Rickman will star as the NYC rock club owner who helped jump start legendary rock and punk performers such as Blondie, The Ramones, and Patti Smith.

Here’s their press release with more information.

All 7 Harry Potter eBooks Coming to Kindle Owners’ Lending Library
 
Read all of J.K. Rowling’s iconic Harry Potter series for free on your Kindle
 
Kindle Owners’ Lending Library now includes more than 145,000 books, including over 100 current and former New York Times Best Sellers
 
SEATTLE, May 10, 2012—Owning a Kindle just got a whole lot better for magic-loving Muggles.  Starting June 19, Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) is adding all seven Harry Potter books (in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish) to the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (KOLL).  Harry Potter is the all-time best-selling book series in history, and Amazon has purchased an exclusive license from J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore to make the addition of these titles possible.  The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library is a benefit of Amazon Prime membership—Prime members also enjoy free two-day shipping on millions of items and unlimited streaming of more than 17,000 movies and TV episodes. The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library has now grown to over 145,000 books that can be borrowed for free as frequently as once a month, with no due dates.
 
“We’re absolutely delighted to have reached this agreement with Pottermore. This is the kind of significant investment in the Kindle ecosystem that we’ll continue to make on behalf of Kindle owners,” said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. “Over a year, borrowing the Harry Potter books, plus a handful of additional titles, can alone be worth more than the $79 cost of Prime or a Kindle. The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library also has an innovative feature that’s of great benefit for popular titles like Harry Potter – unlimited supply of each title – you never get put on a waiting list.”

The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library now features over 145,000 books to borrow for free, including over 100 current and former New York Times Best Sellers.  With traditional library lending, the library buys a certain number of eBook copies of a particular title. If all of those are checked out, readers have to get on a waiting list. For popular titles like Harry Potter, the wait can sometimes be months. With the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, there are no due dates, books can be borrowed as frequently as once a month, and there are no limits on how many people can simultaneously borrow the same title—so readers never have to wait in line for the book they want.
 
Just as with any other Kindle book, your notes, highlights and bookmarks in borrowed books will be saved, so you’ll have them later if you purchase or re-borrow the book. Books are borrowed from a Kindle device, and customers can have one book out at a time. When customers want to borrow a new book, any borrowed book can easily be returned right from their device. To learn more about the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, visit www.amazon.com/kindleownerslendinglibrary. To learn about all the additional benefits included with Amazon Prime, or to start an Amazon Prime free trial, visit www.amazon.com/kindleprime.

A formal announcement will be made tomorrow (Thursday, May 10) by Glenn Gumpel, President and CEO, Universal Studios Japan; Brad Globe, President, Warner Bros. Consumer Products; and Michael Silver, President, Global Business Development, Universal Parks & Resorts; as well as James and Oliver Phelps, who played the roles of Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter film series, who will be the guests of honor for the announcement. The Governor of Osaka Ichiro Matsui is expected to attend.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan is the result of the creative teamwork and efforts by Universal Studios Japan in conjunction with Warner Bros., which produced and distributed the Harry Potter films, and Universal Parks & Resorts, which oversees Universal Studios theme parks, hotels and resorts throughout the world. It will be as magnificent and as impressive as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort. Just as in Orlando, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan will faithfully and authentically bring to life the stories created by J.K. Rowling in her books and captured on screen in Warner Bros.’ films.

“I was delighted to experience and enjoy the attention to detail, creativity and superb craft that went into the first Wizarding World in Orlando. I am equally delighted that the same level of expertise and enjoyment will translate to the new park in Japan,” said J.K. Rowling.

“Harry Potter, the most wonderful and amazing story of our time, is coming to Universal Studios Japan. USJ is thrilled to be chosen to make the Harry Potter experience come alive for the people of Japan. USJ is committed to being the world’s best Theme Park and by bringing this brilliant story to Japan and creating a fantastic experience is yet another validation of that commitment,” said Glenn Gumpel, President and CEO of USJ Co., Ltd. “USJ will recreate to the highest level of authenticity, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, created by Universal Studios in Orlando, which has been enjoyed and cherished by millions and millions of Universal Orlando’s guests. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – USJ’s commitment to bring the world’s best to life.”

The themed area itself will be a fully immersive environment for the entire family that brings the stories of Harry Potter to life and is faithful to the visual landscape of the films, including a majestic Hogwarts castle which will serve as the centerpiece of the land.

“Harry Potter continues to captivate generations of fans around the world and we are delighted to announce this partnership with Universal Studios Japan that will allow us to bring the magic of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Asia,” said Brad Globe, President, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter allows fans to step into the magical world created in the books and witnessed in the films. We think this is the perfectly timed next step in bringing the magical world of Harry Potter to life for even more fans.”

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan will be similar to the spectacularly themed land at Universal Orlando Resort and will include Hogwarts castle, Hogsmeade and multiple themed attractions. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan will be created with the same commitment to authenticity and the same high level of talent and resources, including the creative leadership of Stuart Craig, Production Designer for the entire Harry Potter film series.

“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is an entirely new level of themed entertainment that brings the stories of Harry Potter to life in incredible ways. It will forever change tourism, not only in Kansai but throughout Japan. We are thrilled to be bringing one of the most powerful themed entertainment experiences of our time to Universal Studios Japan, marking the global expansion of this incredible phenomenon, and we are confident that guests will want to return again and again to fully experience all that this fantastic environment will have to offer,” said Michael Silver, President, Global Business Development, Universal Parks & Resorts.

In June 2010, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort opened and became an instant, unprecedented hit. Since then, Warner Bros. and Universal Parks & Resorts announced that the themed area would be coming to Universal Studios Hollywood, and also that the Orlando location would be significantly expanded. No specific details on either of these plans have yet been announced.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Japan is expected to be open to the public in late 2014.

Warner Bros. has also sent us photos depicting sights for the theme park in Japan.  Click here to see them.

UPDATE:  Warner  Bros have released a press release regarding the announcement of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter coming to Japan in late 2014.  James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) were there for the event.  We also have three new photos from the event which you can see in our gallery starting here.

HOGWARTS IS COMING TO JAPAN!

Global Expansion of The Wizarding World of Harry PotterSet for Universal Studios Japan – Slated to Open in Late 2014

Osaka, Japan (May 10, 2012) – Universal Studios Japan, in partnership with Warner Bros. andUniversal Parks & Resorts, announced today that they will be bringing The Wizarding World ofHarry Potter to Japan, marking the global expansion of this wildly popular themed entertainment experience that started at Universal Orlando Resort nearly two years ago.The announcement was made by Glenn Gumpel, President and CEO, Universal Studios Japan;Brad Globe, President, Warner Bros. Consumer Products; and Michael Silver, President, GlobalBusiness Development, Universal Parks & Resorts; as well as James and Oliver Phelps, whoplayed the roles of Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter film series. Governor of OsakaIchiro Matsui was the guest of honor at the announcement, which also hosted more than ahundred excited fans dressed in Harry Potter attire who screamed with delight when theannouncement was made.The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan is the result of the creativeteamwork and efforts by Universal Studios Japan in conjunction with Warner Bros., whichproduced and distributed the Harry Potter films, and Universal Parks & Resorts, which overseesUniversal Studios theme parks, hotels and resorts throughout the world. It will be as magnificentand as impressive as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort. Just asin Orlando, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan will faithfully andauthentically bring to life the stories created by J.K. Rowling in her books and captured onscreen in Warner Bros.’ films.The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando brought significant increases in tourism, jobsand economic benefit to the entire central Florida economy. The Wizarding World of HarryPotter at Universal Studios Japan is also expected to make a significant impact on tourism inboth the Osaka/Kansai region and the entire country, creating thousands of new jobs andbringing economic benefits throughout Japan for decades to come.”I was delighted to experience and enjoy the attention to detail, creativity and superb craft thatwent into the first Wizarding World in Orlando. I am equally delighted that the same level ofexpertise and enjoyment will translate to the new park in Japan,” said J.K. Rowling.

“Harry Potter, the most wonderful and amazing story of our time, is coming to UniversalStudios Japan. USJ is thrilled to be chosen to make the Harry Potter experience come alive forthe people of Japan. USJ is committed to being the world’s best Theme Park and by bringingthis brilliant story to Japan and creating a fantastic experience is yet another validation of thatcommitment,” said Glenn Gumpel, President and CEO of USJ Co., Ltd. “USJ will recreate tothe highest level of authenticity, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, created by UniversalStudios in Orlando, which has been enjoyed and cherished by millions and millions of UniversalOrlando’s guests. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – USJ’s commitment to bring theworld’s best to life.”The themed area itself will be a fully immersive environment for the entire family that brings thestories of Harry Potter to life and is faithful to the visual landscape of the films, including amajestic Hogwarts castle which will serve as the centerpiece of the land.“Harry Potter continues to captivate generations of fans around the world and we are delightedto announce this partnership with Universal Studios Japan that will allow us to bring the magicof The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Asia,” said Brad Globe, President, Warner Bros.Consumer Products. “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter allows fans to step into the magicalworld created in the books and witnessed in the films. We think this is the perfectly timed nextstep in bringing the magical world of Harry Potter to life for even more fans.”The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan will be similar to thespectacularly themed land at Universal Orlando Resort and will include Hogwarts castle,Hogsmeade and multiple themed attractions. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at UniversalStudios Japan will be created with the same commitment to authenticity and the same high levelof talent and resources, including the creative leadership of Stuart Craig, Production Designer forthe entire Harry Potter film series.“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is an entirely new level of themed entertainment thatbrings the stories of Harry Potter to life in incredible ways. It will forever change tourism, notonly in Kansai but throughout Japan. We are thrilled to be bringing one of the most powerfulthemed entertainment experiences of our time to Universal Studios Japan, marking the globalexpansion of this incredible phenomenon, and we are confident that guests will want to returnagain and again to fully experience all that this fantastic environment will have to offer,” saidMichael Silver, President, Global Business Development, Universal Parks & Resorts.In June 2010, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort opened andbecame an instant, unprecedented hit. Since then, Warner Bros. and Universal Parks & Resortsannounced that the themed area would be coming to Universal Studios Hollywood, and also thatthe Orlando location would be significantly expanded. No specific details on either of theseplans have yet been announced.

 

Thanks to Warner Bros. for letting us know!

Devon Murray‏@DevonMMurray@TomFelton @EmWatson this was the first day of filming!! Seems like a lifetime ago!!

Tom Felton‏@TomFelton amazing pic!do u have more?

The Avengers‘ midnight income is estimated somewhere between $18m to $20m.  However, Deathly Hallows Part 2 brought in $43.5m for their midnight opening.  So, although these super heroes are one tough bunch, they aren’t quite strong enough to bring down the magic of Harry Potter.

We have a trailer of the new app for you here!

Check out the photo in our gallery here!

Emma Watson is in negotiations for a cameo appearance as herself in Seth Rogen’s End of the World.  Others that will be in the film include Jason Segel and David Krumholtz, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride andCraig Robinson. The actors are set to have a little fun with this film where it’s unknown if they’ll make it out alive.

UPDATE:  The film Birdsong starring Clémence Poesy (Fleur Delacour), which was seen in two parts on PBS-TV’s Masterpiece last week, is now available to view online until May 22 and May 29.  Click here to view it. 

The older Harry Potter stars Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall) and Bill Nighy (Rufus Scrimgeour) are part of an ensemble cast in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel which opens tomorrow (Friday, May 4).  I recommed watching the trailer (below) because Maggie Smith has the funniest lines compared to the rest of the cast, though Nighy has one or two good ones himself.

The official trailer for The Dark Night Rises, which has been posted online, reveals that once again Gary Oldman (Sirius Black) will be portraying Commissioner Gordon.  This also can be viewed below.  The film will be released in movie theaters in July of this year.

This month’s theme is centered around Quidditch!  However, I decided to make it a little dark.  Hope you like it!

After clicking on the size that you want, right click on the calendar, and click ’set as background’ for IE, or ’set as desktop desktop background’ for Firefox.  For those who use Chrome, you’ll have to save the file, right click on your desktop, personalize, go to your background settings and browse to where you saved the image.

• 800×600
• 1024×768

The nominations are in these categories:

• Movie of the Year
• Best Male Performance – Dan Radcliffe
• Best Female Performance – Emma Watson
• Best Cast
• Best Fight – Dan Radcliffe vs. Ralph Fiennes
• Best Kiss – Rupert Grint and Emma Watson

The awards ceremony takes place Sunday, June 3, at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Don’t forget to vote!

The Harry Potter Wizard Collection will be released in the US in September 2012; but it is available for pre-order here  for $349.99 at the Harry Potter’s Page Amazon Store  with the following description:

Click here for information on what will be included in the collection.

Source: Harry Potter Films Official Facebook Page

The Pottermore Insider was also updated:

We’re currently working on book two, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and it’s looking great. We’ll give you more information over the coming weeks, so keep an eye on the Insider and @Pottermore for the latest details.

This is great news for those of you who have already completed the Philosopher’s Stone section. No word on when it will be done, but as soon as we know, we’ll let you know!

Click here to see the photo in the photo gallery.  If you look closely, you’ll see her eyes have changed!

The Twilight Saga:  Breaking Dawn Part 1 is already on DVD and available in the Harry Potter’s Page Amazon Store.  Click here .

Click here to see the teaser trailer for Part 2 and for more information on the Twilight films based on the books by Stephenie Meyer.

Thanks to Summit Entertainment for the photo!

 Les livres electroniques Harry Potter sont désormais disponibles dans le Pottermore Shop. Pour la première fois, vous pouvez télécharger les livres electroniques Harry Potter en français, depuis n’importe ou dans le monde et sur tout support. 

Gli eBook di Harry Potter sono ora disponibili nella versione italiana sul nostro Pottermore Shop. Per la prima volta, si possono scaricare gli eBooks di Harry Potter in italiano da qualsiasi parte del mondo, e leggerli su qualsiasi dispositivo di lettura.

Die Harry Potter eBücher und digitalen Hörbücher sind jetzt im Pottermore Shop erhältlich. Erstmalig können Sie weltweit die deutsche Version der Harry Potter eBücher und digitalen Hörbücher herunterladen und auf einem elektronischen Lesegerät abrufen bzw. über ein Gerät, mit denen Sie MP3-Dateien abspielen können, anhören. 

Los libros digitales de Harry Potter ya están disponibles en Español (Castellano), visíten nuestra Pottermore Shop. Por la primera vez será possible descargar los libros digitales de Harry Potter, estés donde estés, y podrás leerlos en cualquier aparato.

Not only that…The Pottermore site can now be explored in French, German, Italian and Spanish!

Click here for more information.

The shop leader Margaret Cullen was asked if there were any Harry Potter books in stock.  When she looked through the donations, Ms. Cullen found a signed, first edition copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  After getting the signature authenticated and the book valued at £500, the shop will have a silent auction to sell the book so the funds will be used to assist children in the UK and abroad.

Even though secondhand shops like that are for good, charitable causes and one knows this when walking into one of them, it still must be disappointing to walk inside and ask for a Harry Potter book (which happens to have J.K. Rowling’s signature) and discover you can’t buy it because it’s worth £500 (at least $1,000 in US dollars).  Ah well, at least the book is still valuable enough to earn that amount of money for a good cause.

Click here for information about Save the Children

Click here to read the complete article.

“I heard a few weeks ago, and I’m very excited,” said the actress who famously kissed Daniel Radcliffe in the Order of the Phoenix.

 “I had a day’s worth of auditions and the first question they asked was, ‘You’re a working actress, why do you want to come back to train?’

“But having seen all the actors in Wild Swans who have trained, I can see the difference between myself and them. I feel it is fundamental.”

The actress had been studying photography since completing the Harry Potter films.  She is in her final year for a degree and has to turn in her finals coursework by the last day of Wild Swans.

“I’m trying to juggle both of them. I think once we open I will have more time to do what I need to do during the day and come to the show in the evening. At the moment, it’s impossible.”

Click here to read the complete article.

You can submit your questions via your webcam, smartphone, bloggie, or camcorder.  Post the video to the video section on The Woman in Black Facebook page.

The deadline is April 24th.  Dan’s answers will be posted on May 14th.

Beta testing began last fall, and after many upgrades, everyone else who didn’t get a beta account can now access the website.

From the Pottermore Insider:

Get ready to begin your Pottermore journey, because Pottermore.com is now opening to everyone.

Over the coming days, we’ll be inviting new users onto Pottermore.com. We’re expecting to be really busy to start with and plan to activate new registrations in a steady stream. This means that you may not get access to Pottermore immediately after you sign up but we will get you exploring the site as quickly possible.

After you’ve signed up, you’ll get sorted into one of the four Hogwarts houses, have a wand choose you, and discover exclusive new writing from J.K. Rowling.

We’ll be adding lots of exciting new features over the coming weeks and months, so make sure you return regularly to explore and discover all the changes as Pottermore grows.

Have fun and good luck!

The book is called The Casual Vacancy.  It will be released in hardback, ebook,  unabridged audio download, and CD on September 27th, 2012.  And it looks to be a mystery.  Also, JK Rowling’s website has been updated with the book’s information.  Check it out here!

Here’s the synopsis:

When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.

You can pre-order the book on Kindle on Amazon here or pre-order the hardback here.

How excited are you????