•Home •About the Site •Affiliates •Affiliation •Contact •Privacy Policy •Product Reviews •Site Exclusives •About Megan •Site Map
Ice Cream Man MBBO Harry Potter Alliance

All Affiliates | Apply

Want to advertise on Magical-Menagerie?

Bloomsbury Announces New Editions of Harry Potter Books As Part of Marketing Initiative
Posted by Megs

Today Bloomsbury has revealed that sales of Harry Potter books are up 126% in 2015, largely due to all the new hype surrounding the series and their new editions of the books. They hope to further this initiative over the next couple of years. October 2016 will see the release of the Illustrated Edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as well as some other promotions surrounding the new play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

2017 will be the big year. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Bloomsbury will be releasing a myriad of books. Read on to learn more!

  1. A brand new edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be released in on February 9th 2017, with a new foreword from J.K. Rowling and an irresistible new jacket by Jonny Duddle.
  2. Bloomsbury will publish FOUR special editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to tie in with it’s 20th anniversary in June 2017. Each book will represent one of the four Hogwarts houses.
  3. Bloomsbury will also be running a programme of activities and celebrations throughout the year to mark the landmark anniversary.
  4. Bloomsbury will commission three new illustrators to create lavish, full-colour illustrated editions of J.K. Rowling’s three Hogwarts Library books, starting with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in autumn 2017, The Tales of Beedle the Bard in 2018 and Quidditch Through the Ages in 2019. Illustrator announcements will follow in due course.
Filed Under: Books, Harry Potter Illustrated Edition
Lineup for Universal’s 2016 Celebration of Harry Potter Announced
Posted by Megs

Universal Orlando Resort have announced the line up for the 2016 Celebration of Harry Potter! This year, which is the event’s third, will see some past guests as well as new ones that are sure to excite fans! Matthew Lewis and Evanna Lynch will all be returning to the event! Bonnie Wright, Rupert Grint and Katie Leung will also be joining in on the fun from January 29th – 31st.

Access to “A Celebration of Harry Potter” is included with regular theme park admission or with an annual pass, with admission to certain activities being granted on a first-come, first-served basis. While most of the activities for “A Celebration of Harry Potter” will be open to all Universal Orlando park guests and will take place at both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida theme parks, guests who purchase the exclusive event vacation package will enjoy certain special benefits and reserved sections for the panels and demonstrations.

Full details from the press release are as follows:

HARRY POTTER EXPO (Universal Studios Florida theme park)
The Harry Potter Expo will be held inside a Universal Orlando soundstage and will be open to guests throughout the weekend.  The expo will include the following booths and exhibits that will give guests deeper insight into the global phenomenon that is Harry Potter:

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London offers visitors the chance to relive the magic through the eyes of the filmmakers who brought the Harry Potter film series to life. Visitors can step on to authentic sets and admire the real props and costumes used during filming at the series’ production home in England, UK.

The Studio Tour is bringing an interactive taste of the experience to ‘A Celebration of Harry Potter’ 2016, giving you the chance to see the incredible behind-the-scenes talent that went into creating the iconic film series.

Harry Potter: The Exhibition

Sorting Hat Experience

Are you a Gryffindor or a Slytherin? A Hufflepuff or perhaps a Ravenclaw? At the beginning of each school year the Sorting Hat places new Hogwarts students into a house, and now you too have the opportunity to get sorted in a Great Hall setting inspired by the blockbuster films.

Step inside the Expo and the red carpet is rolled out welcoming you to an area celebrating the global impact Harry Potter: The Exhibition has had during its 7-year, 13-city tour, including an exclusive Quidditch inspired photo opportunity.

MinaLima

Graphic designers Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima worked for ten years on the Harry Potter films, creating countless unforgettable graphic props, some of which will be on display including iconic pieces such as The Marauder’s Map, Daily Prophet and Hogwarts school books. Since working on the films, they created the MinaLima Store selling authentic reproductions of the film artwork with limited edition art prints and stationery. They are currently in production on the new feature film from Warner Bros. Pictures, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Pottermore from J.K. Rowling

Pottermore is the digital heart of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World and if discovering more about her magical universe excites you, Pottermore has a surprise in store for fans attending this year’s Celebration of Harry Potter. And keep your eyes peeled for their new Pottermore Correspondent (Rita Skeeter she certainly isn’t), who’ll be there hunting out exclusive scoops and bringing you updates on pottermore.com from the weekend’s activities.

Scholastic

Celebrate Harry Potter at Scholastic’s booth by sharing a message about what Harry Potter means to you. Color in a magical page from our brand-new Harry Potter coloring book. Be sure to enter daily raffles for a chance to win a copy of the new illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, a box set of all seven Harry Potter books, or a Harry Potter coloring book. Collectible giveaways are available for Harry Potter fans of all ages.

To join the conversation, use #HPCelebration. For more information about the event, tickets and available exclusive event vacation packages, visit www.universalorlando.com/celebration.

“A CELEBRATION OF HARRY POTTER” PANELS AND DEMONSTRATIONS (Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida theme parks)

Demonstrations and Q&A sessions will be available featuring Harry Potter film talent and crew, with special panels and demonstrations for kids. Admission into panels and demonstrations will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Specific times will be released at a later date.

Behind the Scenes: Harry Potter Film Talent Discussion

Enjoy a fascinating and interactive Q&A session featuring some of your favorite actors from the Harry Potter films. Discover what it was like to work on the most successful film franchise in history.

Behind-the-scenes of the Harry Potter props with Pierre Bohanna

Ever wondered how long it takes to make a wand? Or where the inspiration for the hundreds of wand designs in the Harry Potter film series came from? Warner Bros. Studio Tour London presents head prop maker for the films, Pierre Bohanna, who will answer these questions and more. Once you’ve discovered how they were made, raise your own wand as Death Eaters invade the stage to demonstrate how battle scenes were brought to life.

 The Global Impact of Harry Potter: The Exhibition

Join us in celebrating the touring attraction that’s visited 13 cities in 9 countries and hosted almost 4 million guests. Harry Potter: The Exhibition is in a unique position to reflect on the global impact of the franchise. Get an exclusive look at the exhibition’s creation and the excitement it continues to deliver to fans around the world. Panel will include exhibition creators, film producers, and film actors who have participated in the openings.

Graphic Design for the Harry Potter Films with MinaLima

Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima, from the graphic design studio MinaLima, will share insights into their role as graphic prop designers, and how their paths crossed at the WB film studios while working for 10 years on the Harry Potter movies. They will discuss and show some of the iconic props they created for the Harry Potter films, including The Marauder’s Map, the Daily Prophet, and The Quibbler, amongst others.  Still immersed in all things Harry Potter, they will also talk about their  involvement in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, for which they designed all the street and store graphics. During the panel they will welcome questions from the audience.

This year’s “A Celebration of Harry Potter” will also include kids’ demonstrations and interactive experiences such as a ‘Dance Like a Beauxbatons and Battle Like a Durmstrang’ experience, as well as Harry Potter film trivia.

Filed Under: Bonnie Wright, Books, Celebration of Harry Potter, Evanna Lynch, Harry Potter Illustrated Edition, Jim Kay, Katie Leung, Matthew Lewis, Rupert Grint, Universal Orlando Resort, Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Philosopher’s Stone Deluxe Illustrated Edition Available in UK
Posted by Megs

Click to view full size image

As we’ve posted a few times over the past months, Bloomsbury released a deluxe illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone with art by Jim Kay.  The book was officially released in the UK yesterday and is available for £150 at Bloomsbury’s website. It appears that the book can be shipped worldwide, which is good news for fans in the US and other countries who would have to wait until March 2016 when it will be available at other stores.

The deluxe illustrated edition of J.K. Rowling’s timeless classic will feature an exclusive pull-out double gatefold of Diagon Alley; intricate foiled line art by Jim Kay on a real cloth cover and slipcase; gilt edges on premium grade paper; head and tail bands and two ribbon markers. It is the ultimate must-have edition for any fan, collector or bibliophile. This edition will be sold exclusively from the Bloomsbury.com website until March 2016 when it will be made available to retail outlets.

This special edition is an utterly enchanting feast of a book and something to treasure for a lifetime. Brimming with rich detail and humour, Jim Kay’s dazzling depiction of the wizarding world and much loved characters will captivate fans and new readers alike. In oil, pastel, pencil, watercolour, pixels and a myriad of other techniques, Jim Kay has created over 115 astonishing illustrations.

Filed Under: Books, Harry Potter Illustrated Edition, Jim Kay
Bloomsbury Children’s Books Launch the Harry Potter Spotter Competition
Posted by Megs

Click to view full size image
 

To celebrate the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay, Bloomsbury Children’s Books is launching the Harry Potter Spotter competition in association with children’s charity, Kids in Museums.

The Harry Potter Spotter competition launches on Friday 9th October. It challenges people of all ages to seek out and photograph an image from the book placed in museums around the country and share via social media. Working with Kids in Museums, Bloomsbury has placed 12 Jim Kay prints in 12 different museums around the UK and Ireland. With a clue to solve at each venue participants must find these images, take a photo of themselves with it and share via Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #HarryPotterSpotter.

Jim Kay has always been a fan of museums saying; ‘Museums are one of my favourite places to visit. The objects they contain tell the story of ourselves and our world, and I find them endlessly inspiring and fascinating. My illustrations owe so much to museum collections, it’s an honour to know they will appear in the places that made me want to become an artist.’

One overall winner will receive a family ticket to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter plus a Harry Potter tote bag, a Jim Kay signed print and a copy of the Deluxe Illustrated Edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (RRP: £150). 12 additional prize winners, one from each museum, will receive a Harry Potter tote bag, a Jim Kay signed print and a  copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Illustrated Edition (RRP: £30). Participants only need to spot one print to enter.

The Harry Potter Spotter competition launches on Friday 9th October and closes at midnight on Sunday 1st November. Visit http://www.harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/harry-potter-spotter-competition for full details of the competition.

The twelve museums taking part in the Harry Potter Spotter competition are:

Save

Filed Under: Books, Harry Potter Illustrated Edition, Jim Kay
New Video Interview with Jim Kay Released on Pottermore
Posted by Megs

Pottermore has released a new behind the scenes video with Harry Potter illustrator Jim Kay in his studio. Jim talks about how he gets his inspirations from nature and gives a little peek at what he’s working on for Chamber of Secrets! Be sure to get the book when it goes on sale TOMORROW, October 6th, or pre-order on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk!

Filed Under: Books, Harry Potter Illustrated Edition, Jim Kay
Four New Images from Harry Potter Illustrated Edition + Interview with Jim Kay
Posted by Megs

Entertainment Weekly has released four new images from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: The Illustrated Edition. They also had the chance to talk to illustrator Jim Kay about his inspirations. Be sure to get the book when it goes on sale October 6th, or pre-order on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk!

Click to view full size image

“I was looking at all these photographs of evacuee children from the 1940s — in England, you’d call them ‘blitz kids’ — who have been taken away from their home during the blitz. They had sort of thick, scruffy hair, and round glasses, and looked sort of underfed and malnourished, from really tough East End parts of London as well. I wanted that real character coming through, some adversity. But also slightly fragile, because he’s thin, and he’s smaller than usual.”

While talking about his portrait of Dumbledore, he says:

“What I like about early portrait painting,” Kay says, “is that you have objects in them that are representative of that person. So the dried plant there is honesty — but on the honesty is also a little camouflaged praying mantis. It’s sort of saying, there is honesty with Dumbledore, but with a catch. There’s also a little bottle of dragon’s blood because he wrote a book on dragon’s blood. And knitting because, of course, he likes to knit.”

Dumbledore’s likeness has a special place in Kay’s heart: “He’s based on an amazing illustrator I know, who I absolutely idolize. He’s been an inspiration for years for me, so it’s a huge deal that he’s lent his face to Dumbledore.”

Filed Under: Books, Harry Potter Illustrated Edition, Jim Kay, Other Potter Related
PreviousNext

Site Design by Jenny Jenkins