MSN Money is reporting that J.K. Rowling’s edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is set to be auctioned off at Sotheby’s for charity this Tuesday. The Guardian has also posted numerous photos of the book, which contains notes and annotations from the author.
Dr Philip Errington, director of printed books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s, said: “This can undoubtedly be regarded as the definitive copy of any Harry Potter book. Not only is it a fine copy of a first edition of the first book, but the author has significantly personalised it with numerous written comments and many impressive and evocative illustrations. The personality of the author leaps from these pages and we are treated to a remarkable insight into her creative genius.”
A new behind the scenes video for Seth Rogen’s film This is the End has been released and there are numerous clips with Emma Watson. Emma plays a different version of herself in the film about, what else, the end of the world. The film stars many other celebrities playing themselves such as James Franco, Rhianna, Jonah Hill and more. It is set for release on June 12th in the USA.
Emma Watson is currently attending the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of her new film, The Bling Ring and has been doing various interviews. One of the first to appear online is from AlloCiné where she talks about her character Nikki. The site’s Twitter has also revealed that Emma will be filming Guillermo del Toro’s Beauty and the Beast next year!
Evanna Lynch, well known for her role as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films, will be taking the role of Bess, Harry Houdini’s wife and stage assistant in the new play Houdini. Houdini is a dramatic, darkly comic new play about two of the greatest performers the world has ever known – the Houdini Brothers: stuntmen, illusionists, magicians – will premiere at Stoke on Trent Repertory Theatre on September 9th before touring the UK throughout September and October. Featuring a dynamic script, sharply drawn characters and breathtaking live stunts, ‘Houdini’ was written by BAFTA award-winning actor (‘Risen’) and filmmaker Stuart Brennan who also stars as Theo Weiss.
From May 6th – tickets for Stoke on Trent can be obtained from Cafe Divine, 493-495 Hartshill Road, Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 6AA – Cafe Divine will also have an exhibition of the concept artwork from the WETA Workshop (see above) Tickets are priced from £15 to £20 and can be purchased by calling 020 7378 7840, online www.houdinitheplay.com or directly from Cafe Divine
The Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter Facebook page has posted a new video featuring Julie Tottman, the Head Animal Trainer for the Harry Potter film series. This video is part of the lead up to Animal Actors week where visitors can discover firsthand how scenes for Umbridge’s moving kitten plates were filmed as the Studio Tour recreates a green screen set complete with live kittens. Each week fans will get a new update on the training of the adorable kittens, which you meet in the video below!
Animal Actors week begins on May 25th and continues until June 2nd. More information on the week’s activities may be seen in our original post from last month.
During filming, 40 kittens were brought to the studio to be filmed in front of a green screen for Dolores Umbridge’s porcelain kitten plates, which can be found at the Studio Tour in Umbridge’s Ministry of Magic office. We will be recreating this process during Animal Actors Week; watch this video to meet our very own Twitter Litter and help us name them by tweeting your suggestions to @wbstudiotour using #AnimalActors
The LA Times is reporting today that Daniel Radcliffe’s television series A Young Doctor’s Notebook will be airing on US television station Ovation this Summer. The show also stars Mad Men‘s Jon Ham as the older version of Daniel’s character as well as the narrator. The mini-series is four episodes long and follows a new doctor (Daniel) as he undertakes his first job at a hospital in rural Russia during the revolution.
A Young Doctor’s Notebook (4 x ½-hr)
Produced by the BBC and premiering in the US exclusively on Ovation, this scripted series stars Jon Hamm (Mad Men, 30 Rock) and Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter, The Woman in Black). Based on the book by Mikhail Bulgakov, A Young Doctor’s Notebook is the darkly humorous account of the experiences of a newly graduated young doctor who lands a post at a small hospital in a remote village during the Russian Revolution. The story is told through the eyes of the doctor’s older, opiate-addicted self (Hamm) as he narrates the action from his own notebooks. The series premieres this summer, only on Ovation.
