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Harry Potter

Im not sure I am sufficiently broad minded to want to know about that.

A lot of my neo pagan/wiccan friends `also` are against HP (those who have bothered to read the books) saying it gives an inaccurate depiction of what `they` do.

They also take a dim view of people I think to be really cool, such as Maragate Murray, Aleister Crowley and yes you guessed right, C S Lewis...
 
Global Potter sales top 300m mark

More than 300 million copies of JK Rowling's Harry Potter books have been sold worldwide, her agent has said.

The tales of the schoolboy wizard and his fight against the evil Voldemort have been translated into 63 languages.

Six Potter books have been written with one more in the series promised by Rowling, one of the world's most successful writers.

Next month sees the release of the film version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, based on the fourth book.

"We are delighted to announce that worldwide sales for the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling have now exceeded 300 million copies," said a spokeswoman for her literary agent Christopher Little.

More than a third of all the Potter novels sold have been sold in the United States.

The latest Potter novel The Half-Blood Prince was published in July after a two-year wait and became a global best-seller.

Shares in Rowling's UK publisher Bloomsbury surged to an all-time high when the publication date was revealed.

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Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/e ... 308548.stm

Published: 2005/10/04 12:21:31 GMT

© BBC MMV
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Adding in all the films and merchandise can we confidently say JK Rowling is a billionaire?
 
Has anyone seen the new 3D portrait of her? It's a bit crap.
 
Ah, he's the same one who did the really weird Prince Phillip one! I thought that was quite wonderful. It would be interesting to see this in life to see how the 3D effect works. I'm not overly impressed by the reproductions.
 
Mighty_Emperor said:
--------------

Adding in all the films and merchandise can we confidently say JK Rowling is a billionaire?
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She is richer than Madonna or the Queen - the single richest woman in England. Don't know which men are ahead of her.

I find this cheering at the same time that I'm so jealous I could spit. Money does instead of respect in this culture, and it's good to see someone in my profession getting either. She may not be great literature, but she's more worthy than Madonna. (Not for me to judge your queen.) Put her and Pullman together, and the profession's getting both!

Now if I could only do the same.
 
Why should I bother to read the Harry Potter books? I mean, at first its kind of easy to dismiss a book about a teenage wizard and his teenage friends having teenage adventure, but the popularity alone of the serie are starting to overcome my skepticisime.


On the other hand, maybe the people who enjoy the HP serie are the same kind of people who enjoy reality TV, go to church and still pay their taxes. Yeah, that must be it.
 
I won't watch reality TV or go to church, but I do pay taxes - although I really wish they'd let me write on the check what I want it used for. (Education, environment, and arts! Not one penny for the military industrial complex!) And I enjoy the Potter books, though not as much as many others do, and not as much as I enjoy other YA books.

Whether you will enjoy them is another matter. Not everyone can like everything. Rowling is not original in that she doesn't do anything that hasn't been done before, and she is not a great stylist, and she has a conventional moral code and sense of humor, but she has control of her plot and is devoted to telling a long and increasingly complex story to the best of her ability. It's a weird market that rewards that so much in this case and so little in so many others, but life is unfair. If you enjoy fantasy and plot-driven books, and in particular if you enjoy the communal experience of reading something at the same time that the rest of the world is (which I think is the motive force behind the Potter phenomenon, as phenomenon, now), then you might as well give it a whirl and see if you enjoy what she produces more than you dislike her faults. If you find her a little lowest-common-denominator - well, that's where the big bucks are, and sometimes all you want is a bit of fun.

If you want real top-flight high quality fantasy and nothing but - Diana Wynne Jones, Diana Wynne Jones, Diana Wynne Jones. Start with either Archer's Goon (if you're more into political satire) or Howl's Moving Castle (if you're more a romantic and/or need a movie to ease you in).

Just don't, please, become one of those people who go around calling people losers, morons, drooling idiots, etc., for the crime of having taste different from yours.
 
Wyrd Sisters trying to block Potter film

Steve Lambert
Canadian Press

October 4, 2005

WINNIPEG -- A Winnipeg-based folk group called The Wyrd Sisters is asking an Ontario court to block the distribution of the upcoming Harry Potter movie across Canada.

The group is also suing Warner Brothers and three famous British musicians over a scene in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that allegedly depicts a band called The Wyrd Sisters playing on a stage.

"The name of the band is threatened by Warner Brothers actions," Kimberly Townley-Smith, lawyer for The Wyrd Sisters, said Monday.

"If everybody knows Harry Potter's Wyrd Sisters, we can't go out and find new fans because people are going to see us and go, well who are you? Some people are going to think we're ripping them off."

Townley-Smith has filed a statement of claim seeking $40 million plus punitive damages from three divisions of the Warner Brothers empire, singer Jarvis Cocker of the British band Pulp, and Johnny Greenwood and Phil Selway of Radiohead.

Townley-Smith said she plans to file more documents this week, asking for a court injunction against any public display of the movie in Canada.

The statement of claim contains allegations that have not been proven in court, and neither Warner Brothers nor the musicians involved have filed statements of defence.

The Canadian music magazine Chart reported that Warner Brothers issued a written statement in which they say the band in the movie do not have a name, and that they have no intention to use The Wyrd Sisters moniker.

The problem seems to have arisen from the book on which the movie is based, which refers to a fictitious Weird Sisters band.

Townley-Smith's statement of claim alleges the film depicts a Wyrd (with the spelling changed from the book to include a y) Sisters band in an "involved, spectacular and memorable" performance which, because of the mass appeal of the film, will usurp the Canadian band's identity.

News of the litigation has led to outrage on the Internet.

Radiohead fans by the dozens have posted messages on the British group's fan site, accusing the Winnipeg group of trying to grab attention and cash.

"They just want their 15 minutes of fame," reads one message.

Some Radiohead fans have also posted more strongly worded messages on the Winnipeg group's website, prompting a plea from the folk band.

"This band has been our child. We gave birth to her, gave her a name and made many sacrifices to prepare her for the world out there," reads a message posted by band members.

"Now some multibillion-dollar corporation comes along and takes away her name and dignity."

Townley-Smith said Warner Brothers first approached the band months ago and offered $5,000 for the use of the name.
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Source

What a sinking feeling that must have been for the band--but OTOH the publicity would be worth a lot more than $5k so...
 
Oh, you're right, what I said was crap, sorry. After two hours and a half of suffering from the Blank Page Syndrome, venting against Rowling seemed appropriate, but it is not fair to her pet minions, so I'll edit it out. But thanks for the reply!

But I still think that she's a witch.
 
Maybe Terry Prachett should sue the band for pinching the title of his book Wyrd Sisters ;)

Sadly Shakespeare's not around anymore to sue everyone:
"the weird sisters hand in hand, posters of the sea and land, thus do go about about, thrice to thine and thrice to mine and thrice again to make up nine. Peace, the charm's wound up."
 
Methinks JKR got the idea of the band's name from TP. Plagarism from Rowling - egad!
 
Stormkhan said:
Methinks JKR got the idea of the band's name from TP. Plagarism from Rowling - egad!
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Perhaps, merely a gentle acknowledgement to TP, or WS, for that matter? :)
 
SPIRITED AWAY... THE POTTER CAR

11:00 - 29 October 2005
The magic car that flew teenage-wizard Harry Potter and his friend Ron Weasley to school in the second Harry Potter blockbuster film has been stolen from a Westcountry film studio.

The blue 1962 Ford Anglia, registration 7990 TD, was stolen from South West Film Studios in St Agnes, Cornwall according to Devon and Cornwall Police.

The car was one of the stars of a film based on the second book in JK Rowling's series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. A blue Ford Anglia also features in an illustration on the front of the book of the same title.

Police believe the car may have been taken by a fan of the JK Rowling books and the spin-off films.

"The thieves may not have known its connection with the films and just thought it was a classic car, or it may have been a Harry Potter freak," a spokesman for the force said yesterday.

"It won't be worth a great deal as a Ford Anglia because it is in a bad state of repair but it may be worth something to a Harry Potter memorabilia collector or a classic car collector.

"The car flies in the film and is very well known."

Police belive that the car could not have been driven away from where it was being stored because of its condition. It had no engine in it at the time it was taken.

"It is suspected that it would have to have been towed or lifted from the scene," the spokesman said.

The car was stolen between 5.30pm on Wednesday and 4.15pm on Thursday.

In the book and film, Harry and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger fly themselves to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the beginning of the school year in the car after missing the train. It had been bewitched by Ron's father Arthur, who loves messing with anything belonging to Muggles, people without magical powers.

The car's magical properties are triggered by a silver button on its dashboard and, as well as flying, it has a Tardis-like expanding interior to accommodate luggage.

It had taken pride of place at an exhibition at South West Film Studios.

However the company, which stored props for the Harry Potter film series, went into administration last autumn and the Anglia had been under a tarpaulin and out of sight since then.

A spokesman for the official receivers, Begbies Traynor, who control the site, said: "No other props from the film were left here, just the car.

"It was being stored while a buyer was found for it. That's all we know."

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth film to be adapted from the best-selling series, will be shown at cinemas from November 18.
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WMN
 
Sooooo who's going?

Fourth, darkest Potter film premieres in London

Sunday, November 6, 2005; Posted: 5:54 a.m. EST (10:54 GMT)

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- The fourth, and darkest Harry Potter film so far premieres in London on Sunday, extending a series that is already one of the most successful in movie history and still has three further episodes to run.

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" is based on the fourth instalment of author J.K. Rowling's seven-book series, in which young wizard Harry is tested to the limit in a magic tournament and meets his nemesis Lord Voldemort in a dramatic climax.

With death, danger and the first blossoming of teenage love at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the film has been ruled unsuitable for under-12s to watch unaccompanied by an adult, the first of the Potter films to get such a rating.

British director Mike Newell said he wanted to recreate the atmosphere he remembered when at school.

"I remember being terrified of some teachers at school who were violent," he said in a recent interview. "The teachers would clout us. But I also remember things being absolutely hysterically funny, because there was such anarchy."

He also defended his decision to make Goblet a darker film than the previous three.

"There's a problem of credibility," he told Reuters.

"If you think ... there is going to be the same sunlit, blush-toned childhood of film number one, there is a lot of questions that you will ask. You will tend not to believe that."

He described the budget for the two-and-a-half hour Goblet as "colossal", although the film's backers still made him argue for more money while making the film.

Industry estimates say Goblet cost somewhere between $130 and $170 million to make, but it could be a good investment considering that the first three films earned around $2.5 billion at the box office.

Many of the stars of the fourth Potter film, which is in cinemas from November 18, are expected at Sunday's world premiere in central London, including Daniel Radcliffe who plays Harry and Ralph Fiennes who is the evil Lord Voldemort.

The fifth Harry Potter film, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," is due out in 2007.

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Copyright 2005 Reuters.
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www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movies/11/06/p ... mier.reut/
 
Death Comes To "Harry Potter" Himself

Posted: Tuesday December 6th, 2005 11:41pm
Source: Bang Showbiz
Author: Garth Franklin

"Harry Potter" author JK Rowling is apparently desperate to kill off the boy wizard after living with him for too long reports Bang Showbiz.

Actor Jim Dale, the voice of Harry in the US audio books, says Rowling recently spoke with him, and confirmed "Book seven is the [absolute] final one. She's lived with Harry Potter so long she really wants to kill him off".

When asked whether the young hero will reach adulthood, Rowling recently told press: "You have to wait and see whether he survives to be a grown-up".

Even actor Daniel Radcliffe is opening to the idea, telling press during the fourth film's promotions that "I do maintain there is a possibility he could be killed in the final book".
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www.darkhorizons.com/news05/051206h.php
 
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (R1) in March

Warner Home Video have announced the Region 1 DVD release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for 7th March 2006. Harry Potter must contend with being mysteriously selected to compete in the prestigious Triwizard Tournament, a thrilling competition that pits him against older and more experienced students. Meanwhile, supporters of the evil Lord Voldemort send a shockwave of fear throughout the wizard community when their Dark Mark scorches the sky, signalling Voldemort's return to power.

There will be a standard single-disc release priced at $28.98 SRP available in separate Widescreen & Full Screen editions. Both offer the film with English and Spanish DD5.1 Surround audio and optional English, French and Spanish subtitles. There are no listed extras.

There will also be a Two-Disc Special Edition with "premium silver foil packaging" priced at $30.97 SRP. Features include:

  • * 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
    * English & Spanish DD5.1 Surround
    * English, French & Spanish subtitles
    * Additional Scenes
    * Conversations with the Cast
    * Preparing for the Yule Ball
    * Reflections on the Fourth Film
    * Triwizard Tournament: Dragon Arena:
    • o Dragon Challenge
      o Harry vs. the Horntail: The First Task
      o Meet the Champions
    * Triwizard Tournament: Lake
    • o Lake Challenge
      o In Too Deep: The Second Task
    * Triwizard Tournament: Maze
    • o Maze Challenge
      o To the Graveyard and Back Challenge
      o The Maze: The Third Task
      o He Who Must Not Be Named
    * PC DVD-Rom Features:
    • o EA Game Demo
      o Hogwarts Timeline

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And finally, for those yet to pick up the earlier releases there is a Harry Potter Years 1-4 8-Disc box-set priced at $73.92 SRP.
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www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=59923
 
<shakes head sadly.>

Im saving up for all three series of `The Survivors`

(strangley relevant as its about a killer flu bug.)
 
Harry Potter's stolen flying car comes in to land
By Richard Alleyne
(Filed: 19/05/2006)

Harry Potter's flying Ford Anglia, which mysteriously vanished from a film studio six months ago, has turned up at a hilltop castle.

The turquoise car - driven by Harry and Ron Weasely in The Chamber of Secrets - has not been seen since it was taken from the South West Film studios in Cornwall last year.

Police feared that the 1962 car, which does not have an engine, would be sold for scrap if the thieves failed to find a buyer on the black market.

But officers acting on a tip-off on Wednesday night found the car in the grounds of Carn Brea Castle, a 14th-century stone twin-towered fortress overlooking St Ives, Cornwall.

Pc Tim Roberts, who is based in Redruth, believes that the thieves left it there as a joke.

"We received an anonymous call from someone telling us its location," he said.

"It seems to be in good order."

Pc Roberts said the car had now been towed to a vehicle compound and will probably be returned to the insurance company.

He added: "I'd love to think Harry himself had driven it there to take part in some adventure at the castle but the reality is probably a little less interesting."

The Anglia - registration 7990 TD - is pictured on the front cover of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

It used to take pride of place at the gates of South West Film Studios but vanished one night last November.

The company had gone into administration and the car was being stored under a tarpaulin while a private buyer was sought.

Carn Brea Castle bears a striking resemblance to Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft.

Scientific experts were examining the car yesterday. A length of rope that was found attached to the back could yield vital DNA and help to solve the mystery.
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http://tinyurl.com/fy2wk
 
More vague geography!
The Times May 19, 2006

The Harry Potter reappearing act
By Michael Horsnell

The flying Ford Anglia that saved Harry Potter and his friend from certain death has been recovered more than six months after it was stolen. The battered turquoise car, driven by Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was pilfered from the South West Film studios in St Agnes, Cornwall, but has been found, after a tip-off, in the grounds of Carn Brea Castle, a 14th-century stone twin-towered fortress near Falmouth.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2187523.html
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The reason I'm posting another link to this story is that, according to an insider on a local paper I met tonight, this is old news... :shock:

I'm going to investigate further - watch this space! 8)
 
Yet another version:
HARRY POTTER CAR REAPPEARS AT CORNISH CASTLE

11:00 - 19 May 2006

Harry potter's stolen Ford Anglia has turned up outside a Cornish castle after becoming too hot for thieves to handle. The distinctive turquoise car, driven by Harry and Ron Weasely in The Chamber of Secrets, was taken from outside South West Film Studios at St Agnes last year. Police suspected that the celebrity car, which had no engine, might be sold to a collector on the black market.

But this week it turned up on a hilltop at Carn Brea, Redruth, where it was towed and parked outside an old hunting lodge castle, now a restaurant.

PC Tim Roberts said: "We received an anonymous call from someone telling us its location. I would guess whoever left it there did so with their tongue firmly in their cheek.
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http://tinyurl.com/lojy5

(I still await a reply from a journalist who - allegedly - knows a different story.

According to my source, there are 'news' agencies who specialise in trawling old news clippings, and re-selling the stories as 'new'. But would papers like the Times and Telegraph go along with such lazy journalism?

FT is a mag, but must have many contacts in the news industry. Over to the FT investigative squad (whatever his name is... :D ))
 
In cases where the concept of the story is more important than the facts (!) some reporters do seem to try to fit the story into their display of linguistic bravado.

I've done work experience on the newsdesks of two national newspapers (one tabloid, one broadsheet) - the tabloid reporters actually seem to do more research for their stories, while the broadsheets leave it more to creative writing.

I've also seen stories appearing in one newspaper up to a week after the one I worked for published them. I guess it just takes a while to go around.

As for news agencies hawking old stories... both the papers I was at only subscribed to maybe 5-6 agencies (PA, Reuters, Manchester Evening News, Government News Network and maybe a couple of local ones).
 
LINK

This has some spoilers, so I'm going to try and "Invisotext" it so that you can read only if you are intersted... but it's not too specific, so you are probably okay.

Rowling says 2 characters die in final Potter book

LONDON (Reuters) - Children's author J.K. Rowling has revealed that at least two characters will die in the seventh and final installment of her bestselling Harry Potter series, but was careful not to say who.

Children and adults are expected to rush and buy the final Harry Potter novel in their tens of millions when it is complete, and if the publication of the sixth book is anything to go by, secrecy surrounding the plot will be tight.

Rowling has already said that the final chapter of the seventh book was written long ago. "The final chapter is hidden away, although it's now changed very slightly," she said in an interview broadcast on Monday on Britain's Channel 4. "One character got a reprieve, but I have to say two die that I didn't intend to die."

When asked to be more specific, she added: "No, I'm not going to commit myself, because I don't want the hate mail or anything else."

She did explain that she understood an author's desire to kill off the main character of a successful series. "I've never been tempted to kill him (Harry) off before the end of book seven, because I always planned seven books and that's where I want to go.

"I can completely understand, however, the mentality of an author who thinks 'Well, I'm going to kill them off because that means there can be no non-author-written sequels ... so it will end with me, and after I'm dead and gone they won't be able to bring back the character'."

Rowling, 40, wrote the first Harry Potter adventure when she was an unemployed single mother, but has gone on to become one of the richest authors in history with a personal fortune estimated at more than $1 billion.

The Harry Potter series has sold an estimated 300 million copies worldwide.
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