBBC Newsround......

Poor old Daniel Radcliffe - the Harry Potter star won't be getting any love action until the fourth Potter movie.

Cho Chang won't be making an appearance in the film version of the Prisoner of Azkaban.

The Ravenclaw Seeker will be joining Oliver Wood in the list of Quidditch no-shows for the third film in the series, according to a studio insider.

It means that fans will have to wait until the Goblet of Fire hits the screen for their first glimpse of the girl that Harry develops a crush on.

Filming on Azkaban has been continuing in the Scottish Highlands, and a film set insider tells us that the small role of MacNair the Executioner is being played by little-known actor Peter Best.

The movie of Prisoner of Azkaban will be in cinemas sometime in 2004.

:(

And here is a bit of release date news from The Leaky Cauldron......

We've just received a release that confirms the rumored date of June 4, 2004 for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban's release date. Now, this came through the US instead of the UK, and confirmation with WB is still pending, but this is the first official anything we've received on that date. So pencil in an "X" on the calendar and stay tuned.

EDIT: Early word is that this is still wishful thinking by PR companies and no one's really made the decision yet. It could very well be that the companies just need a placeholder, which is why this date is being thrown around. In any event, that's what's being used as "official" for now, and we'll let you know when we hear from the WB.

DevilMonkey

05-24-2003, 03:48 PM

June 4, 2004 is a thursday! I that turns out to be the day I'l be very happy. that would be great if it does a thing like the matrix or Star wars with a thursday opening, As for the Cho news it stinks!

dh1989

05-25-2003, 03:11 PM

Here is the first image (However, blurry) of Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) on the set of Alfonso Cuaron's "The Prisoner of Azkaban" from The Snitch.......

http://www.thesnitch.co.uk/news/images/rhhonset.jpg

dh1989

06-03-2003, 03:41 PM

"The Sorcerer's Stone" and "The Chamber of Secrets" are on DVD. "The Order Of The Phoenix" will be available for sale in less than 20 days. And "The Prisoner of Azkaban" is shooting for release on June 4th, 2004 (Tommorow, it'll be exactly a year away...!). It is an exciting time for all Harry Potter fans. And if you want an HP fix, read on, because today has tons of exciting PoA film news.....

First, is an article from CBBC Newsround about the Potter cast and crew vacating Scotland, where they were shooting on location.....

It's looking likely the next Harry Potter flicks won't be filmed in the Scottish Highlands because of the weather and midges.

The rain's been so bad, shooting of the Prisoner of Azkaban in Glencoe is at least two weeks behind schedule, says the Express newspaper.

And as well as the rain, the cast and crew have been scratching themselves silly because of the infamous midges.

The mini-flies are well-known in Scotland and not even the most powerful spell seems to be able to stop the swarms which really bite.

Three weeks of heavy rain has made the ground of the set, built on a mountainside, so slippery it's dangerous to use parts of it.

Dan, Rupert, Emma and Hagrid were to be taken up there by a special mountain car, but it's too wet even for that.

The newspaper says the filmmakers have had to take apart a huge part of the set - Hogwarts Bridge - and rebuild it in an indoor studio back in England.

The bridge cost a lot of money to build in the first place.

The annoying thing is, while the mountainside set - which includes Hagrid's hut - was being built the weather was perfect!

Second, GREAT NEWS! Despite early reports, the brilliant music composer, John Williams, will score "The Prisoner of Azkaban".....

Conductor-composer extraordinaire John Williams has signed on to write the score for the next Harry Potter film, which recently began production and is due out next year. Williams supervised the music for the first two movies, but for ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' he's actually writing it. (If all goes well, he'll do the score for ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,'' the fourth film based on J.K. Rowling's novels.) Williams is booked for a slew of movies in 2005, including Steven Spielberg's remake of ''The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'' slated to star Jim Carrey, and ''Indiana Jones IV'' and ''Star Wars: Episode III.''

Finally, a bit from a bitter filmmaker who was a nominee for the gig of directing "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone".....

[Alan] Parker ("The Life Of David Gale"), who finished the book during an "enforced hiatus" caused by threatened actors' and writers' strikes in America, revealed he had been approached to direct the first Harry Potter film but had been "auditioned in a late night phone call from LA after I had one or two glasses of white wine.

"I think I would have made a better film," he quipped.

:)

dh1989

06-17-2003, 05:30 PM

What is the password for a long PoA article with new, high-quality photos?

"Pig snout" (http://www.digicasey.com/MovieMagicB.html)

DevilMonkey

06-17-2003, 06:21 PM

It all looks great, but...... Thats not the Dumbledore I know :(

dh1989

06-17-2003, 07:15 PM

Originally posted by DevilMonkey
It all looks great, but...... Thats not the Dumbledore I know :(

I hope this does not offend anyone, but, I must say, Michael Gambon is a much better actor than Richard Harris, who was amazing, though. I have no doubt that Gambon will deliver an amazing performance as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

DevilMonkey

06-17-2003, 07:22 PM

Originally posted by dh1989
I hope this does not offend anyone, but, I must say, Michael Gambon is a much better actor than Richard Harris, who was amazing, though. I have no doubt that Gambon will deliver an amazing performance as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

I'm not offended but when I read the books I have the charcters in my head and the new dumbledore looks weird because I'm so used to the old one.

dh1989

06-17-2003, 07:26 PM

Originally posted by DevilMonkey
I'm not offended but when I read the books I have the charcters in my head and the new dumbledore looks weird because I'm so used to the old one.

Um... How do you know if he looks "weird"?! I mean, we haven't seen a shot of him in costume or with the beard on, minus a wet one completely covered by wrapping. Please explain.

DevilMonkey

06-17-2003, 07:29 PM

Oh, wow... I went back to the site and that was Harris in the dumbledore suit.... He looked weird in that pic.... Sorry bout that.

Horror whore

06-17-2003, 10:41 PM

There was a big debate about that picture over on the TLC comment boards. It turns our that actually is Michael Gambon, if you look closely enough you should be able to see it's actually his face. He looks good, it's not very noticable at all....

DevilMonkey

06-18-2003, 12:37 AM

Originally posted by Horror whore
There was a big debate about that picture over on the TLC comment boards. It turns our that actually is Michael Gambon, if you look closely enough you should be able to see it's actually his face. He looks good, it's not very noticable at all....

Thats what i thought but I read the caption and said it was Harris... I think the Dumbledore looks weird.

dh1989

07-05-2003, 08:50 PM

There's a rumor floating around the internet that the first teaser for PoA will be attached to November's The Matrix Revolutions, starring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne. Harry Potter fansite The Leaky Cauldron is working to try and verify this.

Personally, I don't believe this for 2 reasons. Revolutions is is practically guaranteed to recieve an "R" rating from the MPAA, while PoA is likely to recieve a "PG" or, possibly, a "PG-13." Also, AOL Time Warner could wait a month and release the trailer with their "PG-13" fantasy adventure, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

In other news, The Snitch has posted new pictures from the PoA set. Why was the word "new" in itallics? They were taken 2 and 1/2 months ago on the Privet Drive set, but were just uploaded...

http://www.thesnitch.co.uk/news/newpics/1.jpg

http://www.thesnitch.co.uk/news/newpics/2.jpg

http://www.thesnitch.co.uk/news/newpics/3.jpg

http://www.thesnitch.co.uk/news/newpics/4.jpg

Horror whore

07-14-2003, 03:16 PM

Remember that Dementor picture from a while back?!?! Well, it wasn't real:

http://img-nex.theonering.net/images/scrapbook/7105.jpg

dh1989

07-15-2003, 02:37 AM

Wow! That shocks me. I am suprised the WB never released an official statement, saying it was a rip. I mean, if someone took Michael Gambon's head, and pasted it on the body of a Playgirl model, and said "This is Dumbledore's new look!," everyone would know it was untrue, and roll their eyes, but that was a stunning PhotoShop piece, that many, all over the HP internet sites, believed was real. Honestly, thinking back, I feel like an idiot. I should've known that the picture was too highly-stylized to be a quick snap from an intruder on the set, but I jumped to conclusions, and believed it. I am sorry everyone. :( From this time on, I'll be more selective of what I post.

DevilMonkey

07-15-2003, 06:29 AM

Originally posted by Horror whore
Remember that Dementor picture from a while back?!?! Well, it wasn't real:

http://img-nex.theonering.net/images/scrapbook/7105.jpg

That stinks like crazy, I thought that those things looked absolutely picture perfect except I thought they should be taller,well cant wait for the real dementor pics!

Horror whore

07-15-2003, 09:37 AM

AINC posted some new rumors:

"Okay, first of all, looks like those Dementors pictures last week were indeed superfake. TheOneRing.net ran a very effective proof of this that showed how they were doctored up. That’s good news, though. The e-mails I got from the effects guys working on the Dementors make it sound like they’re something very, very different."

and

"The look is much much darker and creepier, the sets are the same but the lighting etc is much more shadowy

The scenes she saw were pam ferris being blown up, the initial train scenes with the dementors (who hadnt been put in yet), michael gambon as dumbledore (more commanding, threatening and moody), and a scene with dumbledore racing upstairs which she thought looked a bit odd as you wouldnt think he would be so nimble.

There was more but she hasnt read the books so she couldnt really say what they were.

Gary Oldman as Sirius is as described in book – really greasy long black hair and shabby clothes. The werewolf is enormous and the different heads for the transformation are quite horrific. She thinks that this might get a twelve rating over here. The animagus sirius is also huge and effective with someone inside controlling the animatronics."

dh1989

07-15-2003, 02:26 PM

I wonder if that footage is the same that is going to be shown this Saturday in San Diego at the big Comic-Con?

BTW, thanks for the report, 'Horror Whore'!

Horror whore

07-15-2003, 04:15 PM

Originally posted by dh1989
I wonder if that footage is the same that is going to be shown this Saturday in San Diego at the big Comic-Con?

BTW, thanks for the report, 'Horror Whore'!

You're very welcome.

I think that report came from the set so I'd bet they'll be seeing something different at the Comic Con...

dh1989

07-15-2003, 04:25 PM

Originally posted by Horror whore
I think that report came from the set so I'd bet they'll be seeing something different at the Comic Con...

You're probably right.

Now that I think about it, I doubt the WB would show the werewolf at the Comic-Con. It'd be a large spoiler, and might be something they want to keep under-wraps, similar to the CoS situation, where they used the Pixies and Mandrakes in the trailers, but kept the Basilisk and, to an extent, the Acromantulas secret.

Horror whore

07-16-2003, 03:27 PM

WOOOO-HOOOOO!

The first trailer for PoA will before...........

Looney Tunes: Back In Action

Not a movie I planned on seeing but I sure as hell will now!

It opens November 14th.... Only 4 months away..... :(:o :eek:

dh1989

07-17-2003, 02:55 AM

To me, that's good news and bad news. The good part is that we'll see official footage from the film, the bad news is the film looks pretty mediocre, and wasn't something I was planning to see until DVD, but now, I'll be at my theatre's first showing of it! :)

***

Here is some news, all from the Harry Potter Automatic News Aggregator!

A giant 'Potter' fan who is terminally ill experiences a dream come true....

The Make-A-Wish Foundation in Canada granted 17-year-old Candy hers: to visit England and experience the world of Harry Potter. With the help of Rogers Video and British Airways, the teen celebrated her 18th birthday with the cast and crew of the new Harry Potter movie, Prisoner of Azkaban!

Candy has a very rare and life-threatening blood disorder called Thalassemia. Ever since she was eight years old, she has wanted to see the sights of England. When the Harry Potter books and movies came out, she was enthralled and wanted more than ever to see this country and experience the world of the Hogwarts School of Wizardry.

Second, is a report on the fate of Hagrid's hut....

Harry Potter character Rubeus Hagrid's home is to be demolished - despite a plea from TV star Jimmy Savile. Savile, who has a home in Glencoe, hoped the Sundial Garden, Hagrid's hut, the castle gatehouse and the Bridge to Nowhere built for the third film would be allowed to stay there as a tourist attraction. But Warner Brothers are obliged to return the local landscape to its wild, natural state under a deal with Highland Council planners.

Third, is a report on PoA's 'competition' (HA! ;)) on opening day, June 4th, 2004....

June 4, 2004 is confirmed for the release date of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and an orange feline of comic strip-fame, Garfield, may be going up against the wizard. Greg Dean Schmitz of Yahoo! Movies gives us an update:

This movie has been slated for June, 2004 for about a year now, but only now do we know the specific date... June 4th. Another family-friendly movie, Garfield, had already lain claim to that date, but I expect the orange kitty movie will be padding off to another location to avoid the box office behemoth that is a new Harry Potter movie.

Fourth, and most exciting, are comments from actors Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley) and Harry Melling (Dudley Dursley) about the 3rd film....

Brazilian site Omelete in May interviewed Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley) and Harry Melling (Dudley) at the Chamber of Secrets DVD release party. Some revealing details seemed to have slipped under the radar at the time, but thanks to Potterish.com, they have surfaced.....

During the launch party of the Chamber of Secrets DVD, Omelete (the site), had the oportunity to talk with some of the actors of the series. Read below for the interview with Richard Griffins (Uncle Vernon) and Harry Melling (Dudley.)

Omelete: Are you guys already filming with Alfonso Cuarón?

Richard Griffiths: To tell you the truth, we're already done. The only reason that we are here, it's because they don't need us at the set anymore.

O: What's the difference between Cuarón and Chris Columbus?

RG: You can't tell yet. We're a bad part of the story, the unliked. Of course there's the basic difference, which is the form of how each one treats the project and everyone knows that the story will become more darker from now on. What I thought was interesting, is that Alfonso showed us that there should be more fear. Harry's more powerful each time. We're not a threat to him anymore. Now he can act on his own, in a frightening way. In the beginning, we were evil. Now, we want to be, but we don't have this power anymore. We were scared all the time, that Harry was gonna do something to us.

O: Is it hard to be a Dursley in the real life?

Harry Melling: Truthfully, the people practically don't know me for Dudley, which is great. It would be really bad if they knew [Translator's note: I think he's referring to girls].

RG: What no one knows about Harry [Melling, (Dudley)], is that he wears those "fattening" clothes, which makes him gigantic. When he puts those clothes on he turns into Dudley Dursley, but at the end of the day, he takes it off and goes back to being this normal, healthy kid. I don't have that problem (slapping his enormous belly) Hahahaha.

O: And at school, what do your friends say?

HM: They keep on calling me Dudley Dursley, but they're joking around. It's fun.

O: Would you like to be Harry Potter, to change a little?

HM: No. I like Dudley. I like to interpret evil people, hehehe.

O: How do you think people will react at this darker Potter movie?

RG: The stories are becoming more dark and I think that's what makes them more attractive. Because the people that saw the first movie were 13 and 14 years olds, they're growing along with the story. So it's natural of movies to also grow, and become more complex and mature. Of course there will always be new children of 10 years, to see the first movie and repeat the cycle. They wouldn't be able to use the same people and repeat the stories changing just a little. It wouldn't be fun.

In the fourth book, new problems begins to arise, in normal relations of sexuality. The hormones are changing these kids. But I think everything starts in Prisoner of Azkaban.

O: And what about the fourth movie?

RG: I hope it is made. When I signed the contract for the first movie, there was an option on whether I wanted to be in the fourth one. But the difference between this option and really filming it, is really big. First the producers need to decide if they'll make it.

If this movie (Azkaban), goes well, they should make the next one. I don't know what will happen, but that production is something big. On one side, you think that there's no way that there won't be a fourth movie, since there's a lot of money invested here. But I've seen projects that were being filmed, and suddenly cancelled. Out of nowhere the people come and say "We don't have any more money to continue. Here's your payment, you can go home."

O: And you Harry (Melling), also have this option to be in the fourth movie?

HM: Yes. I received that option when I signed the contract for the second movie. But just how Richard was saying, it's just an option.

RG: But it's great. It means they like you!

O: How long did you guys work on this movie?

RG: We worked for about a month, and maybe we'll go back for a few more days, if they need to redo something.

O: Harry, do you get along well with the other kids?

HM: Yes, always. This month that we spent filming, I had to go to school with them.

RG: The children here have to study. It's classes with more than 300 kids.

O: Is participating in the Harry Potter movies turning into a routine, or is this impossible?

HM: A little. It's kind of like going to school: you wake up, change clothes and go. But of course it's more fun.

Finally, I just wanted to remind you all that in just over two days, the first PoA footage will be screened. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled all over the internet for reports detaling what the lucky fans in San Diego, CA saw! :cool:

Horror whore

07-20-2003, 09:33 AM

Apparently the San Diego Comic-Con "footage" was just Daniel Radcliffe and Alfonso Cuaron talking about the movie, it wasn't an actual scene from the movie.

dh1989

07-20-2003, 11:29 AM

Originally posted by Horror whore
Apparently the San Diego Comic-Con "footage" was just Daniel Radcliffe and Alfonso Cuaron talking about the movie, it wasn't an actual scene from the movie.

Yes, I just read that on The Leaky Cauldron. I hear that two of the topics they talk about are "Hippogriffs and Quidditch in the rain." I suppose it is cool to have anything Harry-related, but I was still quite disappointed, especially after hearing that prior report about all the footage the WB has in a good-enough form to show at a half-way production party.

DevilMonkey

07-20-2003, 11:44 AM

Id still like to know what they said about the hippogriffs and stormy quidditch.

dh1989

07-23-2003, 12:00 AM

Here's the first pic of Sirius....

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/07/ronandsirius.jpg

jolanar

07-23-2003, 02:12 AM

Originally posted by dh1989
Here's the first pic of Sirius....

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/07/ronandsirius.jpg

I suppose the guy on the right is Sirius? Who are those 2 girls and who is the other guy? And why is Ron wearing a girls shirt? Not to mention his hair.

dh1989

07-23-2003, 04:20 AM

suppose the guy on the right is Sirius?

Yes.

Who are those 2 girls?

No idea.

and who is the other guy?

Alan Rickman (Severus Snape)

And why is Ron wearing a girls shirt?

Does the swoop neck make it a girl's shirt?

Not to mention his hair.

His hair is always that length, it's just messed up at the time.

DevilMonkey

07-23-2003, 04:47 AM

Originally posted by dh1989
Here's the first pic of Sirius....

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/07/ronandsirius.jpg

Not to make anyone feel bad but they look really nasty in that pic, really nasty.

dh1989

07-23-2003, 08:07 AM

Originally posted by DevilMonkey
Not to make anyone feel bad but they look really nasty in that pic, really nasty.

Well, Sirius is SUPPOSED to look dirty, since he's spent years in a dirty prison, and now has been running around eating rats and living off the land. As for Ron, this picture was taken directly after filming a scene in The Shrieking Shack, so he's been smacked by the Whomping Willow, bitten by a dog, and been dragged through a dirty, old underground tunnell.

jolanar

07-23-2003, 12:51 PM

Does the swoop neck make it a girl's shirt?

No but it makes it look like one. :) I was just kidding around anyways, I liked Ron the least in the movies.

Sirius looks pretty cool, I hope that his chemistry is really good with Harry.

The other guy was Snape?!?! Wow is it just me or did it look like he had blonde hair? Thats what thruogh me off.

DevilMonkey

07-23-2003, 02:58 PM

Originally posted by dh1989
Well, Sirius is SUPPOSED to look dirty, since he's spent years in a dirty prison, and now has been running around eating rats and living off the land. As for Ron, this picture was taken directly after filming a scene in The Shrieking Shack, so he's been smacked by the Whomping Willow, bitten by a dog, and been dragged through a dirty, old underground tunnell.

I know sirius is suppsosed to look bad but I didn't know it was right after filing a scene in the shreiking shack, sorry bout that.

dh1989

07-23-2003, 08:05 PM

The WB has requested that all fansites remove the Sirius photo from the 'net, thus it no longer here.

Also, they've told many people that the picture was of Oldman, half way out of costume, so many components of it was missing, and they'd rather fans get they're first glimpse of the FULL costume and make-up.

dh1989

07-24-2003, 06:27 AM

...

dh1989

07-25-2003, 12:20 AM

JoBlo's coverage of the Harry Potter San Diego footage can be read here (http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=2132)!

DevilMonkey

07-25-2003, 06:22 AM

Where???

Xera

07-25-2003, 10:44 AM

WOW! Awesome stuff, you guys (esp. DH).
I'm so pumped to see this movie and yes, I might have to go see Loony Tunes, just for the preview of PoA, too! :)

315 more sleeps until June 4, 2004!

dh1989

07-25-2003, 07:32 PM

Originally posted by DevilMonkey
Where???

'DevilMonkey,' click on the link. Scroll down to below the Troy coverage, and you'll see a big Harry Potter logo, and there it'll be. :)

Horror whore

07-27-2003, 11:15 AM

Here is a GREAT article on the movie: Click here now!!! (http://www.msnbc.com/news/943721.asp)

http://a799.g.akamai.net/3/799/388/2096e233fe3f49/www.msnbc.com/news/1967804.jpg

dh1989

07-27-2003, 05:20 PM

Thanks 'Horror Whore'! That was truly the first concrete article about the film, and I truly enjoyed reading it. It looks Cuaron may bring some controversy to the film, comparing Lord Voldemort to a mix of George W. Bush Jr. and Saddam Hussein. I wonder if that is why he won't be directing the 4th? The WB must be scared of bringing any negative, politically-fueled buzz to their family adventure film. But, anyway, the small bits of news were great, and the article was well-written. I can't wait for June 4th! ;)

http://a799.g.akamai.net/3/799/388/9f5a9fccb18650/www.msnbc.com/news/1967805.jpg

DevilMonkey

07-27-2003, 05:43 PM

Originally posted by dh1989
Thanks 'Horror Whore'! That was truly the first concrete article about the film, and I truly enjoyed reading it. It looks Cuaron may bring some controversy to the film, comparing Lord Voldemort to a mix of George W. Bush Jr. and Saddam Hussein. I wonder if that is why he won't be directing the 4th? The WB must be scared of bringing any negative, politically-fueled buzz to their family adventure film. But, anyway, the small bits of news were great, and the article was well-written. I can't wait for June 4th! ;)

http://a799.g.akamai.net/3/799/388/9f5a9fccb18650/www.msnbc.com/news/1967805.jpg

I agree completly, and those pics are great, especially the first.

Michael_myers

07-27-2003, 06:57 PM

http://a799.g.akamai.net/3/799/388/2096e233fe3f49/www.msnbc.com/news/1967804.jpg [/IMG]

*singing* love shack! Baby! Love Shack!

Good pictures!

Horror whore

07-28-2003, 12:35 AM

http://www.msnbc.com/news/1968052.jpg

jolanar

07-28-2003, 02:40 AM

Originally posted by Horror whore
http://www.msnbc.com/news/1968052.jpg

So is that the new Dumbledore? Looks pretty good, he will have a hard time filling some big shoes though.

dh1989

07-28-2003, 07:12 AM

Michael Gambon looks amazing as Albus Dumbledore. The beard, hat, facial expression, and glasses look perfect. I am sure he'll live up to what Richard Harris did with the role.

HedwigX

07-28-2003, 11:12 AM

The two girls in that picture with Gary Oldman, Rupert Grint and Alan Rickman are extras, according to Empire Online.

dh1989

07-28-2003, 06:39 PM

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/07/alfonsorupertdan.jpg

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/07/danalfonso.jpg

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/07/shack.jpg

dh1989

07-29-2003, 11:41 AM

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/07/kids.jpg

jolanar

07-29-2003, 04:09 PM

Who is Cuaran playing in the movie?

DevilMonkey

07-29-2003, 05:54 PM

Originally posted by jolanar
Who is Cuaran playing in the movie?

Hes directing :rolleyes:

LeftyRuggiero

07-30-2003, 01:40 AM

i am still a lil uncertian??? did they decided to include Cho Chang in this movie or are they waiting to cast her until the next one?

josh

dh1989

07-30-2003, 07:45 AM

Originally posted by LeftyRuggiero
i am still a lil uncertian??? did they decided to include Cho Chang in this movie or are they waiting to cast her until the next one?

She won't be in the film, and neither will Cedric Diggory.

By the way, welcome to the boards, Josh!

dh1989

07-30-2003, 08:49 AM

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2003350144,00.jpg

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2003350139,00.jpg

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2003350141,00.jpg (It looks like Draco misplaced his hair gel!)

Click here (http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2003350441,00.html) for the entire article!

***

Since this IS a countdown thread, I figured it'd be appropriate to pop in every once and awhile, and say how long is left until PoA hits theatres ---

308 days, 18 hours, 6 minutes, and 36 seconds.

DevilMonkey

07-30-2003, 10:24 AM

I don't like Draco's look, and Last night I had a dream when it was one day untill the movie opened, but I wasn't allowed to see it, more like a nightmare if you as me.

dh1989

07-30-2003, 10:28 AM

Originally posted by DevilMonkey
I don't like Draco's look

I don't like his hair, either way. It was too fake before, and now it's nerdy.

LeftyRuggiero

07-30-2003, 12:47 PM

well thats dissapointing! other than remus and sirius who are the other new characters? im hoping lucious will still be in this one. i can't wait to see pics of hogsmade.

josh

jolanar

07-30-2003, 05:39 PM

Originally posted by DevilMonkey
Hes directing :rolleyes:

Lol I knew that ! :p

Draco looks a little to much like a backstreet boy with that haircut.

Man if they arn't including Cho and Cedric in this movie, then they are gonna have a lot harder time introducing those characters, and making us care about them all inthe next movie. Along with all the other tstuff they have to shove into that small movie timeline.

dh1989

07-30-2003, 09:27 PM

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/07/PoASunKnightBus2.jpg

LeftyRuggiero

07-31-2003, 02:44 AM

is there any word on how long this movie is going to be? im just looking for an approx. running time.

josh

dh1989

07-31-2003, 11:07 AM

Originally posted by LeftyRuggiero
is there any word on how long this movie is going to be? im just looking for an approx. running time.

Nothing's been made official, but it's likely to be between 170 and 180 minutes.

Xera

07-31-2003, 02:22 PM

Originally posted by dh1989

***

Since this IS a countdown thread, I figured it'd be appropriate to pop in every once and awhile, and say how long is left until PoA hits theatres ---

308 days, 18 hours, 6 minutes, and 36 seconds. [/B]

Don't forget about next year being a leap year, one extra day.

LeftyRuggiero

07-31-2003, 05:07 PM

170 to 180 mins, nearly 3 hours!!!!, that would be great...is that just a guess though?

thanks

josh

dindio

07-31-2003, 11:41 PM

What about the actress who plays Prof Minerva Mcdolagan?
Do you have any picture of her playing in Harry Potter 3?

dh1989

08-01-2003, 12:37 AM

Originally posted by dindio
What about the actress who plays Prof Minerva Mcdolagan?
Do you have any picture of her playing in Harry Potter 3?

I assume you're talking about Professor McGonagall, so the answer is yes....

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2003350139,00.jpg

dh1989

08-02-2003, 09:48 AM

Alfonso Cuaron has brought controversy to the 3rd Potter film! This is from Newsweek's editorial section...

Many readers were offended by a stray political remark made by Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron in “Caution: Wizard at Work,” about his filming of 2004’s Harry Potter movie, “Prisoner of Azkaban.” “Does the evil wizard Voldemort still remind him of George W. Bush, as he said recently?” ask writers Carla Power and Devin Gordon. “‘In combination with Saddam,’ says [Cuaron]. ‘They both have selfish interests and are very much in love with power. Also, a disregard for the environment. A love for manipulating people. I read books four and five, and [Cornelius] Fudge’—[author J.K.] Rowling’s slippery Minister of Magic—’is similar to Tony Blair. He’s the ultimate politician. He’s in denial about many things. And everything is for the sake of his own persona, his own power. The way the Iraq thing was handled was not unlike the way Fudge handled affairs in book four.’ Cuaron’s scrappiness is either refreshing or worrying, depending on your stock portfolio.”

One reader from Sumner, Texas, puts his reaction this way: “Even in a story reviewing an idiotic movie you morons can’t resist the opportunity to take a shot at the president.” A Houstonian writes “As an American and a stockholder of AOL Time Warner, I am so insulted by Mr. Cuaron’s comments about President Bush. The American Harry Potter audience is huge and making irresponsible and unnecessary comments about any world leader is just not good business. The American people alone will judge Mr. Bush’s worthiness to hold office next year. Mr. Cuaron needs to shut up and work on his movie.” And a Meridan, Conn., reader opines that “after listening to the insipid comments of the director of the new Harry Potter movie, I guess conservatives are going to have to boycott his movie. Why can’t these intellectual lightweights keep their mouths shut?”

jolanar

08-02-2003, 05:22 PM

Controversy = bigger box office. Go Mr. Cuaron!

dh1989

08-02-2003, 05:54 PM

Originally posted by jolanar
Controversy = bigger box office. Go Mr. Cuaron!

He went too early, though. Now it's just going to be bad press for the film, because it's too far away from official release to really generate more or less interest.

Horror whore

08-05-2003, 03:17 PM

How much do you all think this'll gross at the box office?

Now that Shrek 2 is opening a month earlier on May 21st, I fear it may steal some of Harry's thunder...

I'm guessing a 83 million opening and a 225 million finish, I sure hope I'm under-estimating though...

dh1989

08-05-2003, 11:27 PM

Originally posted by Horror whore
How much do you all think this'll gross at the box office?

Now that Shrek 2 is opening a month earlier on May 21st, I fear it may steal some of Harry's thunder...

I'm guessing a 83 million opening and a 225 million finish, I sure hope I'm under-estimating though...

I think it's gross will fall inbetween the first and the second. I don't think Shrek II will cause it much trouble, since it's opening a month early, and, since it's a sequel, should fade slightly quicker than the first. And, you can't forget, the 1st Harry Potter film broke almost all B.O. records, while opening two weeks after Disney/Pixar's Monsters Inc. Here are my predictions for Prisoner of Azkaban...

Opening Weekend: 93 million

Final Gross: 287 million

DevilMonkey

08-06-2003, 12:39 AM

I think it'll have about 88 - 100 but if you want an exact number it'd be 94. I think this one'll show everyone how great the series is and thenthe fourth'll have box office records braking :)

LeftyRuggiero

08-07-2003, 12:10 AM

i jus finished re-reading this book today and i gotta say it was WAY better than i remember!!! there are so many scenes that i cannot wait to see on film. after finishing the book again i now am more understanding why it is taking them so long to film. God i cannot wait to see this!!!!!!!!

josh

dh1989

08-10-2003, 12:10 AM

CountingDown.Com:

http://images.countingdown.com/images/countdowns/movies/28985/1011/3164861_main.jpg

***CORRECTION: The Leaky Cauldron is now reporting that the picture is not a new picture, but an older one, from the set of CoS. Cool, nonetheless, IMO.***

DevilMonkey

08-10-2003, 01:51 AM

Snape looks awsome. BTW in the magazine In Touch there are two pages with PoA pics but the pics have already been posted here.

BorderEevilIII

08-13-2003, 11:40 AM

Are they ever gonna cast Professor Trelawney? :confused:

LeftyRuggiero

08-13-2003, 10:34 PM

this was brought up on a harry potter website, and though very clear, it something that i continully overlooked. it seems that in all the pictures taken of harry, hermione, and ron that they are all wearing "muggle" clothes. in a article in NEWSWEEK the director says that in scenes they were dressed in "Hip teenage clothes or sometimes in their own clothes".

my question is whether or not there has been any news on this, the article i read was from june and i am still wondering whether these pictures are of screen test of rehearsal, but sirius and lupin are in costume? the debate on this other site is what happened to the school robes? in all the books the only time they wear "muggle" clothes is to get on the train, during holidays, and in summer. why would this be put into the movie and why would rowlings allow this?

i mean its not a HUGE thing in and of itself, but if this new director is gonna change something as constant as the outfits to draw in a wider audience, then what else is gonne be changed? after looking at these pictures again i can get over the new clothes, but it jus seems to take something away from the "other worldlyness" of the story and instead of taking you off to another world entirely it looks like the costumes came from target. im really ranting here, but i jus wish i had some further explanation on this?

thanks,

josh

dh1989

08-14-2003, 12:48 PM

Originally posted by LeftyRuggiero
this was brought up on a harry potter website, and though very clear, it something that i continully overlooked. it seems that in all the pictures taken of harry, hermione, and ron that they are all wearing "muggle" clothes. in a article in NEWSWEEK the director says that in scenes they were dressed in "Hip teenage clothes or sometimes in their own clothes".

my question is whether or not there has been any news on this, the article i read was from june and i am still wondering whether these pictures are of screen test of rehearsal, but sirius and lupin are in costume? the debate on this other site is what happened to the school robes? in all the books the only time they wear "muggle" clothes is to get on the train, during holidays, and in summer. why would this be put into the movie and why would rowlings allow this?

i mean its not a HUGE thing in and of itself, but if this new director is gonna change something as constant as the outfits to draw in a wider audience, then what else is gonne be changed? after looking at these pictures again i can get over the new clothes, but it jus seems to take something away from the "other worldlyness" of the story and instead of taking you off to another world entirely it looks like the costumes came from target. im really ranting here, but i jus wish i had some further explanation on this?

thanks,

josh

Alfonso Cuaron will still use the school robes in the film, according to on-set reports and an early set photo on a prior page of this thread, but he thinks it would look better, and I agree with him, if they wore normal, Muggle clothes on off-days, and to go on their missions, Hogsmeade escapades, etc....

dh1989

08-14-2003, 03:52 PM

Here's a set report from The Snitch....

To be honest, when I arrived at Virginia Waters early in the morning, I did not expect to see nearly as much as I did. When we first arrived, the car park was half filled by trucks and porta – cabins. Very soon after, we saw two costume women rolling a large rack of robes to the set.

We had only been there 20 minutes when Daniel Radcliffe strolled into view from behind a tree and got himself a drink from the tea urn. Not very exciting you may think, but to us rookie celebrity-spotters, it was a result. We saw Alfonso Cuaron, also getting himself a drink.

There were very few people by the green fence that stretched the perimeter of the set and therefore I was one of the only people to witness Hagrid, after just finishing a scene – turn round and take his head off. (!) Once the person inside (whether it was Robbie Coltrane or not, I don't know) had taken off the hairy mass from his head, he looked like an American Football player, a small head compared to the immensely wide shoulders. I'm guessing that this is part of the trickery with Hagrid being so big.

The next thing we saw was Tom Felton fiddling with a bike next to the set. It then turned out that it wasn't his, as someone came and wheeled it away. Behind him, a huge giant wooden cut out of a hippogriff was being dragged into place by a couple of prop guys.

The scene being shot was obviously the scene where Malfoy upsets Buckbeak and is attacked. During the rehearsal, we behind the fence could easily see Malfoy (Tom Felton) walking in front of the care of magical creatures class. We saw him move away from the group then we saw a man in red leap at him waving his arms – Felton fell very theatrically onto the ground and the scene was finished. They went though this scene quite a few more times. Then, the stagehands brought on a giant plastic hippogriff – possible to get an eyelevel, we could see some of the extras laughing and joking with the plastic 12-foot eagle.

At this point the extras went past us to the refreshment tent. Ron (Rupert Grint) went with them and a few minutes later he sauntered up to the green fence. I shouted his name and he happily took my pad of paper and signed it. Then, Seamus (Devon) and Crabbe and Goyle came to the fence to sign autographs along with a few extras complaining about the fact that noone ever asked them for their autographs.

"Chamber of Secrets sticker book – I'm in that! Look for yourself! Page 7!"

One of the extras remarked that it was Rupert's birthday and the cast burst out into a rendition of "Happy Birthday" to which Rupert looked very embarrassed. Later on, Emma Watson came to the fence and signed some autographs but was called away before I could ask her for one.

When the cast had gone back to work, quite a large number of stagehands were wheeling a huge front half of a hippogriff, which had a lot of wires and levers. When the prop guys pressed a button one of the front legs rose. It was the animatronic Buckbeak that probably plays a part in mauling Malfoy, but I assume that they post-production team will add CG to make it look good.

The Harry Potter team will apparently be in Virginia Waters until September. It's not far from a big car park and for anyone living in the surrounding area (say 50 miles!) it is a must see for any Harry fan. I got a lot of autographs and saw quite a lot of the production of the movie.

Here is an article from The North Devon Gazette on "wet Quidditch"...

FEATS of magic and daring would be much harder for Harry Potter if he were wet and cold, but luckily for him an innovative North Devon company has the answer.

Movie stars from Johnny Depp to Nicole Kidman have come to appreciate the insulating qualities of thermal suits crafted by Reed Chill Cheater of Braunton.

Even wizards like to keep warm and the company has just completed a large order for the cast of the next Harry Potter film, entitled “The Prisoner of Azkaban.”

“Apparently it is for an incredibly wet Quidditch game,” said owner Chris Reed.

“Of course you won’t see our suits, as they will all be under capes and other wizardly gear. Four suits were made for Harry Potter himself — together there was 10 dry suits and 18 full sets of thermals.”

Stars who have worn the suits include Madonna, Nicole Kidman and actors in the last James Bond film.

The break into movies came when a wardrobe assistant working on a Johnny Depp film read an article about Reed Chill Cheater and made some inquiries.

“Now we have a real rapport with stunt crews and wardrobe assistants at both Paramount Films in Hollywood and Pinewood Studios,” said Chris, who learnt his craft in production departments of High Street stores such as Marks and Spencer.

“The fabric we use is a lightweight polyurethane plastic, as opposed to rubber and it is incredibly strong and durable,” he said.

“People use it as part of a layering of clothing to build up warmth — the suits are breathable and allow completely unrestricted movement.”

Chris began by working from home in Braunton five years ago, but now has a spacious factory in the village and the business employs seven full and several part-time staff.

“It began as a lightweight travel suit for children to take to the beach, but more interest seemed to come from their parents and it went on to be used by surf lifesavers and rescue skierss,” he said.

Today, Chill Cheater suits can be found almost anywhere on the globe, as they are worn by Everest expeditions, long-distance canoeists, divers and explorers of all kinds.

The suits are now standard issue for Royal Marine instructors and the RNLI places orders.

Third, and finally, is a bit on the release of the 4th film from YAHOO!...

Afraid of alienating die-hard Muggles by cutting scenes, the studio and scribe initially had talked about breaking the book into two separate films to be released in the same calendar year, à la The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions, but Warners has now opted for a single movie.

LeftyRuggiero

08-14-2003, 10:40 PM

any word on the customes, that i mentioned in my above ^ post?

josh

dh1989

08-15-2003, 12:34 AM

Originally posted by LeftyRuggiero
any word on the customes, that i mentioned in my above ^ post?

josh

The costumes Sirius and Lupin are wearing are real. The kids will where a mix of casual clothing and robes.

LeftyRuggiero

08-15-2003, 01:24 AM

so this means that in the shack scene, those are the clothes they are going to wear?

josh

dh1989

08-15-2003, 02:22 AM

Originally posted by LeftyRuggiero
so this means that in the shack scene, those are the clothes they are going to wear?

josh

Yes, because that adventure happens during "free" hours, and, during that time, in the film, Harry, Hermione, and Ron will be wearing Muggle clothing, but, in other "school" scenes, they'll still be wearing their Hogwarts robes.

LeftyRuggiero

08-15-2003, 07:47 PM

yeah i guess the "muggle" clothes will work for the free time and hogsmead scenes, its just as hogsmead is the only all magic village in britian i figured they would be wearing their robes, otherwise they would look out of place in comparison to everyone else there....but i guess rowlings has a better vision of it than i do!!!!

and as far as the shack scene, i was wondering about the robes here because in the book they make exact references of peter (wormtail) going back and forth from each of them and clinging to hermiones robes.

i know this is rather trival...and i am not as much as fanatic as i am sure this sounding like i am, but its just that i dont really like the idea of this director comin in and changing rather significant parts of the storys, such as the robes and the fact that all the "muggle" clothes Harry owns came second hand and extremely baggy from Dudley. it seems that by doin this you loose some of the magical world that rowlings created. and it says in one artical that the new director has included mexican skulls in Huneydukes....LOL...this should prove to be a fun movie!!!!!!

josh

dh1989

08-21-2003, 06:01 PM

Click here. (http://www.aintitcoolnews.com/display.cgi?id=15888)

An interview with John Cleese (Nearly Headless Nick). It's told that he won't be in the 3rd film, but will definitely appear in the 4th. Very, very odd, in my opinion. :(

ScaryFreak1827

08-23-2003, 10:49 PM

This question may have already been asked but will PoA have the same screenwriter?

DevilMonkey

08-23-2003, 11:33 PM

Originally posted by dh1989
Click here. (http://www.aintitcoolnews.com/display.cgi?id=15888)

An interview with John Cleese (Nearly Headless Nick). It's told that he won't be in the 3rd film, but will definitely appear in the 4th. Very, very odd, in my opinion. :( Tis a great big shame imo.

dh1989

08-31-2003, 07:23 PM

To start off, The Leaky Cauldron has translated a great Swedish article about the film's production into English, and it can be read below...

Aftonbladet on set in the giant studio as the third movie is being shot.

SHEPPERTON – Harry Potter and Hermione Granger stand by the roots of an enormous tree. Suddenly Harry dashes off towards the lake, holding up his wand.

“Expecto Patronum”, he shouts.

After nearly 40 takes, Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron says, “Gracias”.

Aftonbladet, as the only Swedish newspaper, gets to supervise the production of the third movie on Harry Potter – “The Prisoner of Azkaban”.

We’re situated in the Shepperton Studios, a great building a few miles outside of London. Here, some of the scenes in the third Harry Potter movie are being filmed.

Inside the enormous studio woods are erected. The trees are massive, the trunks several metres thick and stretching far towards the fake sky. The woods are dark, of course, with a menacing air, and like a couple of tiny shadows Harry and Hermione are standing under a tree.

Harry jerks and rushes off, Hermione fumbles for him to hold him back. Harry takes out his wand and runs the 15-20 metres towards the frozen lake.

Journeys back in time

He holds it up, towards the camera that’s fastened on a crane - the camera glides towards his face, stops and retreats.

We’re talking a sequence of 30 seconds, maybe slightly more.

“Harry and Hermione has travelled back in time to save Sirius Black and this is a scene in which Harry saves himself from ‘the dementors’. It’s a bit complicated”, Daniel Radcliffe, acting the role of Harry Potter, tells us later during our talk.

The director Alfonso Cuaron wants a retake and gets it, over and over. In the end Harry’s been rushing down towards the lake nearly 40 time before the director thanks the entire filming crew with a “Gracias”.

Daniel isn’t bored with it.

“It’s not as tiring while you’re at it, it’s afterwards it gets to you. Because while you’re acting, the adrenaline’s pumping, you don’t notice.

It was Chris Colombus who directed the earlier two films about Harry, while Mexican Alfonso Cuaron, best known for his movie “Y Tu Mama Tambien”, produces the third.

Darker than before

“The difference between him and Chris Colombus is that Chris got an energetic way of working which suited the first films. Alfonso’s got a mild intensity that works better with this material”, Daniel tells us (somewhat precocious).

You’ve all said that the third book is the best movie material. How is that?

“What I like about this book is that it isn’t Voldemort who is the main source of terror”, says Emma Watson, who’s joined.

The movie is also somewhat darker and more menacing than the first two.

“Alfonso films it in a different way, too - he uses almost only wide-angles and he doesn’t like getting in too close,” says Daniel.

Gary Oldman, playing the part of Sirius Black – the Prisoner – is a new member of the team and agrees.

“That’s one of the reasons I accepted his offer, apart from needing the money. I like his style, he does his own stuff and it shows that the producers have courage."

“He’s done a raw version of about twenty minutes of some of the filmed materials and it’s good, remarkably good. I think he’s used 32mm’s objects at the most. Which is very wide”, Oldman laughs.

In the role of Sirius Black he uses a low voice (Oldman’s expertise is voices) with a slight East End accent.

Tattooed all over

“And I’m tattooed, that’s Alfonso’s idea.”

He rises and shows the tattoos all over his body.

“In some scenes I need those on my arms as well but right now they weren’t needed.”

Another new take is that Alfonso’s modernised the movie a bit. There is still the archaic environment but Harry, Hermione, Ron and the other students are in modern clothes.

In this scene Harry wears beige trousers and a blue-grey tracksuit jacket with stripes. Emma’s got jeans and a pink, tight sweatshirt on. Both of them are wearing sneakers.

Also there are several new actors on the team besides Gary Oldman. When Richards Harris, playing the part of professor Dumbledore, passed away, Michael Gambon was picked for the role.

“I’m sure it wasn’t easy to succeed someone that competent. But he’s perfect and he doesn’t try to copy Richard. He’s doing some changes and the part becomes his own,” Emma Watson says.

And then, they’ve got some news to share.

“We’re in for the fourth movie as well.”

It’s been speculated that Daniel, Emma and Rupert were to be replaced for the fourth film, as they are going on fifteen and getting too old.

“But that won’t happen, not for this time.”

Are you in for the fifth movie?

“We’re not up to speculate on that - one movie at a time.”

“The Prisoner of Azkaban” goes up in Swedish theatres in August next year.

Second, and lastly, is an interview with Pam Ferris, who is playing Aunt Marge in the 3rd film from The Mirror...

YOU don't expect to get caught up in a world of sinister mysteries when you're pottering around in the garden - but that's exactly what happens to actress Pam Ferris in her new series.

In Rosemary And Thyme, Pam and her co-star Felicity Kendal play a pair of gardening enthusiasts who uncover some strange and deadly goings-on.

One of Britain's best-loved character actors, Pam first earned her place in the nation's hearts as Ma Larkin in The Darling Buds Of May and went on to take Hollywood by storm as Miss Trunchbull in the Danny DeVito movie Matilda.

She's also set to appear as Aunt Marge in the next Harry Potter film.

Pam and her actor husband Roger Frost have been married for 18 years and live in North London. Here, she tells YVONNE SWANN how it all began.

STARTING OUT

"I WAS born in Germany of Welsh parents. Then we came back to Wales where I grew up in Llanelli.

"I wanted to be an actor from the age of 10 or 11. I was totally obsessed with the idea. I acted in school plays and later in amateur dramatics but I never went to drama school.

"Life took a new twist when I was 13 and my father whisked the family off to live in New Zealand. By then I was quite keen to do some academic work.

"I was into chemistry and biology but I got very bored with school in New Zealand. The standards were way below my British education so, once again, I started appearing in the local amateur dramatics.

"Believe it or not, I became a full-time actress at 16. They were just starting professional theatre there so I slid in at the lowest level.

"I joined a repertory company in Auckland and it was excellent. I was earning tuppence a week but I was certainly learning my trade.

MY FIRST JOB

"IN 1972, when I was 23, I came back to England on my own. I brought £700 with me which ran out very fast.

"I had no idea how to find a cheap place to live in London so I spent too much and soon found myself stony-broke.

"I was going to lots of auditions but I also had to take other jobs. I worked in an antique shop for a while but then, when my bank balance was getting frighteningly empty, I got lucky and landed my first professional acting job on a theatre tour of Suffolk and Norfolk.

"At 24 I was among the founder members of Actorum, the first actors' co-operative agency in the country.

"We realised that a lot of young actors weren't getting noticed and we were angry. There was a lot of work around but we couldn't get the agents to come and see us."

MY BIG BREAK

"I THINK my big break was the TV series Connie starring Stephanie Beacham. I played the bitchy sister nasty Nestor.

"It was my first television experience and went on for nearly a year. It was a big success and got me noticed

"Then came three years of filming The Darling Buds Of May. I think it's a charming series and so beautifully shot. I was honoured to be part of it.

"After Darling Buds I spent a good couple of years turning down roles involving large women with zillions of children. I was very strongly typecast after Ma Larkin and was determined not to take on the same kind of role.

"Then, out of the blue, Danny DeVito asked me to do the film Matilda and I went to Hollywood. I played the scary Miss Trunchbull.

"It was like the hand of fate coming out of the sky but it taught me a healthy lack of respect for the image of Hollywood. You imagine everything to is surrounded by a glow of excitement.

"It is like that, of course, but in the end you realise that when you get in front of the camera you're doing exactly the same job as you did anywhere else.

"The film was a great success worldwide and I did another film with Danny which came out last year called Death To Smoochy. Robin Williams was in it and it was a sweet film.

"Then I got a more down-to-earth role in Where The Heart Is with Sarah Lancashire which was different again.

"The business has been extraordinarily kind to me. I have no complaints."

MY WORST JOB

"SELLING shoes is a very unpleasant job. I did it in New Zealand. I found that people would come in and try on shoes just for the pleasure of seeing what they were like without any intention of buying. We'd be up and down ladders getting the shoes all day."

WHAT I ENJOY MOST

"APART from gardening, cooking and drinking good wine with my husband and friends, what I like best is playing grotesque women.

"I love every kind of grotesque - scary ones, fat ones and vicious ones. They're really good fun. This new series, Rosemary And Thyme, is a very clever idea. Brian Easton, the producer, has an amazing track record. After all, he was the man behind Poirot.

"I think the profession has changed a lot since I entered it. It's much more personality-led now rather than acting-led. But I happen to be part of an old school that believes in transformation.

"If you're part of that school, you go for the artistic satisfaction at the expense of paying the bills. Rather than earning a stable living being the same person, I've made myself as versatile as possible. And I wouldn't change a thing."

- PAM's new six-part series for ITV1, Rosemary And Thyme, starts on Sunday.

dh1989

09-06-2003, 06:14 PM

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2003/09/paintedtrain.jpg

E! Online:

Forget Voldemort, British police believe a Muggle gang was behind the tagging of the Hogwarts Express.

Two of the train cars used to transport Harry Potter and pals to his school of wizardry were vandalized, according to reports Thursday.

The 64-foot-long cars, stored in a shed in Scarborough in northeastern England when not shuttling magical teens hither and yon, were spray-painted green with a silver cityscape and signed "Slobs."

"It is just mindless vandalism," James Shuttleworth, chief operations officer for the train's owner, West Coast Railway Company, tells the Associated Press. "I don't think they were targeting Harry Potter."

But, at least one station worker wishes the spell-spinning kid was around to dispense some wizard justice. "It's just a shame Harry is not around at the moment to turn them into frogs," an unnamed worker is quoted in London's Sun newspaper, which originally reported the incident.

The steam engine that powers the Hogwarts Express was untouched--it was safely stored in a different depot. When not moonlighting in the Potter flicks, the train, known as the Olton Hall, carries summer tourists between Scarborough and York.

The rail cars will be repainted their familiar maroon hues in the coming days. The cost of the graffiti is estimated to be upwards of $5,000.

The train has been featured in both Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, whisking the young wizards and witches from Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station in London to Hogwarts. The train will again be seen in next year's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Sadly, despite all the magic, the Hogwarts Express has been trouble prone. Aside from the tagging, a fire broke out in February near a Scottish railroad bridge where Prisoner of Azkaban was shooting that temporarily shut down production. It was one of several delays to befall Azkaban, which had initially been slated for a November release but is now due in June 2004.

Meanwhile, production on the fourth Potter flick, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, is set to begin next April for a 2005 release.

Also, I am sure all of you want a Potter 3 fix in the form of a trailer, but their's currently online confusion over whether it'll appear before Looney Tunes: Back In Action, with Brendan Fraser, on November 14th, which is was The Leaky Cauldron is reporting, whilst Dark Horizons insists that the first wave of the wand will be shown at the beginning of December before the Tom Cruise period-actioner The Last Samurai. What do you think?

dh1989

09-13-2003, 09:58 PM

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/images/2002/10/HarrySword2.jpg

Daniel Radcliffe won the "RELLY" (Live! With Regis and Kelly) award for Junior Achiever. This was his acceptance speech, recieved on the show via satellite from Europe...

"Thank you for this fantastic award. This is absolutely amazing, and thank you to everybody who voted for me. I'm currently on the set of "Prisoner of Azkaban," filming. It's going to be an absolutely wonderful film, I can't wait for you all to see it. I'm really looking forward to seeing you all again when I do the Regis & Kelly show next springtime in New York sometime."

For the Quicktime video, click here (http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/movies/2003/RadcliffeRellys.mov).

dh1989

09-13-2003, 10:04 PM

Originally posted by ScaryFreak1827
This question may have already been asked but will PoA have the same screenwriter?

Sorry, I missed your question. :( I am truly sorry, but, yes, Steve Kloves, who also wrote Wonder Boys, and got the gig initially due to support from J.K. Rowling herself, as he wrote The Fabulous Baker Boys, one of her favorite films, wrote PoA too, and is already working on the screenplay for GoF, the 4th Potter adventure.

dh1989

09-16-2003, 08:45 PM

Here's an interview with David Bradley, who plays Argus Filch in the Harry Potter films...

He's been wowing critics for years, but it took the role of Argus Filch in the Harry Potter films for David Bradley to be recognised in the street. Now he's taking a lead role for the RSC. He talks to Dominic Cavendish

The face that stares out from the poster for Titus Andronicus, the last production to open at the RSC in Stratford as part of this year's summer season, could scarcely look more wintry. Gaunt are the cheeks, thin the lips, the hair long receded, the eyes emptied and exhausted. The very picture of desolation.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/graphics/2003/09/16/btbrad16.jpg

Those with good visual recall might work out where they've seen these spectral features before. Some will be swift to identify the lean, hungry look as that of Argus Filch, the sulking, skulking caretaker of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. Others might well call to mind the tatterdemalion figure of Old Jake in the Cornwall-set Dawn French sitcom Wild West. It's unlikely, though, that many would know off-hand the name of the actor himself.

David Bradley wouldn't be in the least surprised. He's used to people coming up to him in the street and saying: "I know you - what have you been in?" The best line, he recalls, was: "Didn't you used to work in the Co-op in Leicester?"

Being hailed as "Filch" is the closest he's come to popular recognition in his 35-year career. In that time, he's remained one of the best-kept secrets in British acting, constantly praised by those in the know but always on the fringes of stardom.

On one level, there's no great mystery as to why fame hasn't come knocking. Firstly, and most obviously it's because much of Bradley's energy has gone into stagework. And then because, while there have been a number of major roles at the RSC and National (Mephistopheles in Dr Faustus, Subtle in The Alchemist, Max in The Homecoming), his specialism has lain in finding hidden depths in secondary, supporting parts, particularly Shakespeare's comic waifs and strays.

He picked up an Olivier Award for his Fool to Brian Cox's Lear at the National in 1990. His Justice Shallow in Henry IV Part II at the RSC (1992) was judged "impeccable". His Trinculo in The Tempest (1993), again at the RSC, was a "hilariously jittery ventriloquist", who had one reviewer declaring: "The low-life scenes are given the funniest treatment I can recall."

His portrayal last year of Andrew Aguecheek in Sam Mendes's farewell production of Twelfth Night at the Donmar Warehouse met with a chorus of superlatives, including "the saddest and funniest Aguecheek" the Sunday Times' critic had ever seen.

These are the kinds of notices that keep an actor's spirits high but don't necessarily filter into public consciousness or help propel him to bigger challenges. It's astonishing, nonetheless, given this track record, that it's only now, at the age of 61, and after more than 60 parts at the RSC, that the beanpole Yorkshireman has been granted a lead role on the main stage at Stratford.

That he should be tackling Titus Andronicus seems at once peculiarly apt - given that the hideously abused Roman general embodies a quality of staunch, uncomplaining loyalty - and wildly incongruous. The bloodiest of Shakespeare's tragedies, stuffed with such horrors as an onstage rape, casual slaughter, dismemberment and decapitation, Titus tests the resources of its leading player to the limits, as one grief chases another, and sane composure yields to thoughts of vengeance, shades of madness, and unearthly laughter.

Rarely performed, on account of its queasy-making and tonally uneasy nature, the last major revival was at the RSC in 1987, in a critically acclaimed production by Deborah Warner, staged in the Swan and starring Brian Cox. Even after all these years, it remains a tough act to follow, all the more so since, this time round, director Bill Alexander must suit the action to a far bigger space.

If he's daunted by the leap from Aguecheek, one of the Bard's footsoldiers, to Titus, leader and slayer of armies, Bradley's not showing it on the final weekend of rehearsals. The long years of apprenticeship have paid off, he believes.

"There was a time," he says, "when I would have been quite nervous about taking on such a huge role in the main house. But it's through being given lots of opportunities over the years that I've acquired the confidence to really breathe a play. I love the idea of now taking on the responsibility for carrying a show."

His spindly physique, used to mirthful-melancholy effect during Aguecheek's capering scene in Twelfth Night, he accounts no bar to convincing as a battle-hardened patriarch. He's been reading a lot of Tacitus.

"The descriptions of how brutal and hard life was have been very useful. Titus has marched over the Alps five times in the past 10 years between wars. He's absolutely knackered."

There's not a trace of resentment that such a role hasn't come his way before, even though Alexander, with whom he has now worked seven times, finds it "inexplicable that such a brilliant actor should have had to wait so long". From the start, he instinctively knew, he says, that he was not Prince Hamlet nor was meant to be, and laughs at the hubris that seized him before auditioning for Harry Potter.

"I said to my children: 'Which part should I go for?', hoping they'd say someone suave like Snape, but they said: 'No, Dad, you're a natural Filch.' "

Wouldn't he have relished an Iago or a Richard III over the years? He shrugs: "There are no regrets. I'd like to have a crack at Malvolio, Lear and Prospero, but the danger for actors is to think the parts have got to get bigger or their career's going downhill. That way madness lies."

The son of a bricklayer, Bradley grew up on a York council estate with no exposure to theatre until he got roped into doing drama at a boys' club aged 15. He was hooked straight away but even so, if it hadn't been for the persistence of the producer at the am-dram society he joined after leaving school to become a precision engineer, he'd never have gone on to tread the boards.

"He said: 'We're going to get you to Rada.' I said: 'What's Rada?' He pushed me and pushed me, until, on the third or fourth try, I got in, at the age of 24."

His other, more illustrious mentor was Laurence Olivier, who took him on when the National was at the Old Vic in 1972. Bradley's abiding, awestruck memory of "the old man" was being joined by him in the canteen, where he ate a Spam salad and said: "The best thing to come out of the Second World War, Spam."

"I wish I'd asked him what the first night of Richard III was like, that kind of thing, but I was always nervous. I was talking to Maggie Smith about this earlier in the year while filming Harry Potter and she said, 'Oh, I was just the same, never knew what to say to him.' "

After two years, his contract came to an end, Olivier shook his hand and said, stealing an obscure insult uttered by Toby Belch in Twelfth Night: "If you don't make it, you can call me cut."

"Well, I don't know what making it is," says the mild-mannered Bradley with a smile, "but I've enjoyed it so far."

LeftyRuggiero

10-05-2003, 12:19 AM

jus thought i would add this from www.Comingsoon.net

"Emma Thompson is Trelawny in Prisoner of Azkaban Source: Herald Sun Saturday, October 4, 2003

The Herald Sun reports that Emma Thompson is now part of the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban cast.

Emma Thompson will make a guest appearance as the eccentric Professor Trelawny, completing an ensemble cast that boasts Gary Oldman, Julie Christie and Robert Hardy.

Filming is nearly finished at Leavesdon, near Londaon, but the movie is not due for release until June. Pre-production on the fourth film began this week."

josh

dh1989

10-05-2003, 12:41 PM

Thanks for the news, 'Lefty.'

***

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0110216/1-6.jpg

That's a photo of Emma Thompson, who seems to be cast late in the game as quirky Divination instructor Professor Trelawney, who Harry, Ron, and Hermione meet for the first time in their third year.

You can next see Emma Thompson on the big screen in Love Actually, a British romantic comedy following the love lives of many English men and women through the Christmas season, co-starring Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, and fellow Harry Potter-star Alan Rickman.

The Rain Dog

10-08-2003, 09:48 PM

Thompson will make a great Trelawny.

Jesus - how many classic British theps are left to be put in this series????

RD

PS - I've got the perfect casting for Dolores Umbridge in Phoenix;)

BorderEevilIII

10-10-2003, 02:46 PM

FINALLY :D
And I think they made an AWESOME choice with
Emma Thompson. My all-time favorite of her is
Much Ado About Nothing. As for the casting of Umbridge that (fill in the bank) ;)
I could see also british actress.......

Helen Mirren, if she wants to take on the role if they did appoach her....
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols2/teaching.mrs.ting.jpg

The waaay she delivered in Teaching Mrs. Tingle made me wanna scratch a chalk board w/ utter delight...:D

Congerking

10-15-2003, 08:38 PM

MORE PICS

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0304141/C110-11.jpg

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0304141/C200-5.jpg

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0304141/C301-7.jpg

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0304141/C402-32.jpg

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0304141/C459-4A.jpg

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0304141/C491-1.jpg

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0304141/C517-30.jpg

dh1989

10-16-2003, 08:37 PM

Those are all older pictures, actually, but in much nicer quality. Thanks, 'Conger!'

Congerking

10-16-2003, 08:54 PM

i for one don't like the "muggle" clothes that they wear...but that's just me.....

LeftyRuggiero

10-20-2003, 01:15 AM

yeah im against the muggle clothers too!!!!!!

but what can u do?

josh

Kucha

10-31-2003, 07:55 PM

Originally posted by BorderEevilIII
FINALLY :D
And I think they made an AWESOME choice with
Emma Thompson. My all-time favorite of her is
Much Ado About Nothing. As for the casting of Umbridge that (fill in the bank) ;)
I could see also british actress.......

Helen Mirren, if she wants to take on the role if they did appoach her....
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols2/teaching.mrs.ting.jpg

The waaay she delivered in Teaching Mrs. Tingle made me wanna scratch a chalk board w/ utter delight...:D

Helen Mirren would be an AWESOME Umbridge, I SO Could see it!

paul

11-01-2003, 03:22 PM

SOURCE :Countingdown.net

Hey everyone, I work as an assistant manager at a movie theatre and thursday's we always get our movies and other stuff from the film studios. Sometimes we get these vhs tapes with trailers on them, etc. Well, today I looked on it and it said HP&POA and I was like OH MY GOD, is this the trailer. I took it home for my break and watched it and IT WAS!!! Oh my god, the movie looks so good. To see all this new stuff was amazing. Sorry I would show you stuff, but I had to bring it back, but I tryed to write up some sort of description, but please forgive me I was very excited, plus short on time.

-starts out with WB with black smoke coming from the back
-then it cuts to the hogwarts express stopped on the tracks
-then it cuts to ron and hermione(I believe) looking at this house in the background
- then these words come up "Something wicked this way comes"
-then it shows the carriages going to hogwarts and on the right of the screen you can see the sign for hogesmede
-then it cuts to Dumbledore, he says "Welcome to another year at hogwarts"
-then (i believe it is the sorting ceremony), a choir starts singing
-then (very exciting part a may add) it shows that knight bus swerving through traffic and then it shows harry like in that one picture we saw, on the side of the road
-then it cuts (fast i may add) to aunt marge floating up in the air, lol
-then the next scene you see Draco blowing a paper bird to someone
-then it shows the trio walking down a hill from hogwarts
-then (probably my second or favorite part), it shows snape coming out of the closet and then lupin is behind neville and neville turns snape into his grandma, the bogart part (very funny)
-then it cuts to hogesmede (i believe), there is a sign posted up "have you seen this wizard" black is on it
-then you hear mr. weasly's voice talking to harry "Sirus Black has escaped from Azkaban prison"
-then it shows ron and hermione on the train scared, i think its when the dementors are coming in the cabin
-you see crooksanks for the first time
-then you see snape pointing his wand at harry (but the wand is lighten up) for light im sure
-then you see black in his cell
-then you hear mr weasly's voice again "Swear to me you won't go looking for black"
-then you hear harry say"why would I go looking for someone who wants to kill me"
-then in the next scene you see snape blocking the trio, from black, not sure
-then the next part you see harry under his bed covers and his book lights up
-then it shows the trio hiding from someone or something by hagrids hut
-then the next scene you see hagrids arms in the air and in the background you can see his class running away, im guessing its the hippogriff
-then it shows dumbeldore lighting candles magically
- then you see harry doing some sort of spell
-then (very cool part) you see the dementors hand opening the cabin door to the train
- then it ends with the choir again, singing "Something wicked this way comes"
-then it says "summer 2004"

I CAN'T FUCKING WAIT!