ITV

Tag: Harry Potter

  • Warner Bros opens new film and TV studio in London

    Warner Bros opens new film and TV studio in London

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros. has formally opened its new film and TV studio in Leavesden, in the outskirts of London. Warner Bros. has filmed the Harry Potter series, Sherlock Holmes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Wrath of the Titans here, among others.

    The Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden is ‘the first of its kind to be built in the U.K. in 70 years‘ and secures the future of over a third of the dedicated major feature film production stage space in the UK. It will help further position the country as a center of filmmaking excellence.”

    The Hollywood studio undertook a ?100 million ($155 million) revamp of the more than 250,000 square feet complex near Watford.

    The stages range in size from 10,000 to 36,000 square feet and the space also offers a series of workshops. The facilities in the studio include one of the largest heated underwater filming tanks in Europe. And the site provides a 100 acre back-lot, one of the most extensive in Europe, which the company says can be adapted for any production needs.

    The studio is also home to the recently opened Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, a walking tour that takes guests behind the scenes of the iconic Harry Potter movie series.

    It may be of interest to know that Warner used to rent the studio space but then bought the facility in late 2010.

  • Avengers is 3rd biggest film of all time

    Avengers is 3rd biggest film of all time

    MUMBAI: For the joy of Disney and Marvel Studios, its latest film. The Avengers surpassed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 to become the third-biggest film of all time at the worldwide box office accrual of $1.331 billion. The last of the Harry Potter film, that released in July last year, earned $1.328 billion.

    With this, Avengers stands at No. 3 preceded by Avatar with a worldwide gross of $2.8 billion and Titanic with a total gross of $1.8 billion.

    Avengers also surpassed The Dark Knight to become the third top grossing film of all time with a total of $538.1 million. Dark Knight had, incidentally, amassed $533.

    Internationally Avengers has siphoned in $793.2 million, the fifth-best showing of all time.

  • New Disney chief hints at making six to eight films a year

    New Disney chief hints at making six to eight films a year

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Co has named Hollywood veteran Alan Horn as chairman of its film division.

    “I’m incredibly excited about joining The Walt Disney Company, one of the most iconic and beloved entertainment companies in the world,” said Horn. “I love the motion picture business and look forward to making a contribution as part of Bob Iger’s team working closely with the dedicated and talented group at the studio.”

    Upon his appointment, Horn said that he would not desist making big budget films despite Hollywood‘s recent string of flops such as its very own John Carter and Universal Pictures‘ Battleship.

    Horn, the person who was responsible in giving hits like the Harry Potter series while he was president of Warner Brothers Entertainment, intends to focus on six to eight films a year. He follows Rich Ross, a former Disney Channel executive, who had to exit Disney for moving too slowly to put films into production and not keeping a tab on the rising budget of John Carter.

    Horn was most recently President and COO of Warner Bros. Entertainment where he had oversight of the Studios’ theatrical and home entertainment operations, including the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, Warner Premiere (direct-to-platform production), Warner Bros. Theatrical Ventures (live stage) and Warner Home Video. During his 12 year tenure, Warner Bros. Studios was the global box office leader seven times.

    Among the numerous critically acclaimed films and box office hits released during his tenure are all eight films in the Harry Potter series, The Dark Knight, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Happy Feet, Sherlock Holmes, The Departed, Batman Begins, Million Dollar Baby, the second and third Matrix films and the Ocean’s Eleven trilogy. Horn is also an executive producer of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

    Horn will assume office on 11 June.

  • MIB 3 set to dislodge The Avengers

    MIB 3 set to dislodge The Avengers

    MUMBAI: Will Smith’s Men in Black 3 is expected to garner anywhere around $80 million-$90 million in the domestic circuit. Sony is looking to dominate the Memorial Day holiday weekend with Men in Black 3.

    The big-budget 3D film costing close to $230 million is widely expected to topple The Avengers from the top spot at the domestic box office with a solid four-day gross. MIB 3, which also opens around the world, is predicted to clear $200 million globally till Monday.

    Meawhile, Avengers continues to run riot nearly a month into its run and will become the No. 3 film of all time at the worldwide box office by the end of the weekend or early next week.

    The film has acquired a global total of $1.22 billion till last Wednesday putting it at No. 4 behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($1.33 billion).

    MIB 3 opens one week after Universal and Hasbro Entertainment‘s big-budget Battleship debuted to a dismal $25.5 million domestically.

    The first Men in Black, that released in 1997, was a runaway success earning $587 million worldwide. But the sequel Men in Black II, that opened in July 2002 was a critical disappointment after it gathered $441 million.

  • The Avengers likely to gross $ 1 billion by Sunday

    The Avengers likely to gross $ 1 billion by Sunday

    MUMBAI: Disney‘s The Avengers is expected to cross the $800 million mark Thursday and might gross $1 billion globally by Sunday or early next week. It is said that if it reaches the milestone on Sunday, its 19th day in release, it will be on par with Avatar and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in terms of record-breaking speed.

    Through Wednesday, the film directed by Joss Whedon had grossed $775.4 million worldwide, including a Wednesday take of $31.2 million. Last weekend, it scored the biggest domestic debut of all time with an intake of $207.4 million.

    This weekend Avengers could well gross $100 million domestically and $100 million overseas. But those numbers could come in lower if the drop is bigger than expected.

    The only new wide release of the weekend is Tim Burton‘s campy adaptation of the 1966-71 daytime soap Dark Shadows.The film that has Johnny Depp in the lead as a vampire is likely to open between the $35 million to $40 million range domestically. It also opens in 42 markets overseas, where Depp is a huge international star.

    Dark Shadows could beat Avengers in certain territories but might not be able to match Avengers‘ overall weekend international gross. Burton‘s film got off to a strong start Wednesday in France, grossing roughly $770,000 to beat Avengers on its third Wednesday.

    Made at a cost of $100 million, Dark Shadows should go well among women though interest has picked up among men in recent days.

  • Rowling working on Potter encyclopedia

    Rowling working on Potter encyclopedia

    MUMBAI: Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is working on a Harry Potter encyclopedia. She will donate the royalties to charity, it is understood.
     
    On her revamped website, Rowling addressed the question of a Harry Potter encyclopedia in a ‘frequently asked questions and rumours‘ section. "For a long time I have been promising an encyclopedia of Harry‘s world and I have started work on this now," said the 46-year-old author. Some of it forms the new content in Pottermore.
     
    Pottermore, a free website allowing visitors to navigate the stories and discover new content not in the original books, is one of several Potter spin-offs following the completion of the seven-novel series.
     
    The novels have sold more than 400 million copies worldwide and spawned a hit eight-movie film franchise that has helped turn Rowling into the world‘s most successful author.
     
    It may be recalled that four years ago the British writer took an independent US publisher to Court to bring an end to its plans for a reference book on the world of the fictional boy wizard saying that it constituted a ‘rip-off‘ of her work.
     
    Earlier this month, Rowling announced the title of her first book for adults would be The Casual Vacancy. It goes on sale on 27 September.

  • Harry Potter wins top honours at Empire awards

    Harry Potter wins top honours at Empire awards

    MUMBAI: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 has won the top honours at the 2012 Empire Awards. It won the best film and best director for David Yates, Gary Oldman, who played Sirius Black in the film and also annexed the best actor for his role in political thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

    The Inbetweeners Movie picked up best comedy.

    Speaking before the ceremony, actor Blake Harrison, who plays hapless, slow-witted Neil Sutherland in the film, said he did not expect to take the prize. “We‘re up against such brilliant films,” he has reportedly said.

    “It‘s films like Bridesmaids and Crazy, Stupid Love. I don‘t know why I‘m here, to be honest,” he added.

  • Emma Watson to star in Your Voice in My Head

    Emma Watson to star in Your Voice in My Head

    MUMBAI: Harry Potter actress Emma Watson will possibly reunite with the film’s director David Yates in her next Your Voice in My Head, a film about a suicidal writer.

    Your Voice in My Head is based on a memoir by Emma Forrest who, incidentally, is also the film’s screenwriter. The film follows a self-destructive writer who struggles with her personal issues and embarks on the difficult road to recovery.

    Watson will play the female lead of a young woman who tries to commit suicide before being saved by a New York-based psychiatrist who is dying of cancer. Warner is eyeing some high-profile names like Tom Hanks and George Clooney to play the male lead.

    Watson last played a supporting role in My Week with Marilyn that marked her first acting stint post Harry Potter.

    Next, she will be seen starring opposite Logan Lerman and Nina Dobrev in The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

  • Warner Bros campaigns for Deathly Hallows Part 2 at Academy

    Warner Bros campaigns for Deathly Hallows Part 2 at Academy

    MUMBAI: As part of the promotion of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 at the Oscars, Warner Bros has launched a campaign to have the film recognized at the Academy Awards.

    In the decade since their inception, Harry Potter movies have made around 5 billion pounds and won critical acclaim but an Oscar has always eluded them.

    Warner Bros is now making one last push to break the spell by lobbying Academy voters to nominate Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in a dozen categories including best picture and best director.

    It is also trying to get Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson nominated in the best actor and actress categories respectively.

    The most likely chance of success comes in the best supporting actor category with Alan Rickman‘s performance as Professor Severus Snape

    Till date, Harry Potter films have been nominated for nine Oscars but have failed to win any. The categories for which the films have been nominated include best art direction, best score and best cinematography. The studio is running special trailers and advertising campaigns in the film‘s honour.

    The ballot closes on January 13 and the nominations will be announced on January 24.

  • Fast Five most-pirated film of 2011

    Fast Five most-pirated film of 2011

    MUMBAI: Films continued to be downloaded at a fast pace as Fast Five topped the list of 2011‘s most-pirated films on BitTorrent, according to a data.

    With Fat Five being illegally downloaded 9.3 million times this year, there shows a significant drop from last year‘s most-downloaded film Avatar that was downloaded more than 16 million times.

    In fact, the average number of downloads for the entire top 10 list is lower than 2010, which the data attributes to the “increase in legal alternatives” as well as “alternative piracy sources” including cyber lockers and streaming sites.

    Coming in at No. 2 was The Hangover Part II with 8.8 million downloads, followed by Thor (8.3 million), Source Code (7.9 million) and I Am Number Four (7.7 million).

    What followed were films like I Am Number Four (7.7 million), Sucker Punch (7.2 million), 7. 127 Hours (6.9 million), Rango (6.5 million), The King‘s Speech (6.3 million) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (6 million).