Mickeys

The new romantic drama Dear John unexpectedly ended the seven-week reign of Avatar at the weekend box office in North America on Sunday, pulling in large numbers of young female moviegoers.

Dear John

Dear John grossed an estimated $32.4m in the three-day period since opening Friday, said distributor Screen Gems, the low-budget division of Sony Corp.

It had hoped for an opening of about $20m on a weekend when many Americans forsake movies to watch the Super Bowl, traditionally the year’s most-watched television broadcast. The football championship starts around 23:25 GMT in Miami.

Dear John stars Channing Tatum and Amanda Siegfried as lovers whose romance is curtailed by the September 11 attacks. It is directed by Swedish film maker Lasse Hallstrom and based on The Notebook, a novel by Nicholas Sparks.

Audiences for the film were 84% female and two-thirds were under the age of 21, Sony said.

The last romantic comedy to hit theatres was the widely panned Leap Year about a month ago. The Lovely Bones, another box office disappointment, also has made a play for young women after failing to get any traction during the annual movie awards season.

Avatar earned $23.6m in its eighth weekend, taking its total to $630.1m. James Cameron’s sci-fi blockbuster surpassed the $601m haul of his 1997 release Titanic last Tuesday to become the biggest movie of all time in the United States and Canada.

The data are not adjusted for ticket-price inflation or for the higher cost of 3D engagements. The film was released by 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp.

John Travolta’s latest box office offering, From Paris With Love, was the actor’s worst start in almost a decade. The crime thriller opened at No 3 with $8.1m, falling short of modest industry expectations.

Travolta’s previous worst opening was the $4.5m start for Lucky Numbers in October 2000. Travolta was in theatres last November with Old Dogs, which opened at ticket sales of $17m.

From Paris With Love is distributed by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. French filmmaker Pierre Morel directed it.

Many critics ripped both new releases.

Also new to the top 10 was Crazy Heart, which expanded nationally after seven weekends in limited release on the heels of its three Oscar nominations on Tuesday.

The picture earned $3.65m, jumping six places to No 8. Jeff Bridges, its star, is considered the favourite to take home the best actor Oscar on March 7 for his role as a washed-up country music singer and songwriter. It was released by Fox Searchlight, the art-house unit of 20th Century Fox.

Avatar and The Hurt Locker, now out on DVD, led the Oscar field with nine nominations each.

taken from News24

A complete list of all the movie and television winners from this year’s Golden Globe Awards.

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Winner:
Avatar

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Winner:
The Hangover

Best Animated Film
Winner:
Up

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Winner:
Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Winner:
Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Winner:
Robert Downey Jr. for Sherlock Holmes

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Winner:
Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Winner:
Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Winner:
Mo’Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Best Director – Motion Picture
Winner:
James Cameron for Avatar

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Winner:
Up in the Air: Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Winner:
Crazy Heart: T-Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham (“The Weary Kind”)

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Winner:
Up: Michael Giacchino

Best Foreign Language Film
Winner:
Das weisse Band – Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte (The White Ribbon)

NEXT: Golden Globe winners – TV categories >>

(continue reading…)

Tobey Maguire will not be returning as Spider-Man for the fourth installment of the film franchise.

Tobey Maguire

The film based on the web-slinging superhero hits cinemas in 2012 but studio officials say Maguire and director Sam Raimi will not be involved in Spider-Man 4.

The announcement comes after weeks of rumours swirling around Hollywood citing creative differences between Raimi and studio chiefs over the script being prepared for the film.

Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios said they would proceed with a script written by James Vanderbilt in which hero Peter Parker returns to high school.

Spider-Man 4, with a different script and Raimi directing, had initially been set for release in 2011 but had not gone into production.

“A decade ago we set out on this journey with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire and together we made three Spider-Man films that set a new bar for the genre,” said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

“When we began, no-one ever imagined that we would make history at the box office, and now we have a rare opportunity to make history once again with this franchise,” she said.

“Peter Parker as an ordinary young adult grappling with extraordinary powers has always been the foundation that has made this character so timeless and compelling for generations of fans,” Pascal said.

“We’re very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter’s roots…”

Raimi said in a statement that making the Spider-Man movies “was the experience of a lifetime for me”.

“While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job,” he said.

taken from SkyNews

The 3-D extravaganza “Avatar” ruled the worldwide box office for a second weekend on Sunday, while the latest exploits of Alvin and the Chipmunks and Sherlock Holmes helped set a North American sales record.

“Avatar,” an eco-friendly morality tale from “Titanic” writer/director James Cameron, earned $220 million (138 million pounds) in North America and 108 foreign markets, taking its 10-day haul to $617.3 million.

Distributor 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp, said the film was No. 1 everywhere except in India where it followed a local movie. It opens in China on January 2 and Italy on January 15.

British director Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes,” starring Robert Downey Jr. as the Victorian sleuth, opened to $91.4 million in North America and 17 foreign markets. The Warner Bros. release opened at No. 2 in the United States and Canada with a better-than-expected $65.4 million.

Family audiences spent $86.7 million on Fox’s “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel,” a follow-up to the cartoon characters’ 2007 worldwide smash. In North America, the film ranked No. 3 for the weekend with $50.2 million, also exceeding studio forecasts. Thanks to an early start on Wednesday, its tally stands at $77.1 million, taking its worldwide haul to $113.6 million.

Fox said “Alvin” opened in 42 markets, and was No. 2 in at least 20 of them.

SALES RECORD SMASHED

The three films helped set a new weekend sales record in North America, according to tracking firm Hollywood.com Box Office. The top 12 releases grossed $278 million, smashing the mark of $261 million set in July 2008 when “The Dark Knight” was the top film, it said.

The firm also forecast record sales of $10.5 billion this year, up 9 percent from 2008. Even with higher ticket prices, it predicted the number of tickets sold would rise almost 5 percent from last year to 1.4 billion — the highest tally since 2006.

The other major new release in North America, “It’s Complicated,” opened at No. 4 with a solid $22.1 million. The Universal Pictures comedy, starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, also pulled in $5.4 million from 11 foreign markets. Spain chipped in $2.1 million.

The only sour note was struck by the Weinstein Co. musical “Nine,” which earned just $5.5 million in its first weekend of wide release, good enough for only No. 8. The closely held studio said the film struggled to connect with moviegoers in the heartland, but did better in the big cities.

STRONG HOLD FOR “AVATAR”

“Avatar” has earned $212.3 million after 10 days of release across the United States and Canada. The film enjoyed a surprisingly strong hold, losing just 3 percent of its opening-weekend audience.

It garnered almost as much attention for its reported record-breaking budget of at least $300 million as for its tale of a disabled ex-Marine sent from Earth to infiltrate an alien race of 10-foot (3 metre)-tall blue people in order to save his polluted planet.

“Sherlock Holmes” looks set to give Downey his second movie franchise after “Iron Man.” It ranks as the fifth-biggest December opener in North America, and it set a Christmas Day opening record of $24.8 million.

Warner Bros. is talking about sequel prospects but no decisions have been made yet, said Dan Fellman, president of distribution at the Time Warner Inc unit. Downey reinvents the staid Holmes as a dashing superhero; Jude Law co-stars as Watson.

The “Alvin and the Chipmunks” sequel ranks No. 7 among all-time December openings in North America. “Alvin” and “It’s Complicated” come from female directors, Betty Thomas and Nancy Meyers, respectively, a rare appearance by two women in the top tier.

The No. 5 spot went to “Up in the Air,” which rose three places in its first weekend of wide release. Director Jason Reitman’s meditation on love and loneliness in corporate America has earned $24.5 million since Viacom Inc’s Paramount Pictures released it in 15 theaters on December 4.

taken from EWN

The most-hyped film of the year has finally been unveiled – and now critics are deciding if it really is out of this world.

James Cameron’s Avatar is meant to be the most expensive movie ever made.

According to reports, it has cost anywhere between £180m and £300m, but the director insists the figure has been inflated.

“It cost exactly what it needs to cost,” laughed Cameron.

“People want me to make a big picture – that’s what the fans expect – so I sort of do that every time.

“They always make money, and let’s keep our fingers crossed for this one so I don’t have to walk around outside the studio doors saying ‘guys remember me!’”

Avatar has been 14 years in the making for Cameron.

Animation from the film which allegedly cost up to £300m to make

Filmed in 3D, it uses revolutionary motion capture alongside live action – and its makers say it is a turning point in cinema.

“Parts of it are evolutionary, but we’ll have to see. It’s only revolutionary if other filmmakers adapt the technique and use them,” Cameron said.

The film’s budget is pretty much concentrated on the visual experience, so Cameron chose a lower-key cast, picking Sam Worthington as his leading man.

Worthington said: “Holy mackerel, I don’t feel any pressure. We can’t change it and we’ve got to stand by it.

“Jim Cameron’s a premier filmmaker, and a visionary and a great mate. I’ll stand by him anytime and sell his product.”

Sigourney Weaver is a former Cameron employee who pops up in this film. She wished everyone would stop going on about how much it cost.

“I think he’s made one of the best movies ever – as well as one of the most expensive,” she said.

“Believe me, all the money’s on screen for all the audience to enjoy.”

It has been almost 12 years since Cameron’s last film Titanic won 11 Oscars.

Avatar is out next week. Its makers are clearly confident that, instead of a white Christmas this year, everyone will want a three-dimensional blue one instead.

taken from SkyNews

The Twilight sequel scored the third-biggest opening weekend of all time at the North American box office on Sunday, as millions of young women swooned over the complex love triangle involving a high school girl, a vampire and a werewolf.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon earned an estimated $140.7m during its first three days of release across the United States and Canada, closely held distributor Summit Entertainment said, crushing industry expectations.

The record for an opening is $158m, set last year by the Batman sequel The Dark Knight.

The 2007 movie Spider-Man 3 follows with $151m.

New Moon replaced Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest ($136m) at No. 3.

The vampire romance is well on its way to exceeding the $193m total of its predecessor, Twilight, which was released exactly a year ago.

Summit Entertainment said New Moon also set an opening-day record with Friday sales of $72.7m, surpassing the $67.2m haul of The Dark Knight.

That tally was bolstered by record-breaking midnight sales of $26.3m.

The old mark was set earlier this year by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with $22.2m.

taken from EWN

Los Angeles – Michael Jackson’s This Is It comes too late in the year to be considered for a documentary Oscar, but the film about the late King of Pop’s preparations for a series of comeback concerts could qualify for other Hollywood honours, including the Academy Award for best picture.

The film, which opened around the globe on Tuesday and Wednesday, has already earned rousing praise from fans and critics, who say it restores Jackson’s reputation as a world-class entertainer.

Director Kenny Ortega, a long-time Jackson collaborator who was overseeing his London concert comeback, crafted the nearly two-hour film from more than 100 hours of footage recorded during rehearsals for the London shows, which were to have begun in July. Jackson died June 25 at age 50.

“What we did here was focus on telling a good story and creating a film for the fans really enabling them to understand what Michael Jackson had dreamed for them,” Ortega said on Wednesday.

He added it was his hope “the audience for this film will grow and that as many people come to see it as possible because I think that it’s a wonderful story about a brilliant man. … Awards, Oscars, that’s all great wishful thinking.”

It may be more than wishful, said Steven Gaydos, executive editor of the Hollywood trade paper Variety and a self-described cynic. With the Academy Awards best-picture slate expanded to 10 films this year rather than the traditional five, This Is It could find itself among the contenders, he said.

To qualify, the film must complete a seven-day run in Los Angeles County and filmmakers would need to “submit the proper paperwork”, said Leslie Unger, spokesperson for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which puts on the Oscars. The movie could also be considered in other categories, she said, including sound and film editing.

Sony, which paid $60m for the global film rights, plans to keep This Is It in theatres for just over two weeks. The studio did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment about whether it planned to submit the film in any of the Oscar categories.

Ortega, a veteran director, producer and choreographer who counts TV’s High School Musical among his credits, could also find himself in contention for a best-director nod, Gaydos said.

“He did a masterful job putting this whole thing together,” he said. “It was so powerful and interesting, so creative and well done, I think he should be considered… Kenny just won over all these critics like me with Michael Jackson that anything interesting could go on with this guy.”

After completing a week long run, This Is It could also be eligible for Golden Globe awards consideration if it’s submitted before the deadline on November 6, said Michael Russell, a spokesperson for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which puts on the annual ceremony.

Ortega said an Oscar nod would be a fitting recognition of Jackson’s last work.

“He deserves one,” he said. “Come on people.”

taken from News24

A woman banned from hosting Harry Potter-themed dinners over Halloween by a Hollywood studio insists the boy wizard’s creator would approve of her entrepreneurial spirit.

Warner Bros is behind hit films such as Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

The owner of The Underground Restaurant in Kilburn, London, faced the might of Warner Bros after the studio which brought the hit books to the screen told her she would infringe their rights by staging the events.

Lawyers told the single mother, 40, who goes by the pseudonym Ms Marmite Lover, they would not object to her offering a “generic wizard / Halloween night” at her supper club.

She complied with their email, but said her plans to serve 60 diners over the two nights in her own home only ever amounted to a “fan’s tribute”.

“It’s not like I’m running a permanent Harry Potter restaurant,” she said.

“JK Rowling herself, having at one time been a struggling single parent, and having donated to the National Council of One Parent Families, would probably approve of a single mother being entrepreneurial and creative.”

As owner of The Underground Restaurant supper club, Ms Marmite Lover says she acts as “cook and hostess” at what amount to “dinner parties that are paid for”.

Her planned menu for the Harry Potter events featured treats mentioned in the popular children’s books such as chocolate frogs and cauldron cakes. (continue reading…)

Music fans can now watch their favourite artists legally and for free online thanks to a new website called Muzu.tv.

Muzu.tv lets users get free access to thousands of music videos

The site allows users to compile playlists and watch thousands of hours of footage including videos, interviews, live concerts and documentaries – all on demand.

The Dublin-based company also promises to end the hassle of having to trawl through grainy and often homemade efforts on other sites because every high quality video is officially licensed and approved by the artist concerned.

Muzu has signed an agreement with many of the big labels including Universal, EMI, Sony BMG and Warner Music and another 7,000 independent labels meaning it is likely to become a direct rival of Google-owned YouTube.

YouTube has recently been involved in wranglings with record labels and artists over payments.

The video sharing website has just ended a nine-month long dispute with Warner Music which demanded content by its artists including Madonna and Missy Elliott was taken off last year.

This week the label made an agreement to reinstate the videos on the condition that they get a larger share in advertising revenue.

Muzu allows users to basically create their own music TV channel which they can then share online with their friends on social networking sites like Facebook, Bebo and MySpace.

The company said in a statement: “Whether you’re an R n’ B diva or a hair metal rocker, Muzu.tv’s got the lot.”

The site is also hoping to be able to provide archive episodes of cult music shows like The Tube and Top Of The Pops.

taken from SkyNews

Go behind the scenes on the concerts the world never got to see. All about the Michael Jackson documentary coming to SA this month.

The world changed on 25 June 2009 when the news of Michael Jackson’s death filtered its way through to the far corners of the globe and it slowly dawned on us all that the most recognisable figure in music was no longer with us.

While the mourning went on, Michael Jackson’s creative partner and stage director Kenny Ortega has been working on a special documentary called This Is It – an up close and personal, behind-the-scenes look at Jackson rehearsing for his series of sold-out shows at London’s O2 Arena, which were scheduled to kick off shortly before his untimely death. What started out as eerie leaked footage of Jackson and his troupe of back-up dancers rehearsing at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles just two days before his death, has now been lovingly assembled to create the most anticipated documentary musical feature of the year. And now you have the opportunity to get an intimate look into the pop phenomenon’s life before his tragic end.

• Watch the trailer here

Chronicling the months from March through June 2009, This Is It was produced with the full support of Michael Jackson’s estate and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing his songs and dance routines for the show. The film also includes interview and backstage footage of the performer doing the thing he loved most – entertaining his millions of fans.

Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before. In raw and candid detail, the documentary captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, creative force, and artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show. Although no-one could have guessed the true nature of its finality.

“Michael Jackson has an army of fans everywhere around the world. By rolling out this film with simultaneous premieres and special advance screenings on 27 October, we are giving audiences an incredible opportunity to join together in celebration of Michael Jackson’s incredible career,” said Jeff Blake, chairman, Worldwide Marketing and Distribution for Sony Pictures.

Michael Jackson’s This Is It will be released worldwide for a limited two-week engagement beginning, Wednesday October 28. Tickets for all shows are currently on sale at cinemas around the country. South African fans can purchase tickets for both the release of the film and the special premiere by visiting www.thisisitmovie.co.za

The South African premiere will take place on Thursday, 28 October at 3am at Ster-Kinekor Fourways Mall, Cavendish in Cape Town, Gateway in Durban and Sterland in Pretoria. Tickets to the premiere are on sale for R200.

With Michael Jackson fever still running high in the aftermath of his death, and subsequent controversy surrounding the cause of death, This Is It looks primed to be a mega success. You’d be a fool (or a not much of a Michael Jackson fan) to miss out on this special opportunity to witness the magic in motion, and so close to his final curtain. Tickets are selling out fast – so head over to the official site and book your seats!

taken from Channel24

Los Angeles – Patrick Swayze, the hunky actor who danced his way into moviegoers’ hearts with Dirty Dancing and then broke them with Ghost, died on Monday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 57.

“Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months,” his publicist, Annett Wolf, said in a statement on Monday evening. Swayze died in Los Angeles, Wolf said, but she declined to give further details.

Fans of the actor were saddened to learn in March 2008 that Swayze was suffering from a particularly deadly form of cancer. He kept working despite the diagnosis, putting together a memoir with his wife and shooting The Beast, a drama series on the A&E cable television station for which he had already made the pilot.

Swayze said he opted not to use painkilling drugs while making The Beast because they would have taken the edge off his performance. The show drew a respectable 1.3 million viewers when the 13 episodes ran in 2009, but A&E said it had reluctantly decided not to renew it for a second season.

When he first went public with the illness, some reports gave him only weeks to live, but his doctor said his situation was “considerably more optimistic” than that. Swayze acknowledged that time might be running out given the grim nature of the disease.

“I’d say five years is pretty wishful thinking,” Swayze told ABC television’s Barbara Walters in early 2009. “Two years seems likely if you’re going to believe statistics. I want to last until they find a cure, which means I’d better get a fire under it.” (continue reading…)

Police are hunting a group of youths who threw bleach on a woman in front of her family after she asked them to be quiet during a screening of the new Harry Potter film.

he 46-year-old woman was watching the movie with her husband and two children at a cinema when she asked the group of five or six teenagers, including at least one girl, to stop making a noise.

After the film, two of the group followed the family into a nearby restaurant and threw bleach over the woman’s head and back, leaving her needing hospital treatment for burns to her skin and possible permanent damage to her eyes.

West Yorkshire Police described the attack as “completely unwarranted” and said the consequences could have been much worse.

A spokesman said the woman asked the youths to be quiet after they began making a noise during Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at the Vue cinema in Kirkstall Road, Leeds on Sunday.

As the family left the cinema at about 7.30pm and went to a nearby Frankie & Benny’s restaurant, some of the group shouted abuse at them from a small white or silver hatchback.

Around 15 minutes later, two of the youths entered the restaurant and threw the bleach over the woman before running to the car, which was parked on Greenhow Road.

A witness who wished to remain anonymous told Sky News: “The whole restaurant seemed to be in panic. The family were left absolutely traumatised. The staff at Frankie and Benny’s did what they could to help but everybody was in shock.”

The mother was taken to Leeds General Infirmary for treatment to burns to her skin and later released but is still being assessed to discover if her eyes have been permanently damaged.

Police said one of the attackers was described as a light-skinned, mixed-race man, about 19 years old, 6ft tall and of an athletic build. He had short, dark-brown hair and was wearing a black, short-sleeved t-shirt and black bottoms.

The second attacker was described as Asian, aged around 14, about 5ft 4ins tall and fat. He was wearing black clothing.

The driver of the car, which was possibly a five-door vehicle with tinted rear windows, was described as white, aged 17 to 18, of a wiry build with light-coloured, crew-cut hair.

Another member of the group was a black girl, aged around 14, about 5ft 2ins tall, thin and with her hair tied back in a braid.

Detective Inspector Richard Baildon said: “This was a completely unwarranted attack on a mother out with her family, the consequences of which could have been much worse.

“It was a deliberate act, designed to cause pain and injury and it was totally unprovoked and unnecessary. We are treating it very seriously and are determined to trace those responsible.”

Mr Baildon appealed for anyone who saw the group or the car at the time, or who knows the youths involved, to come forward.

He added: “I would also appeal to any members of the group who may want to distance themselves from the actions of the others to get in touch before we come and find you.”

taken from SkyNews

Los Angeles – Sony is to release a movie based on more than 80 hours of footage filmed during Michael Jackson’s final days as he was rehearsing for his comeback concerts in London, trade paper Variety reported on Monday.

Sony is expected to pay over $50m for the rights to the footage, which was offered by concert promoter AEG to Hollywood film studios over the weekend.

The film will include several videos that were shot and meant to be shown during the concerts, including an alternative version of Jackson’s most famous video, Thriller.

High School Musical director Kenny Ortega, who shot the rehearsal footage, is expected to become the director of the film, which could be released before year’s end.

Though Universal, Paramount and 20th Century Fox were also interested in the footage, Sony had the inside track since the studio owns the music publishing rights to Jackson’s songs.

The report said that AEG is also selling TV and video rights to the tribute concert featuring Justin Timberlake and other artists, scheduled for August 29, on what would have been Jackson’s 51st birthday.

The singers will perform the songs that the King of Pop had planned, accompanied by the band that rehearsed with him.

story from News24

The highly anticipated sixth Harry Potter movie is nearly here. We take a look back at what came before – the best moments, quotes and characters. Come along for the ride, broomsticks optional.

The highly anticipated sixth movie in the phenomenally successful Harry Potter series is nearly here. Eight years on from The Sorcerer’s Stone, the fantasy series takes another twist in The Half-Blood Prince as Harry learns more about his destiny as The Chosen One, and more importantly, the hormones begin to rage among the students at Hogwarts.

But before we get into all that, we take a tour through the movies that came before – the highs, the lows, the dodgy romantic entanglements, and the lessons learned. It’s unquestionably been a legendary journey thus far.

*Be warned, spoilers abound for those who haven’t yet read the books or seen the five preceding movies!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

What went down: We’re introduced to Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), an orphan who lives with his vile aunt, uncle and their overweight son Dudley. On his 11th birthday, Harry meets the mysterious giant Hagrid who unlocks the secret to Harry’s until-then miserable existence – he is a wizard with an incredible destiny. As a baby, his parents were killed while trying to protect him from the evil dark wizard Lord Voldemort, whose very name is anathema because of the fear it incites. Harry somehow survived Voldemort’s vicious attack and carries a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead as a constant reminder of the day his parents died. Hagrid whisks Harry off to a safe haven, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he meets the three people who would become his closest allies – Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore and his two best friends – the ginger-haired Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and nerd Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). Together they learn of Voldemort’s plan to regain his prowess and finish what he started 10 years previously, and set off on a thrilling, perilous adventure for the ages.

Key scene: At his home on Privet Drive, Harry witnesses his first bit of magic, as countless letters from Hogwarts, hitherto hidden from him by his uncle, go flying around the living room.

Best quote: Hagrid: You’re a wizard, Harry!
Harry: I’m a what?

Our rating: 2 stars out of 5

The CGI is a bit wobbly and the child actors, while adorable, seem a bit overwhelmed by the material. No one really cared though and they were on their way to superstardom. The movie’s $1 billion gross revenue might have had something to do with it.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

What went down: The second year at Hogwarts sees Harry and the gang dealing with a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, the foppish Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh) and we’re introduced to rest of the sprawling Weasley brood. At Hogwarts, things get creepy as Harry begins to hear voices and finds words written on walls in blood. Harry learns that he shares a particular talent with Voldemort – he can speak to snakes. Ron’s younger sister Ginny is lured into the fabled Chamber of Secrets by Voldemort in the hopes of once again laying hands on his schoolboy diary. Harry nearly dies after being pierced by a basilisk fang but again thwarts Voldemort’s plans.

Key scene: Ron and Harry get to Hogwarts at the start of term in a flying car that crashes into the Whomping Willow.

Best quote: Gilderoy Lockhart: Let’s have a pair get up and practice. Potter, Weasley, how about you?
Professor Snape: Weasley’s wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We’ll be sending what’s left of Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox.

Our rating: 3/5

Gilderoy Lockhart is a fun character and the story starts to sprout wings.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

What went down: The notorious Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) escapes from the wizard prison Azkaban and the ghoulish prison guards, known as Dementors, are sent to guard Hogwarts against him – but they also have a particular interest in Harry. Remus Lupin (David Thewlis), who is hiding his own dark secret, is introduced as the newest Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and reveals his connection to Harry’s parents. Harry takes possession of the Marauder’s Map and learns that Sirius is actually his godfather. He’s magical powers show real promise as he is the only student in his year who can successfully perform a Patronus charm, the only way to fight off the soul-sucking Dementors.

Key scene: Harry and Hermione use a time-turner to travel back in time and save themselves from the Dementors.

Best quote: Dumbledore: A child’s voice, however honest and true, is meaningless to those who’ve forgotten how to listen.

Our rating: 4/5

The choice of Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron, who has previously directed the sexy, not-for-kids road trip drama Y Tu Mama Tambien, was a brave and inspired choice. Prisoner of Azkaban sees the franchise’s dark undertones finally come to the surface. Feels like the first complete Harry Potter movie, and the pedigreed supporting cast (including Emma Thompson, Gary Oldman, Julie Christie and Julie Walters) is amazing.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

What went down: Hormones and competitiveness abound as Hogwarts receives guests for the highly anticipated Tri-Wizard Tournament – a legendary event in which one wizard each from two rival schools – Beauxbatons and Durmstrang – compete against Hogwarts in three dangerous tasks. We finally meet someone who is cooler and more popular than Harry, Hufflepuff 5th year Cedric Diggory (played by Twilight’s Robert Pattinson) and soon he and Harry are rivals in the Tri-Wizard Tournament as well as for Cho Chang’s affections. Harry loses the girl, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody (Brendan Gleeson) teaches Harry and the rest of the 4th years the three Unforgivable Curses, and the final task of the tournament brings about one of the most tragic chapters in Hogwarts history. Also, tensions start to build between Ron and Hermione, who becomes involved with famed Quidditch player and Tri-Wizard competitor Viktor Krum of Durmstrang.

Key scene: Harry and a newly reanimated Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) finally come face-to-face and engage in an epic graveyard duel.

Best quote: Voldemort: Don’t you turn your back on me, Harry Potter! I want you to look at me when I kill you! I want to see the light leave your eyes!

Our rating: 4/5

Born out of arguably the most thrilling book in the Harry Potter series, the movie delivers with pace and vision, and the cast were finally maturing into their legendary characters. The Bulgarian and French schools are portrayed rather stereotypically, though.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

What went down: Still devastated by the events of the previous school year, Harry returns to Hogwarts under a cloud. He is called before the Ministry of Magic for illegally casting a Patronus charm when he and his cousin Dudley were attacked by Dementors. Voldemort’s Death Eaters escape from Azkaban and hunt down Harry and the Order of the Phoenix, whose job is to protect him. Hogwarts gets yet another Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, the conniving and sadistic Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Students turn to Harry to instruct them in the art of defending themselves against the Dark Arts, and the illegal club call themselves Dumbledore’s Army. Harry’s scar begins to give him grief as the political wrangling between the Ministry and Dumbledore makes things at Hogwarts unbearable for many. Harry learns of the prophecy that Voldemort is intent on possessing, and shares his first kiss with Cho.

Key scene: The Order of the Phoenix fight the Death Eaters in the Ministry of Magic, resulting in the death of Sirius at the hands of lead Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter).

Best quote: Ron Weasley: Hermione, you are honestly the most wonderful person I have ever met. If I’m ever rude to you…
Hermione Granger: I’ll know you’ve gone back to normal.

Our rating: 2/5

Very rushed and unremarkable adaptation of the book, with a few unforgivable poetic freedoms taken. And no one enjoys Harry’s bratty, moody phase.

What next for our boy hero? Will Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince see an improvement after the lacklustre Order of the Phoenix? And has Harry finally grown up and learned to accept the help of his friends?

All will be revealed on Wednesday 15 July as Harry Potter returns to the big screens.

taken from Channel24