Harry Potter mania grows!

Last week we promised to bring you more interesting news about everything connected with the release of the latest book and movie in the Harry Potter series. So, today we bring you some exciting news to keep all Harry Potter fans on a spin until the D-Days dawn next month.

A special treat from the author

Harry Potter author, JK Rowling, is planning to give Potter fans a special treat to mark the launch of her seventh and final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It is reported as a moonlight reading and book signing event.

The author will read a part from the book at the Natural History Museum in London at one minute past midnight, on July 21.There are 1,700 tickets for the signing up for grabs, with 500 among them also getting an opportunity to join the author in the reading. Everyone who wins a ticket will get a free copy of the book to be signed.

Since they were first printed 10 years ago, the Potter books have been translated into 64 languages and sold more than 325 million copies worldwide.

The release of the final book is expected to cause more Potter mania than ever before.

JK Rowling has already admitted that two characters die in the final book and fans are really desperate to find out whether Harry will be one of them.

Book printed in "total darkness"

The seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series is being printed in 'total darkness' in a bid to avoid any leaks about the novel's plot.

According to reports, security is so tight for 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' that German workers at the GGP print factory in the small town of Poessneck are being forced to work in pitch black conditions so that they won't be able to read the book.

The Cold War-style security measures follow high-profile leaks of information in the run-up to the publication of the previous three books.

Other guaranteed schemes in the place make sure that workers' bags and cars are searched as they arrive and leave everyday. GGP employees have already been told that they will be sacked if they are found to have taken copies out or placed bets on the novel's ending.

Celebrating the completion of the final book

JK Rowling had celebrated finishing the seventh Harry Potter book by scribbling a note on the back of a miniature statue, according to hotel staff.

A spokesperson for the posh Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh had told the media that the author wrote with a black marker pen on the back of a small statue, the following: 'JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room on January 11, 2007.'

But sadly, it's now being kept locked away so that fans can't see it yet. The hotel says it's being kept under lock and key in a safe place.

JK announced on her website recently that the book would be released on July 21. The manuscript has been delivered to the companies which publish her books in the UK and America. There's no information yet about how big the book will be.

Some fans think that the price of the book could give a clue. In the UK, it's 17.99 sterling pounds - one pound more expensive than books five and six.

And in the USA, it's $34.99, five dollars more expensive than the last two books. But publishers in the UK and USA say that the bigger price doesn't necessarily mean a much bigger book, and that the increase may well have more to do with the cost of producing being higher this year. The book will go on sale in the UK, America and all English-speaking countries at one minute past midnight.

That's just eight days after the fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is released in cinemas.

Book shops are preparing themselves for scenes of Potter mania when the children's hardback, adult hardback, gift edition and audio books are all released at the same time.

Plans are already in place to help postal workers get the book to fans. The last book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, sold more than two million copies in the UK on the first day of its release, making it the fastest-selling book of all time!

****

Profiles ...

Harry Potter

Name: Daniel Radcliffe

Nickname: Dan

Birthday: July 23, 1989

Starsign: Leo

A resident of: London, England

Family: Daniel is an only child. His father is a literary agent in a big showbiz firm, International Creative Management. His Mother, Marcia Gresham is a casting agent.

Pets: Two collies - Binka and Nugget

Showbiz into: Daniel says, he caught the acting bug when he was five years old. His first appearance on the small screen was in December 1999 in BBC's David Copperfield as the young boy (in which his Potter partners, Maggie Smith and Zoe Wannmaker also starred).

His audition for the Harry Potter films was almost like magic itself. The film's Director Chris Columbus says: "Dan walked into the room and we all knew we had found Harry."

Things he likes to do: Dan is a cheeky, prank-player. While filming on set, Dan had taken co-star Robbie Coltrane's mobile phone and changed it so all the messages were in Turkish! Dan also loves play station and football.

Movie magic: Surprisingly, brave Dan did many of the film stunts himself. His favourite scene had been during a game of Quidditch. He says: "There was one shot where I was hanging one-handed from my broomstick, 22 feet above in the air.

I was wired up to the broom, with a huge air bag underneath me, and they moved it around up there. That was pretty cool".

If he had the power of magic, he would like to make himself invisible so that he could do things like sneaking into top-secret meetings.

Harry Potter and the green car

Daniel is buying himself a Fiat Punto for his 18th birthday next month, despite being able to access his 23 million pounds fortune that day.

As the richest child in Britain, he could buy himself a Rolls-Royce or a flash Lamborghini, but the actor has already been into a garage to check out the rather non-celeb car.

He chose the Fiat Grande Punto because it is one of the top five most environmentally-friendly cars in the UK. According to one of his friends, "Daniel is very excited about coming into his fortune on July 23, but he's not going to become flashy all of a sudden and go on a mad spending spree.

He is quite a sensible person and has been planning for this day for a while. The first thing he wants to buy himself to celebrate his birthday is a car. He's done a bit of research and really likes the Fiat Grande Punto.

Daniel is concerned about the environment and this car has been voted one of the top five green cars in Britain." According to his friend he wants to ride around London without getting any others' attention.

Daniel Radcliffe's postal address
Daniel Radcliffe,
C/o Harry Potter Productions,
Leavesden Studios,
P.O. Box 3000,
Leavesden,
Hertfordshire WD25 7LT,
England.

Or

Daniel Radcliffe,
C/o ARG Talent,
4, Great Portland Street,
London WIW 8PA,
England.

Be sure to include a return address if you wish to get a reply.

***

Emma Watson for the next two Potter movies

Harry Potter actress Emma Watson has now confirmed that she will do the last two Potter movies, disputing earlier reports claiming that she informed film makers that she wanted to quit. A spokesperson for Warner Bros., had told the media that they are confident Emma will be there for the sixth and seventh films.

It is while doing interviews for the fifth Potter film that Emma has said she is quite sure that she will film all seven stories. Emma, who plays Hermione in the films, is set to sign her new contract soon.

All the actors and actresses appearing in the Potter movies sign contracts with the film company which agree on things like how much they'll be paid.

****

Ron Weasly - Harry's friend

Name: Rupert Grint
Birthday: August 24, 1988
Starsign: Virgo
Place of residence: Herttordshire, London
Family: He's the eldest of five children. His mother is a home-maker and his father is a race-car fanatic.
Pets: Labrador called Ruby
Showbiz info: Rupert hadn't done any professional acting before he won the role of Ron Weasly in the Potter films. But, he had his fair share of school plays under his belt, including playing gangster Rooster in Annie, Peter Pan, and also Rumplestiltskin in the Grimm Tales.

Rupert spotted his chance to audition for Harry Potter after the casting director made an appeal on Newsround for auditions. Rupert made a video tape of himself performing a rap piece he had written explaining why he was perfect for the role of Ron Weasley. And he got it!

His favourites: Jim Carrey movies. Rupert loves all his movies, especially Ace Ventura. The Mask and the Grinch. Rupert also loves chemistry lessons at school.

****

Hermione Granger

Name: Emma Watson
Nickname: Em
Birthday: April 15, 1990
Starsign: Aries
Place of residence: Oxford, England
Family: Her parents, both lawyers, are divorced. Emma lives with her mother and younger brother Alex, aged eight years.
Pets: Two cats - Bubbles and Domino

Showbiz info: Emma made her debut in the first Harry Potter flick. However she wasn't new to the stage, she'd played lead role in several school plays as well as winning first place at the Daisy Pratt Poetry Competition when she was seven.

Her favourites: Emma loves playing hockey and rounders. At school, she likes a good old-fashioned debate and brightens up her journey home from school, with singing in the bus. She loves sherbert lemon and jelly beans.

Movie magic: Potter fans will know that Emma's hair colour is brown in the film. But in real life, she's a natural blonde!

****

Filming plans

According to reports, Daniel Radcliffe who plays Harry has already signed his contract, but the details are still being worked out for Emma's.

Warner Bros., plan to start filming the sixth story, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with Dan, Emma and Rupert in September and it will be released in 2008.

The three of them are also expected to make the final film The Deathly Hallows after that. Dan won the part of Harry back in 2000 when he was only 11. By the time he finishes, he would have been playing the role for around 10 years.

Compiled by Janani Amarasekara