New HP Theme Park Construction Photos

We have the first information in a while concerning Universal's Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Screamscape has several new pictures of the construction for the mini park at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL. You can view the pictures here and here.

The park is expected to open to the public in December 2009.

Dan Talks HBP

The June issue of Film Review Magazine features a new Half-Blood Prince report, which contains some new Daniel Radcliffe quotage about the film:

Harry is unhappy for a lot of this film, mainly because people keep trying to kill him. And his love life is awful, too. That's what Jo [JK Rowling] does so well, combining everyday, mundane problems with this incredible other world.

Thanks to DR.com for the scan.

Alecto Carrow Cast

According to United Agents, a UK Talent Agency, Suzanne Toase has been cast has Alecto Carrow in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The website notes that the actress is currently filming scenes for the film.

Interestingly enough, a new picture of Jessie Cave (Lavendar Brown) is also featured on the website, and can be viewed here.

Harry Potter: The Exhibition

In a press release today, Becker Group in partnership with Warner Brothers announced "Harry Potter: The Exhibition," a traveling exhibition that will be open to the public over a span of five years. The 10,000 square foot exhibition will premiere in Spring 2009 and will appear in ten or more cities around the world.

"Harry Potter: The Exhibition" will include elaborate displays of authentic costumes, props and artifacts from popular environments featured in the films such as those from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, including the Gryffindor common room and Hagrid's hut. During its run, the exhibit will also be updated to include artifacts from the final installments of the Harry Potter film series. The exhibition will be displayed in major cultural and entertainment venues, museums and institutions, and will be supported by a multimedia promotional effort and advance ticket sales worldwide. Tour information, updates and ticket availability will be posted at www.harrypotterexhibition.com as details become available, or for more information, call 866-231-8328."

"Creating this magical tour around such a legendary property is a true milestone for Becker Group, both as a company, and a source of creative entertainment-based attractions," said Glenn Tilley, president and chief executive officer of Becker Group.

"We've dedicated ourselves to delivering an exciting experience for visitors that will meet the standards set by the films based on the novels by J.K. Rowling," said Eddie Newquist, president of Becker Group's Creative Studio and Exhibits.

"We're thrilled to partner with Becker Group to produce this multi-dimensional exhibition dedicated to the iconic Harry Potter film series," said Brad Globe, president Warner Bros. Consumer Products. "Fans around the world will finally be able to see the incredible craftsmanship and detail that went into creating their favorite props and costumes."

Deathly Hallows Part 1 Release Date: November 19, 2010

As all of you should already know, the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be released in two parts. Coming Soon has now confirmed that Part 1 will be released on November 19, 2010. Nothing has been confirmed for Part 2, but it's expected to be released in May 2011.

Complete Lexicon Trial Transcripts

Thanks to Leaky via Standford Law School, complete transcripts of all three days of the Lexicon trial are now online:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

First HBP Video Game Screenshot

Electronic Arts' Casual Entertainment Label and Warner Bros. officially announced, as expected, their plans to work on the video game adaption of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In a press release today.

“We believe that the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince video game represents a milestone in the movie tie-in genre,” said Harvey Elliott, Head of EA Bright Light studio in the UK. “Building on the technological advancements of previous games in the series and with a particular focus on the unique control system of Nintendo’s WiiTM, the team here is working closely with the filmmakers to create an immersive interactive experience that captures the story, the action, the excitement and, above all, the fun of the film. ”

“Working with EA, we look forward to offering fans a compelling Harry Potter video game, one which captures the thrilling storyline and high visual quality of the movie,” said Scott Johnson, Vice President, Business Development for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “The adherence to the rich fiction is a trademark of this franchise and with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince fans will experience the most authentic and enjoyable game in the series to date.”

The article also reveals that the game will feature the return of Qudditch to the video game franchise:

In the game of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, players will return to Hogwarts to help Harry survive a fraught sixth year. They will also have a chance to engage in exciting wizard duels, mix and brew magical ingredients in Potions class and take to the air to lead the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory. Players may even get sidetracked by Ron’s romantic entanglements as they journey towards a dramatic climax and discover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince.

The article also features the first screenshot from the game, which you can view here.

OwlCast 44: The Trial

OwlCast 44 is now up on the feed. This week it's a short episode, in which me and Mary discuss the big Lexicon trail, among other things.

- The Media blows EVERYTHING out of proportion.
- JKR's testimony.
- Steve Vander Ark's testimony.
- "Fair Use"
- Other News.

You can download this episode via iTune or directly (Right Click..., Save As).

MTV Sheds Light on 'Fair Use'

I was watching some videos on MTV today only to find a new and quite useful article regarding the Lexicon trial between J.K. Rowling/Warner Brothers and RDR Books (our reaction podcast should be up by tomorrow evening). The article is a week old, but it's still quite handy, as it talks those of us who are not versed in the art of legal jargon through the issue of "fair use". When the trial wrapped up last week, it was still hazy who was in the right and who was in the wrong under the eyes of the law because of the vague "fair use" laws. So for all of those still confused, you can check out the article here.

It's unofficially a duel between the richest, most successful author in the world and a 50-year-old librarian, but the case of J.K Rowling v. RDR Books, now playing out in a federal court in New York, doesn't hinge on magical knowledge, superior weaponry or even powerful friends, but on a somewhat-complicated U.S. law known as the doctrine of fair use.

So what, exactly, is fair use, and why is Rowling arguing in court that "The Harry Potter Lexicon" breaks the guidelines established for it to work? And why can we quote liberally from "Harry Potter," at seeming random if I like ("Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"), while Steve Vander Ark is being enjoined from doing what, at face value, appears to be the very same thing?

The answer lies in a piece of legislation only 30 years old and the four provisions it outlines as the foundation of fair use.

New Gentle Giant Busts: Qudditch Ron

New York Comic-Con took place over the weekend, and Gentle Giants, known for their Harry Potter busts, were among the vendors at the convention. Some of the new busts on display were two giant busts, one of Voldemort and one of Harry, from the graveyard scene, Lupin (no fangs this time), McGonagall, and of particular interest Ron in his Qudditch uniform. There was also a Qudditch box set, showing off the new uniforms.

Fans will remember a few months back, that Warner Brothers release two sneak peeks at Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In the first of these sneak peek's we were able to catch a glimpse at the redesigns for the Qudditch uniforms in the film. The Gentle Giants busts are always quite accurate with their depictions, so this gives us a nice glimpse at what the uniforms will look like in the film.

HP products from NECA and Tonner, also at the convention.

New JKR Documentary to Air on ABC in November

ABC News is set to release a documentary about J.K. Rowling this November. The in-depth profile "includes several interviews, the book tour for the final "Harry Potter" installment, and a tour of locations that inspired her characters. It even hints to what the future holds for Harry and his friends." ABC is currently working with U.K. producer RDF Media, on the documentary.

AP on Lexicon Lawsuit: The Blurry Line in Copyright Law

The Associated Press has posted a summary of the lawsuit over the Lexicon book that began back in October, which does a good job at explaining this whole thing for the less legal inclined among us. The article specifically talks about why this trial, a "fair use" trial, is so tricky:

U.S. rules allow for the "fair use" of copyrighted material in unauthorized works, but there are limits. Journalists may quote from films and books when writing a review. Scholars can use excerpts from a novel while penning an author's biography.

Generally, the call on whether such uses are legal comes down to how much material was taken and how different the end product is from the original work.

Lawrence Pulgram, an intellectual property lawyer who represented Napster in a copyright fight with the rock band Metallica, said deciding where to draw the line is rarely easy.

"Fair use is the most erratically applied doctrine in copyright," he said.

Works like Vander Ark's lexicon fall into one of the tougher categories. It takes the form of an A-to-Z list of the hundreds of characters and place names from her books, followed by brief entries summarizing how they fit into the plot. There is also information on the origin of some of her characters in mythology and folklore.

Rowling and her legal team acknowledged that readers' guides like the lexicon are, in fact, allowed under the law, but made the case that Vander Ark simply took too much material. [Editor Note: To see the pie chart evidence, click here and scroll down]

U.S. District Judge Robert Patterson Jr. indicated that the case could go either way and encouraged both sides to settle. He suggested that a creative negotiation might produce a book that both sides could live with.

Rowling said during her testimony that Vander Ark could still do his book, as long as he changed it to take less of her material.

"I never ever once wanted to stop Mr. Vander Ark from doing his own guide. Never ever," she said, before asking the judge again to block it in its current form.