Happy Potterween! New Stories up on Pottermore!

Six new essays from J.K. Rowling about various Harry Potter characters (including Dolores Umbridge, thestrals, and Sybil Trelawney) are up on Pottermore as you read this! Very exciting. The telegraph has a whole live blog about it. I know what I'll be doing at work today! Ok, I'll be doing work, but hopefully I can fit a little of this in, too.

"Harry Potter" Helps Teen Readers Empathize

In case you needed another reason re-read Harry Potter or gift them to your little cousins or nieces and nephews, a new study suggests reading the HP books increases your ability to empathize with different people, particularly "out groups" vs "in groups".  From the Scientific American article on the study:

For decades it's been known that an effective means of improving negative attitudes and prejudices between differing groups of people is through intergroup contact – particularly through contact between “in-groups,” or a social group to which someone identifies, and “out-groups,” or a group they don’t identify with or perceive as threatening. Even reading short stories about friendship between in- and out-group characters is enough to improve attitudes toward stigmatized groups in children. A new study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology found that reading the Harry Potter books in particular has similar effects, likely in part because Potter is continually in contact with stigmatized groups. The “muggles” get no respect in the wizarding world as they lack any magical ability. The “half-bloods,” or “mud-bloods” – wizards and witches descended from only one magical parent – don’t fare much better, while the Lord Voldemort character believes that power should only be held by “pure-blood” wizards. He’s Hitler in a cloak.

Intuitively, this feels right, but it's good to know it's backed by science and not just the innate yearnings of my heart.

New Bloomsbury Harry Potter Covers!

I dig the red theme and the creepiness of the thestrals

Recently, Scholastic got some new Harry Potter artwork, so now Bloomsbury is following in their footsteps. I was never a fan of Bloomsbury's old HP covers, so these are a huge improvement. They're pretty spoiler-y (especially Book 7), so I guess they're really more for fans who have already read the books. I also feel like Harry doesn't really age throughout them - i.e. look at him in Book 1 vs Book 7 - not a huge difference even though it's been seven years! Ah well, the artwork in and of itself is really lovely.

Check out all the covers here!

Awww, "Potterhood"

I saw Boyhood two weeks ago. It really felt like growing up. I don't love every Richard Linklater film (I think Waking Life only works if you're stoned), but I felt like this movie was well-suited to what he does well: capture a mood. The mood was "growing up" for both children and parents. It captured Texas well (nice shout out to the Dallas World Aquarium, even if they were supposed to be in Houston), and sometimes it's nice to have a movie where the biggest conflicts are "just feeling shitty" or "not knowing how to act around my parents" or "frustration at my kids for not appreciating me" and the normal story beats of "kid makes a bad choice > terrible consequence" aren't there. It's a real slice of life film if slice of life films were actually realistic. Of course, there is drama in one sequence, which I won't spoil, but the overall tone is much more subtle.

And all of that is to say that as much as I enjoyed the film in its two hours and forty minutes of nostalgia, I enjoyed this mash-up of Boyhood and the eight Harry Potter movies just as much:



[via /Film]

The Roots' Harry Potter Rap is Delightful

NBC Universal is (corporately-linked-ly) ecstatic over the launch of the expansion of the Harry Potter world at Universal Studios. Honestly, the new area does sound pretty cool if you're into theme parks and/or butterbeer, but most importantly, it has all led to this:



That's just some straight-up fun times.

[via HuffPo]

J.K. Rowling's Excellent 2008 Commencement Speech

Alyssa Rosenberg has a great write-up of what makes an excellent commencement speech, and she highlights this wonderful one from J.K. Rowling. Her article, and of course Ms. Rowling's speech, are both worth the read for recent grads and not-so-recent grads alike.

Harry Potter London Studio Tour

All hail butterbeer.

Speaking of Harry Potter... I recently had one of the best days of my life (and I'm super lucky that there have been many of these) at the Studio Tour at Leavesden. Not only did I have 1.5 butterbeers (the husband had the other 1.5), but I got to live inside and learn all about my two favorite world: film and Harry Potter. As a film student, I loved seeing the intricacy of all the sets, costumes, props, graphic design, and especially the animatronics. As a Harry Potter nerd, I loved feeling like I was inside the world of witches and wizards - walking through Diagon Alley itself was a particularly engrossing moment. Dumbledore's office and the Gryffindor common room were two other mind-blowing moments. The suggested time to be there was 2.5 hours. We were there for 5.5. hours. That's what you get for making it a self-guided tour and writing so many plaques and making so many behind-the-scenes videos and commentary!

More butterbeer. Couldn't help myself. The foam is butterscotch!

Most of all, though, I loved what a love letter the studios are to the 4,000 crew and cast members. The tour allows you to really appreciate everyone's work and contributions in great detail - something you aren't able to do when the images are flashing by your face for only a few moments, if they were lucky!

Cannot emphasize enough how cool this is in person.

So run, don't walk, to the Harry Potter Studio Tour. Best shameless nerd decision ever.

'Fantastic Beasts' to be a Film Trilogy

I can't say I'm either surprised or disappointed that J.K. Rowling's first screenplay has turned into her first three screenplays. That's right, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, about magizoologist Newt Scamander's adventures finding fantastic beasts in early 1900s New York City is going to become three "megamovies." Frankly, I thought Ms. Rowling had too many ideas to fit into a 110 screenplay. The woman's got vision! And I'm super stoked to see that vision come to life.

J.K. Rowling really misses Harry Potter, you guys

In addition to writing the screenplay for the much anticipated (in the sense that I'm flipping out over it and therefore everyone else should, too, probably. I mean, magic + New York + Steampunk time period + ALL THE ANIMALS!? Are you flipping kidding me!?) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film adaptation, J.K. Rowling is also working on a stage play about our dear friend Harry Potter's formative, pre-Hoggy-hoggy-Hogwarts years. Honestly, it sounds pretty depressing. From what we've read, Harry's childhood was mostly super sad on top of super abusive on top of even more super-er sad, but maybe this is her way of doing a "gritty reboot" before Christopher Nolan does. Aside from the Battle of Hogwarts and certain scenes involving certain elves, godfathers, kindly father-figures, facing one's own death, and unconditional, eternal love, Harry's childhood might just be the darkest part of the series.

If Ms. Rowling's working on it, it's sure to be great, so for whatever reason she's returning to Harry's world (even if it is pre-magic), I'm delighted to hear about it and then come up with an excuse to go to London and see it!

Maybe Pairing Harry Potter and Christmas Makes More Sense After All...

Alyssa Rosenberg just reread the whole Harry Potter series, a most delightful chore, and she came up with some interesting connections between the beloved series and the beloved holiday (Christmas, that is). Well worth the read - even if it just inspires you to reread the whole series for the nth time yourself!

Vulture Tries to Convince Alfonso Cuaron to Direct Harry Potter Spin-Off

Yes, please!

(Although, having just re-watching HP 6, 7.1, and 7.2, I am reminded that David Yates did an admirable job, and how important the consistency of those last films really was to the overall cohesion of the series. That being said, Alfonso Cuaron + Fantastic Beasts = Amaze-pants)

Slate's The Hunger Names

In case you were curious as to the meaning behind all the wacky names in The Hunger Games. One Slate writer attempts to decipher them. Plus, a little textual analysis. Because why not?

Fantastic 'Fantastic Beasts' News!

If you're a Harry Potter fan, then you already know this, but I figured I should post about how pumped I am for the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film adaptation! Who knows how well JK Rowling's writing will transfer to the big screen (novel structures are quite different than screenplay structures), but with a good editorial team at her back, I'm sure it'll turn out great. Most interestingly, it'll be neat seeing how the wizarding world in America differs from that in England. Plus, how cool is it that it's set in the early 20th century? It's basically going to be steampunk wizards + insanely weird animals. How cool is that?

Happy 33rd Birthday, Harry Potter! (Also, JK Rowling!)

Happy Birthday, Harry!

You're no longer a boy wizard, now you are a man wizard.

Check out EW's 33 Great Things about Harry Potter - it's a delight.

And, of course, a big Happy Birthday to JK Rowling, too! Without her, we wouldn't even know it's Harry's birthday!

I think Expecto Patronum would have been more fun...

But I still have to admit that an Expelliarmus wedding photo is pretty badass.

Levicorpus would have been quite amusing, as well.

[via When Geeks Wed]

Incredible HP7 Poster

Really wraps up the whole thing... and for only $20!

[via /Film]

It's a Nice Day for a Winged Wedding

Now that is one classy snitch cake! They really did a fantastic job. I still want to eat the cake, but I can appreciate the artistry (unlike the dragon cake where I just want that dragon to come alive and by my buddy!).

Definitely the most elegant Harry Potter-themed wedding cake I've seen!

[via Neatorama]

Happy Birthday, Harry Potter (also, J.K. Rowling)!

Today is Harry Potter and JK Rowling's birthday! Many happy wishes to the both of them.

Also, a happy belated birthday to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which was released on July 22, 2007 - five years ago! Can you believe it? I still remember lining up (one of the first ones, too!) outside of the SoHo Scholastic store right after I got off of work (fortunately, I was working at an office just a few blocks away at the time) and celebrating the evening with friends and festivities and a real Whomping Willow!

What a great day!

JK Rowling: World's Most Magical Mom

Wondering what the best present a mom can give her children (besides unconditional love, etc, etc)? It's probably two tree houses inspired by Hogwarts, and if that mom is the woman who wrote Hogwarts into existence, they're probably pretty darn amazing.

Uh, yeah, that looks incredible. Better yet? The small one has a secret passageway that leads to a trapdoor that you can enter from, and the larger one has a spiral staircase and slide. 

Better yet? All of the wood is coming from sustainably-managed forests. Hooray for socially conscious millionaire author-moms! 

Also, I'm super jealous. That's ok, right? 

[via Neatorama]

Harrey Podder: Legitly Funny Fan Parody

First off, love that this is animated - wouldn't work at all if it wasn't. Second off, definitely do not show this to the kids. Wouldn't want to scar them for life! I mean, maybe kids' animation shows a lot of blood nowadays, I don't really know, but still, there's a lot a blood. Third off, it's legitimately funny! Bravo, Stodoe Studios, bravo!



[via Neatorama]