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Hollywood poised for record-breaking year at the box office; 2009 set to best 2007's record intakeBy Amy Eisinger DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Thursday, December 10th 2009, 3:26 PM The Hollywood box office is having its best year in history, reports Hollywood.com Box Office. This week the box office grand total for 2009 is expected to hit $9.682 billion -- surpassing previous record holder 2007, when the tally was $9.68 billion. With potential top-grossing holiday films still to come, Hollywood is bracing for their first $10 billion year ever. Movies that are still on the way this year include James Cameron's...

MIAMI — It sounds like a new book in the Harry Potter series, but "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" will be a high-tech ride and the marquee attraction at the "Wizarding World of Harry Potter," a new theme park area opening in spring 2010 at Universal Orlando Resort. The "Forbidden Journey" ride was named by author J.K. Rowling and described Tuesday by Universal officials in a Web cast revealing details of what the Potter park will look like. Guests will enter the "Wizarding World" through a station archway named for Hogsmeade, the magical village near Hogwarts. A plume of...

In Obama's fascist speech to your schoolchildren, he promotes J.K. Rowling as someone to admire. Of course, she is a self-admitted "Left-Wing" Socialist who teaches kids bad morals and Socialism via her fictional characters. Gee, imagine that... Just so you know that I'm not making this stuff up, I have copied the text from the Socialist Party of Australia: Potty about Harry Potter With over 325 million copies of all seven books sold worldwide, the last four books have also been, consecutively, the fastest selling in history. They have been translated into over 65 languages and author JK Rowling has...

Sometime on Saturday, maybe the wind will suddenly whip up. Maybe the sky will part. And, maybe fantastical things will happen up on College Hill in Providence. Brown University will welcome its freshman class. And it just might welcome a wizard, or at least a wannabe: Emma Watson, the 19-year-old British actress who plays Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies.

Battling the dark forces takes a back seat to romance and Quidditch By Alonso Duralde Film critic msnbc.com contributor updated 4:25 p.m. ET, Tues., July 14, 2009 Call it the calm before the storm, but “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” goes out of its way to balance its own dark doings — to say nothing of the dire events to come in the two upcoming movies based on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” — with more character and atmosphere than we’ve seen in the last few movies. If you’ve been missing Quidditch matches, love triangles, hanging out in...

Emma Watson started off her week wearing a Proenza Shouler dress at a London photocall. She kept her make-up to a minimum and completed her look with Giuseppe Zanotti platform gladiator sandals. For the New York debut of the movie, Emma opted for the Proenza Schouler dress again. She daringly combined it with an edgy leather number.

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican lauded the latest Harry Potter film on Monday, saying "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" made the age-old debate over good vs. evil crystal clear. The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano even gave two thumbs up to the film's treatment of adolescent love, saying it achieved the "correct balance" and made the stars more credible to the general audience. The newspaper said the film, which opens Wednesday, was the best adaptation yet of the J.K. Rowling series about the adventures of the bespectacled child wizard Harry Potter and his Hogwarts chums as they battle Harry's nemesis,...

Harry Potter and the New World DisorderChapter 19 - Hermione Outsmarts the Dragon At Hogwarts, trouble is brewing... Noise indeed. Dementors everywhere, constantly attacking Hermione. One of the Dementors, confused by the accusations, breaks off from the others... And just who is the one sending the Dementors to attack Hermione? None other than the Hungarian Horntail! Back at Hogwarts, things have gotten desperate. Hermione has apparently come to an important decision... Although this means the Dementors will be leaving, some students are afraid. But Ginny Weasley helps explain the situation to them.

<p>“Harry Potter” star Jamie Waylett has been charged with growing ten cannabis plants.</p> <p>The 19-year-old actor will have to appear in court later this month for the charges stemming from an April arrest.</p> <p>Waylett, who plays Potter bully Vincent Crabbe, was busted when cops pulled over his vehicle in London and allegedly found eight bags of marijuana. He was taken to a nearby police station before a team of officers raided his mother’s home in Camden, the Daily Telegraph reports.</p>

Orlando Sentinel movie reviewer Roger Moore was excited to report on the efforts of some Harry Potter fans that want to "change the world" based on their interpretation of Potter character Dumbledore's philosophy of life. He was happy, you see, because the group is all about "global transformation" and spreading global warming fears, gay marriage and the Employee Free Choice Act. Moore writes abut a group called the Harry Potter Alliance whose website is a sort of Potter fan message board where fans write about what they are doing with their ideas on Potter philosophy. But, it goes "beyond the...

LONDON (Reuters) – Bloomsbury Publishing Plc on Monday denied allegations that author J.K. Rowling copied "substantial parts" of a book by another children's author when she wrote "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." (snip) "The allegations of plagiarism made today, Monday 15 June 2009, by the Estate of Adrian Jacobs are unfounded, unsubstantiated and untrue," said a statement from Bloomsbury, which publishes Harry Potter in Britain. "This claim is without merit and will be defended vigorously." (snip) "The Estate is also seeking a court order against J.K. Rowling herself for pre-action disclosure in order to determine whether to join...

And finally, the Burberry ad campaign is here! It features Harry Potter star Emma Watson, captured by fashion legend Mario Testino, providing an expose of neo-European elegance with a touch of preppyness, all spelled out in Burberry chic, delightfully enhanced by Watson’s willowy beauty.

Chapter 18 - The Tiresome Talk, The Turncoat and the Train Ride Rather, Witches and Wizards were noticing a growing trend of incompetence and bumbling from this administration. And an event that would initially seem to favor Voldemort's position was about to take place. Voldemort didn't quite know what to do. But the Dementorcrats were soon realizing that this might not work out how they thought it would. Kingsley Shacklebolt had a good laugh over the situation. Suddenly Wormtail comes in with some grave news. Later that day...

Chapter 17 - Senior Undersecretary Delores Umbridge Senior Undersecretary Delores Umbridge, chairperson of the Wizengamot has allowed the power of her position to go to her head. But all is not well. Lucius Malfoy approaches her with a problem. Not only that, but in spite of the Dementorcrats' blustering about how using the Cruciatus Curse on Guantanaban prisoners is bad, Umbridge knew about it for years. Although Voldemort decided to use the idea, it wouldn't be able to save her. More trouble was brewing. Not only had Umbridge used Ministry broomsticks for personal travel, she had regularly requested larger broomsticks...

Harry Potter and the New World DisorderChapter 16 - The Pumpkin Juice PartiesSo the Ministry tries a different tactic. That doesn't work so well either. Hagrid tries to get Voldemort's attention. Ron Weasley gives his assessment of Voldemort's response.

Harry Potter and the New World DisorderChapter 15 - The Potterwatch Broadcast An alternative source of news was needed so a Rogue Wizard broadcast was started. We are just in time to listen in as Fred and George present their informative show... "And now, George, it's time to end our little program." "Yes, Fred, but before we do, there's one more thing to talk about." "That's right! As all of you good Witches and Wizards know, the Wizarding community separated from the Muggles because the Muggles wanted to tax us too much." "Right, Fred. In fact, one of the defining...

Voldemort and Nagini are passing uncomfortably through a well-lit area, wishing they could return to to the darkness. Suddenly, Voldemort's worst fears are realized...

Often, after victories, athletes like to take a moment to thank God, Jesus, or even the occasional shout out to Allah. But one NMU hockey player stirred up controversy after thanking Our Dark Lord Satan. Melvin Schwarz, a sophomore wood technology major and forward for the Wildcats, thanked Satan for imbuing him with "the strength of the Dark Prince himself." Schwarz has been a self professed Satanist for the past three weeks. According to Schwarz, the conversion has not affected his game play, except for the occasional possession. "As a Satanic-American, I'm entitled to all the rights that Christians are,"...

Chapter 13 - McGonagall's Transfiguration Class The Gryffindor students entered the class with uncertain expressions on their faces. There was something new in the Transfigurations classroom: a Teleprompter. They didn't have to wait long to satisfy their curiousity, however. Professor McGonagall entered the room and adressed the class....

Chapter 12 - Voldemort has a Very Bad Week As Voldemort's approval ratings decrease, Voldemort is desperately trying to find a way to blame someone else for his mismanagement.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE's stunt double wept after he was told he will never walk again following an accident on the set of the new HARRY POTTER movie, according to reports. David Holmes was hospitalised in January (09) with a back injury after falling from a harness at Leavesden Studios, near Watford, Hertfordshire, where he was practising flying scenes for the forthcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The 25-year-old had surgery at the hospital, which specialises in spinal injuries.

Chapter 11 - The Knight Bus Voldemort surveys the devastation being caused by the Basilisk he released...

Chapter 10 - The Order of the Phoenix Annual Conference The Order of the Phoenix is hosting its annual Conference. Affiliated organizations like Gryffindor and Dumbledore's Army (aka- FreeRepublic.com) are also in attendance. Ginny Weasley gives a rousing speech encouraging attendees to see through Voldemort's lies.

Chapter 9 - Under the Teleprompter Spell Voldemort's approval ratings within the wizarding community is on shaky grounds, so he decides to hold a press conference.

A man who stabbed a teenaged actor in the new Harry Potter film to death outside a London nightclub has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years. Rob Knox, 18, had just finished filming his role as Marcus Belby in Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince last May when he was knifed five times by Karl Bishop, 22, in south-east London. .... Bishop, who had a previous conviction for a knife attack and habitually carried knives, smirked in the dock at London's Central Criminal Court as he was sentenced. ... Bishop stabbed Knox with two long kitchen knives. His...

An exorcist authorized to perform exorcisms in several dioceses spoke at a religious ministry luncheon on Sunday, explaining the basics of exorcism and its connection with abortion. Fr. Thomas Euteneuer, president of Human Life International and an exorcist, spoke at a luncheon hosted by In His Sign Network (IHS). He is an exorcist authorized to perform exorcisms in several states, and highlighted the connection between the abortion industry and demonic influence. “Abortion is a demonic industry,” he told The Bulletin. “Abortion is blood sacrifice of innocent blood to the devil. The clinics are like temples, the doctors are like priests,...

Chapter 8 - The Chamber of Socialism is Opened Voldemort's first press conference to talk about opening the Chamber of Socialism was going well until an unexpected question came up...

YouTube - Iranian TV Presents Harry Potter and the Ziono-Hollywoodist ConspiracyAlso available for viewing at the MEMRI-TV site (requires free registration for viewing) ClipClip Transcript   December 15, 2008 Clip No. 1989   Iranian TV Presents: Harry Potter and the Ziono-Hollywoodist Conspiracy   Following are excerpts from an episode of an Iranian TV documentary series on Western Cinema featuring the Harry Potter films, which aired on IRINN, the Iranian News Channel on December 15, 2008:Narrator: The early 1990s brought a revolution in digital technology to the world of cinema, helping the propaganda machinery of the 2oth century "Samaritans" [Jews]...

Chapter 7 - The Dragon Voldemort's new tactics have produced results. Fear has spread throughout the wizarding community. Even though most people don't want the Basilisk, the Daily Prophet won't oppose it. Lucius Malfoy, returning from the Wizengamot, comes with an update. ...

Chapter 6 - The Whomping Oak and St. Mungo's Hospital Voldemort's attempt to impose his Socialist New World Disorder over the Wizarding Community has hit a snag.

Chapter 5 - Fighting the BasiliskWith Voldemort trying to release the Basilisk from the Chamber of Socialism, many in Gryffindor are opposing the move.

Chapter 4 - Unleashing the Basilisk Voldemort is impatiently hissing orders to the many underlings. Slowly, a large snake slithers into the room and entwines itself within Voldemort's arms...

Chapter 3 - The Terror Begins At the Capitol, Voldemort is finally coronated by The Daily Prophet. A large crowd of Kool-Aid drinkers is on hand to celebrate.

Chapter 2 - He-Whose-Middle-Name-Must-Not-Be-Used (or at least not until the Inauguration) From the window of the Hogwarts Express, the countryside seemed to roll by slowly.

Harry Potter and the New World Disorder Chapter 1 - Descent into Darkness The last rays of the setting sun cast an eerie glow over the dark and gloomy outline of a Windy City. Deep within the bowels of this urban wasteland, leaves skip and scatter along a deserted road near the Grove Parc Plaza neighborhood, long since ruined by too many government-funded porkbarrel projects. Almost unnoticed at the end of the street is a dilapidated mansion that is unlit and unwelcoming. One would almost think that the house is empty and abandoned. But inside the house, slouched lazily across...

French cutie and Harry Potter actress Clémence Poésy stars in a very decadent photoshoot for Blackbook magazine.

Emma Watson says she is at that strange age when she’s “not a woman yet, but I’m not a girl anymore.” At 18 years old, the “Harry Potter” starlet – whom the Times of London calls “tiny and pretty and delightfully brought up” – is clearly poised for adulthood, and even says she would go naked in a film for the right role.

The prominent atheist is stepping down from his post at Oxford University to write a book aimed at youngsters in which he will warn them against believing in "anti-scientific" fairytales. Prof Hawkins said: "The book I write next year will be a children's book on how to think about the world, science thinking contrasted with mythical thinking. "I haven't read Harry Potter, I have read Pullman who is the other leading children's author that one might mention and I love his books. I don't know what to think about magic and fairy tales." Prof Dawkins said he wanted to look...

Last month, we asked our young Journal readers to answer that question. Since we got so many great essays, we decided to publish sections from some of them. And Congratulations to the winners of our drawing! "Is Harry Potter Jewish, you ask? No. Harry Potter just exhibits many characteristics of a Jew. He is a leader, is loyal to his friends, and doesn't abandon his heritage." In the beginning of the book Harry accepts his fate of being a wizard and embraces it, just as I have welcomed my Jewish identity. As I go to a Jewish school to learn ...

Bollywood producers set to release a film called Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors are working to fend off a lawsuit filed by Warner Bros that claims the movie title is too close to their boy wizard franchise. While Bollywood films often borrow liberally from Western movies, producers of Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors say their movie bears no resemblance to any film in the Harry Potter series, based on books by British author J K Rowling. "There is absolutely nothing to link Hari Puttar with Harry Potter," said Munish Purii, chief executive officer of Mumbai-based producer Mirchi Movies....

Beyond the scores of angry fans that are protesting Warner Brothers' decision to delay the release of the sixth Harry Potter movie, is the untold story of retailers scrambling to deal with the merchandising fallout from the announcement. The most notable fallout is occurring in regards to the release of ...

Warner Brothers continue to face increasing backlash from tens-of-thousands of Harry Potter fans as news spreads of the delayed release of the 6th Harry Potter Movie - The Half-Blood Prince. Warner Brothers is preparing for an onslaught of red envelopes that will begin arriving later this week in addition to the massive email campaign and more than 35,000 signatures to a WB petition launched 3 days ago. From Accio Dumbledore's Army: Despite Internet rumors attributing the delayed release to the Writer's Guild Strike this past spring, further statements have made it clear that the movie is completed and that the...

With news broadcasts dominated by election coverage, the Edwards scandal and Russian Invasion of Georgia, the news has been slow to spread that Warner Brothers announced yesterday that they were postponing the November Release of Harry Potter: Half-Blood Prince until July of 2009. If you hadn't previously heard the news then I apologize for being the one to break it to you. In the immediate wake following Warner Brothers announcement, Internet rumors spread attributing the delayed release to the Writer's Guild Strike this past spring. However, upon further clarification by Warner Brothers it now seems that the movie is ...

Warner Bros. said it's bumping "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" from its planned November release into next summer. The sixth installment in the blockbuster franchise about boy wizard Harry now will open July 17 rather than Nov. 21, the studio said Thursday. Studio President and Chief Operating Officer Alan Horn said the studio has had success with past summer "Harry Potter" releases, including the fifth movie. Horn also said the Writers Guild of America strike had "impacted the readiness of scripts for other films -- changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity

The sixth Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, originally scheduled for a November 21 release, has now been moved to July 17, 2009 in the US and major international markets, according to MarketWatch.com. WB has confirmed the move to TLC. The press release says the reason for the move was two-fold: First, the studio says summer releases are better for "family tentpole" events, and second, they are still feeling the aftereffects of the writers' strike and need the time to make sure the film reaches the widest audience possible. The new date, said Jeff Robinov, president of...

For Our Readers we now bring you a welcome Coffee Break from politics as usual. Break away for a few minutes from the grind of work and from this non-stop election; take a few minutes for yourself, spend some extra time with the kids. This we bring you two non-political books for a review. One for you, and one that will spark the imagination of your children and yourself...

Muggles Rejoice! 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' A young Dark Wizard emerges in this exclusive first look. Watch the 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' trailer in HD: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 114 Days to Theater Premiere Fri Nov 21 00:00:00 EST 2008 Synopsis Adolescent wizard-in-training Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts for another year of schooling and learns more about the dark past of the boy who grew up to become Lord Voldemort in this, the sixth installment of the film series Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is...

ST. LOUIS | The American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri has filed a lawsuit against the city of Poplar Bluff after a library worker claims she was disciplined for failing to work at an event to promote a Harry Potter book. Anthony Rothert with the ACLU in St. Louis says the woman, Deborah Smith, is a Southern Baptist who believes the Harry Potter series popularizes witchcraft and the practice of the occult. He says she was suspended without pay for 10 days when she refused to work at a library event on July 21, 2007, for the release of...

His father, Colin, told how the last conversation he had with his 18-year-old son was about the danger of knives. He said: "There's a lot of fear out there and someone has to change the way we think." A man has been arrested over the killing, the 28th murder of a teenager this year – half of them stabbings. Opposition leaders accused the Government of failing to "get a grip" on the rise in knife crime. David Davis, the shadow home secretary, said: "Tragically, these kinds of horrific incidents have become all too common. We need an overhaul, at every...

A teenage actor who appears in the next Harry Potter film was stabbed to death trying to protect his younger brother from a knifeman yesterday. Robert Knox, 18, who acted alongside Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, became the 28th teenager killed in Britain this year, and the 10th in London to die from stab wounds. Relatives said his role as Marcus Belby in the film, due for release in November, was set to launch his career as an actor. Mr Knox was a member of the same rugby club as Jimmy Mizen, the 16-year-old "gentle giant"...