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Exclusive: New Harry Potter Online Game -- Death Eater's Duel!
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Movie Marketing, Harry Potter, Comic/Superhero/Geek
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Cinematical is happy to be the site that exclusively brings you the next piece of coolness to come out of The Road to Hogwarts Sweepstakes, which is a contest set up to promote the December 8th DVD and Blu-ray release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Essentially, fans can enter for a chance to attend Universal Orlando Resort during the grand opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which is that brand new fantastic-looking Harry Potter theme park (see concept images here) set to hit in the spring of 2010. In addition to entering the sweepstakes, folks can also earn extra entries by playing a series of Potter-themed online games where weekly winners earn more Harry Potter prizes.
And that's where we come in, see, because we have the latest Road to Hogwarts Sweepstakes game and it's called Death Eater's Duel. Here's a description: "Lord Voldemort's army of Death Eaters have been reunited with him and their power is growing. Players can recreate the scene of a duel with the Death Eaters in this online Wii remote-controlled game in preparation for dueling against Draco Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Fenrir Greyback. Players must be ready to choose a spell to fire back at the curses the opponents will be aiming at them. This game can also be played with a computer mouse instead of a Wii control."
To play the game, click on the below link, and for more information on The Road to Hogwarts Sweepstakes, head over to their official website. Enjoy!
Click here to play Death Eater's Duel
First Image from 'Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1'
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Newsstand, Harry Potter, Images
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Amidst all this nonsense over The Twilight Saga franchise, Warner Bros. does not want you to forget that they're gearing up for one helluva two-part finale when it comes to their just-as-popular Harry Potter franchise. The first official image from Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 has arrived online courtesy of USA Today, and right off the bat we have our three franchise heroes, Daniel Radcliffe (as Harry), Emma Watson (as Hermione) and Rupert Grint (as Ron). They look sort of determined in that image -- as if they're about to lay the wizardry smackdown on some unlucky evil soul.
Director David Yates tells USA Today, "It's going to feel very real. We're going for a vérité approach. Being away from Hogwarts, they're like these three refugees on the run. They're out in the big bad world, facing real danger, unguarded by those wonderful benign wizards at Hogwarts. They don't have a home to go to. We're kind of pulling away from the magic a bit and bringing more reality to it." The first installment, which hits theaters on November 19th, 2010, find our heroes dropping out of school and roaming the streets of London in search of Voldemort's remaining three Horcruxes. Says Grint, "They're paranoid. It's quite a scary world because the Snatchers and Death Eaters are running around everywhere. Harry, Ron and Hermione are just camping out in random places, living rough, in regular clothes."
Sounds pretty badass. I like the sound of a grittier, real-world Potter film -- how come they didn't get Michael Mann to shoot this one? Watch it when it drops in November; meanwhile the second (and final) installment will arrive in 2011.
Where's the Line Between Fandom and Studio Rights?
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Home Entertainment, Harry Potter
The long arm of Warner Bros. law strikes again. For many years now, the studio has been known for being quite strict with their projects. I'm not sure if any property felt that quite so much as the television world of Buffy; numerous fan sites were shut down during the run of the show, and post-finale, the uber popular Musical events were nixed. Now it's happening to fans of our favorite young, big-screen wizards. The BBC reports that a woman planning a couple Harry Potter supper club nights for Halloween has been told to stop infringing on the studio's rights. Ms. Marmite Lover runs a small restaurant of sorts out of her home -- selling tickets and then making food for her guests, sometimes themed. For Halloween, she chose to make a Harry Potter-themed meal with a Diagon Alley entrance with password, a sorting hat, and food that includes butterbear and Fizzpop chocolate frogs. As part of their letter, Warner Bros. says: "We would therefore ask that you refrain from holding and/or offering for sale any tickets to the Harry Potter Nights and confirm to me by return email that the Harry Potter Nights will not go ahead as planned. Warner does not, of course, object to you holding a generic wizard/Halloween night at the Underground Restaurant."
She's since changed the name of the event, which is going on as planned, although I imagine Warner Bros. was probably expecting a little less Pottermania through the whole event (the Alley, hat, etc.). But how far should studios stretch their rights in cases like this?
The Perils of Being Named Harry Potter
Filed under: Harry Potter
There's an Eric Snider who writes about music and movies for a paper in Florida, and an Eric Snider who developed the Solitaire game that was ubiquitous on computers in the 1990s, and I've occasionally been mistaken for both of them. My lot in life is easy compared to someone named, for example, Harry Potter. London's Daily Mail has an amusing story about one such fellow, an unlucky lad who also happens to have a scar on his forehead (not lightning-shaped, though) and is the same age, 20, as Daniel Radcliffe, who plays the boy wizard in the movies.Harry Potter was 9 years old when the first Harry Potter book came out, and what began as a silly coincidence became a major annoyance as the series' popularity grew. (As big a deal as Pottermania is in the United States, I understand it's even bigger in the U.K.) He says he has trouble whenever he fills out a job application, and he had to show his girlfriend his passport when he first met her because she didn't believe that was really his name. On the other hand, his girlfriend's name is Philippa, so I'm not sure who's really worse off here.
Oh, and he says: "I've heard all the puns about my wand." (Unrelated fun Harry Potter game: When you read the books, mentally replace every use of the word "wand" with "wang." It never gets old!)
The newspaper says that while fictional Harry Potter got his scar in a battle with Voldemort, the real "Mr Potter ran into a lamppost aged 15." Why it matters that the lamppost was 15 years old, I don't know. How would they even know that??
The Five Most Moronic Movie Families
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Harry Potter, Lists
Unless you've mercifully been living under a rock, you know the story of Balloon Boy. The world was captivated (and hey, most of us were working while this unfolded, so why not watch a UFO float lazily across the Colorado* sky?) by the idea of a terrified six year old caught in a deadly version of Pixar's UP. But in the end, little Falcon Heene was hiding in a box with some sandwiches, every bit a victim of his family's overwhelming greed for fame and fortune as his homebound audience was.
Analysts and watchdogs are blaming that audience as much as they're blaming the news outlets and the Heenes. While I think it's important to keep the story in the public eye precisely to damn the reality show mindset, I think it's also neccessary to mock the story whenever possible. If there's one way to discourage other famewhores, it's reminding them that the public eye is a fickle and nasty mistress. Since Richard Heene obviously intended this stunt to mirror a movie, we thought we'd honor him by listing five of the dumbest families found on the big screen. If there's one thing that's more embarrassing than being outed and charged with a media hoax, it's realizing John Hughes did it before you. And better.
Go below the jump for the list ...
* Oh and Colorado? As one of your native daughters, I beg you to make the news for something that isn't tragic or embarrassing.
Preview 2010's Wizarding World of Harry Potter Theme Park!
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Family Films, Movie Marketing, Harry Potter, Images
If you thought dirt-flavored jellybeans were a fun way to indulge your Harry Potter fandom, you're in for a treat. Mark your calendars for spring 2010, when muggles and aspiring wizards alike will have the chance to visit a veritable Harry Potter mecca: the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! The fully-immersive theme park, part of Universal Studios Orlando in Florida, will recreate many of the most familiar scenes and settings of the Harry Potter franchise, from the Hogwarts Express train rollercoaster to the actual castle that is home to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Upon arriving in Hogsmeade Village, fans will get the chance to be "chosen" by a wizarding wand at Ollivander's wand shop, visit the Owlery, drink butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks, and buy candies like chocolate frogs and Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans at Honeydukes Sweetshop. (You know what this means: bring plenty of Wizard Money when you go.)
(Preview concept art for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter after the jump!)
Release Date Shuffle: Scorsese Out, Zombies In, Mr. Fox Takes It Slow
Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Horror, Thrillers, Awards, Mystery & Suspense, Paramount, Sony, RumorMonger, Distribution, Fox Searchlight, Dreamworks, Peter Jackson, George Clooney, Harry Potter
So in the midst of all the Avatar hullabaloo, we haven't yet addressed the major move on Friday of Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island from this October 2nd to next February. Considering the negative connotations that tend to come with most films pushed back, many were quick to defend the move as a savvy business strategy for a pulpy-looking film that wasn't a primary contender all along.Fair enough. Plenty of studios made major shuffles to deal with post-strike gaps (Harry Potter, anyone?), and now they're concerned about being more fiscally responsible with what's to come. As THR's Steven Zeitchik pointed out, Paramount/Dreamworks already has two front-runners to work with between Up in the Air and The Lovely Bones, and somewhere between the reportedly sharp comedy and the prestige-heavy drama, a distinctly genre work like a Leonardo DiCaprio thriller does seem a bit like the odd man out.
In the wake of the move, two comedies -- Zombieland and Whip It -- have moved up their own October release dates to fill the void, and if there's any justice, we'll see Woody Harrelson accept a blood-splattered Oscar in DiCaprio's stead. And if Coming Soon and Box Office Mojo are to be believed, Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox will now get a limited release on November 13th before going wide on the 25th, where I suspect it will still get crushed by the likes of Old Dogs across the Thanksgiving stretch. Pity.
Buy This: Real Harry Potter Wands
Filed under: Fandom, Harry Potter, Summer Movies
With Halloween practically right around the corner, there are probably many of you who are looking to put together that perfect Harry Potter costume. Perhaps you just want a magical gift for yourself or for a diehard Potter fan in your life. Either way, you can't go wrong with an authentic Harry Potter wand from Whirlwood.
There are a lot of replica wands floating around (Noble Collection being the foremost among them) but this is as close as you'll get to shopping at Ollivander's. Not only are they actually handmade of wood as opposed to resin, but they're also filled with unicorn hair, phoenix feathers, tarantula legs, crystals, and all the other totems that power up a wizard or witch's wand. If you're lucky enough to meet the Whirlwood gang in person, you can give the entire line a swish and flick. Otherwise, you'll have to visit the website where you can find wands replicating those found in the movies (Hermione's is absolutely lovely) or copying the description found in the books. You diehard fans will know the difference. Oh, and speaking of diehard fans -- you lovers of Robert Pattinson will find a Cedric Diggory design made just for you.
Read the rest on SciFi Squad
There are a lot of replica wands floating around (Noble Collection being the foremost among them) but this is as close as you'll get to shopping at Ollivander's. Not only are they actually handmade of wood as opposed to resin, but they're also filled with unicorn hair, phoenix feathers, tarantula legs, crystals, and all the other totems that power up a wizard or witch's wand. If you're lucky enough to meet the Whirlwood gang in person, you can give the entire line a swish and flick. Otherwise, you'll have to visit the website where you can find wands replicating those found in the movies (Hermione's is absolutely lovely) or copying the description found in the books. You diehard fans will know the difference. Oh, and speaking of diehard fans -- you lovers of Robert Pattinson will find a Cedric Diggory design made just for you.
Read the rest on SciFi Squad
David Frankel to Direct 'Septimus Heap'
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Deals, Warner Brothers, Family Films, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Harry Potter
With only two Harry Potter films left, Warner Bros is desperately looking for a new fantasy series to replace its boy wizard. (Meanwhile, every studio from Sony to Disney are still looking for their version!) Two years ago, they snapped up the rights to Angie Sage's Septimus Heap series, and now Variety reports they're putting it into motion. They've attached David Frankel to direct, and Rob Lieber to adapt the first volume, Magyk. Sage's seven-volume series shares a lot of similarities with young Potter. Septimus Heap is the seventh son of a seventh son, who possesses magical powers, and is apprenticed to ExtraOrdinary wizard, Marcia Overstrand. Naturally he must overcome many trials and tribulations in his magical training, and his life is a sharp contrast to that of his adoptive sister, Jenna, who gets to live in the comfort and security of the Heap household after a Skywalker sort of switcharoo. While she lacks magic powers, Jenna makes up for it by being a princess, and heir to the throne of Castle. The overarching villain of the story is necromancer DomDaniel, who is power hungry and up to no good, as all necromancers are.
Unlike the Potter movies, Magick will be animated. Not only is that bound to be disappointing to fans, it's a pretty big departure for Frankel, who is best known for live-action flicks like Marley and Me and The Devil Wears Prada. As animated flicks don't usually turn into ongoing franchises, the plans suggest that even the studio knows this isn't going to hold a candle to Potter.
Cinematical Seven: Elisabeth's Favorite 'Harry Potter' Moments
Filed under: Fandom, Cinematical Seven, Harry Potter, Lists, Summer Movies
We're nearing the end of the Harry Potter series, and I imagine every fan is dreading that day a little bit. It was hard enough when the last book came out, but at least we had the comfort of anticipating a few more cinematic adaptations. But soon we'll be graduating from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and left to muddle through the Muggle world without new encounters with Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
Since we started Potter week with seven good Potter jokes, I thought it would be fun to end Potter week with a gushing, lovelorn look at seven of my favorite moments of the series. Like any Potter fan, I tend to walk out of the theater overjoyed, and then immediately start picking on all the things that were changed. But look at all the things from the books that they've gotten right – and sometimes even improved on! Here's seven such moments from all five films so far. I hope you share your own in the comments.
1. The first glimpse of Hogwarts' Great Hall (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
I remember being a little skeptical as Chris Columbus' first installment breathlessly raced through its first scenes. I loved the opening with baby Harry, but then the film seemed to dash over the ugliness of the Dursleys in order to get to The Really Cool Stuff(!). Luckily, the film took a moment to pause, and show us that they cared with its first breathtaking look at the Great Hall. There it was – the changing sky, the floating candles, the Gothic arches, and a serene Professor Dumbledore (Richard Harris, who I still prefer over Michael Gambon) surveying it all. I remember thinking "Oh! So that's what Hogwarts looks like!"
Since we started Potter week with seven good Potter jokes, I thought it would be fun to end Potter week with a gushing, lovelorn look at seven of my favorite moments of the series. Like any Potter fan, I tend to walk out of the theater overjoyed, and then immediately start picking on all the things that were changed. But look at all the things from the books that they've gotten right – and sometimes even improved on! Here's seven such moments from all five films so far. I hope you share your own in the comments.
1. The first glimpse of Hogwarts' Great Hall (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
I remember being a little skeptical as Chris Columbus' first installment breathlessly raced through its first scenes. I loved the opening with baby Harry, but then the film seemed to dash over the ugliness of the Dursleys in order to get to The Really Cool Stuff(!). Luckily, the film took a moment to pause, and show us that they cared with its first breathtaking look at the Great Hall. There it was – the changing sky, the floating candles, the Gothic arches, and a serene Professor Dumbledore (Richard Harris, who I still prefer over Michael Gambon) surveying it all. I remember thinking "Oh! So that's what Hogwarts looks like!"
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