Since it is September 19th in the UK JKR has updated her site to wish our favorite genius Hermione Granger a Happy Birthday!

Happy 28th Birthday Hermy!!!!!!

JKR.com

Emma has updated her official site with a new E.M.S. message, a.k.a. a blog! She talks about how she got close with the Ballet Shoes cast and they completed filming on Saturday! She also has a little post script about fan mail.

I could not have hoped for a nicer cast and crew to work with. I just finished on Saturday. We were working six days a week so everyone got really close. For this reason it was quite emotional saying goodbye.

Go HERE to read it!

The US release date of Order of the Phoenix was announced this evening. It will be released on December 11, 2007.

What is on them?

The 2-Disc Special Edition DVD contains the following special features: Additional Scenes, Trailing Tonks, Harry Potter: The Magic of Editing, A&E Documentary: The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter

The HD/DVD combo contains the following special features:
Additional Scenes, Trailing Tonks, Harry Potter: The Magic of Editing, Web-Enabled Features: Pick Your Favorite Scene, Live Community Screening, Mobile Downloads.

The Blu-ray disc contains the following special features: Additional Scenes, A&E documentary: The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter, Trailing Tonks, Focus Points, Harry Potter: The Magic of Editing

The Limited Edition Gift Set contains the following additions:
Hogwarts Challenge, Bonus materials
    -Collectibles: The Harry Potter Bookmark Collection, Harry Potter Trading Cards

Prices
         Single disc Amaray (WS)                  $28.98
         Single disc Amaray (FS)                  $28.98
         2-disc Special Edition (WS)              $34.99
         HD/DVD Combo                             $35.99
         Blu-ray Disc                                     $35.99

I am personally VERY angry, a whole month after the UK. AH!

FINALLY we have a press release from WB UK stating the actual release date for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Previously we thought it was November 12th, then December 11th , but we now know the official release date is November 12, 2007! This press release was only for the UK, but I assume it will be the same date for the US as well.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixâ„¢, the darkest, most thrilling installment in theHarry Potter series makes its highly anticipated debut on DVD on 12th November 2007 from Warner Home Video.

DISC 1

• Feature film

DISC 2

• Exciting Additional Scenes (15 mins)
• Trailing Tonks (19.21 mins)
• Harry Potter:  The Magic of Editing (32 mins)
• The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter (44 mins)
• ROM (includes timeline and a “link” to a sneak peak of HP6)
• Auto trailers on the bonus disc include the Hogwarts DVD, Harry Potter EA Game and Lego Batman Game.

In an interview with Dark Horizons actor Jim Broadbent has announced that he is going to play Horace Slughorn in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Question: Who are you?

Broadbent: Who am I? He’s called Horace Slughorn. He’s a retired teacher of magic who’s drawn back out of retirement because he’s got some secrets they need in the battle against the Deatheaters and he’s quite star struck as a teacher and he’s drawn back into the fold because he likes to notch up celebrity students, and he’s drawn back by Harry.

Click the link above or Read More for the full article!

Thanks HPANA!

JK Rowling, will be attendinging  this year’s International Festival of Authors in Toronto, Canada in October. She will read from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, answer questions from fans and autograph complimentary copies of the seventh book.

Tickets for the event, which is hosted by Toronto’s International Festival of Authors and Raincoast Books, are free. Head overHERE for all the details:

But to handle the expected demand, admission is being orchestrated through an online lottery and via Canadian libraries and the country’s 79 public and Catholic school boards. Starting this afternoon and running through Sept. 27, 10 pairs of tickets will be made awarded each day to fans on-line. They’re asked to go to www.raincoast.com/harrypotter where an entry form and rules are posted. From these submissions, 10 pairs of tickets will be chosen at random daily.

Thanks HPANA!