Warner Bros. and Universal have just sent over a press release about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter heading to Universal Studios Hollywood!  There is a conference going on right now in LA where more information is being revealed, I will post more details as soon as possible. The full press release may be read at this page.

It will be a fully immersive environment for the entire family that brings the stories of Harry Potter to life and is faithful to the visual landscape of the films, including a majestic Hogwarts castle to serve as the centerpiece of the themed environment.  The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood will be created with the same commitment to authenticity and the same level of talent and resources as its Orlando counterpart.

“I am delighted that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has been so popular with fans since the opening in Orlando last year and I am sure that the teams at Universal and Warner Bros. will bring their expertise and attention to detail to Hollywood to make this new experience equally as exciting,” said J.K. Rowling.

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“The announcement of our partnership with Universal to bring The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Hollywood and expand what already exists in Orlando is probably the best holiday gift we could give to the legions of Harry Potter fans worldwide,” said Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros.  “Everyone involved with these projects is committed to continuing the enchantment of J.K. Rowling’s masterful books as they were brought to life on screen in our eight films and dedicated to extending the magic of the experience for generations of fans to come.”

On Thursday December 1st Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick and Griphook), James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley), Jessie Cave (Lavender Brown), and Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley) made a special appearance at The Harry Potter Shop in Harrods and harrods.com interviewed them exclusively at the event.  Harrods have also sent us a few photos from the event which you may view in the gallery!

What is the funniest anecdote you have from the Harry Potter films?

Jessie Cave (Lavender Brown): I remember filming a scene where Rupert and I had to run up a stairwell and then we had to stop and kiss and then keep running. But there’s no wall so there was just a guy standing on the floor holding his arms out just in case one of us fell. I remember thinking ‘this is Rupert Grint, surely if he falls this is going to be bad! I’m okay if I fall!’

If you could play another character in the film, who would you play?

MW: It changes all the time but I quite fancy the idea of being Bellatrix. Because she obviously just had great fun doing it, didn’t she? Caffeine mad that woman!

OP: I’d quite like to play someone like Krum in The Goblet of Fire.

MW: He’s just so cool, isn’t he? How can someone be that cool?

JC: Dolores Umbridge, definitely. Just so wacky, with that cats and the kitsch costumes.

JP: Either George or Dobby.

WD: Professor Snape – “you have your mother’s eyes”.

Did you all have to read the books before you made the films?

MW: I confess, before I was in the film I read the books avidly, after I was in the film, they became homework.

JP: It did help though because you knew that even if a certain story wasn’t in the film, you could still know where you got to. You could play into it and act accordingly. I think they said that if they were to make the first book, The Philosopher’s Stone, into a script it would be seven hours long. So who knows how many days the last one would have been.

MW: The eight films are 19 hours and 30 minutes in total.

WD: There’ll be fans doing marathons like that.

Thanks to Harrods for emailing with the news!

The Evening Standard has posted a new interview with Katie Leung (Cho Chang) where she discusses how she was almost going to give up on acting after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II. Luckily she took a drama class and has since changed her mind, something I know all her fans are excited about.  She also discusses her new stage role in Wild Swans, an epic of Chinese history by Jung Chang, which will be opening on April 13th at the Young Vic and running until May 13th.

She told the Evening Standard: “Harry Potter was an amazing experience but I didn’t know whether I was chosen on my acting ability or because I fitted the character at the time.”

She kept her options open by starting a photography degree at Edinburgh College of Art, and is now in her final year. This summer the Scottish-born star took an intensive acting course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. “Going to drama college reconfirmed my passion for acting and then this stage work popped up,” she said. “I’m really excited to be making my theatre debut. It’s just an amazing opportunity and I couldn’t have asked for anything better than this after Potter. I look forward to representing this truly inspirational story on stage.”

She admitted feeling some “sense of relief” when the Potter series ended, and that she sometimes pretends to be someone else when recognised by fans. But she keeps in touch with cast friends online.

Tickets for Wild Swans is on sale now and may be booked through the Young Vic website. A description of the play is as follows:

China at the heart of the 20th Century. A nation transformed beyond recognition.

Through the eyes of one fiercely courageous family, Wild Swans takes us on a journey from the early days of Communist hope and struggle, through the chaos and confusion of Mao’s Cultural Revolution to the birth of a superpower.

The LA Times is reporting that Universal Studios will be making a very big announcement tomorrow.  It is expected to be about the LA Wizarding World of Harry Potter that we posted about last week. Make sure to check back here tomorrow, I will be posting the news as soon as it is online! According to the article:

The new Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood will be officially unveiled Tuesday. In these times of sluggish state job growth and an unemployment rate stuck in double digits, Gov. Jerry Brown is highlighting the project as a California job creator.

Brown will join the list of those muggles (that’s humans to you non-Potter readers) expected to be on hand for the announcement, including Universal head Ron Meyer and Barry Meyer, chief executive of Warner Bros.

While the project has been confirmed by the studio, details remain sketchy. But the studio is hoping to repeat the success it had with Potter-related attractions at its theme park in Florida.

TotalFilm has compiled a list of 50 Things We Learned from Harry Potter.  The list contains some philosophical lessons as well as some amusing ones, so there is something for everyone.  Each lesson has a description showing how the books or movies taught us these various lessons.  Some of them may be read below and the full list is here.

• Don’t Fear The Reaper
  The Lesson: Death should not be feared
• Mad, Bad & Dangerous
  The Lesson: Nobody does unhinged like Helena Bonham Carter
• Team Effort
  The Lesson: Sometimes you can’t make it on your own
• Confidence Is Key
  The Lesson: You can achieve anything with self-belief
• Comeuppance
  The Lesson: Always treat those below you with kindness
• Protecting The Nest
  The Lesson: Don’t get between a mother and her young
• Wielding The Axe
  The Lesson: Jo Rowling is ruthless

MSN UK has released an exclusive new video showing behind the scenes footage from the Room of Requirement scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II.