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Thursday, May 31, 2007

The Movie Trailers

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

The movie was made at Leavesden Film Studios and released in 2001.The film made in excess of $976 million USD at the worldwide box office and received three Academy Awards nominations.The Movie was directed by Chris Columbus and produced by David Heyman.
Trailer Below


Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The film was released on November 3, 2002 and was directed by Christopher Columbus. The screenplay was adapted by Steven Kloves.However, it was the last appearance by Richard Harris as Dumbledore and currently the last Harry Potter film directed by Columbus. It remains as the only film in the franchise that has not been nominated for an Academy Award.
The film was very well received at the box office, having one of the largest opening weekend grosses of its time ($88.4M USD) and eventually grossing more than $876 million USD worldwide.
Trailer Below


Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

It was released on 31 May 2004 in the United Kingdom and on 4 June 2004 in Mexico, United States and Canada and was directed by acclaimed Mexican director, Alfonso Cuarón.The film broke several opening records around the world upon its release, including the top opening film in UK film history, and made approximately £20m in its first three days, totalling £90.3m in ten days. As of September 28, 2005, the film had grossed US $789 million worldwide.In 2005, the film was nominated for two Academy Awards for its score and visual effects.
Trailer Below


Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The film was directed by Mike Newell and was released on November 18, 2005.Three days after its release, the film had grossed over USD $102 million at the North American box office, the highest first-weekend tally for a Harry Potter film, and enjoyed an immensely successful run at the box office, earning over $892 million worldwide, making it the highest grossing film of 2005, and the 9th-highest grossing film of all time.
Trailer Below


Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The director is David Yates. The screenwriter is Michael Goldenberg, who replaced Steve Kloves, writer of the first four films.Warner Bros., the distributor of the film, has scheduled a UK release date of 12 July 2007, and a US release date of 11 July 2007.
Trailer Below


Harry Potter Movies

The books of Harry Potter series have been made into films.The four motion pictures released to-date are among the highest grossing film series of all time, with USD$3.5 billion in worldwide receipts, only trailing the James Bond films ($4.3 billion)and the Star Wars films (4.1 billion). As of 2007, the series consists of four motion pictures with the fifth, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, scheduled for United States and United Kingdom release on July 13.

In 1999, Rowling sold the film rights to the first four Harry Potter books to Warner Bros. for a reported £1 million ($1,982,900 U.S. dollars). [4] A reported demand Rowling made was that the principal cast be kept strictly British, nonetheless allowing for the inclusion of many Irish actors such as the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore.

In 2000, the virtually unknown British actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were selected from thousands of auditioning children to play the roles of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, respectively.They have played their characters in the first five films, and on 23 March 2007, Warner Bros. confirmed that all three would return for the sixth and seventh.
Chris Columbus directed the first two films, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Alfonso Cuarón directed the third, and Mike Newell directed the fourth. The fifth, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is finished and was directed by David Yates, who will also direct the sixth Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Meaning of Deathly Hallows


Shortly before the release of the title, JK Rowling announced that she had considered three different titles for the book. The title "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" was released to the public from her web site, on 21st December 2006. The title was given as a hangman puzzle which was to be solved.

When asked "What does 'Deathly Hallows' mean?" J.K Rowling responded, "Any clarification of the meaning of 'Hallows' would give away too much of the story - well, it would, wouldn't it? Being the title and all. So I'm afraid I'm not answering."

Hallow is a word usually used as a verb, meaning "to make holy or sacred, to sanctify or consecrate, to venerate". However, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the word hallows appears as a noun. In modern English, the word is used as a noun in "All Hallows' Day" or "All Saints' Day," which is the day after Halloween or "All Hallows' Eve". Hallows can refer to saints, the relics of saints, the relics of gods, or shrines in which the relics are kept. Since the essence of these saints or gods were often considered present at their shrines and in their relics, hallows came to refer to the saints or gods themselves, rather than just their relics or shrines.The release of the title has resulted in considerable speculation as to its possible meanings. Other Hallows which occur in the series are the Hogwarts Hallows.

Following the difficulties experienced by the book's translators in adapting the title to their own language, the Swedish interpreters announced that Rowling had offered the alternate title Harry Potter and the Relics of Death, which in Swedish is rendered as Harry Potter och dödsrelikerna.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Book 7: Cover Information

Here is the cover or the jacket information of the 7th book. there are two editions : the UK edition and the US edition. JKR always hides some clues or information relating to her book in the covers of the books.

The UK edition : -

The Text on the inside flap of the book reads as follows :-

"Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort’s remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety, and companionship of The Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him.

In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectacular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited. The spellbinding, richly woven narrative, which plunges, twists and turns at a breathtaking pace, confirms the author as a mistress of storytelling, whose books will be read, reread and read again. "

the back of the book has the following text:-

"Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing – if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfil the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him with? "

the cover spine of the book is interesting. In all the other books the picture shown in the cover spine is critical of the plot of the book. The 7th book contains :

"The top of the cover spine has a symbol showing a triangle with a circle in it cut in half."

The US Edition : -

For the fourth time (and the first since since the 3rd book), the cover is a wraparound, meaning that it is comprised of a single image spanning over the entirety of the front, back and spine of the book.

In the cover the structures around Harry show evident destruction and in the shadows behind him, we see outlines of other people. On the back cover, spidery hands are outstretched toward Harry. Only when the book is opened does one see a powerful image of Voldemort, his glowing red eyes peering out from his hood.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: A Preview



Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling.

The book title was announced on December 21, 2006 via a special Christmas-themed hangman puzzle on Rowling's website and confirmed shortly afterwards by the book's publishers. Rowling has stated that the final volume relates very closely to the previous book in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, "almost as though they are two halves of the same novel." It follows the journey of the Harry Potter as he attempts to bring an end to his archenemy, Lord Voldemort.

The book is scheduled to be released globally in English-speaking countries shortly after midnight 00:01, British Summer Time, on July 21, 2007. However, in the U.S. (which spans several time zones), the book will be released for sale within each time zone at 00:01 local time, a few hours after the other English-speaking countries. The book reached the top spot on both the Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble bestseller lists just a few hours after the date was announced on 1 February 2007.

Preview:-
This is one of the most anticipated books in the modern age. In this thrilling climax to the phenomenally bestselling series, J.K. Rowling will reveal all to her eagerly waiting readers. The rumours are already circulating - What are the Deathly Hallows? How can Harry fulfil the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him with. Who will make it through to the end? Will Harry survive? Who is going to die? All these questions make the book more anticipated that any other book in recent memory.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince


Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, released on July 16, 2005, is the sixth of seven planned novels in J.K. Rowling's popular Harry Potter series. Set during Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts, the novel explores Lord Voldemort's past, and Harry's preparations for the final battle amidst emerging romantic relationships. In 24 hours, the book sold 6.9 million copies in the United States alone, or 287,564 books per hour, making it the fastest selling book in recent history. It generated over £100 million in sales on its opening weekend, outpacing even the combined take of the top movies at the box office that same weekend.

Book Review :-
Harry enters his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry having endured more than one man could endure in a lifetime. A somber, fearful air envelops the wizarding community for now everyone knows they are at war with a dark wizard and his deadly followers. But it is the war within each character that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will focus on, the war between the choices we make and the people we wish to become.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince begins in darkness, bearing witness to the dark days ahead of wizards and muggles alike. Each newspaper brings news of terror and horror across the nation, and Harry and his friends read each article fearful of finding someone they know has died at Voldemort's hands. The intensity increases as Harry takes lessons with his headmaster, learning the truth behind the current dark times.

What's more, Harry is quickly approaching manhood, his thoughts no longer dominated by childish ignorance or teenage angst. His wounds from previous tribulations have earned him a place as a young adult, but still much of his pride remains.The war within Harry is a familiar one. Whereas Dumbledore once said that the choices one makes define a person far more than a man's abilities, Harry must discover this in deeper ways than ever before. Loyalty, love, and hope are all cornerstones of the man Harry wishes to become, but what of ambition, jealousy, and fear?
The book is very well written as JKR keeps up the magic in her writing. This book sets up for a grand finale in the final book of the series.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix



Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth book in the Harry Potter series of books by J. K. Rowling. The book was published on 21 June 2003, almost 3 years after the 4th book, in the United Kingdom and the majority of other countries. It sold almost seven million copies in the United Kingdom and United States combined on that day. It has 38 chapters, is about 255,000 words long.


"I say to you all, once again in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust."

So spoke Albus Dumbledore at the end of Harry Potter's fourth year at Hogwarts. But as Harry enters his fifth year at wizard school, it seems those bonds have never been more sorely tested. Lord Voldemort's rise has opened a rift in the wizarding world between those who believe the truth about his return, and those who prefer to believe it's all madness and lies just more trouble from Harry Potter.


Magic powers, evil wizards, dragons and midnight broom rides are obsolete in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This fifth installment is by far the best yet. As we travel deeper into the magical world, secrets are revealed and the plot thickens (and the plot seems at least as thick as the book itself).

It is Harry Potter’s fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the evil Lord Voldemort has risen again and nobody seems to believe it .The summer at the Dursely's is as wretched as ever. Harry finally leaves his cruel aunt and uncle’s house and arrives at the house of his godfather, Sirius Black. Meeting up with his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, the group tries to stop Lord Voldemort. The meeting spot is Sirius Black’s house, Number 12 Grimmauld’s Place, a magical house not visible to muggles-non magical people. Harry returns to his safe haven at Hogwarts on September 1, but will soon want to return to Number 12 Grimmauld’s Place because unfortunate events make people at school think he has gone mad. Due to Harry’s ambition, he makes it through the year and somehow still hates to leave his haven.

J.K. Rowling has really outdone herself this time. The book is so detailed that you feel like you are there. The plot gets darker with each book and keeps readers wanting more. This book is sure to entertain young as well as old. The Harry Potter series makes you imagine a world that you wish so badly existed that you actually start believing it does. Harry Potter will surely delight readers for years to come.




This book has been made into a film by Warner Brothers which is due to be released on the 13th of july 2007.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire


Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth book in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Published on July 8, 2000, the release of this book was surrounded by more hype than any other book in recent times — outdone only by its successors, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

An exciting wand fight, a magnificent ball, an exhilarating race, a battle for life and mischievous teenagers can all be found in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

This fourth book in the series continues with the famous Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts, the school for wizards. Through mysterious circumstances, Harry is chosen against his wishes to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Most of the novel deals with Harry's attempts to endure the ordeal. His nemesis, Lord Voldemort, also returns, with plans to kill Harry. In addition, Harry is still trying to be a "normal" teenage wizard, with a crush on an older woman.

This book captured my full attention from the first sentence with its different vocabulary, interesting story lines and complex mysteries. There are plot twists, unusual characters, magic moments and typical school problems.

J. K. Rowling has a wonderful imagination and a great sense of humor. Readers will also be able to relate to the wizard teenager's dilemmas. The suspense and foreshadowing will keep you wanting to read more. This book has a more complex and terrifying plot than the first three, but also more violence and even a death. From the first sentence, readers are in for a great adventure that sets the stage for the fifth book.

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN


Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third book in the Harry Potter series of books by J. K. Rowling. The book was published on July 8, 1999. A film based on the book was released on May 31st, 2004, in the United Kingdom

Book Review : -
It's year three at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for 13-year-old buddies Harry, Hermione and Ron. Of course getting to school is always half the fun for Harry. Last year his friends had to rescue him with a flying car after his mean Mu
ggle family barricaded him in his room. This year he's had it with everyone. So he inflates a nasty relative with helium (she floats out of the house and up out of sight) and runs away from home, rejoining his classmates when the semester begins.

Journeying to Hogwarts, Harry learns that a deranged criminal named Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban with the sole intention of finding and killing him. That means Azkaban's evil wraith like dementors (guards) will be patrolling school grounds. And that means Harry's not going to have a very good year, because every time Harry meets a dementor, he faints.

Harry is determined to conquer his fear and solve the mystery of why Sirius Black has it in for him. So he huddles up with the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin, and begins to work through his weakness. Then he teams up with Hermione and Ron to track down the man he believes betrayed his murdered parents.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets


A deadly monster is prowling the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. During his second year there, Harry again confronts evil when students are petrified and his best friend's little sister disappears. Though she follows the formula of the first book, Rowling keeps readers caught in her magic spell with twists, turns, and nonstop excitement.

Stuck with his awful relatives for the summer, Harry is rescued by his friend, Ron, and Ron's brothers in a flying car. Back at school, Harry discovers that the legendary Chamber of Secrets has been opened by the mysterious Heir of Slytherin, releasing a monster who prowls the halls of the school turning mudbloods (those with non-magic parents) to stone.

Suspicion soon falls on Harry, who bears more than a passing similarity to Slytherin, including being a Parseltongue (one with the ability to converse with snakes). But Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione, have even more reasons to try to track down the real Heir and stop the monster. Ron's little sister has disappeared, and Harry's friend, the gamekeeper Hagrid, may be more involved than he's letting on.

Though it breaks no new ground in the series, the plot is a riveting thrill ride, involving giant man-eating spiders, a ghost who lurks in the girls' bathroom, secret underground vaults, time travel, magical-transformation potions, the near death of several major and minor characters, and a climactic confrontation with the greatest evil wizard of them all, Voldemort. Rowling excels at twists, turns, and surprises, and many will find the identity of the person who opened the Chamber a complete surprise.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is the first volume in a series of seven books of the Harry Potter series. The book was published 30 June 1997 by Bloomsbury in London, and has also been made into a feature-length film of the same name. In her debut effort, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Rowling crafts a tale of magical mayhem truly worthy of the often over-used phrase, "a contemporary classic."This is also the most popular of the books by far, selling an estimated 107 million copies worldwide.

This story introduces us to Harry Potter, an orphaned boy sent to live with his "horrible" Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and their fat, obnoxious son, Dudley. Since Harry's parents were powerful witches before they were killed by an even more powerful witch, Harry has Generational Witchcraft in his background, making it very likely that he will be a wizard when he grows up. Vernon and Petunia know this, and since they hate Witchcraft and anything to do with it, they determine to try to raise Harry in such a way as to deny him any knowledge of his parent's proclivities.

Therefore, they do not tell him the truth of his parent's death, telling Harry they were killed in an auto accident. They also force Harry to live in a closet underneath the stairs, even though they have a perfectly good extra bedroom upstairs. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia deny Harry any parental love and compassion; in fact, all through this book, any non-witch folk -- like Vernon and Petunia -- are depicting in disgusting language. Non-witch people are known as Muggles , and they are depicting as being "dumber than a box of rocks", of being physically obscene, and of living the most boring, unimaginative lives possible. Witches, on the other hand, are depicted as being very smart, very "with it", of being physically normal, and of living wonderfully exciting lives, especially when they are in their Fantasy Reality, explained below.

Harry spends his first ten years totally unaware that he has Witchcraft in his background and that he might possess inherent "special powers". Suddenly, a letter arrives from the Hogwart School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, telling Harry that he has been accepted as a student, and informing him as to when classes begin. Of course, Uncle Vernon intercepts and destroys the letter. On the next day, two letters arrive, and Vernon destroys them. On the next day, many more letters arrive, this time coming in through windows, doors, and cracks. Finally, after the most stupid flight possible to avoid the letters, enough letters arrive at the boat on which Uncle Vernon has taken Harry that Harry finally gets his hands on one of the letters.

Harry is totally dumbfounded with the news that he is a Wizard, but he has to get free of the physical clutches of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. They have Harry on a boat headed for nowhere and they had every intention of keeping Harry from ever attending Hogwarts School. However, Harry receives supernatural assistance. A very huge man suddenly appears on the boat, out of nowhere, and forcibly removes Harry from the clutches of Uncle Vernon. His name turns out to be Hagrid, and he is the grounds keeper of Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft.

Soon, Harry finds his way through the dimensional portal at the train station, and on board the Hogwarts train, on his way to discovering new friends, and an entirely new, exciting life in the Fantasy Reality of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Suddenly, Harry finds himself and his friends,Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, in the exciting race to discover the Sorcerer's Stone, the occult symbol of reaching the final stage in the quest for eternal life.

The book has been remade into a film with the title "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". The rle of Harry is played by Daniel Radcliff and the roles of ron and hermione are played by Ruperth Grinth and Emma Watson respectively.

The idea of Harry Potter

In 1990, J. K. Rowling was on a crowded train from Manchester to London when the idea for Harry simply "popped" into her head. Rowling gives an account of the experience on her website saying:


"I had been writing almost continuously since the age of six but I had never been so excited about an idea before. [...] I simply sat and thought, for four (delayed train) hours, and all the details bubbled up in my brain, and this scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who didn't know he was a wizard became more and more real to me."
After this she worked hard on the plots and other characters of the story.In 1996, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was completed and the manuscript was sent off to prospective agents. Many publishers rejected it as they thought it was too childish.The second agent she tried, Christopher Little, offered to represent her and sent the manuscript to Bloomsbury. After eight other publishers had rejected Philosopher's Stone, Bloomsbury offered Rowling a £3,000 advance for the publication of Philosopher's Stone.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

The Books

The Harry potter series consits of 7 books of which 6 have been published and the 7th and the final book is due in the month of july.
These books describes the life and experiences of Harry Potter.The story starts with the killing of harry's parents by the "dark lord"Lord Voldemort. And harry who was a baby boy at the time was sent to his mother's sisters house. At the ago of 10 he finds out that he is a wizard and can attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There starts an amazing journey with many twists and turns. He knows the truth about his parents and under the able guidance of Albus Dumbledore he sets out to avenge his parents loss.

the books in the series are :-
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The Author- J K Rowling



Rowling was born at Yate, South Gloucestershire, England, 19 km northeast of Bristol on 31 July 1965. Her sister Dianne (Di) was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old.The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four where she attended St Michael's Primary School, later moving to Tutshill, near Chepstow, South Wales at the age of nine. As a child, Rowling enjoyed writing stories about fantasies, which she often read to her sister. She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College. Rowling was good with languages, but did not excel at sports and mathematics. There are numerous references to Welsh places, things, and people in Harry Potter, which could be attributed to her time in Chepstow.

After studying French and Classics at the University of Exeter, with a year of study in Paris, she moved to London to work as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International.

In December 1990, Rowling’s mother succumbed to a 10-year-long battle with the condition multiple sclerosis. Rowling commented, “I was writing Harry Potter at the moment my mother died. I had never told her about Harry Potter.”

Rowling then moved to Porto, Portugal to teach English as a foreign language. While there, she married Portuguese television journalist Jorge Arantes on 16 October 1992. They had one child, Jessica, who was named after Rowling’s heroine, Jessica Mitford. They divorced in 1993 after a fight in which Jorge threw her out of the house.

In December 1994, Rowling and her daughter moved to be near Rowling’s sister in Edinburgh, Scotland. Unemployed and living on state benefits, she completed her first novel. She did her work in numerous different cafés (e.g. Nicolson's Cafe and Elephant House Café), whenever she could get Jessica to fall asleep.

In 1996, one year after finishing the book, Bloomsbury bought Jo's first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.'The moment I found out that Harry would be published was one of the best of my life,’ says JKR. A few months after 'Harry' was accepted for publication in Britain, an American publisher bought the rights for enough money to enable Jo to give up teaching and write full time - her life's ambition!


Her first book won her the following accolades

  • Nestlé Smarties Book Prize 1997 Gold Medal 9-11 years
  • FCBG Children’s Book Award 1997 Overall winner and Longer Novel Category Birmingham Cable Children’s Book Award 1997
  • Young Telegraph Paperback of the Year 1998
  • British Book Awards 1997 Children’s Book of the Year
  • Sheffield Children’s Book Award 1998
  • Whitaker's Platinum Book Award 2001


After the fist book she has written 6 more books of Harry potter of which the 7th book is due to be released on 21 July 2007.

The Magical World Of HARRY POTTER


10 years ago(1997)a book ,which was written by a woman in dire need of money, was published which was going to become one of the most read book. The author I'm talking about is Joanne K Rowling (also know as JKR) and the book I'm talking about is the HARRY POTTER series of which the first book, that is "Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone", was published in the year 1997.
From then onwards there was no stopping the harry potter mania that has spread around the world and gripped it in its clutches. 6 books of the series of 7 harry potter books have been published while the 7 book " Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" is going to be released on the 21 of july 2007.All the books were international bestsellers and remained on top for a long time.Out of the 7 books 5 have been made been made into films of which 4 have been released while the film on the 5 book" Harry Potter and The Order OF Phoenix" will be released on the the 13 of July .The movies have grossed over $3.5 billion worldwide.

This is a site totally dedicated to Harry Potter and his friends, JKR, the magical world of Hogwats, and to the fans of the Harry Potter books.....