It is with a heavy heart that we write this post. Alan Rickman, best known to many as Severus Snape, has passed away at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. A statement from his family reads:
“The actor and director Alan Rickman has died from cancer at the age of 69. He was surrounded by family and friends.”
Another who has left us soon but will “Always” be in our hearts. If you haven’t seen any of his films outside the Potter franchise, you should take some time this weekend to get to know him as an actor. From Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Quigly Down Under to Bottle Shock, Galaxy Quest and CBGB he was an immensely talented man.
His costars from the Potter films and beyond have begun to share their feelings on his passing. We find ourselves unable to speak, or type, so we’ll let them do the talking.
There are no words to express how shocked and devastated I am to hear of Alan Rickman's death. He was a magnificent actor & a wonderful man.
I'm very sad to hear about Alan today. I feel so lucky to have worked and spent time with such a special man and actor. I'll really miss our conversations. RIP Alan. We love you
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter has announced a special event for Valentine’s Day on February 13th and 14th. It’s the next best thing to having a date with Harry (or your chosen character) at Madam Puddifoot’s. A full itinerary of the event may be found on their website.
You are invited to attend a bewitching banquet this February for ‘Valentine’s Dinner in the Great Hall’. You’ll be greeted on arrival with welcome drinks and canapés (including a special Love Potion cocktail), before taking your seats on the authentic Great Hall set.Sitting at individual tables for two decorated with flowers and candles, you and your partner will enjoy a delicious three-course dinner including a starter, main course and assiette of desserts to share. You’ll then be given exclusive after-hours access to the Studio Tour with the chance to see sets such as the Gryffindor common room, Dumbledore’s office, the Weasley kitchen at The Burrow and the Malfoy Manor dining table, before enjoying a drink on Platform 9 3/4.
Following a tankard of Butterbeer in the backlot cafe, you will be able to wander up the wizarding shopping street of Diagon Alley, before arriving at the breathtaking Hogwarts castle model for after-dinner tea, coffee and chocolates. The evening concludes when you return to the Studio Tour lobby to collect your chosen wand.
Tickets are priced at £247.50 each, available to purchase in pairs for £495 from Wednesday 13th January. Booking details to follow.
Details for the 2016 Celebration of Harry Potter Social Media Meet-Up have been announced by Universal Orlando Resort.
The first registration period opens now! To participate, please review the following guidelines:
All registering participants for the event must be 18 years or older. Your guest may be under the age of 18 as long as you are their legal guardian.
We will send a confirmation email to individuals whose valid registrations are received by us via email.
If you do not receive an email from us confirming your reservation, then your RSVP was not accepted.
Meet-up confirmations are non-transferable and have no cash value.
The event is subject to change or cancellation without notice.
To sign up, email us at socialmedia@universalorlando.com with “Hogsmeade” in the subject line. In the body of the email include:
Your name as it appears on your driver’s license
Email address
Phone number
Your guest’s name (if you choose to bring one)
Availability is extremely limited, so sign up quick! For additional registration opportunities for the Social Media Meet-Up at A Celebration of Harry Potter, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Event Details:
A Celebration of Harry Potter Social Media Meet-Up
Date: Friday, January 29, 2016
Location: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade
Packet Pick-Up and Check-In: Universal Studios Florida Arches: 7:30 – 8:30 AM
Social Media Meet-Up: 8:30 AM – 1 PM
Each participant will receive:
General Parking at Universal Orlando Resort
A one-day, two-park ticket
Access to the A Celebration of Harry Potter Social Media Meet-Up
A Celebration of Harry Potter takes place from January 29th – 31st. Tickets may be purchased at Universal’s website. Matthew Lewis, Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright, Evanna Lynch and Katie Leung will be in attendance. The weekend includes film talent Q&A sessions, special panels and demonstrations, A Celebration of Harry Potter™ Expo, and more.
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.
Empire Magazine has released a new photo of Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander in the upcoming film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The photo shows Newt and his magical briefcase ascending some steps in New York City with a crowd behind him. The picture comes from their February issue, on stands December 31st. The issue will have interviews with cast and crew, including producer David Heyman. Empire released a short snippet of their interview with him:
“Newt is a magizoologist who’s just completed a global journey to find and document magical creatures for a book he plans on writing,” Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts producer David Heyman tells Empire. “His case is important because it contains some of the creatures he’s been researching. It may be small, but there’s a whole world within.”
A bottomless case filled with magical beasties, then? Might there be a dragon or two? Heyman isn’t saying but he did give an insight into the scale of the production, currently filming at Potter HQ, Watford’s Leavesden Studios. “On some days we’ve had several hundred extras, all done up in 1920s costumes. We are going into the magical world, but we’re bringing the magical characters into the Muggle, or ‘Nomaj’, world.”
The actors who will be portraying Harry, Ron and Hermione in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child have been announced. A photo of the three has also been released and may be viewed in the gallery. Producer Sonia Friedman said the casting was a collective decision involving Rowling, Tiffany, Thorne, Callender and herself. ‘We were all involved with all the key casting decisions.’ According to the Daily Mail:
Harry will be played by 36-year-old Jamie Parker, an original member of Alan Bennett’s History Boys cast at the National Theatre, while Paul Thornley has been cast as Ron Weasley.
>Ron, his hair now receding, is married to Hermione – a part won by Noma Dumezweni, 45, who was born in Swaziland to South African parents fleeing apartheid. She moved with her mother and sister to Suffolk when she was seven.
As a quick refresher for those unfamiliar with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. It is a two part play opening in London next year. Official previews for The Cursed Child begin on June 7, though there will be some in late May that will be available to the public. The official opening is July 30. The official synopsis for The Cursed Child is as follows:
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.
Tickets for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child can be purchased over at the official website. Since it is a two part play, the way you book is a little different from other plays:
On Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays there will be a matinee performance of Part One and an evening performance of Part Two. One ticket will automatically secure you the same seat for both Part One and Part Two on the same day.
On Thursdays there will be an evening performance of Part One and on Fridays an evening performance of Part Two. If you choose to see Part One on a Thursday evening, we will automatically book you into Part Two the following Friday evening.
As we reported last week, Warner Bros. has released the first official announcement trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. They also shared the first poster for the film on their social accounts, which you can view in our gallery!
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” opens in 1926 as Newt Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident…were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.
Warner Bros. Pictures has slated “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” for worldwide release in 2D and 3D in select theatres and IMAX on November 18, 2016.
