In Contention

Tag: Harry Potter

  • BAFTA honors ‘Harry Potter’ series

    The penultimate film in the series may only be up for two BAFTAs on Sunday night — ones it probably won’t win — but devoted “Harry Potter” fans have been given an extra reason to tune in, as the entire series is being honored by the British Academy with their Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award.

    This annual honorary award has previously been presented to individuals like Mike Leigh, Derek Jarman and Kenneth Branagh, as well as studios like Pinewood and Working Title, but this is, to my knowledge, the first time it’s been given to an actual film franchise. Author J.K. Rowling and producer David Heyman will accept.

    It’s an appropriate acknowledgement for a cultural phenomenon that has delighted millions for an entire decade, generated a fortune for the UK film industry and kept at least half of Britain’s acting stock in steady employment, but the timing of the award strikes me as odd — why not wait until next year, when the series is complete and running its final victory lap?

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  • ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ trailer

    The “Harry Potter” franchise has been a nice cash cow for Warner Bros.  So it was a stroke of genius to split the final novel, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” into two film adaptations, virtually assuring an extra $800 million or so.  The “Twilight” series took note, too.  The all-encompassing trailer for the two-parter wizard denouement has hit the web via Yahoo! Movies and, well, they’ve always known how to cook up fetching trailers for this series.  I still think its finest hour was the first 60 minutes of “The Goblet of Fire” and was generally “meh” on the third film, which is the favorite for most.  So I guess I’m just out of step with the rest on these.  Check out the new trailer by clicking the image below or have a look at the embed after the jump.

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  • 11/17 Oscarweb Round-up

    Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean• “Avatar” to hold its world premiere in Leicester Square, London, December 10. [Deadline Hollywood Daily]

    • Nathaniel Rogers isn’t phased by his signed non-disclosure agreement, breathlessly (but briefly) enthuses about “Nine.” [The Film Experience]

    • Johnny Depp becomes Hollywood’s highest paid actor with a £21 million ($42 million) salary for “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.” [Daily Telegraph]

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  • When Harry met Weasley

    No reason really, I just think this photo of the day “Harry Potter” actor Daniel Radcliffe met co-star Rupert Grint, shared with Hero Complex’s Geoff Boucher by producer David Heyman, is a touching, somewhat historic shot:

    (from left) Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint

  • 7/15 Web Round-up

    Quentin Tarantino• Alex Pappademas talks “Inglourious Basterds” with Quentin Tarantino the day following David Carradine’s death. [GQ]

    • How producer Don Murphy turned and online tiff into a novel option. [The Big Picture]

    • Eight blatantly misleading movie posters.  Hear, hear on “Reign of Fire.”  Never felt so burned… [Empire]

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  • 7/13 Web Round-up

    (from left) Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel in (500) Days of Summer• Gael Garcia Bernal: activist. [Daily Telegraph]

    • Phil de Semlyen chats it up with Bruno. [Empire]

    • Michael Powell goes deep on “Golden Age” survivor Andrew Sarris. [New York Times]

    • Mike Jones profiles the child actors of Harry Potter, wonders if their fame can last beyond Hogwarts. [The independent]

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  • 10/7 Web Round-up

    Jodie Foster• How “Brüno” could forever change Hollywood’s depiction of homosexuality. [Slate]

    • Or should that be “Humpday?” [Time]

    • Jodie Foster goes back behind the the camera, directing and starring opposite Mel Gibson in “The Beaver.” Ahem. [Variety]

    • Given the ubiquity of the Harry Potter kids, Gill Pringle considers the rise of the well-behaved movie star. [The Independent]

    • Eternal maverick Isabelle Huppert on her “internal adventure” of her acting career. [indieWIRE]

    • Must-read of the day: Andrew O’Hehir takes a fresh look at “The Seventh Seal.” [Salon]

    • Inspired by the title of Michael Moore’s latest, Xan Brooks contemplates cinema’s least appropriate date movies. [The Guardian]

    • By the way, have you been playing Nat Roger’s fantastic “First & Last” game this month? Check it out. [The Film Experience]


  • “This town needs an enema!”

    Why can’t Hollywood just get along?

    Lots of lawsuits dropping in the film and entertainment buisness lately.  J.K. Rowling and the “Harry Potter” Lexicon, “Rear Window” vs. “Disturbia,” Watching the “Watchmen” tug of war, No Cash for Old Tommy Lee…and let’s not forget all the SAG drama, as studios fortify their ranks to do battle, be it now or in the future.

    Sometimes…I don’t know, it’s weird.  It’s like you can just TELL this blessed burg needs to chill out sometimes.