Screamscape has posted some new details about a rumored Hogwarts Express ride at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park in Orlando Florida.  The site states:

(2/29/12) While the Hogwarts Express wont be a Funicular going up a hill, or even through a tunnel, the company does also make a series of regular cable powered shuttles that transport riders on aerial tramways. You’ll find a few of these in Las Vegas or various airports around the world. Now, the insides of these cable cars will be an entirely different matter, and will appear more like the inside of what I believe is called a “sleeper car”. (Forgive me if I’ve used the wrong term… I’m not train person.) The interior will feature a narrow walkway down one side of the car, with individual doors leading into the separate rooms, each furnished with a pair of face-to-face seating bench seats, with a single large window (ie: video screen) to the outside world on the far wall end. This will be your window into the Wizarding World for the duration of your journey between London and Hogsmeade.

(2/13/12) Screamscape sources came through over the weekend with some new details about the controversial Hogwarts Express train ride that would connect the back of Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. From what I’ve been able to learn so far, which I was expecting to hear, the Hogwarts Express train ride should not be a true locomotive style train ride. There will be a locomotive and coal car, but purely for appearance’s sake, connected to a trio of passenger cars.

By design, there should be two separate train units which will load and depart their respective stations simultaneously, along a single section of track, that will split into two side by side rails only in the middle of the trip, allowing the two trains to slip past each other. The trackway between the two parks will actually be elevated up in the air the entire way, which will technically place Platform 9 ¾ on the second floor of the King’s Cross station on the London side. I’m not certain, but the raised ground elevation at Islands of Adventure may allow for the depot to appear at ground level. The elevated track system will allow for large trucks to still pass underneath along Universal’s busy back roads. I’ve also attached a graphic depicting where I believe the track and stations will be placed.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Emma Watson has joined the ensemble cast of Sofia Coppola’s new film ‘The Bling Ring’ which will film this Spring.  The article states that the movie is based on true events of a group of fashion and fame-obsessed teens who broke into the homes of celebrities.

With the movie, Coppola wants to reflect today’s culture of celebrity and reveal “reveal a sobering view of our modern culture,” according to the project’s producers,  which include Coppola, Roman Coppola and Youree Henley.

The nominations for the 2012 (38th Annual) Saturn Awards have been announced and Harry Potter leads the pack (along with Hugo) with 10 nominations! The Saturn Awards honor Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. Harry Potter and it’s cast members are nominated for the following:

Best Fantasy Film:
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Hugo
• Immortals
• Midnight in Paris
• The Muppets
• Thor

Best Supporting Actor:
• Ralph Fiennes, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
• Harrison Ford, Cowboys and Aliens
• Tom Hiddleston, Thor
• Alan Rickman, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
• Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• Stanley Tucci, Captain America: The First Avenger

Best Supporting Actress:
• Elena Anaya, The Skin I Live In
• Emily Blunt, The Adjustment Bureau
• Charlotte Gainsbourg, Melancholia
• Paula Patton, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol
• Lin Shaye, Insidious
• Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Best Direction:
• J.J. Abrams, Super 8
• Brad Bird, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol
• Martin Scorsese, Hugo
• Steven Spielberg, The Adventures of Tintin
• Rupert Wyatt, Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• David Yates, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Best Production Design:
• Stuart Craig, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
• Dante Ferretti, Hugo
• Tom Foden, Immortals
• Rick Heinrichs, Captain America: The First Avenger
• Kim Sinclair, The Adventures of Tintin
• Bo Welch, Thor

Best Editing:
• Maryann Brandon, Mary Jo Markey, Super 8
• Mark Day, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
• Paul Hirsch, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol
• Michael Kahn, The Adventures of Tintin
• Kelly Matsumoto, Fred Raskin, Christian Watner, Five Five
• Thelma Schoonmaker, Hugo

Best Costume:
• Jenny Beavan, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
• Alexandra Byrne, Thor
• Lisy Christl, Anonymous Sony
• Sandy Powell, Hugo
• Anna B. Sheppard, Captain America: The First Avenger
• Jany Temime, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Best Make-Up:
• Shaun Smith, Scott Wheeler, Conan the Barbarian
• Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
• Annick Chartier, Adrien Morot, Nikoletta Skarlatos, Immortals
• Tamar Aviv, The Skin I Live In
• Tom Woodruff Jr., Alec Gillis, The Thing
• Dave Elsey, Fran Needham, Conor O’ Sullivan, X-Men: First Class

Best Special Effects:
• Scott E. Anderson, Matt Aitken, Joe Letteri, Matthias Menz, Keith Miller, The Adventures of Tintin
• Tim Burke, Greg Butler, John Richardson, David Vickery, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
• Dan Lemmon, Joe Letteri, R. Christopher White, Daniel Barrett, Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• Steven Riley, Russell Earl, Kim Libreri, Dennis Muren, Super 8
• Scott Benza, John Frazier, Matthew Butler, Scott Farar, Transformers: Dark of the Moon

The 2012 Saturn Awards will be handed out on 20 June (12) in Burbank, California. Let’s hope this turns out better than the Oscars.

Today we have a new trailer for Jason Isaac’s new television show Awake, which airs on NBC this Thursday at 10/9c. I previously posted a full episode preview of the show which you can watch here.

The three awards that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II was nominated for at the Academy Awards have been announced and sadly Potter lost out to Hugo in 2 categories and The Iron Lady to another.  Art Direction and Visual Effects went to HUGO and Makeup was awarded to The Iron Lady.  I know many of us hoped that Harry Potter would pull a Lord of the Rings and finally be recognized for the last film, but the Academy didn’t agree.  But we all know that Harry Potter is deserving of all the awards.

Kenneth Branagh, who was up for Best Supporting Actor for My Week with Marilyn, lost to Christopher Plummer.

Gary Oldman is up for Best Actor for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which will be announced later this evening, so there is still hope for one of the Potter cast to walk away with something.

UPDATE: Gary lost out to Jean Dujardin of The Artist for Best Actor.

Bloomsbury has released a statement about the Harry Potter books today, following the announcement that J.K. Rowling will be releasing an adult novel this coming year. They, say:

“We are pleased to announce that as part of our long term strategy for Harry Potter we intend to publish illustrated editions of all seven Harry Potter books in a rolling program from 2013 onwards in addition to our partnership on e-books with the Pottermore website,” the publisher said in a statement.

UPDATE: Previously this post stated that Scholastic would be publishing illustrated versions, it was actually Bloomsbury (I read the press release too quickly)