Entertainment Weekly has placed Harry Potter film producer David Heyman at #9 on a list of the 50 smartest people in Hollywood.

He has expertly steered the highest-grossing global franchise in film history. Heyman secured the rights to the Harry Potterbooks in 1997 and has done just about everything right since, including bonding with author J.K. Rowling and wisely seeking her input. He helped find unexpected directors (e.g., Alfonso Cuarón, David Yates) who've kept things fresh. And he's kept the cast intact through five films, without any of his three teenage stars succumbing to a Lohanesque episode. While Warner Bros. president Alan Horn deserves credit for making the correct macro decisions, the franchise's success rests on a thousand micro choices Heyman made, including creating a world, on set and on screen, where people want to be.

Get all of your HP-related Christmas shopping in soon through MuggleNet's longtime sponsor, Alivan's. As a MuggleNet visitor, enter the code NOCROWDS and save an additional 10% off any order between now and December 4th.

For this holiday season, Alivan's has added several new items, including the Elder Wand, exclusive Candy Potion Sets, Leather Wand Sheaths, and House Socks in all colors.

Also, don't miss your chance to pick up a signed copy of MuggleNet's New York Times' bestselling book, What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7. We only have a limited number of copies in stock, so order today!

The Trefoil House has received a signed copy of Deathly Hallows for auction. The Scotsman reports:

David McArthur, Trefoil's chief executive said: "We are absolutely delighted by this generous gift. This is a chance for someone to win it without having to pay lots of money as it's not an auction and as it's only taking place over two days the odds are good."

The book will be raffled as part of the annual Christmas Bonanza, an event where people can come and buy presents they would not normally find in mainstream shops.

The event is being held at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on December 4th and 5th. Thanks to Loris and Timo for the tip!

JK Rowling's official website has been updated to wish Father Weasley a Happy Birthday! Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip.

There are several new updates tonight relating to the Order of the Phoenix DVD, sent in by a few visitors.

First up, WalMart is selling an exclusive DVD set (seen left) which includes the film disc and three toys: a snitch, broom, and globe. It is priced at $19.96

Next, in an HD DVD first, the HD version of Order of the Phoenix will include a feature called Live Community Screening. With an internet connection, you will be able to "Invite other owners of the HD DVD to simultaneously watch from their own internet-accessed players and text with your remote, PC or cell phone."

And lastly, a very detailed movie and special feature review comes from WF DVD Report. They give the two-disc edition a "Recommended" rating, calling it a "a solid two-disc release for an enjoyable film."

All versions of the DVD will go on sale December 11th in the United States. Thanks to Caitlin, Mark, and Tarpals for the links!

UPDATE: Best Buy is also selling a bonus two-disc gift set. Theirs comes with a Death Eater mask replica and is priced at $34.99. Thanks to Vickram for this!

According to an article in USA Today, Quidditch is the latest sport being played in colleges across the US - the first intercollegiate match was held earlier this month. One student from Middlebury College, VT said:

"Quidditch is one of the most creative things that came out of the books. We were able to create that here, follow all the rules, except the ability to fly. It just caught on."

In order to make the game work, the Snitch is replaced by a young man, who runs around the pitch at "lightning speed" and, although the players obviously lack the ability to fly, brooms are still carried around for show; these in fact have been supplied by Alivan's, MuggleNet's primary sponsor.

This modified version of the sport has been described as a cross between rugby, dodge ball and soccer.

On December 13th, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a book written by JK Rowling for The Children's Voice charity, will be auctioned off by Sotheby's.

This morning, Good Morning America discussed the book and read a few pages of it.

Check out a video of this here. Thanks to HPANA.

Let's face it: Maybe if Bellatrix had a little more love in her life, she wouldn't have been so cruel in chapter one of Deathly Hallows. In fact, this is the first chapter we discuss in the resurrection of our Chapter-by-Chapter segment on this week's episode of our Harry Potter podcast. Plus:

- Ian McKellen discusses why he didn't become Dumbledore.
- In fact, it's good that he wasn't Dumbledore. Andrew explains.
- MuggleMail covers Potter in schools, Potter's influence on reading, and HD/Blu-Ray DVDs.
- Chapter by Chapter returns!
- We give a brief history and explain what we're doing this time.
- Chicken Soup for the MuggleCast Soul.
- An on-the-spot HUH?! Facebook message of the week.

All that and much more can be found on this week's episode, hosted by Eric, Micah, Andy, and myself. To download, we recommend subscribing for free within Apple iTunes or the Zune Marketplace. You can also find complete shownotes and alternate download links on the MuggleCast website. Enjoy!

Two new articles have been released that focus on the final two films in the Harry Potter series. The first article from the Winnipeg Sun is a look at actors Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, and how they have grown up without much incident through the first six films. Producer David Heyman, director David Yates and actress Imelda Staunton all praised the trio in the interview, and Heyman credited Chris Columbus with doing an extraordinary job with initially casting them. Radcliffe also addressed just how committed he is to these films:

"So, to me, it's just about letting people know that I'm incredibly serious and passionate about this -- this series of films -- and how much they mean to me. If you've been involved in something for more than seven years now, you want to be able to talk about it articulately and explain why you love it, explain why you loved being involved in it so much."

The second article from the Edmonton Sun addresses the mood of Half-Blood Prince, and how different it will be from Deathly Hallows. Producer David Heyman said that humor in the sixth film will be "slightly warmer," but Radcliffe noted he can't wait to get to the more darker tone of the seventh and final film.

Thanks to Taylor for sending this in!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has been included on the New York Time's list of 100 notable books of this year. The full list will run in the December 2nd print edition of the Book Review.

You can see the NYT's review of the book here.

Sir Ian McKellen was recently interviewed by The Guardian where amongst other things he discusses Dumbledore vs. Gandalf, the character who he played in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

McKellen says that while he and Michael Gambon are close friends, the topic of "how to play a wizard" has never come up. And as far as if he would have taken over the role of Dumbledore from the late Richard Harris, McKellen said:

"People say to me, don't you wish you'd played Dumbledore? I say no! I played Gandalf! The original. There was a question as to whether I might take over from Richard Harris [Gambon's predecessor in the Dumbledore role], but seeing as one of the last things he did publicly was say what a dreadful actor he thought I was, it would not have been appropriate for me to take over his part." He smiles icily. "It would have been unfair."

When asked who would win the battle between Dumbledore and Gandalf, McKellen never hesitated, "Gandalf. Of course."

J.K. Rowling has been named Entertainment Weekly's Entertainer of the Year. The announcement was made earlier this morning on the Today Show, which you can see video of here. Rowling, who appears on the cover, is the first author to ever receive this award. On why she was chosen:

"J.K. Rowling is our Entertainer of the Year because she did something very, very hard, and she did it very, very well, thus pleasing hundreds of millions of children and adults very, very much. In an era of videogame consoles, online multiplayer 'environments,' and tinier-is-better mobisodes, minisodes, and webisodes, she got people to tote around her big, fat old-fashioned printed-on-paper books as if they were the hottest new entertainment devices on the planet.

Thanks to Angie for sending this in!

If you live in the United Kingdom, now is your chance to win a walk on role in Half-Blood Prince! MSN UK is hosting the contest and is open to any UK resident 12 years or older. Full details can be found at this link:

Winner will participate in the Walk On Prize as an extra in a crowd scene which may or may not be a silent scene. There is neither a guarantee that the Winner will be able to distinguish himself/herself in the film footage, nor that he/she will be featured in the final cut of the “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” film which is always subject to creative approvals and the Director’s final say. There is no guarantee that the Winner will meet or see Talent as part of the Walk On Prize."

Thank you to everyone who e-mailed, and good luck to everyone who enters!

From our MuggleNet family to yours, we wish all of our American visitors a Happy Thanksgiving! Gather around the table, eat some turkey, and be thankful for over a decade of fantastic Potter craziness.

And Black Friday is tomorrow - don't forget to get a deal on all your Potter merchandise!

With the release of the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix DVD in the US less than a month away, Warner Brothers has released a new behind the scenes video which features actors Dan Radcliffe and Evanna Lynch, and shows how special effects were used to create the flying thestrals sequence in the movie.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Universal's Harry Potter theme park, set to open in late 2009 or early 2010, will focus heavily on holiday-themed events, particularly at Halloween and Christmas time, according to Jim Hill Media. It is hoped that this "Holidays at Hogwarts" idea will rival Disney World's current dominance during the holiday season.

Promotion for the park is due to begin as early as next year, with television commercials featuring clips from all five of the Potter movies to date.

Harry Potter y las reliquias de la muerte, the Spanish translation of Deathly Hallows, will be released on February 21st, 2008 in Spain, Latin America and the US, it was announced today by publisher, Salamandra. The Castilian, Catalan and Galician copies will all be released at 6:30pm on this date.

Dutch newspaper, The Volkskrant, has posted a new interview with JK Rowling for the Dutch release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In this article Jo reveals, amongst other things, her reasoning behind the chapter entitled 'King's Cross' and also talks about her family and personal religious beliefs.

An English translation of this article can be viewed here thanks to Leaky.

As part of ABC Family's "Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas," the first three films of the Harry Potter series will air as part of a Harry Potter weekend beginning on Friday, November 30 with Sorcerer's Stone at 7:30 p.m. ET. It will be followed by Chamber of Secrets on Saturday, December 1 at 7 p.m. ET and Prisoner of Azkaban on Sunday, December 2 at 6 p.m. ET (re-airing Thursday, December 13 at 8 p.m. ET).

Thanks to Ramona for sending this in!

Ah, do you smell that? It's that time of year again. Yes, it's the sweet smell of casting announcement season. On this week's episode of our Harry Potter podcast, we take a look at the newest actors and actresses to join the cast and decide whether or not to give them the MuggleCast Gold Seal of Approval. Also, HarryPotterFanZone.com webmaster Andy joins Laura, Micah, Mikey and myself for:


- Harry Potter changes a school in England. Could it do the same for America?
- WB confirms the rest of the HBP cast.
- But wait... is it truly the REST?
- Order of the Phoenix or Hairspray? Hairspray.
- Half-Blood Prince sneak peeks.
- Will the Writers Guild strike affect Deathly Hallows?
- What impact has Harry Potter made on literature?
- Thanksgiving is here and we count our blessings.
- Chicken Soup.

All that and much more can be found on this week's show! To download, we recommend subscribing for free through either Apple iTunes or the ZUNE Marketplace (ZUNE owners: make sure you have the latest software first for this new feature). You can also find full shownotes and alternate download links at the MuggleCast website. Enjoy!

The official website for the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie has a new look, as it has been redesigned to showcase the upcoming release of the DVD for the fifth film on December 11.

Among the new editions are the ability to download and embed a countdown clock, a link to the official sweepstakes to win a trip to visit the set of Half-Blood Prince, as well as a new trailer for the Order of the Phoenix DVD.

Clicking on the "Join Dumbledore's Army" coin in the upper-right hand corner of the page will reveal a revamped DADA website, which offers a new banner to embed on your website or blog.

There is also a link to The Official Harry Potter DVD website, where you can see a demo video of the Interactive DVD Game. Fans can get more information on the Limited Edition Gift Set that includes the DVDs of all five Harry Potter films, check out their official trailers in the Warner Bros. Shop and click over to the Magical Trading Cards website.

Thanks to Kayla for sending this in!

Earlier today, Andrew Slack of the Harry Potter Alliance issued a call to action for all Harry Potter fans concerning a terrible state of affairs involving the mothers of Darfur. Our community has long been recognized for its concern for and response to urgent global situations.

As the crisis in Darfur continues to worsen the Harry Potter Alliance, MuggleNet, Leaky, and the Wizard Rock Community are asking for your assistance.

Please take a few minutes to read the following statement by Andrew. It is our hope you will join all of us in taking the steps to help resolve this very serious issue.

"More than any thing else, Harry Potter is a treatise on the power of love, in particular, the love of a mother for her child. Darfur is in the Western region of Sudan where the government is currently engaging in a form of genocide by hiring their Janjaweed militia to systematically kill the people of Darfur and there are now as many as 2.5 million refugees."

To donate to the cause, CLICK HERE! You can read more about what the HP Alliance stands for at the link below...

When schools begin to slack off in academic achievement, who do they turn to? One school in Nottingham, England went to Harry Potter and came up with the idea of Potter-themed classes. Since then, they've seen a turn around in performance:

The theme-based approach has catalyzed a dizzying rise in academic achievement at Robert Mellors. Three years ago it was languishing in the bottom quarter of English schools; it has since vaulted into the top 25%. A September visit from Ofsted, England's educational inspection body, yielded a rating of "outstanding," and special kudos were given for the school's ability to mentor pupils with learning disabilities or behavioral problems. "The school recognizes that pupils will only be successful if lessons are stimulating," the report said.

Hopefully this article may inspire some other schools who are looking to improve their students' participation. Thanks to Liquid for the tip!

Elena points out this new Half-Blood Prince filming update over at Wandsworth Guardian. They say the Potter set crews are to begin shooting this evening through Sunday in Surbiton, England:

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, starring Daniel Radcliffe as boy wizard Harry, will be on location overnight from Friday to Sunday.

Café Chaud on platforms one and two at the station is reportedly being used in the movie.

Seargeant Christopher MacKellaich, of the British Transport Police, said: "We will have officers down at the station on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night to assist with any public order issues associated with the filming.

Additionally, our Half-Blood Prince movie section is now online! Accessible via this link, or from the "Movie 6" link on the left navigation, you can get everything related to Half-Blood Prince all in one place. As we are still over a year away from the release (November 21st, 2008), the section will grow. Enjoy!

Warner Bros. announced today that "nine-year-old Hero Fiennes Tiffin is playing the role of the young Tom Riddle at age 11, while 16-year-old Frank Dillane is playing the teenage Riddle, who is already on the path to becoming the evil Lord Voldemort."

WB also said that casting for the sixth Harry Potter film, Half-Blood Prince, has now completed.

In news that shouldn't surprise anyone, Deathly Hallows was named the Best Book of 2007 by Amazon.com. From the online warehouse:

Was there any doubt? The final episode of the most popular series in publishing history, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, leads our list of the 100 topselling books on Amazon.com during 2007. (Ranked according to customer orders through October. Only books published for the first time in 2007 are eligible.)

If you want to fuel the already-top-spot fire, there's a poll on the right side of this page that lets you vote for which book you think is the Best of 2007. Thanks to Emily for the tip!

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has updated her official site to address two new rumors in her Rubbish Bin.

The first entry concerned the recent lawsuit against an Indian community for building a replica of Hogwarts castle. Rowling noted that she herself did not bring the lawsuit and that her name always gets attached to such things for legal reasons. Jo also attempted to clear up the situation, saying:

"The defendants were not religious charities, and theirs was not a religious celebration. On the contrary, it was a large-scale, commercial, sponsored event involving corporations that included a major Indian high street bank. The event was, however, set up while a Hindu festival was going on."

Jo in her second entry poked fun at a recent tabloid article which stated she does pilates, yoga, jogs, has botox injections and has cut out saturated fats, by joking she clearly has been "Rowling back the years."

The BBC recently conducted an interview with Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe where he talked about filming Half-Blood Prince and what he thought of Deathly Hallows amongst other things. On how the sixth film is coming along:

"Really well. I've just been doing a bit of work with Jim Broadbent who plays Horace Slughorn, who's just fantastic. And we've been doing a bit of stuff with me and Rupert Grint. We haven't done any scenes with all the kids yet in the Great Hall - that's all to look forward to just after Christmas. It's glorious to be working with [director] David Yates again."

Dan acknowledged he didn't read the seventh book until about four days after it came out, so he was "walking around with his fingers in his ears." Luckily, it wasn't spoiled for him.

MTV has published an article on the recently-released Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix DVD which contains a special feature of the fifth film's deleted scenes. The clip also includes two new interviews with production designer Stuart Craig and director David Yates.

On the shortness of the film compared to the book, David Yates said:

"We were just keeping a slightly cleaner line. There were so many moving parts; that's the danger of the book compared to the film. One of the things that people, even non-'Potter' fans, love is the clarity of the films. They feel like they got it. So in removing some things, which we all love, we allow a whole new audience in."

Thanks to Cindy for sending this in!

Warner Brothers has commenced a new sweepstakes on the official Harry Potter website, with the grand prize being a trip for four to the set of Half-Blood Prince!

The contest runs now through January 5th, and there are two ways to enter. First, you can simply visit this page and fill out your information. You can also add their Facebook application to your profile, and "for each of the first twenty (20) of the Actions you perform during each Entry Period, you will receive one (1) entry into the drawing for the applicable Entry Period and one (1) entry into the drawing for the Grand Prize Entry Period, up to twenty (20) entries into each drawing, per day."

Full details can be found here. Good luck to everyone who enters! Thanks to HeartlessBlueAngel for the tip.

Good news to those in countries still awaiting the release of the Order of the Phoenix DVD: you can now pre-order it online at Amazon for $24.99.

The DVD will be officially released in the US on December 11th.

HP Fan Trips announced today its 2008 summer Harry Potter tour packages, celebrating five years of hosting the most comprehensive, fan-centric Potter tours on the market.

The "Sorcerer" Trip for MuggleNet fans is one of the packages and should appeal to all of you who visit this site. Special to the tour this year is a guest appearance by our own Jamie Lawrence of MuggleCast. He'll be having dinner with the group on the final night of the trip!

For more tour packages and full details, click here!

CBBC has revealed that Jessie Cave, having only starred in a TV film called Summerhill, will be playing Lavender Brown in Half-Blood Prince:

Jessie is 20 years old. Your first chance to see Jessie on screen though will be in CBBC drama Summerhill going out early next year.

It's not known if Jessie attended the open auditions for Lavender.

They were were held earlier this year. Or she may have auditioned separately for the part.

More news and updates as we receive them! Thanks to SnitchSeeker for the tip.

With the Order of the Phoenix DVD having been released earlier today in the United Kingdom, fans have already uploaded the two Half-Blood Prince sneek peek clips online.

The first clip entitled "Quidditch Back in Style" is an interview with Costume Designer Jany Termime where she discusses what Harry, Ron and Draco's uniforms will look like in the sixth film, saying that this year it's "more dangerous" and that she took some "inspiration from American football."

The second clip is an interview with Production Designer Stuart Craig in which he talks about the creation of the orphanage where Tom Riddle lived, making a point of it "not being a nice place."

There are also a few quick scenes featuring Harry with Dumbledore, Dumbledore in the cave and Harry talking to Mr. Weasley. Thanks to Trish for sending this in!

EDIT: The video has been taken down by WB.

Newsround has another Potter exclusive this week. This time, Lizo sat down with Dan Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint and talked Half-Blood Prince filming. Of particular note, Rupert and Emma revealed in their part of the interview that they've met the girl who will be playing Lavender:

Rupert (Ron): "I was involved with the Lavender Brown audition and the whole Lavender thing. Her name's Jessie and she is really cool and it's going to be really funny."

Emma: "She seems really sweet and perfect for the role of Lavender. The casting is so good and I am looking forward to her scenes with Ron. I think it's going to be quite a comic film."

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip!

Lizo over at CBBC Newsround has posted a review of the upcoming Order of the Phoenix DVD, which is scheduled for release tomorrow (November 12th) in the UK. He gives the DVD 3 out of 5 stars and writes this about his favorite parts:

Which are the best bits?

Seeing some of the behind the scenes stuff in the Tonks feature. The long version of the scene where Umbridge inspects Professor Trelawney's Divination lesson is great.

Fans who are particularly into the books will enjoy the Secrets of Harry Potter documentary, although now those that have read Deathly Hallows will have had a lot of their questions already answered.

Fans who are more into the films will enjoy the editing feature where they can try putting together a scene in the Room of Requirement.

Anyone looking to purchase it in the United States will have to wait until, very unfortunately, December 11th. Thanks to Ukean34 and Lisa for the tip!

A new catch phrase is started on this week's LIVE episode of our Harry Potter podcast! Join Laura, Micah, Eric and I for lots of discussion on the latest news stories and calls from listeners! Including:

- One listener explicitly comments on explicit language.
- More on the suit over the Lexicon book.
- Should Jo be TIME person of the year?
- What is the craziest thing a fan has ever done?
- Andrew gets angry at Terminus.
- Does the Sorting Hat always offer choices?

All that and much much more can be found on this week's show! To download, we recommend subscribing (for free) via iTunes. Just click here and then click Subscribe! You can also find download links and complete shownotes over at the MuggleCast website. Enjoy!

Several MuggleNetters have been e-mailing in a couple of Order of the Phoenix DVD updates this evening.

First, we've learned that the Half-Blood Prince sneak peek promised on the OOTP DVD will be viewed on the internet. Once you have your copy of the film, insert it into your computer and visit this page. There are two clips blocked out right now which can be viewed when your OOTP DVD is in the computer. It looks like both feature Half-Blood Prince filming with Dan Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Michael Gambon (Dumbledore).

Second, Yahoo! UK has online a preview of the Order of the Phoenix DVD special features. This clip shows Natalia Tena (who plays Tonks) working with a choreographer to create some dueling scenes. Click here and then click "Watch the Exclusive DVD clip" on the right. Enjoy!

Listen in to the MuggleCasters hosting and recording a podcast live via internet today (Saturday) starting at 3 PM EST! We'll be discussing the latest news stories, answering some listener rebuttals, and taking your calls about everything but Dumbledore being gay. A link will be posted on this news post sending you to where you can listen shortly before the show starts.

See you then!

LISTEN LIVE: Click here to get listening! Show will begin at 3 PM EST.

As we told you back on Halloween, JK Rowling and Warner Brothers filed a lawsuit against RDR Books and Lexicon site owner Steve Vander Ark for going through with publication of a Harry Potter encyclopedia. The Harry Potter author has updated her website today with new developments:

As you may have read, on 8 November, 2007 a judge in New York granted an order against RDR Books in respect to the proposed book The Harry Potter Lexicon, such order applying to any proposed licensing of the book worldwide.

Judge Patterson has imposed a restraining order on the publishers of the Lexicon, which will remain in place until February 2008. This means that the book can not be completed, published or marketed until the court has had time to decide whether it would break the law if published in its present form.

I take no pleasure in the fact that publication has been prevented for the present. On the contrary, I feel massively disappointed that this matter had to come to court at all. Despite repeated requests, the publishers have refused to even countenance making any changes to the book to ensure that it does not infringe my rights.

Unless their position changes, we will all return to court next year. Given my past good relations with the Lexicon fansite, I can only feel sad and disillusioned that this is where we have ended up.

We'll keep you updated as more news follows!

"The MuggleNet Express" is making its rounds again across England and Scotland this Summer, and it's a trip only for fans of this website! Only 20 spots are available this time, so we encourage all of you who missed out last year to check out the details:

From splendid castles to spectacular lochs and mountains, there's something awesome every step of the way. For those who love rail travel or have never experienced it, this trip is a dream-come-true! Overnight accommodations for this tour will be in hostels specially selected for their outstanding locations and facilities.

A full itinerary can be found over at the Magical Tours website. Check it out today!

CBBC Newsround has announced that Helen McCrory will play the part of Narcissa Malfoy in the sixth Potter flick, Half-Blood Prince. Apparently, WB has "been after" McCrory for some time.

You may remember that McCrory was originally cast as Bellatrix Lestrange in Order of the Phoenix but was unable to fulfill the role due to her pregnancy.

According to BBC News, a survey conducted found that the Harry Potter novels are the most re-read books in the United Kingdom.

J.K. Rowling's series beat out JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, which came in second and third place, respectively.

The survey also found that almost a fifth of readers read their favorite book more than five times and roughly 77% of UK readers re-read books overall.

Once again, JK Rowling is up for consideration as TIME's Person of the Year. TIME is looking for input from their visitors via a poll, where you can rank ten candidates from least favorite to most favorite. They also have pros and cons for rating Jo:

Pro: Finished a seven-book epic that will be read by children (and lots of adults) for generations to come. Slowly creeping up on Agatha Christie as the most read author not named Shakespeare.

Con: Seventh book wasn't her best, and hard to argue she was the most important person of 2007.

Get voting and let TIME know who you think is most important! Thanks to Jonathan for the tip.

In an interview conducted last weekend for the release of the fifth Harry Potter DVD, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson express their feelings about Dumbledore being gay.

Check out a video of this here.

The Associated Press is reporting that Time Warner Inc., the company which owns Warner Bros. saw profits fall 53% in the third business quarter, but the Harry Potter movie series "helped the media conglomerate meet Wall Street expectations."

The article went on to say that:

"Time Warner's earnings from movie production, which are often volatile because of hits and misses at the box office, jumped 71 percent on the latest 'Harry Potter' movie, as well as 'Rush Hour 3' and 'Oceans 13.'"

Thanks to Dorothea for sending this in!

Bazaar magazine is set to release its list of the best dressed women in Britain on Thursday, and a preview has been published by The Telegraph. JK Rowling and Emma Watson come in at #7 and #24, respectively, on the list, and both deservedly.

"JK Rowling, 42, is more guarded with her style and earlier this year appeared in a floor-length, peppermint goddess gown at a charity event at Hampton Court Palace."

The Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will hit stores across the UK on November 12th. According to a new report, the DVD will contain many extras, notable among them is the "DVD-ROM content including timeline and 'link' to a sneak peak of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

The online social network has just released a new feature that lets websites of any sort promote their own website or company online. We created one for both MuggleNet and MuggleCast, so join up and become a fan to let your friends know who you love!

MuggleNet Fan Fiction has announced the winners to the 2007 Quicksilver Quill Awards, recognizing the top writers in our unique Fan Fiction community. You can see a complete list over at their site. We encourage everyone to take a look at all of these fantastic pieces of work!

Congratulations to all of the winners!

The launch of the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix DVD took place this past Saturday in the Great Hall in Leavesden Studios. Emma Watson's official website has been updated with some pictures from the event, seen below:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Harry Potter actor Dan Radcliffe appeared on the British television show Parkinson the other night and spoke about his upcoming film My Boy Jack, growing up with Harry Potter, and (of course) Dumbledore being gay. The video can be found in two parts on YouTube:


- Part One (focusing on My Boy Jack)
- Part Two (focusing on Harry Potter and a bit on Equus)

On last night's episode of Saturday Night Live, there were two big mentions of Albus Dumbledore's recent sexuality revelation. The first came during the weekly bit called "Weekend Update." One anchor reported the revelation, followed by the punchline "Even worse, he now has Hog Warts."

The second came in a segment where JK Rowling is being interviewed about Dumbledore on CNN's Larry King Live. She tells Larry that several scenes were cut from the movie which gave away his sexuality. Each of the scenes were then played, focusing around Dumbledore telling McGonagall about his man love problems.

UPDATE: Clip #1 from the Weekend Update segment | Clip #2 from the Larry King segment

You can now register for the Harry Potter conference, Accio 2008. The event will take place from July 25-27th in Magdalen College, Oxford, England.

According to its website, "Accio 2008 seeks to enhance the appreciation of J.K. Rowling’s novels as works of literature in her home country. Paper presentations, roundtables, moderated panels, debates and workshops will evoke a lively, interesting and thoughtful discussion on the changes the Harry Potter novels have already made to our world, and on the potential for the novels to have a lasting influence."

Let's face it, it's what makes good radio. In this week's episode of our Harry Potter podcast, Laura, Eric and I discuss several hot topics that are sure to bring us lots of feedback from listeners:

- We discuss the impact of Equus coming to Broadway.
- The Lexicon Lawsuit is making a lot of press and we respond.
- Should the book hit store shelves or do WB and JKR have a point?
- We address some listener rebuttals, most of which focus on Dumbledore being gay.
- One listener asks us how to handle parents who are now considering banning the books from her.

All that and much more can be found on this week's show! To download, we recommend subscribing (for free) through iTunes. Once you click the link, make sure you press "Subscribe" so each new episode is automatically delivered to your computer. You can also find alternate download links and full shownotes over at the MuggleCast website. Enjoy!

Daniel Radcliffe will be on ITV's Parkinson show at 10:45 tonight, and some excerpts from the interview have been published online. According to The Daily Mail, Daniel said the following about Dumbledore actor Michael Gambon:

"Well, he's been camping it up around the set like nobody's business. There was a scene when Michael had to come in and tell someone how much he loved knitting patterns. He just adored saying that."

However, please note that as the context of this quote is not given, we presume Gambon is merely "camping it up" off set and not actually on camera.

Our friends at DanRadcliffe.com have confirmed that the West End play, starring Potter stars Dan Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths, is coming to Broadway in September 2008. The production was rumored to move over to the United States, but some wondered if Dan would be able to do it because of his Half-Blood Prince filming schedule.

The Daily Mail also has an article on this story and notes that rehearsals are to begin in August. We'll have more news as it comes in! Thank you to those who sent in the links.

Another update was made to JK Rowling's official website today, in which it was announced in the news section that not only has Jo written 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard', the book of fairytales mentioned in Deathly Hallows, but also that the seventh of these rare, handwritten items will be auctioned for charity, The Children's Voice, with a starting price of £30,000.

The book includes the previously heard, "The Tale of the Three Brothers", as well as new stories, "The Fountain of Fair Fortune", "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,", "Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump" and "The Warlock’s Hairy Heart".

The auction will take place at Sotheby's on December 13th 2007.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

UPDATE: BBC News now has an article and video online about this story.