MuggleNet.com has teamed up with Showmasters Ltd to produce MuggleMayhem, a not-for-profit convention devoted exclusively to all things Harry Potter. MuggleMayhem will take place on the weekend of August 7-9 2009 at The Park Inn hotel, Northampton, UK.

Many stars from the Harry Potter movies will attend, and there will be an opportunity to get their autograph, as well as have your photograph taken with
them in a professional photograph session. Tickets are strictly limited, are on a first come first served basis, and include all the following:

-Registration pack/Goody pack
-Access to three themed parties over the weekend
-Access to all guest talks over the days of the event
-1 free autograph from each of the 4 supporting cast
-Fan fiction competitions
-Cosplay competitions
-Academic symposium
-Auction

Please visit the MuggleMayhem website for more information, or email jamie at staff dot mugglenet dot com if you have any questions. If you are looking for accomodation, we have negotiated a special room rate for the duration of the event; more details are available on the website.

All profits from this event will go to the Multiple Sclerosis Society Scotland, of which JK Rowling used to be a patron.

BBC News is reporting that actor Rupert Grint is recovering from a 'mild bout' of swine flu. He took a few days off from filming Deathly Hallows, but is well enough to attend the premier of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in London on Tuesday.

If you weren't excited about the latest Harry Potter film already, HBO's "First Look" at Half-Blood Prince will definitely do the job!

A word of caution: SPOILERS aplenty!

New footage includes: Draco and Dumbledore atop the Astronomy Tower, funny McGonagall moments, Bellatrix urging Snape to "do the Unbreakable Vow" and much more! Thanks to Snitch Seeker, we have video of the preview in 2 parts: Check out the first part here and the second part here!

We have yet another great interview with Daniel Radcliffe--this time from the Guardian. Dan discusses life as a celebrity, shows his passion for art, literature and poetry, and may have let slip the university co-star Emma Watson might be attending in the fall.

Here's an excerpt:
The film also marks Harry's second kiss, with Ginny Weasley, sister of best friend Ron. Was that enjoyable? "It was quite weird for me because I've known Bonnie [Wright, who plays Ginny] since she was nine and I was 11. Very strange. But we got through it. It was good. And it'll get a bit of a cheer from the Potter fans. But I have to say, today I saw playback of Ron and Hermione's kiss [from the final book], and it is easily, from what we've filmed so far, the biggest moment in all the films. It is," he says approvingly, "a great kiss."

Read the rest of the article here!

The countdown to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince continues today, as the Los Angeles Times released its interview with Daniel Radcliffe. In this new interview, Radcliffe talks about his life playing the character he is so known for:

"I would like to think I haven’t been influenced by [Harry] too much just by playing him for so long,” Radcliffe said. “I am thrilled to have this in my life, but it is separate from my life, you know? It’s nice to be called Dan. And actually I started correcting people now. You do feel like a bit of an idiot doing that, but at the same time, in the long run it is better for us. I know it’s better for me."

There's a great new review for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince online this evening courtesy of The Sun:

The problem with the previous Harry Potter movies, though, is that every important twist and turn has been slavishly crowbarred in.

It has made for some uneven storytelling - the worst offender being the last instalment, The Order Of The Phoenix.

Thankfully, director David Yates has learned from his mistakes and here he turns in the most confident, stylish, individual, warm-hearted and witty Harry Potter yet.

He's also turned up the heat by focusing on raging hormones rather than rampaging beasts, with the main characters more interested in mixing love potions than aceing their exams.

Instead of "going darker" again (yawn), Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, inset, Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) go lighter.

You can read much more right here. Thanks to Kevin for the tip!

UPDATE 2 Part one of the interview is now online and can be viewed here and the final part here.

UPDATE: The new clip from Half-Blood Prince can now be viewed here.

As we previously reported, the lovely Emma Watson appeared on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross earlier today. In the interview Emma talks about her audition for the role of Hermione in the Harry Potter films and reveals that filming for Deathly Hallows will finish in April 2010. Amongst other things, Emma announced that she WILL be studying in America, that she filmed 'The Kiss' with Rupert two weeks ago and that the cast members filmed a special scene for the Harry Potter Theme Park.

In addition to the above we also recieved a brand new clip from Half-Blood Prince.

We have a copy of this interview and will be posting it shortly. Alternatively UK fans can view the entire show on BBC iplayer.

Just a reminder to all the U.K. fans that Emma Watson will be on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on BBC 1 tonight.

Also, as many Australian fans have let us know, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint will be on Rove this Sunday.

Thanks to all who emailed!

An interview with Tom Felton, the actor who plays Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, was today published in the Mexican magazine Selecciones. Amongst other things, Tom discusses his portrayal of Draco, his other film projects, his music and his thoughts on the films coming to an end.

A full translation of this interview is now online thanks to our friends at HarryPotterLa. Scans from the magazine can be seen in our gallery.

It's now Emma Watson's turn to be interviewed by The Los Angeles Times (Dan's interview is coming tomorrow). In it, she speaks about Half-Blood Prince and her relationship with author JK Rowling:

“I must admit I still feel quite intimidated by her,” Watson said. “Not because she is actually intimidating, but because I admire her so much, and we have all been such mad fans of the books and her and everything.”

The author Rowling has said that Watson’s character, the sweet but swotty Hermione Granger, is based in part on her own persona as a child. That has led to a mutual fascination society between the actress and the writer who, together, have shaped the character. In “Half-Blood Prince,” Hermione is the wounded heart of the film, dealing with her stirring feelings for childhood chum Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) as well as the dark threats gathering at Hogwarts.

The LA Times also promises a special Potter section in this weekend's edition of the paper.

The Sydney Morning Herald has a wonderful new interview with Daniel Radcliffe about Harry's role in the latest film as well as Radcliffe's thoughts on the series as a whole.

Here's some note-worthy quotage:
"Most people seem to see these books as being about good and evil," Radcliffe says. "There is that but I see them more as the story of loss of innocence. It's about a kid who's gone into this world and thinks everything is magical, wonderful and amazing and then realises that this world is darker and more dangerous than the world he has come from. That is his journey.

Taking a break from all the Half-Blood Prince news, Universal Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter website debuted their new online galleries today. They also added a new poster featuring Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in front of Hogwarts castle.

Check it out here!

There's a new interview this morning with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince director David Yates. He talks about how he realized that this franchise is huge:

“It’s funny how things change,” he offers. “I felt really self-conscious making this last film. The first time, I didn’t realise how big it was until I got to the premiere and then got to America and saw how massive the release was, and how huge the reaction was. That was when the penny dropped, when I realised that this was such a big thing for so many people.

“Oddly, that meant that when I started this one, I was a little bit warier of everything rather than being more confident. The first time round you just do it; you just go for it. But I have settled in and this one’s quite different from the last one. It’s a little bit more grown up and a bit wittier. It’s a different vibe.”

Recently, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint sat down MTV.com to discuss the ups and downs of filming the Wizarding world game of Quidditch. In Order of the Phoenix, Rupert was "really gutted last year" when Ron didn't get his big Quidditch moment but that filming for Half-Blood Prince was "anticlimax because it's really hard work."

"You're on a broom for a long time, like a few hours at a go," Grint grinned. "You're literally sitting on a broom and it gets a little bit sore down under a bit. It's been fun, but it's quite hard work."

A slew of great new photos from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince have surfaced online.

The pics span across the entire film - see them all right here thanks to Snitch Seeker!

Are you excited for the film yet?!