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Starting at 1 pm EST today, our Corner Booth text chat will be hosting a special movie day with the viewing of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Join along with your fellow chatters in watching Harry's first year at Hogwarts and have the opportunity to provide your very own text commentary of the film as you watch. Our Corner Booth is hosting this event in correlation with our Reading Groups, who are currently in the process of reading the first Harry Potter novel by J. K. Rowling. To find out the exact time the event will take place in various locations around the world, readers can click here. Be sure to grab a bowl of popcorn, some Skittles, and your "Sorcerer's Stone" DVD and join us for a walk down Harry Potter movie memory lane with your fellow Corner Booth movie-goers!

See you at the movies!

As we reported yesterday, EA, the makers of the Harry Potter video games, launched the first trailer for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince game. There was also news about a new game website, which has now gone live via this link.

The site is in the very early stages, with only the new trailer online, and some very nice music playing and a cool potions lab screen shot in the background. As a side note, we do have stills, screencaps and the trailer for download here in our video galleries as well. On the new EA "Half-Blood Prince" site is a description of the game, as well as news that you will be able to go to Potions class, with mini games and demo due in the coming months. Across the top of the screen is the logo for the game and the words "Coming November 14th. Of interest is the fact that this November 14th date is of course earlier than the previously announced release date of November 21, 2008 for the movie. As new features continue to go live on the EA website we will continue to update.

A reminder that pre-orders for theWindows platform and Wii platform of the game are now available in our Cauldron Shop.

Thanks to all who owled!

Hold on everyone! The batch of high res photos from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as seen earlier today in the USA Today newspaper are now here. We also have two more new photos to tell you about released via MSN Mexico, one showing a new photo of Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) in full Quidditch gear,and this one of a deep in thought Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton).

The new "Half-Blood Prince" high res photos are:

Professor Horace Slughorn holds Potions Class
a Lovelorn Ron Weasley
Harry Potter and Hermione Granger
Draco Malfoy
Professor Albus Dumbledore
Director David Yates with Dan Radcliffe (Harry) and Bonnie Wright (Ginny)

The great news keeps on coming, as EA the makers of the Harry Potter video games, have let TLC know they have now released a brand new trailer for the upcoming "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" video game. Fans can watch this trailer via this link. Update: You can now see stills here in our image galleries.The site describes the game as follows: "Whether you're a Quidditch master or a mere muggle, you'll find something to entertain in this newest addition to Harry Potter's storied saga. With a massive free-roam setting and a plotline intimately interwoven with the movie script, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince promises to bring back the magic."

There is also a new interview online with one of the developers of the video game, who reveals they will be using the movie actor voices for their characters in the game, as well as some new features:

: Have any of the cast been involved in the game's production? Are they providing voices?
CR: Yes. Many of the movie cast lend their voices to the game (including Rupert Grint - who plays Ron Weasley, Tom Felton - who plays Draco Malfoy, and Evanna Lynch - who plays Luna Lovegood).Y!: Which locations from the movie or book will we be able to visit?

CR: We are really pleased to confirm that as a player you will have the opportunity to explore all of Hogwarts, from the Boathouse right through to the brand new Astronomy Tower, plus key locations such as The Burrow and The Horcrux Cave.

Y!: Romance is a big theme in Half-Blood Prince. Are you planning to capture those elements in the game?
CR: Yes we are. We are focusing on the trials and tribulations of Ron Weasley, and also the developing relationship between Harry and Ginny Weasley.

Y!: Will we be able to roam freely around the game, like we could in Order of the Phoenix?
CR: Yes. Hogwarts is even bigger than last time -- you can find lots of new areas in the castle grounds -- and you can roam at will.


To add to the excitement, and a way to add another spark to your holiday weekend, EA will launch their brand new Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince videogame website, tomorrow July 4 at 2pm (GMT) via this link. We will update with that once it goes live.

The Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince videogame will be released this November.
Thanks so much to EA, and enjoy!

Absolutely hilarious: Our first look at Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, wearing those Spectre glasses from the Quibbler. Luna Lovegood is portrayed by actress Evanna Lynch. This photo was one of two that AOL Moviefone now has from the movie, the second is this photo of Harry and Professor McGonagall (Dame Maggie Smith).

We expect high res photos of all the new ones we've seen today from the upcoming Half-Blood Prince movie, stay tuned!

Well, the drought on new images from the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is certainly over, as our Order partner DanRadcliffe.com now has scans from the August issue of Empire Magazine that includes even more new photos from the sixth Harry Potter film. Of interest is our first look at a helmeted Quidditch Keeper Ron Weasley (and be sure to look at the reaction on the faces of his friend Hermione, with Ginny and Harry dressed in their Gryffindor uniforms.) In addition, there is another photo of Jim Broadbent as Professor Horace Slughorn with Harry Potter.

The article contains new nuggets of information including a bit on the dreadful Fenrir Greyback, as well as the inferi in the movie, who Dan Radcliffe refers to by saying "They're horrible," shivers Radcliffe. "They made me think of bodies in concentration camps. It's that terrible look of a body that's wasted away, but not a skeleton. There are a couple of child Inferi too." Please note the scans from the magazine at DR.com are rather large.

Behold! We now have scans from the USA Today newspaper, which include our first look at actor Jim Broadbent as Professor Horace Slughorn in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Also new is a clear look at Draco Malfoy played by Tom Felton, a shot of a love-lorn Ron Weasley played by Rupert Grint, and a reflective Professor Dumbledore as portrayed by Michael Gambon. We hope to have high res stills shortly, stay tuned!

UPDATE: These are also now online via the USA Today: Click here, then on view the gallery for more, including a photo of Harry (Dan Radcliffe) and Hermione (Emma Watson) in a winter scene, as well as a better look at the Draco photo, LoveyRon, Slughorn and his Potions Class (including Matt Lewis as Neville) and the Harry and Ginny at Christmas time with director David Yates.

It would seem tonight is a great night for Harry Potter fans, as USA Today has a "first look
preview of the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. While new photos from the sixth Harry Potter film do not yet seem to be online, this new article indicates there is new material to be had on Draco, Harry and Ginny and perhaps our first look at Jim Broadbent as Professor Slughorn as the piece states " the focus is on the evolution of Harry's rival Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) into a malevolent force. Also introduced: Potions teacher Professor Slughorn (Jim Broadbent). Of interest to fans are details on the blossoming relationship between Harry and Ginny, for David Yates says"They're about to kiss," director David Yates says. "Then the bloody Death Eaters turn up and cause all sorts of anarchy." A separate piece on the romance is as follows:

Harry develops feelings for Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright), the younger sister of his best pal Ron (Rupert Grint).

"Harry has these feelings for Ginny which he's unable to express or fulfill because Ron is very protective of her," says director David Yates. "Ginny is going through a time of exploration. She's finding confidence with boys and has been going out with a few. There's a kind of maturity that is quite adventurous."

Yates chose to do more improvising this time around, particularly as the young actors have matured in their craft. One such improvisational scene is one between Harry and Ginny that is fraught with romantic tension.

Ron, for his part, is overcome with romantic fervor after digging into some charmed chocolates. "He's in a daze and madly in love, which is kind of alarming to any warm body who comes into close proximity," Yates says.

UPDATE:Thanks to hbpmoviepics, who let us know they have the scan of the article from the papercontaining new photos of Hermione and our first look look at Romilda Vane, as well as a new photo of director David Yates with Dan Radcliffe (Harry) and Bonnie Wright (Ginny) at Christmas time

The Times newspaper has a new interview online with Julie Walters, where the actress confirms her return in the role of Molly Weasley for both films of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. While promoting her new film "Mamma Mia," which premiered recently in London (new photos of this event here in our image galleries), Julie Walter says that “I'm in them loads!” says Walters, and her eyes narrow. Then she does a new accent, which is basically herself, but evil. “I think I have to kill Helena Bonham Carter,” she says. Then she cackles again, like your favourite witchy aunt.

The article briefly mentions that Julie will of course be seen as Molly Weasley in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and notes that she speaks with affection of the trio, noting that one day Dan Radcliffe "she reckons, will probably end up directing."

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be released in theaters November 21, 2008, with production on both film versions of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows set to begin in February of 2009.

Empire.com has now launched a preview of the new edition of their magazine, which features an in-depth preview of the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince film. The cover features a brand new photo of a bloodied and tattered looking Dan Radcliffe as Harry Potter, which you can see here via this link. Harry's glasses are cracked and the headline reads "Bloody Hell: Harry Comes Out Fighting."

There is also an excerpt of the preview contained in this special magazine viewer available via this link (please allow for load time), which shows a second photo of a reflective Harry, standing in the corridors of Hogwarts. The preview excerpt reads "Dark times lie ahead for everybody's favorite bespectaled wizard as he enters his penultimate year at Hogwarts. Having dealt with a tragic loss, a repeatedly resurrected nemesis and the awkward onset of puberty, Harry Potter's six big screen outing finds him entering into a new and fateful stage of his life. We talk to cast and crew about making magic, floating corpses and approaching the saga's end. "

Thanks Alejandro!