Earlier today, Matthew Lewis was at the Hay Festival to participate in Chris Evans’ “500 WORDS” awards ceremony as one of the “superstar” readers. He and the other participants read winning children’s stories live on the Chris Evans’ Radio 2 Breakfast Show. A little background on the competition:
500 WORDS is the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show’s short story writing competition for children aged 13 and under. Launched by Chris Evans back in 2011, the competition attracted 118,632 entries in its fourth year and picked up the Silver Award in the Best Competition Category at the 2014 Radio Academy Awards.
Earlier this year, children were invited to compose an original work of fiction, using no more than 500 words. The entries were marked by 3,500 volunteer teachers and librarians, from around the UK, before the Scottish Book Trust drew up a shortlist of 50 stories.
Matt read the the Silver-winning 9 and Under story, ‘No Ideas George’ by Robert Jordan. You can listen below and view some photos of Matthew over at our partner site, Matthew-Lewis.com.
In a new interview with Playbill, Kenneth Branagh (Lockhart in the Potter films) discusses his New York City stage debut in Macbeth as well as the location of the play, which is an old armory.
“I used to stay with friends on the Upper East Side,” recalled Sir Kenneth Branagh in a recent phone interview, “and I walked by the Park Avenue Armory regularly, always thinking, ‘Gosh, it looks like a castle from the outside, like a stronghold.’ So, when it was suggested to me, I knew it would be perfect for the idea we always wanted to do — to give people an environmental experience from the word go.”
That feeling, said Sir Ken, “in New York starts as soon as you approach the outside of the Armory, frankly. You’re already seeing something that takes up a whole city block that is martial and very massive, and it will be containing a play that will be at least those things, as well as being a thriller and a supernatural ghost story and something that deals with primal human motivations in a big, sort of loaded space.
“You are aware, especially in the way they have refurbished the Armory, of its history with New York regiments. People have gone to wars from that building and from those rooms, and they have returned from wars. It carries that sense of a martial history that is very human and very thick and well over a century old. Thus, the atmosphere that the play is unleashed in is particular potent at the Armory.”
The play, a little over two hours in length, will be running for three weeks beginning tomorrow, June 5th (previews begin tomorrow). Tickets and more information may be found here.
“We play it at absolute breakneck speed,” said the 53-year-old knight, “because the events of the play are partly explained by the whirlwind that Macbeth and the other characters are subjected to. We wanted that reflected in the pace of our production.
“Here, we go for a very primitive and primal approach to the play. First screen direction: thunder, lightning, and rain — that’s what we start with. We try to keep the play visually in Scotland in a cruel world where he who fights hardest and longest wins, where there is a sort of appetite for power expressed in very clannish kinds of ways. The politics is basic and crude, with so much of it to do with physical martial prowess. In a way, the play is partly about a move in Scotland from a primitive world into new Middle Ages where there’s more hierarchy, titles, and structure.
“But the world our Macbeth lives in is a little more dog-eat-dog savage, elemental, where you feel the sense of the travel these characters have to take to go around Scotland. You feel the heat. You feel the weather. You feel the desperation. You feel the savagery of it and where the motivations are very basic. When Macbeth has this brief opportunity to potentially seize power, you feel the nakedness of his ambition.”
Additionally, a video interview with the actor may be watched below:
In a new interview with Film-News, Rupert Grint discusses some rather interesting topics, like walking out of a 3D movie, receiving free ketchup, and his inability to cook.
When asked the last time he’s walked out of a movie, Rupert told Empire magazine: “It was Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3D. “I couldn’t handle it. It was too much. I think I was a bit hungover, and maybe it was the 3D thing. I was in the Isle of Man as well, so it was quite a strange place.”
The 25-year-old has enjoyed the many perks of fame and admits it’s been a while since he’s worried about money. Occasionally, he even receives some odd freebies. “Oh, I got a can of Heinz soup with my name on it. It said, ‘Get well soon, Rupert.’ I wasn’t even sick. I was perfectly fine,” he recalled. “It was from a charity, they’re doing a personalised soup campaign and it just turned up. I haven’t had it yet. It lasts for ages, doesn’t it, soup'”
It might be that Rupert simply doesn’t know how to heat the soup up. The redhead admits that he’s not a dab hand when it comes to the kitchen. “I don’t cook,” he insisted. “But I have an ice cream van and I’ve perfected the 99 [soft ice cone]. It’s got the machine, which is tricky. It’s a complicated wrist action to get the perfect whip.” Rupert added that he doesn’t keep the van stocked though and that it’s “the worst thing” when kids start queuing up, expecting a frozen treat.
Yahoo Movies has shared a brand new trailer for Daniel Radcliffe’s upcoming film, What If, formerly titled The F Word. They also had the chance to interview Dan about the film.
And, fun little tidbit, Rafe Spall is also in the film. If Spall sounds familiar it’s because he is the son of Timothy Spall, aka Peter Pettigrew.
What If raises the age-old question of whether or not men and women can just be friends. What have you learned about that from your own life?
Daniel Radcliffe: I’ve got loads of female friends, but I think it’s a different question when sexual or romantic attractions come into play. Can two people who are romantically attracted to each other just be friends? Possibly not, because I think in the end, you’re always going to end up having the conversation. It may be that you have the conversation where you confess your undying love for her and then you work it out from there. Or it may be that you end up getting together, or it may be that you end up never speaking again.
At what point in filming did you realize you and Zoe had chemistry together? DR: I think it was probably the first scene in the diner, when we were just throwing stuff out there and trying to make each other laugh. I made her laugh a couple of times, and I always think that’s a good sign. It was obvious from then that we were going to be able to work well together and play off each other well.
And, as always, they included a few Potter questions:
Are you excited about the new Harry Potter spin-off? DR: Yes, I am. I’m now in that fortunate position of just being a fan like everyone else. [I’m] intrigued to see what they’re doing with these films.
Would you be willing to do a cameo? DR: We’re dealing in total hypotheticals, because they haven’t asked. But “No” would be the answer. It’s really not an issue with those [new] films, because they’re set 100 years in the past. It’s the same world, but a totally different set of characters.
In a new video released today by Universal, we get to see some more details from the Diagon Alley expansion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Diagon Alley still has no set release date, but it is expected to be sometime in June or July. In the video, Universal Creative President Mark Woodbury takes you behind the scenes and talks about the vision behind the all-new Wizarding World of Harry Potter- Diagon Alley.
As part of the new look for the children’s hardback and paperback editions of the Harry Potter series, Bloomsbury Children’s Books has sent over the new cover for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Back in March we posted the cover for Philosopher’s Stone along with some more information on the project. The full series will be released on 1st September 2014.
Illustrated by award-winning artist Jonny Duddle, the jacket depicts Harry’s battle with the monstrous Basilisk. All seven new editions will be published on 1st September 2014.
Jonny Duddle is best known for his award-winning picture books, including The Pirate Cruncher and The Pirates Next Door (winner of the Waterstones Children’s Prize and shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize). He has a background in the computer games industry and is highly skilled at character development. His work has appeared in Aardman films and Terry Pratchett novels.
