Harry Potter Mania

Universal Orlando Resort, and Warner Bros. today revealed first-ever details about the incredible scope of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal also announced that beginning spring 2010, its theme park will be open for all dedicated Potterphiles to make a vacation pilgrimage.

Among the tantalizing tidbits revealed, the resort gave a list of featured locations, as well as a virtual fly through of the park.

And after entering the front archway of Hogsmeade to the immensity of Hogwarts castle, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter travelers will find a magical assortment of attractions.

At the entrance of Hogsmeade, billowing steam and an iconic whistle signal the arrival of the Hogwarts Express into Hogsmeade station.

Across the way is Zonko’s, a joke shop with a collection of tricks and jokes, including Extendable Ears, Boxing Telescopes and Sneakoscopes. Honeydukes is next door and full of treats like Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans.

The Three Broomsticks and adjacent Hog’s Head pub will feature traditional British fare and drinks including Butterbeer and pumpkin juice. Across from the Three Broomsticks is The Owlery, where owls roost and await their next delivery.

The Owl Post sends letters with a certified Hogsmeade postmark and sells official stamps from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Ollivanders wand shop is an incredible interactive experience where the wand chooses the wizard. Completing Hogsmeade is Dervish and Banges, the magical instruments and equipment shop featuring Quidditch equipment, Triwizard apparel, Spectrespecs and Remembralls.

The first attraction, Dragon Challenge, features a twin high-speed roller coaster with many iconic elements from the Triwizard Tournament.

Next is Flight of the Hippogriff, a family coaster simulating a Hippogriff training flight over the grounds of Hogwarts castle.

Located in Hogwarts castle, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a thrilling new state-of-the-art attraction that uses entirely new technology to bring the magic, characters and stories of Harry Potter to life in ways never before experienced.

Before exiting back into Hogsmeade, Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods is full of Ministry of Magic and magical creatures merchandise, Omnioculars, and even remote control Golden Snitches.

There’s no doubt many memories will be made in the new park, and it looks as though there’s enough magic to go around — luckily they’re able to reveal it, even to us Muggles.

Yes, the mania lives on as we now talk about speculations on how the last HP film series will be split into two. I may not have read the book yet and no matter how much I wanted to, I just couldn't find time as a full time mom. It is rather a 'wait and see' for me.

Source:
Goyle actor spills the goods on where the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows split will be -- maybe

As most Potter-philes are aware, the film manifestation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be split into two films, scheduled for release in November 2010 and July 2011. Speculation on the exact location of the end of the first film and the beginning of the second has been as wild as an outraged veela (take a look at the Book Examiner's ponderings on five possible split points here.)

In a U.K. question-and-answer session, Jonathon Herdman, the actor that plays Malfoy's trusty Slytherin sidekick, Goyle, revealed that the split would occur immediately after Harry, Ron, and Hermione have been captured by the Snatchers. The second installment of the film would pick up at Malfoy Manor.

The director and producer have repeatedly said that the split point could change so this could all be a sound and fury signifying nothing.... I confess though, I'm a little disappointed. I kind of had my heart set on the first movie ending after Ron ditches Harry and Hermione. An ending like that would certainly have inspired more people to read the book just to find out what happens.

SPOILER WARNING! Here, comparison between the film and the book is criticized.

From source:

July 28, 11:17 AM
When a new Harry Potter film is released, comparisons between it and the book on which it is based on come out at a rapid pace. The most dominant of which are what the movie DID NOT include. While many fans and critics have given “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” positive reviews, it was not immune to this sort of criticism. Do the missing (or additional) scenes really matter? The following is a list of some of the material that was present in the book, but not in the film, and whether or not it truly affected the film.

1) There was no funeral for Dumbledore. In the novel, Centaurs and Merfolk all pay homage to the fallen wizard. In the prior novels, a relationship between Dumbledore and these creatures have been established, but not so in the films. The movie is currently just under three hours, and to tack on a funeral scene could push it over the three hour mark. There was no funeral, but all the students raised their wands to eliminate the dark mark hanging in the sky. The right music accompanies this scene. A funeral scene is rumored for the next film, but Dumbledore still got the send off he deserved in this one.

2) There were too few memories scenes regarding Voldemort’s past. In the novel, readers are treated to seeing Voldemort’s mother and family before he was even born. They go on to learn of his life right after Hogwarts up to applying for the position of Defense against the Dark Arts (and the curse that befell that position when Dumbledore turned him down). The film does provide movie audiences with the vital information they need to set up the next film with an exception. Harry does not learn of Valdemort’s obsession with certain treasures from the founders of Hogwarts. As far as he knows, a Horcrux can be ANYTHING. This issue will have to be addressed in the next film.

3) The Dursley’s were absent. They always provide some comic fun for the movies, but their presence was not needed to get this film moving.

4) Very little time was spent in the Weasley’s joke shop. It is established in the book that Harry provided the funds to Fred and George to open their joke shop. That does not happen in the movies. While any Harry Potter fan would love the film to spend more time in the famed joke shop, it would be time spent that is not needed for the film to work. The black smoke and love potions are introduced, and these are the only elements that are needed for the plot.

5) The new Minister of Magic is not introduced. Again, the introduction of Rufus Scrimgeour is not needed to move the plot of Harry Potter 6 forward.

6) Harry is not hiding under the invisibility cloak in the tower scene. Instead Harry is down one level looking up on the action as Dumbledore ordered. He does not take any action to save Dumbledore when he is killed by Snape. The scene unfolds showing Snape’s actions completely taking Harry by surprise. There was nothing he can do. How this hits Harry as far whatever guilt he may have will unfold in the next film.

7) There is no attack on Hogwarts and no battle between the Aurors and the Death Eaters. This turns out to be a major plot hole in the film. The reason why there was no battle, according to director David Yates, is that since there is a battle in the next film (Part TWO of the next film). They didn’t want to make viewers feel the series was repeating itself. That is all well and good; but, now Draco fixing the cabinet so the Death Eaters can invade the school makes no sense. His ONLY mission is the kill Dumbledore and, if he can’t, then Snape must, since he made the unbreakable bond. There doesn’t seem to be any reason why the Death Eaters have to be there. Could it be to make sure Draco carries out his mission? Perhaps, but it is a weak reason. David Yates left plot holes in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”, his first feature film. This is the biggest one he leaves in this one.

8) The Death Eaters attack and destroy the Burrow, the home of the Weasley’s. Since book six does not have that many action sequences aside for the attack on Hogwarts, the filmmakers added this scene to help compensate. Since the scene does not appear in the book, the audience does not know what will happen; something the fans don’t get too much of in the films. The scene does provide a good level of excitement and helps solidify the pending relationship between Harry and Ginny. While it is not known, one can speculate that there will be no wedding scene in the next movie. Bill Weasley has never been introduced on screen, nor is there any mention of his pending nuptials. Since the Burrow have been destroyed, audiences do not need to expect an upcoming wedding.

9) The relationship between Harry and the Half-Blood Prince is diluted in the film. Harry has the positive relationship he has with Slughorn, in part due to the text book he possesses. Once he hurts Draco Malfoy, he has Ginny hide the book on him when they share their first kiss. When Harry is chasing after Snape and tries using the same spell on him that he used on Malfoy, it is then revealed that Snape is the prince. It is almost thrown in as an afterthought and certainly could have been brought about in a better way. What is also missing from that scene is how Snape is almost trying to teach Harry a lesson on how he must keep his mind closed or any wizard worth anything will know what spells he is about to cast.

10) Too much time was spent on the romance aspect of the film. While it is true that many of these scenes really let the actors flex some of their acting muscles in ways they have not been able to in the prior films, it’s worth it.

The list can go on and on (Harry learning he inherited Sirius home, apparition lessons), most of these are not needed to move the plot forward or can be addressed in the next film. One can also look at these films as a whole and ask if they work had the books never existed. For the most part, the film stands on its own quite well.

There are four other recasts if you read on the source. One of them is Michael Gambon of Harry Potter movie series. I think Michael Gambon led a fine role on his performances in Harry Potter as much as Richard Harris originally did.

From source:

Nobody likes recasting roles. It confuses continuity, befuddles audiences and sometimes upsets the original actors. But there are times when such a shake-up in performers is both necessary... and even an improvement.

Michael Gambon ALBUS DUMBLEDORE ("Harry Potter" Series): When actor Richard Harris tragically passed away after "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," Muggles across the globe wondered how the series could go on. Now, with only the two-part "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" left to go, Michael Gambon's interpretation of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore is the definitive version of the character. While Harris's gentle portrayal of the long-bearded wizard is certainly missed, Gambon's scene-stealing presence has cast a spell on "Potter" fans everywhere.

Let's see how well you know about Harry Potter. The questions are quite easy.

From source:

On Wednesday, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth of eight films in the series, was released. Test your knowledge of wizards and Muggles and Death Eaters.

1. J.K. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter series, which has sold more than 400 million copies in 67 languages. What year was the first book published?

a. 1980.
b. 1992.
c. 1997.
d. 2001.

2. The title of the first book was changed for its release in the United States. What was the original title?

a. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
b. Harry Potter and the Wizard's Stone.
c. Harry Potter and the Gall Stone.
d. Harry Potter and Fluffy, the Three-Headed Dog.

3. Name Harry's best friend at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

a. Don Weasley.
b. Ron Weasley.
c. Percy Weasley.
d. Fred Weasley.

4. True or false: In the Half-Blood Prince, Richard Harris returns in the role of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

5. Who plays Hermione Granger?

a. Emma Thompson.
b. Emma Samms.
c. Emma Holmes.
d. Emma Watson.

6. What is a Death Eater?

a. A guard at Azkaban prison.
b. Students' nickname for sinister potions teacher Severus Snape.
c. A follower of Harry's archenemy, Lord Voldemort.
d. A member of the student army Harry forms to fight Lord Voldemort.

7. Who is Bellatrix Lestrange?

a. A Dementor.
b. A Death Eater.
c. A Hogwarts professor.
d. A Hogwarts student.

8. True or false: Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, the onetime prisoner of Azkaban, returns in the sixth film to lead the fight against Voldemort.

9. As a boy, this character was known as Tom Marvolo Riddle.

a. Albus Dumbledore.
b. Sirius Black.
c. Severus Snape.
d. Lord Voldemort.

10. Who is the half-blood prince?

a. Harry Potter.
b. Albus Dumbledore.
c. Severus Snape.
d. Lord Voldemort.

ANSWERS