The end is almost here for Harry Potter and his friends. The J.K. Rowling-penned novel series about a young boy who ultimately becomes a powerful wizard concluded with "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," published in 2007. Three years later, that same final chapter is about to play out once again — this time, on the big screen.
Now, fans are getting their first look as to what lies ahead in the final "Harry Potter" adventure, with the first full-length trailer for "Deathly Hallows" debuting online early Monday evening (June 28). Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson reprise their roles as Harry, Ron and Hermione in "Deathly Hallows," which has been divided into two films. Despite the decision to split the story in two, the feature-length trailer combines elements from both films for one epic masterpiece highlighting the final showdown between the Boy Who Lived and He Who Must Not Be Named.
The trailer begins ominously enough as an offscreen voice informs Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) that "there's no sign of him, my lord." The "him" in question quickly makes himself known, as Harry Potter (Radcliffe) emerges in a dark forest clearing, wand at the ready, eyes locked with the serpentine Voldemort's.
"Harry Potter," Voldemort hisses softly. "The Boy Who Lived ... come to die!"
Immediately thereafter, we're treated to a series of montage sequences offering glimpses at John Hurt's return to the role of wand-maker Ollivander, our hero's trek through the treacherous halls of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Harry and Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) fleeing from Death Eaters on Sirius Black's (Garry Oldman) old flying motorcycle, a great conflict at the battle-ravaged Hogwarts castle and much more.
With barely a minute remaining in the trailer, we're returned to the conflict between Harry and Voldemort. The evil one clutches our hero's face with one hand, quietly asking: "Why do you live?" Harry proudly retorts: "Because I have something worth living for." Moments later, as the two rivals lock their wands in spellbinding battle, Voldemort offers the final words of the trailer: "Only I can live forever!"
The trailer describes "Deathly Hallows" as "the finale of the worldwide phenomenon, the motion picture event of a generation." Based on the footage seen here, those words are hardly an understatement. The first part of "Deathly Hallows" arrives in theaters this November, with the final installment in the "Harry Potter" series unfolding in July 2011.
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Sandra Bullock divorce 'now finalised'
Actress Sandra Bullock and estranged husband Jesse James have filed divorce papers in Texas, according to reports.
Bullock, 45, and James - a reality TV star and motorbike enthusiast - met in 2003 and were married in 2005.
The actress began divorce proceedings earlier this year after James was accused of having an affair with tattoo model Michelle McGee.
According to People, the papers cited "discord or conflict of personalities" as the reason for the split.
In April, Bullock - who won an Academy Award this year for her work in The Blind Side - revealed she had adopted a baby boy named Louis.
Last month the actress said it was "time to get back to normal" as she was honoured at the MTV Movie Awards.
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Oprah tops list of most powerful celebrities
Oprah Winfrey has reclaimed her spot as the most powerful celebrity on the planet, displacing Angelina Jolie, according to Forbes magazine.
And, not to worry. The Great Recession that has caused stress and panic -- and a shortage of pay raises -- among mere mortals hasn't been a problem for the rich and famous.
Forbes said that the cumulative earnings of those who make up this year's Celebrity 100 Power List has grown to $4.7 billion from $4.1 billion a year ago. Winfrey alone earned $315 million from June 1, 2009, to June 1, 2010.
But in deciphering celebrity "power," Forbes doesn't take only earnings into account but also fame, which it measures by calculating the number of times a personality is mentioned in print, TV, radio and social media. That's why music, fragrance and fashion magnate Beyonce Knowles is No. 2 on the list with earnings of $87 million, while "Avatar" impresario James Cameron is third with $210 million.
Fourth on the list is a newcomer: Lady Gaga, who earned $62 million in the past 12 months. And holding onto fifth place for a second straight year is Tiger Woods, proving that celebrity power isn't necessarily diminished by marital infidelity. The pro golfer earned $105 million during the year.
Rounding out the top 10 are Britney Spears ($64 million), U2 ($130 million), Sandra Bullock ($56 million), Johnny Depp ($75 million) and Madonna ($58 million).
Besides Gaga, other newcomers include "Twilight" franchise stars Robert Pattinson (No. 50 with $17 million earned) and Kristen Stewart (No. 66 with $12 million earned).
Bullock -- with a high-profile split from her husband and two hit movies, "The Blind Side" and "The Proposal," during the time frame -- made one of the biggest gains among those on the list this year and last, from No. 92 to No. 8.
Just missing the top 10 was former "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell, who earned $80 million and is No. 11 on the list. The highest-ranking country music artist is Taylor Swift, who comes in right after Cowell and earned $45 million. She bested Miley Cyrus, No. 13 with $48 million.
In the battle of the basketball stars, Kobe Bryant was tops at No. 14, followed by Michael Jordan at No. 20 and LeBron James at No. 28, though Jordan, who retired as an NBA player seven years ago, earned more money: $55 million.
After Cameron, the highest film director on the list is Steven Spielberg, who earned $100 million and is No. 22.
In the land of TV talk -- beyond Winfrey -- Dr. Phil McGraw (No. 21) beats Ellen DeGeneres (No. 23), and David Letterman (No. 24) beats Jay Leno (No. 34). Conan O'Brien is No. 51.
The highest-ranked celebrity in radio is Rush Limbaugh at No. 19, having earned $58.5 million during the year. Howard Stern earned more ($70 million) but comes in at No. 39.
Last year's top choice, Jolie, fell to No. 18 with $20 million earned. Boyfriend Brad Pitt is No. 30, and his ex-wife, Jennifer Aniston, is No. 26.
The full list is at www.forbes.com/celebs.
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'Transformers' star Megan Fox marries Brian Austin Green in Hawaii
Megan Fox has been transformed from a single woman to a married one.
The "Transformers" hottie quietly exchanged marriage vows with her long-time beau, actor Brian Austin Green, in a secret ceremony in Hawaii late last week, TMZ.com reported.
The couple first met on the set of the TV sitcom "Hope and Faith."
It's the first marriage for both. Green has an eight-year-old son with actress Vanessa Marcil.
"They had a fairly large wedding, but there were clearly more security people than guests," a source told Star magazine.
"It was very hush hush. Everyone was sworn to secrecy."
Fox, 24, and Green, 36, best known for his portrayal of David Silver on the TV series "Beverly Hills, 90210," are said to be spending their honeymoon at the Four Seasons Hualalai hotel, where the wedding took place.
"The place is perfect for a Hollywood wedding," the source said. "It's very romantic and scenic. Megan and Brian had already been there for a few days. It seemed like a spur-of- the moment thing. I don't think it had been planned long."
Just days earlier Megan had lost her two-carat diamond engagement ring in the Hawaiian sand, according to press reports.
The couple first got engaged in 2007 then broke it off last year. But they rekindled their relationship and their reps confirmed they got re-engaged on June 1.
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Monday, June 28, 2010
'Toy Story 3,' 'Grown Ups' Play Well Together At Weekend Box Office Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise's 'Knight and Day' fizzles at #3
The Box-Office Top Five
#1 "Toy Story 3" ($59 million)
#2 "Grown Ups" ($41 million)
#3 "Knight and Day" ($20.5 million)
#4 "The Karate Kid" ($15.4 million)
#5 "The A-Team" ($6 million)
Moviegoers pining for their childhood years and those not quite ready to admit that they're well into their adult lives walked away happy this weekend as "Toy Story 3" and "Grown Ups" were the big winners at the weekend box office, while "Knight and Day" opened to disappointing results.
Landing in first place was "Toy Story 3" for its second-consecutive weekend victory. The Pixar family film earned $59 million in its second frame, bringing the latest "Toy Story" installment's domestic total to $226.6 million after just two weeks. With an additional $100 million earned overseas, "Toy Story 3" has a worldwide toy chest worth $326.6 million, far exceeding its production budget of $200 million.
Although the toys had the most fun at the box office this weekend, there was plenty to enjoy for "Grown Ups" as well. The Sony comedy stars veteran comedians and noted friends Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider, whose collective comedy power resulted in a strong $41 million debut.
While name recognition was a helpful factor in the success of "Grown Ups," it did little for Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz's "Knight and Day." The action-comedy earned $20.5 million over the weekend and $27.8 million since debuting on Wednesday, an unimpressive result given the box-office returns that Cruise and Diaz were once used to seeing.
Landing in fourth and fifth place were "The Karate Kid" and "The A-Team," proving their continued staying power in their third week at the box office. "The A-Team" has just barely crossed its production budget of $110 million, thanks to foreign ticket sales.
Last weekend's newcomer "Jonah Hex" virtually disappeared from sight with a $1.6 million 10th place finish, leaving many moviegoers scratching their heads wondering what went wrong with the Josh Brolin-starring DC Comics adaptation.
Upcoming Releases
Bella Swan finds herself in the crosshairs of deadly vampires and difficult romantic decisions once again with the arrival of "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" on Wednesday. But are the legions of Team Edward and Team Jacob supporters enough to take box office gold away from M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender"?
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Angelina Jolie Will Quit Acting Soon
We might be seeing a lot less of Angelina Jolie soon. The actress opened up to Vanity Fair magazine about her family and how they trump work these days. So much so that she may stop acting soon.
It’s not the most important thing in my life. Acting helped me as I was growing up. It helped me learn about myself, helped me travel, helped me understand life, express myself, all those wonderful things. So I’m very, very grateful, it’s a fun job. It’s a luxury. Look, I’m at work today in the middle of Venice. But I don’t think I’ll do it much longer.”
Jolie and partner Brad Pitt - together since 2006 - have six kids together. Yes, six. We can hardly handle one pet, forget six kids. Still the super couple aren't ruling out having more.
“We’re not opposed to it. But we want to make sure we can give everybody special time. They’re kids now, and can play together, but they’re going to need a lot more talking in the middle of the night, like I did with my mom for hours. We want to make sure we don’t build a family so big that we don’t have absolutely enough time to raise them each really well.”
She goes on to talk about how amazing Brad Pitt is as a partner and father - he sculpts, likes art, and she says he looks great with a beard. Maybe she really does have rose colored glasses?
Jolie did a complete turn life turn around. She went from being the dark rocker chic who made out with her brother and wore blood around her neck to the ultimate family woman who happens to dabble in charity work on the side as an ambassador for the United Nations.
I got back from work last night, and everybody was playing music and dancing and I suddenly found myself dancing around with a bunch of little fun crazy people.”
Actually, aside from the company she keeps, maybe things haven't changed all that much.
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