Harry Potter

Harry Potter fan? Two new books set to be published

London - Arab News

Two new books from the Harry Potter universe are set to be released as part of a British exhibition that celebrates the 20th anniversary of the launch of the series. The British Library’s Harry Potter exhibition, “A History of Magic,” opens in October and runs through February 2018. In an earnings statement released Tuesday, British publishing house Bloomsbury revealed thatRead more

Spooky new ‘Harry Potter’ exhibit to open

Leavesden - Arab Today

There’s been a reunion of “Harry Potter” film veterans at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour just outside of London to prepare for the opening of a new “Forbidden Forest” wing. There was Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy, Evanna Lynch, known as Luna Lovegood in the films, and Aragog - the machine which played a very convincing giant spider. IsaacsRead more

Veteran British actor John Hurt dies

London - ArabToday

Oscar-nominated British actor John Hurt, known for his roles in "Elephant Man" and "Harry Potter", has died aged 77 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, his wife said Saturday. The versatile actor, who played Mr Ollivander in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and in two other films in the series, passed away in Norfolk, eastern England, on Wednesday, according to wifeRead more

The Movie in works as Warner Bros set to option Arron Banks’ memoir

London - ArabToday

Warner Bros, the studio behind Harry Potter and the DC superhero movies, is in talks to bring the story of the Brexit campaign to the big screen. According to a spokesman for Arron Banks, a leading donor of the movement to leave the EU, the studio is eager to adapt his memoir, The Bad Boys of Brexit. Speaking to theRead more

Shilpa’s literary faux pas sparks Twitter meme

New Delhi - Arab Today

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty shot to fame when she won Big Brother in 2007, but on Monday she unwittingly betrayed her ignorance of George Orwell’s work when she said Indian schoolchildren should read Animal Farm to learn how to care for animals. Far from being a cuddly children’s book the 1945 novella is a dystopian satire on twentieth-century dictatorship. TheRead more

Syrian girl thanks J.K. Rowling for Harry Potter e-books

Aleppo , Syria - Arab Today

Bana Alabed, a seven-year-old girl in the Syrian city of Aleppo, has thanked J. K. Rowling for sending her the Harry Potter e-books. Alabed tweeted on Friday saying she likes to read “to forget the war” around her. In an earlier tweet, she is seen holding a banner reading: “Stand with Aleppo.” The girl’s tweets have gained attention from theRead more

’Fantastic Beasts’ creates magic at US box office

Los Angeles - Arab Today

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” dominated the weekend box office, debuting to a boisterous $75 million and launching a new cinematic franchise. It confirms Warner Bros.’ high hopes for the property and its decision to back five installments in the fantasy series. The film is a spin-off of the Harry Potter films, but instead of Hogwarts, it unfoldsRead more

Wizardry of 'Fantastic Beasts' tops North American box office

Los Angeles - Arab Today

The movie "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" -- another foray into the world of wizardry from "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling -- topped North American box offices in its debut as it took in $75 million, an industry group said Sunday. Based on a book Rowling wrote in 2001 -- it purports to be a reproduction of aRead more

Radcliffe not interested in Harry Potter role

London - Arab Today

Pottermania may be alive and well thanks to upcoming Harry Potter spinoff film “Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them” and a hit London play, but actor Daniel Radcliffe says he has no interest in revisiting his role as the boy wizard. Asked about speculation that there could be a movie version of the London play “Harry Potter and theRead more

Emma lends glitz to UN gender equality event

United Nations - Arab Today

Emma Watson cheered the possibility of the US electing its first female president. Edgar Ramirez questioned a “macho” world that teaches boys to suppress emotions and dominate women. The actors roused up a glitzy and high-powered crowd at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on Tuesday night to promote the UN Women’s HeForShe initiative to draw menRead more