J.K. Rowling wrote an article for the latest issue of the Writers Guild’s WGAW Written By magazine about her friendship with Harry Potter screenwriter Steve Kloves. A snippet may be read below and the full article may be read here.
The important thing to know is that I had complete confidence in him, from that one meeting in L.A. He’d said enough during those few hours together to convince me that he had a real connection to the characters. As we subsequently agreed during our decade-plus email conversation about the books, when you strip away all of the diversionary magic, the Potter novels boil down to the characters; our relationship with them and theirs with each other.
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Actually, I’ve just remembered the only time he did get something wrong, and it was a funny one. We were at a script read-through for Half-Blood Prince at Leavesden, so for once we were side-by-side in the same room. I hadn’t read the very latest draft, so I was hearing it for the first time. When Dumbledore started reminiscing about a beautiful girl he’d known in his youth, I scribbled DUMBLEDORE’S GAY on my script and shoved it sideways to Steve. And we both sat there smirking for a bit.
Tonight, Access Hollywood featured a behind the scenes look at Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story an UNAUTHORIZED biography on JK Rowling that will air on Lifetime later in the year. The film is based on JK Rowling’s life before Harry Potter and is based loosely on events that happened in her life, so it will be a dramatization and shouldn’t be considered as actual facts on her life (but most fans know the real facts anyway).
A very rough video of Stephen Fry introducing the Outstanding Contribution to Cinema award to the Harry Potter series has appeared online via YouTube. J.K. Rowling, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, David Heyman, David Barron, Mike Newell, David Yates, and Alfonso Cuaron went on stage to accept the award. Hopefully a better quality version will be released, if so I will update this post.
As many of you know, the BAFTA Awards were held today and the Harry Potter series received the award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema, it was presented by Stephen Fry and there was a montage accompanying them accepting the award. Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, JK Rowling, David Yates, David Heyman, Helena Bonham Carter, Bonnie Wright, Jamie Campbell Bower, Miranda Richardson and director Mike Newell were at the awards ceremony. Hopefully there will be a video of the cast and crew accepting the award online soon. Emma Watson also presented the Rising Star Award. A lot of videos are beginning to appear online so here is the first roundup. You can also watch a video of Rupert here that has embedding disabled.
I wasn’t going to post this, but it’s all over the internet so I figured i may as well. Apparently there will be an unauthorized made-for-TV biography on JK Rowling’s life.
A movie about the life of Harry Potter’s creator, J.K. Rowling, is to be shot in Victoria. Filming will begin early next month, with the city used to re-create locations in Edinburgh, Portugal and London, including Leicester Square.
Strange Magic, an unauthorized made-for-TV biography, will chart Rowling’s life from childhood to fame as the author of the books about the young wizard. The movie is being directed by Paul A. Kaufman. Poppy Montgomery, best known as FBI agent Samantha Spade on the TV series Without a Trace, will play Rowling, with Antonio Cupo as the British writer’s Portuguese boyfriend.
Victoria film commissioner Kathleen Gilbert said her staff researched buildings in Edinburgh and drove through Victoria to find similar-looking buildings in their attempt to land the shoot. “We’re really happy to have them because it’s the first show of a slow year,” Gilbert said. “We hope it kicks off our year.”
The Harry Potter series will be receiving the award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema at this year’s Orange British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA). JK Rowling and David Heyman will receive the award on behalf of the franchise during the ceremony at London’s Royal Opera House on Sunday 13 February 2011.
Finola Dwyer, Chair of the Film Committee commented, “As this great British film success story draws to a close with this year’s eagerly anticipated final instalment, it’s fitting that BAFTA honours the Harry Potter films and their contribution to the British film industry. We’re delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate with JK Rowling and David Heyman at the Film Awards.”
Producer David Heyman said, “On behalf of the over 2000 people who worked in front of and behind the camera on each of the Harry Potter films I would like to say how honoured we all are to receive this Award. And thank you to Jo Rowling for entrusting us to bring her magnificent books to the screen.”
Daniel Radcliffe who plays the eponymous hero remarked, “I am thrilled that the Harry Potter film series is being honoured with this Award. I have loved every minute of making these films and to me the real heroes are the crew and the huge team of craftsmen that have made all eight of them possible – this Award is a testament to their incredible work.”
Emma Watson who plays Hermione Granger said, “This is a huge honour! I am so proud to have been part of the incredible team both in front and behind the camera that made these films. Thank you to Jo Rowling for writing such wonderful books, to David Heyman for shepherding us all through the past ten years and to all the loyal fans who have been with us throughout”
Rupert Grint who plays Ron Weasley added, “Thank you so much BAFTA for this amazing Award. We have spent half our lives making these films and are so proud of the pleasure they have given the fans and the contribution they have made to British cinema.”
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