Harry Potter

Gary Oldman Thrills NY Crowd With Stories of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, His Paralyzing Fear Of TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY and How CALL OF DUTY Made Him A Very Cool Dad

by Ron Messer    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 7:16 pm

Gary Oldman wrapped up his 3-day, 7-film retrospective at New York’s Landmark Sunshine Cinema with a fun, extended Q&A after Wednesday night’s screening of his Oscar-nominated performance in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

The first time Academy Award nominee fielded questions from a theater filled with hundreds of his fans with nearly an hour.  Oldman also hung around for autographs, pictures and additional questions.  Hit the jump for stories from the set of The Dark Knight Rises, his paralyzing doubt on Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and what he thought while watching Heath Ledger as The Joker.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 Concept Art Shows Alternate Endings for Voldemort

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 31st, 2012 at 1:43 pm

It’s incredibly depressing that the Harry Potter franchise is over. No more wands, no more magic, and no more Hogwarts. That’s why I’m super happy that we’ve got a bit of Harry Potter news to share today, even if it’s fairly minor. As one can imagine, director David Yates and his creative team spent quite a bit of time deciding exactly how to visualize Voldemort’s ultimate demise in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. They ended up sending the uber-villain off in relatively gorgeous fashion, as he slowly disintegrated into a gust of ashes.

Now concept artist Andrei Riabotvitchev has released some stills from a few of the different visualizations of Voldemort’s defeat. A couple of them are kind of dark, and I still favor the final version, but it’s neat to see what could have been. Hit the jump to check out the images, which also include a few close-up shots of the giants. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is on Blu-ray and DVD now (but not for long).

Composer Alexandre Desplat Talks EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE, HARRY POTTER, TWILIGHT, Wes Anderson and MOONRISE KINGDOM, and More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: January 10th, 2012 at 11:46 am

Over the last few years, composer Alexandre Desplat has gone from genre to genre and consistently delivered fantastic scores.  Here’s a few that he’s done since 2009: Fantastic Mr. Fox, A Prophet, The King’s Speech, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2, The Ghost Writer, The Ides of March, Carnage, and, most recently, director Stephen Daldry’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.  With his ever expanding resume and the fact that he records rather quickly for a composer, he’s rapidly become one of the biggest composers in Hollywood. As a big fan of his work, it’s great to see.

The other day I got to sit down with Desplat for an extended interview.  During our wide ranging conversation, we talked about what the past few years have been like, his writing process, what it’s like to work with some of the biggest directors in the world, how he picks his projects, his favorite scores that he didn’t write, and how he got involved in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (which he did in three weeks!).  In addition, we talked about his work on the final two Harry Potter films, Twilight: New Moon, and Wes Anderson‘s Moonrise Kingdom, which he finished last month.  Hit the jump for more.

Visual Effects Oscar Category Narrowed Down to 10 Choices; Contenders Include HARRY POTTER, CAPTAIN AMERICA, and THE TREE OF LIFE

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 4th, 2012 at 2:00 pm

We’re just a little less than two months away from the 84th Annual Academy Awards, and today the choices in yet another category have been pared down. AMPAS announced today that 10 films remain in contention for the Best Visual Effects award, with films like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Hugo, and The Tree of Life making the cut. The pretty clear frontrunner in this race is Rise of the Planet of the Apes (and rightfully so), but there’s much to admire in the 10 films that have been shortlisted.

Though Terrence Malick’s existential drama The Tree of Life is heavy on the naturalistic visuals, the extended “history of the universe” sequence is gloriously enchanting and features some breathtaking visual effects work (dinosaurs!), so I’m happy to see that it hasn’t been overlooked. All members of the Academy’s visual effects branch will view 10-minute excerpts from each of the 10 shortlisted films, after which they’ll vote to nominate five pics for the Academy Award. Hit the jump to read the full press release, which includes all 10 singled-out films. The Oscars will be presented on February 26th.

Top 10 Films of 2011

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 29th, 2011 at 7:14 pm

Between festivals and theatrical releases, I saw over 100 new films this year.  Some were awful, some were good, and some were mediocre.  And then there were the movies that stayed with me, and more importantly, held up on repeat viewings.  In past years, I’ve usually only had one chance to watch a movie and sometimes the initial positive impression was enough to land it on my annual Top 10 list.  Then I looked back on the list six months later and realized some films shouldn’t have made the cut.  This year, I got to attend major festivals and received “For Your Consideration screeners, which made it easier to double-check movies I enjoyed.  If you’re wondering why movies that originally received an a high rating didn’t make the list, it’s because while I still liked them on a second viewing, their faults became more apparent.  The movies on my Top Ten list became better on repeat viewings and I look forward to watching them again and again over the years.

Hit the jump to check out my picks for the Top 10 films of 2011.

Daniel Radcliffe and Charles Barkley Hosting SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in 2012

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: December 19th, 2011 at 9:22 am

This past weekend brought the last episode of Saturday Night Live for the year 2011, but the late night sketch comedy series will return with a bang in the first two weeks of 2012. Kicking off the New Year, and maybe the end of the world, will be NBA All-Star Charles Barkley returning to host for his third time on January 7th along with musical guest Kelly Clarkson. Barkley is usually all over the TV as an analyst for professional and college basketball on TNT and CBS, but when he comes to studio 8H, all bets are off. If you’ve never caught Barkley making an appearance on SNL, we’ve included a couple of sketches from his appearance back in 2010 after the jump.

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER Is Coming to Universal Studios Hollywood

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: November 30th, 2011 at 7:26 pm

You may have seen our recent coverage of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando and thought to yourself, “Man, that looks awesome!  But alas, Orlando is too far for this muggle.”  For many of you, that distance will soon no longer be a problem.  Universal is planning to build another Wizarding World at their Los Angeles site.  Universal Studios Hollywood will have to remove or at least resize current attractions to make room for Wizarding World, which should be up and running no earlier than 2015.  (Maybe “soon” is not the right word.)  More after the jump:

Producer David Heyman Talks HARRY POTTER, 3D Re-Releases, PAGE EIGHT Sequels, PADDINGTON BEAR, GRAVITY, and More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: November 22nd, 2011 at 11:17 am

With the DVD/Blu-ray release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 last week, Warner Bros. Home Video invited a number of reporters from around the world to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida to help promote its release.  While there, I got to speak with the cast as well as some of the filmmakers behind one of my favorite films of the year.  Over the last week I posted video interviews with director David Yates, Rupert Grint, Warwick Davis, Jason Isaacs, Evanna Lynch and Mark Williams, and James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley).  And for the last interview, I’ve got an extended conversation with producer David Heyman.

During the interview, Heyman talks about being at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and what impressed him, what fans always want to talk about when they approach him, his thoughts on WB home video pulling the Potter movies at the end of the year, his memories of making the franchise, if there’s a mega box set with new extras coming in the future, and if he thinks WB might re-release the movies theatrically in 3D down the road.  In addition, Heyman talked about other projects like Paddington Bear, Alfonso Cuaron‘s Gravity, his Beatles animated project, Page Eight sequels, and more. Hit the jump to watch.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: November 22nd, 2011 at 4:17 am

Warner Brothers did what they could to drag it out, but after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, the Harry Potter franchise is finally closed. Perhaps not for good – author J.K. Rowling has got her new Potter-centric website, and she may get bored and write another adventure in that universe. But no matter if it comes back or not, for performers Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint Potter will be part of their legacy. They spent ten years playing Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. And no matter what they do, they are as stuck to this as Sean Connery is to James Bond.  Continued after the jump.

Evanna Lynch and Mark Williams Talk HARRY POTTER at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: November 19th, 2011 at 2:30 pm

With the DVD/Blu-ray release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 last week, Warner Bros. Home Video invited a number of reporters from around the world to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida to help promote its release.  While there, I got to speak with the cast as well as some of the filmmakers behind one of my favorite films of the year.  Over the past few days I posted my interviews with director David Yates, Rupert Grint, Warwick Davis, Jason Isaacs, and James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley).  Today, I’m happy to bring you my interview with Evanna Lynch and Mark Williams (who play Luna Lovegood and Arthur Weasley).

During the short interview, Lynch and Williams talked about being at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and what impressed them, and they also talked about some deleted scenes that still haven’t been released.  Hit the jump to watch.

TOP 5: SHERLOCK HOLMES Set Visit Coverage, BREAKING DAWN, MIRROR MIRROR Trailer, THE HUNGER GAMES Trailer, Wizarding World of Harry Potter Coverage

by Jason Barr    Posted: November 19th, 2011 at 11:48 am

As I write today, in the back of mind rests more than a handful of permutations for my Black Friday plan of attack. Do I really need a new 42 inch HDTV? How about various seasons of television on DVD/Blu-ray for rock bottom prices? What about one of those sweet Dyson vacuum cleaners with the roller ball? The answer to all of the above is most likely a resounding “no”, but need isn’t what Black Friday is all about. Not even close. Black Friday is all about getting something/anything on the cheap if for no other reason than because if you don’t, then the person behind you in line will. Oh, America. How I love thee.

In this week’s “Top 5″ installment you’ll find our set visit coverage for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, our review and interviews for a little movie you may have heard about called The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, the first trailer for director Tarsem Singh’s Snow White-tale Mirror Mirror, a new trailer for Gary Ross’ The Hunger Games adaptation, and Steve’s coverage from his visit to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

Jason Isaacs Talks HARRY POTTER and NBC’s AWAKE at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: November 18th, 2011 at 9:42 am

With the DVD/Blu-ray release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 last week, Warner Bros. Home Video invited a number of reporters from around the world to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida to help promote its release.  While there, I got to speak with the cast as well as some of the filmmakers behind one of my favorite films of the year.  Over the past few days I posted my interviews with director David Yates, Rupert Grint, Warwick Davis, and James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley).  Today, I’m happy to bring you my interview with Jason Isaacs who played the duplicitous and cowardly Lucius Malfoy.

During the interview, Isaacs talked about being at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and what impressed him, what props he took home from set, and if he remembers any deleted scenes that have yet to be included on the DVD/Blu-rays (he talks about one with Gary Oldman).  In addition, Isaacs talks about starring in NBC’s Awake, which will air in 2012.

Rupert Grint Talks HARRY POTTER at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: November 17th, 2011 at 5:13 pm

With the DVD/Blu-ray release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 a few days ago, Warner Bros. Home Video invited a number of reporters from around the world to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida to help promote its release.  While there, I got to speak with the cast as well as some of the filmmakers behind one of my favorite films of the year.  Over the past few days I posted my interviews with director David Yates, Warwick Davis, and James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley).  And up next I’ve got Rupert Grint.

During our brief conversation, Grint talked about being at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and what impressed him, what props he took home from set, what’s on his iPod right now, if he remembers any deleted scenes that have yet to be included on the DVD/Blu-rays, and what other films projects he has coming up.  Hit the jump to watch.

60 Pictures from THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER at Universal Orlando

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: November 16th, 2011 at 1:13 pm

A few days ago I got to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando.  The reason I got to attend is because Warner Bros. Home Video was promoting the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 on Blu-ray and DVD, and they flew in reporters from all around the world to interview the cast and filmmakers.  While I wasn’t sure what to expect, I was blown away by the attention to detail (credit goes to Harry Potter production designer Stuart Craig) and how walking through the park is like walking through the streets of Hogsmeade Village outside Hogwarts.  If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you will absolutely love it.

However, it’s very important to know one thing before you go: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is not an all day park. It’s merely one portion of Universal’s larger Island of Adventure theme park. In fact, if the lines are short, you could visit every store and go on all the rides in a few hours, though the lines are never short and you’ll want to spend a lot of time shopping in Ollivanders Wand Shop.  I know I did.  Hit the jump for more.

James and Oliver Phelps Talk HARRY POTTER at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: November 15th, 2011 at 11:06 am

With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 getting released on DVD/Blu-ray a few days ago, Warner Bros. Home Video invited a number of reporters from around the world to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida to help promote its release.  While there, I got to speak with the cast as well as some of the filmmakers behind one of my favorite films of the year.  Over the weekend I posted the interviews with director David Yates and Warwick Davis, and now I’ve got James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley).

During the interview they talked about how the theme park’s Butterbeer compare to the Butterbeer they drank onset, their reaction to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, their memories from making the movies, were there any deleted scenes that still haven’t shown up on the home video releases, the camaraderie with the other actors, the best pranks they pulled during the run of the series, and more.  Hit the jump to watch.

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