News Archive, 1st Quarter 2004

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Dan Wins 5th Place in Golden Grand Prix Awards

Story dated: Mar 31st, 2004

The Japanese magazine Screen held its annual Golden Grand Prix Awards, and the tallied votes are in the April 2004 edition. The winners are determined by a poll given out to the Screen Magazine readers. Dan came in 5th place in the Best Actor category. Again, this is excellent considering he hasn't had a movie out in almost 2 years!

New HPPOA Trailer and Website Released

Story dated: Mar 24th, 2004

The Official Harry Potter site has unveiled an awesome new design to mark the forthcoming release of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  The new design is based on the Marauders' Map and features several new images from the movie.  There are also several new downloads - look out for some great new wallpapers and e-cards.

The site also offers a look at the new Prisoner of Azkaban trailer, which will be doing the rounds in theatres starting this Friday, March 26th.  The new trailer was also featured tonight on US entertainment programs Extra and Access Hollywood.  Footage from both these programs is available on our local videos page.

Dan Wins Bronze Otto Award

Story dated: Mar 24th, 2004

German magazine Bravo has announced the results of its annual Otto Awards, voted by the magazine's readers.   Dan won a Bronze Otto Award for placing third in the Best Male Film Star category, despite not having a movie released in the last year.  Congratulations, Dan!  

Harry Hits His Teens

Story dated: Mar 18th, 2004.  Source: USA Today.  Tip credit: HPANA

By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY

As director Alfonso Cuarón puts the final touches on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, due in theaters June 4, it's clear some things are the same about this Harry Potter, and some things are very different. USA TODAY has exclusive photos from a new trailer of Azkaban that arrives in theaters March 26. And our visit to the Leavesden Studios set of one of the year's most anticipated movies found a feisty, sometimes furious Potter this time around.

He's still a wizard, of course. He still attends Hogwarts, and Ron and Hermione remain his best pals. He continues to wear those dorky glasses. But the kids are lankier, their hairstyles cooler, and they spend more time in jeans and sweatshirts than in their school robes.

"It took me three films to get Hermione in jeans," says Emma Watson, who plays her. "To get out of the robes with the tights and the itchy jumpers. Whoo-hoo!"

Before filming started, Cuarón asked the young actors to write an essay about their characters and themselves.

"The kids were very brave," he says. "They bared their souls. They were very eloquent. At some point, I wanted to publish them, then I thought no, I promised them it was just for the work of the film and it's their personal stuff."

And they held free-flowing discussions "about what it means to be 13," Cuarón says. "How it's different from 12 or 11. It's an archetypal age. Kids change so much. You want to change the way you dress, the way you look, the way you argue."

In Azkaban, a moodier Harry is forced to face up to challenges much worse than the onset of the teen years. It will be a darker movie, both visually and in tone. And with a new director in Cuarón, the movie's focus will be on characters and rich visual details as much as on special effects and magic. There are demons within and without in Harry's world this time around.

As Harry and his friends return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their third year, they are plunged into the mystery surrounding a notorious escaped prisoner who poses a threat to Harry. Our wizardly hero must also face his own fears of death and despair in the form of the ghoulish dementors and spooky omens predicting his demise.

"This is my favorite of the books," says Daniel Radcliffe, 14, who plays Harry. "It's a weird one because it almost reinvents the character. He's more hostile. He's got a lot of teenage aggression, which all people at 13 do."

The hormonal changes that come with being a teen will be visible on screen, and they're also evident in exchanges between the young actors on the set. There's much discussion of crushes and break-ups. Watson interrupted an interview to share a whispered gossip with a crewmember about a cute guy.

When Hermione takes Ron's hand in a scene, Watson makes a quintessential 13-year-old grimace. The movie called for "some embarrassing hugging to be done. With Ron (Rupert Grint). We have kind of a love-hate relationship."

For moviegoers, it has been a love-love relationship with Potter and his pals. This new movie's darkness may test that passion, at least for younger fans.

Harry's journey in the third film begins with the terrifying announcement that Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), a convict believed to have killed Harry's parents, is on the loose and likely has his sights on Harry next.

"This really shakes him as a person," says Radcliffe.

Harry is constantly looking over his shoulder for Black and living in fear of the inhuman dementors that suck the joy out of anyone coming into contact with them. They are situated as guards at Hogwarts to protect Harry and the student body from a surprise visit from Black. Author J.K. Rowling has called the dementors the physical manifestation of depression.

"The first movies were action/adventure films, with big chases," says production designer Stuart Craig, who worked on all three. "This film is concerned with confronting their innermost fears."

Says Cuarón, "Harry's always been a kind of outsider, but now he becomes more aware of that forlornness. It's about accepting who he is."

Harry has already come to terms with his magical powers, but being a teenager is no easier for him than for the average Muggle.

"He's now becoming slightly more used to things like seeing a giant squid in a lake and all this magical stuff around him, the ghosts and everything," says Radcliffe. "Whereas at first it was completely amazing, it's now more commonplace. He's becoming slightly more relaxed in terms of how he deals with school, but he's a lot more paranoid about how he interacts with people."

Cuarón most recently directed Y Tu Mamá También, the Spanish language film about two teenage boys and their sexual yearnings and adventures while on a road trip through Mexico. He sees Potter as a distant, younger, PG-rated cousin of those randy lads.

"Obviously the tone of the movies is completely different," says Cuarón. "Y Tu Mamáwas very realistic, with social observation. Here it's a magic world, a fantasy, a bigger canvas. But emotionally it's exactly the same thing. It's a journey of a character's seeking his identity and accepting who he is. To step out of the shadow of his father, for instance, is one of the themes."

And, as in the non-magical world, the characters' emotional lives have more intensity.

"The hormones are buzzing, and so is their anger about things," says Cuarón. "And rather than repressing those things, it's about letting it flow. It's not about encouraging it, but just letting it be. ... I didn't want those emotions very polished. Sometimes they got carried away. I would let them. I didn't want them to be neat. I wanted it a little raw."

The Mexican-born Cuarón, who also directed the acclaimed A Little Princess (1995), has allowed his ethnic heritage to gently imbue the magical atmosphere.

"In his heart and in his soul, he has magic and a sense of wonder," says producer David Heyman. "There's a Latin spirit here, a magical realism. It's a bit intangible, but oh so seductive."

Light, or lack of it, will play an important part in the film. Cuarón has created a distinctly different look, with the colors darker and more muted, the music more haunting, and the tone edgier.

He used more wide-angle shots than in the first two films to heighten the sense of drama, says cinematographer Michael Seresin. "The story is more dramatic, so the lighting is more dramatic, high contrast, more shadows. It has a very different look and feel from the previous films."

Plus, there will be visual treats for the careful viewer.

"There are lots of extraneous little bits of magic appearing in the background," says Craig. "Strange animals that live in Hagrid's hut, for example. There's somebody's tail poking through the floor. They're real throwaways, but there's extra richness, extra detail in these wide shots."

Hagrid's hut has expanded from a one-room shack to two rooms. His bedroom has teddy bears and fur skins. His living area is decorated with hanging pots and pans, and oversized chairs to fit his gargantuan frame.

In addition to Hagrid's expanded quarters, there are new characters: Oldman as Black, David Thewlis as the werewolf Professor Lupin, and Emma Thompson as Madame Trelawney, the ethereal divination teacher with long wavy gray hair, flowing gowns and a spacy manner.

A visit to the magical village of Hogsmeade reveals colorful Victorian-styled storefronts. At the students' favorite candy store hangout, Honeydukes, Cuarón has added coconut clusters and lollipops from his native Mexico to the mix of colorful sweets available at the shop.

There's no need to worry that any of the characters will turn saccharine this time around, however.

The bookish Hermione strays a bit more from her studies in this movie.

"This is a real girl-power film," says Heyman. "Hermione helps and leads Harry on many occasions."

She decks Harry's Hogwarts foe, the ultra-obnoxious Draco Malfoy, after he sneeringly insults her mixed heritage (she's a wizard with human parents) and nearly causes the execution of a harmless hippogriff. After Hermione slugs Malfoy, she exclaims, "That felt good!"

It's a move that Azkaban audiences are likely to cheer, and the punch proved therapeutic in easing Watson's newly developed teen angst.

"It was great fun," Watson says. "We did a couple of takes, and I was saying 'Come on, come on, let's do it again.' "

IC Wales Rumour

Story dated: Mar 17th, 2004

There is a rumour that Dan will be attending a Merlin, Magic, and Mystical Festival in West Wales in June of 2004. We have received quite a few inquiries regarding this. Please be advised that Daniel will not be attending this event. Our source at Warner Bros has confirmed that he will be filming Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and taking exams at that time and will not have time for other projects. 

A Letter of Concern from Dan's Father

Story dated: Mar 5th, 2004

After posting the letter from Mr. Radcliffe yesterday, there have been many concerning comments made by fans regarding the young girl and her mother on various websites. This letter was posted for everyone to read in order to make everyone understand the dangers of trusting people whom you chat with online. There are many people (girls and boys) that think it is fun to impersonate Daniel; however, in the incident we posted yesterday I think it is clear how dangerous it can in fact be. Had this person communicating with this girl been someone dangerous, she and her mother could have very well been in mortal danger.

The Radcliffes chose to share this with the fans not because they were angry, but because they are genuinely concerned for the well being of other fans. They do not want this to happen to anyone else, and they understandably wanted people to be aware that Daniel does not communicate with his fans online under any circumstances for this very reason. There can be no exceptions. Please understand, this girl and her mother were convincingly deceived, and it is not fair for anyone to judge them. Mr. Radcliffe sent in this letter regarding the matter :

"Dear Jenna and Page

Thank you for responding so promptly to my request yesterday.

I have however, sadly noted some of the comments being made on various websites about the girl and her mother and I feel I must set the record straight as these comments are very unfair. The girl and her mother were extremely polite at all times and having seen some of the correspondence sent by the person claiming to be Daniel, he/she did seem very plausible and I can understand how over a period of time both the girl and her mother did believe they were genuinely communicating with Daniel. The poor girl became upset and distressed but we were sympathetic to her situation and my wife and I never felt threatened or frightened at any time. She did not meet Dan as he was at school at the time. I would also like to say that we live in a very safe and private area surrounded by fantastic neighbours and have no intention of moving. The point of our message was to make sure that none of Dan's fans are ever tricked in this way again. We would like people to remember that occasionally, we all make mistakes and trust the wrong people and we do understand that there are an awful lot of people out there pretending to be Dan.

ALAN RADCLIFFE"

E-Mail Hoax - It Is NOT Dan

Story dated: Mar 5th, 2004

Earlier this morning I received a letter from Dan's father regarding an incident that just recently happened. For those of you who believe you are talking to Dan via e-mail or online chats, please understand that you are NOT. Dan NEVER corresponds to anyone online. If someone tells you they are Daniel they are LYING. There are no exceptions. People can be quite convincing, but I assure you, Dan does NOT chat with fans or e-mail them. Please read the letter I received from his father below so you may better understand why he does NOT ever correspond with fans online :

"Dear Jenna and Page

In the light of an unfortunate incident which happened at our home yesterday I would be grateful if you could post the following message from us.

We received several calls at our home during the morning from a girl who had travelled from Chile to meet Dan. When we explained that this was not possible she became upset. Later in the day, when Marcia and I were leaving our house the girl and her mother appeared asking again to see Dan - again we said he wasnt there and we don't encourage visitors to our house which is strictly private.

Again, the girl became very upset and distressed - and this is where it became very worrying for us as Dan's parents on behalf of Daniel's fans. She presented us with 2 emails from someone pretending to be Daniel who said they were hoping to see her in London. Daniel has said this in his newsletters and I must reiterate do not respond to anyone saying they are Daniel and certainly never travel to London to see him on the strength of a very dubious email.

Daniel never communicates with fans via the internet or email for this very reason - he doesn't want anyone to be duped into corresponding with someone pretending to be him. For his fans' sake and safety there are no exceptions to this rule and anyone claiming to be Daniel Radcliffe is, I'm afraid, lying.

We felt extremely upset that this girl had been tricked in this way PLEASE don't let it happen to anyone else.

Any help you can give us on this matter to protect Dan's fans will be very welcome.

Many thanks.

ALAN"

Dan's Valentine's Day Pressie and Thank You

Story dated: Feb 14th, 2004

Once we found out Dan's New Year's resolution was to learn how to cook, we quickly took to creating him a little recipe book back in December to get him started. It was a special little project that we ran exclusively in our forums. We wanted to get it to him as a Valentine's Day pressie and, I am happy to report that he received it today.

I had taken a few photos of the book for everyone to see, and I am posting a little photo album of them : here. I will be publishing our recipe book, Recipes for Life - 2004, online so all the fans may enjoy it and download the same recipes Dan now has to get him started on his New Year's resolution.

This is what Dan himself had to say about it ::

"Dear Jenna, the Staff at Dan Radcliffe.com and all the Fans

Thank you soooooooooo much for the amazing recipe book to get me started. I have to admit my resolution hasn't gone well so far this year - far too much homework, revision, exams etc. However, now that I have this fabulous book I will make sure I try some of the recipes. I will probably start with one of my favourite dishes - Spaghetti Carbonara which was donated by Elena from Italy and Brittany from USA. I promise I will let you know how I progress. I am always overwhelmed by the time and effort that went into this book and particularly from Jenna who wrote them all out by hand - I'm speechless!! Thank you ...thank you.

DAN"

Valentine's Day Message from Dan

Story dated: Feb 14th, 2004

Dan has received many Valentine's Day cards and letters from many fans recently and has a message for all his fans that he'd like us to communicate to all of YOU!

"Dear Page and Jenna

I want to wish everyone a Happy Valentines Day and to say a huge "Thank You" to everyone who sent me cards and kind wishes. I keep saying this, but I really am genuinely moved by the kindness that people show me. Thank you once again.

Lots of Love

DAN"

Dan Wins "Best Breakthrough Actor" at Star Channel

Story dated: Feb 3rd, 2004.  Source: Star Channel.  Tip credit: The Burrow

Viewers of Star Channel in Japan have voted Dan as this year's "Best Breakthrough Male Actor" in their annual poll of movies broadcast by the channel over the last year (links in: Japanese/English).  To commemorate the award, Star Channel will be showing "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" on Friday Feb 6th at 21:00 and 23:00 hours (see DR-TV page for details). 

POA Full International Release Dates

Story dated: Jan 30th, 2004

The official Harry Potter web site has posted a full list of international release dates for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban so now you can find out when Harry will be coming to a cinema near you!

The official HP webmasters' newsletter also reports that a new Prisoner of Azkaban web site is on its way.  We will post more details as soon as they are available.

Dan Wins Favorite Actor Poll at 7Extra

Story dated: Jan 28th, 2004

Readers of Belgian magazine 7Extra have voted Dan as their favorite film actor of 2003 and voted Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as their favorite film of 2003 (even though it was released in 2002).  Congratulations Dan!

Special Thank You from Dan!

Story dated: Jan 27th, 2004.

Today we received a special thank you from Dan regarding the fund raiser for Demelza House Children's Hospice:

"A huge THANK YOU to everyone who donated to my Demelza House Christmas appeal. I heard today that the total raised is £1,853.50 - this is just fantastic and I am thrilled that people responded so generously. I am also excited about the fact that so many people because of Danradcliffe.com and danradcliffe.co.uk are now aware of this wonderful place. A special thank you to Jenna and Page. I never cease to be amazed by the kindness and thoughtfulness of my fans. THANK YOU.

DAN"

We will continue to support and sponsor this charity throughout the year. You can make donations anytime you wish. To learn more about Demelza House from a personal perspective, read Jenna's report of her visit to the hospice in December 2003.

"Real Access" interviews the trio

Story dated: Jan 24th, 2004.

US entertainment show Real Access  iinterviewed Dan, Rupert and Emma last night for its "Foreign Invasion" special feature.  The program also showed behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and archive footage of the premieres.  A transcript of the feature is available here.

Screencaps from the clip can be found here: Real Access Screen Captures

Video clips can be found on our onsite videos page (subject to availability). 

Teen angst at Hogwarts

Story dated: Jan 17th, 2004.  Source: Los Angeles Times.

By John Horn, Times Staff Writer

The stars are older, the issues darker as "Harry Potter" reappears under the director of the sexy "Y Tu Mamá También." This time, the monsters are within.

GLENCOE, SCOTLAND - Daniel Radcliffe, or Harry Potter to you, isn't talking about casting spells or Lord Voldemort. Instead, the 14-year-old is lusting after Cameron Diaz. "I could fly to Los Angeles and introduce myself," Radcliffe says on the set of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." "I heard that she just broke up with her boyfriend."

Harry and the students attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were mere tots the last time we saw them. But now all have suddenly grown into teenagers, with all of the agitation that entails. And as the ages of the characters have multiplied so too have the adolescent preoccupations of the actors who play them.

When he's not talking about his favorite "Charlie's Angels" star, Radcliffe, starring as Harry for the third time, is going on about a special maneuver to swallow one's own vomit while stuck in a car. A few moments later, it's his favorite bands, which include Blur and the Darkness.

Rather than just idle banter, the offscreen "Harry Potter" conversations are really about what's going on in "The Prisoner of Azkaban," which, if you strip away its Quidditch games and Patronus charms, is what it's like to become a teen.

Although Harry and classmates Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) still must fight the forces of darkness, they also face an array of struggles common to any junior high student, including the search for self-confidence, acceptance and identity. Young wizards may be able to make broomsticks fly, but how do you make something of yourself?

The answers to that question help explain why Warner Bros. has handed off its billion-dollar family franchise to director Alfonso Cuarón, whose last film was the low-budget, sexually charged coming-of-age story "Y Tu Mamá También."

Since "Y Tu Mamá" related the passage from adolescence into adulthood, the studio and producer David Heyman reasoned that Cuarón was equally prepared to chronicle the transition from childhood into adolescence.

As Cuarón guides Radcliffe and Watson, 13, through a scene near the film's conclusion, it's impossible to ignore just how quickly the actors are growing up. They in fact are aging faster than the characters they depict, and their next film, 2005's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," might be their last.

Radcliffe and Watson are not only taller but also handsome and beautiful, even under all the mud produced by a steady Scottish drizzle. "It's wet and dirty and the kids are wet and dirty," Cuarón says. "Don't they look sexy?"

The principals' favorite

All of Rowling's Harry Potter books have legions of admirers, and those aficionados can argue long into the night about which is the best novel, and why. The young actors who play Harry, Ron and Hermione are united in their appraisal of their favorite - and it's "The Prisoner of Azkaban."

Their decision is certainly influenced by which book the threesome is filming and by the fact that at this point in production Rowling's fifth book, the epic "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," has yet to be published. Yet their "Prisoner of Azkaban" consensus is understandable and defensible. No less than Steven Spielberg has said the third book is the most cinematic of Rowling's volumes.

If the first book introduced us to Harry's peculiar life story and magical gifts, the second book was more of a "Hardy Boys" adventure. The third book, on the other hand, is distinguished by its psychological complexity. Harry's misunderstood godfather, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) and the avuncular Professor Remus Lupin (David Thewlis) become crucial characters in Harry's development, while sinister villains called Dementors arrive. The book's complex third act involves both time travel and Harry's moving discovery of an inner strength he didn't know he possessed.

In place of the good vs. evil clash pitting Harry against Lord Voldemort that is so prominent in the first two books, "The Prisoner of Azkaban" has at its center Harry's struggling to understand his place in the world, grappling with his parents' death, and trying to control his temper.

"Harry goes through a journey where he realizes that demons aren't just things that go bump in the night but also can be painful emotions, worries about family, friends, the future, the monsters that lie within. And that's a classic teenage issue," Cuarón says as his special effects team tries to repair the film's mechanized Buckbeak, a giant winged creature that has short-circuited in the rain.

"There's a lot of teenage angst in this one, probably more than the book," Radcliffe says by telephone a few weeks after filming is completed in December. "It's much more of an internal journey for the children, especially for Harry. And he's much more comfortable with confrontation, especially with [Professor Severus] Snape. He's a lot angrier. If you had all this stuff happening to you in real life, you'd be pretty angry too."

It's not just Harry who's acting out. "Hermione's becoming a rebel," Watson says. "She's had enough of being pushed around and she's not going to take it anymore. There's a lot more girl power in the film."

A 'distinct piece of work'

Will you recognize "The Prisoner of Azkaban" as a movie from the same director who made "Y Tu Mamá," "Great Expectations" and "A Little Princess"? Probably so, but you might have to look closely, down to the modern trainers on Harry's feet and the FCUK jeans on his legs.

"I think the audience will see it as a relative of the first two but as a very distinct piece of work," producer Heyman says. The film could very well be rated PG-13, unlike its PG-rated predecessors. Both in production design and emotional reality, Cuarón is endeavoring to make his "Harry Potter" as contemporary as possible. To begin with, Ron, Hermione and Harry wear modern clothes. Columbus earlier had tried to make the students look like they shopped at Abercrombie & Fitch, but it didn't work, so he dressed them in timeless school uniforms instead.

"Jo Rowling had always intended the characters to be wearing contemporary clothes under the cloaks," Columbus says. "When we first tried that on the first film, it looked like a bad Halloween costume, like they were going trick-or-treating. Alfonso wanted to try something else. It will be interesting. It certainly was Jo's original intent, so he's being a little bit more faithful than I was."

Cuarón's world isn't simply more modern. Treats in the film's candy shop Honeydukes now include Day of the Dead sugar skulls.

"He's very interested in eccentric detail," production designer Craig says. "Hagrid's hut, for example, is now peopled with 100 strange animals. Some of them are magical and bizarre, and some of them are bats and lizards. So Alfonso has taken on what already existed and was well established and it's been embellished with these extra riches of detail. The Leaky Cauldron in the first two movies looked like a period movie; it was a very antiquated and a bit Dickensian. Now there is a range of characters there, in more contemporary clothes, and there's a dart board."

More so than in the previous two films, Cuarón will endeavor to explain the geography of Hogwarts and its surroundings. There will be long tracking shots as Harry and his classmates move from the Great Hall to their common rooms. Part of the motivation for traveling to Scotland, in fact, was to better establish the physical world in which Harry lives.

Ultimately, though, what will distinguish this movie is whether Cuarón succeeds in crafting a personal story that is as complicated as Veritaserum Truth Potion.

Cuarón, father to both a 20-year-old son and newborn daughter, clearly enjoys a special rapport with his young cast. "Wait a minute, Daniel," he says, interrupting Radcliffe's extended story about vomit. "The whole point of throwing up is to get it out of your stomach, not back in."

"It got out eventually," Radcliffe says. "I just had to swallow it at the time." Cuarón then turns serious and gently counsels Radcliffe and Watson about how they might improve their performances in the film's critical time-traveling conclusion.

"He reminds me of a kid, his enthusiasm, his mannerisms, his energy," says Michael Gambon, the veteran Irish stage actor who is replacing Harris as Dumbledore. "He's always laughing around the set."

POA International Release Dates

Story dated: Jan 16th, 2004.  Source: Warner Bros.

The release dates for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban have been announced for several international markets.  This is the current planned release schedule, as confirmed by Warner Bros.

Further dates in other markets will be announced as soon as they become available.  Announcements regarding the dates of local premieres will be made at a later date.

Brazilian Set Report

Story dated: Jan 8th, 2004.  Source: Harry Potter O Filme (thanks to G.V. Linares for the translation.)

By Roberto Sadovsky for SET magazine (Brazil).

No, I never got a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And I don’t come from a wizard family either. Tricks? Not even with cards. Yet, I spent a day walking the corridor of the school: the dormitories; Great Hall; the clock tower patio; Gryffindor Common Room - even Hagrid´s Hut! What can I say?

Well, Professor Albus Dumbledore's chair is a lot more comfortable than it looks. Far from a dream, the truth is that the visit was to Leavesden Studios, half an hour from London, where the set of one of the most successful series of all time has been since 2001, and where Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is taking shape. If "magic" is the word that describes the universe created by J.K.Rowling, then I don´t need to find a thesaurus to translate the work of Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón (Y Tu Mama También), who has taken Chris Columbus’ job and control of the new adventure. "It was a challenge, but it's been a pleasure too", said Cuarón to SET in a break of the recordings.

With none of the "adult" actors in Leavesden that day, all he had to worry about was an army of children in the Great Hall of Hogwarts for the scene that was being filmed - the one in which Harry receives a new (and mysterious) broom.

Before seeing the filming of this scene, I was taken to face another of the mysteries of the world of the young wizard. In Hogsmeade, for instance, the visit extended to a candy store - the same set that was used for Ollivander's wand shop in Philosophers Stone and the bookstore in Chamber of Secrets. The only thing that they did is "decorate" the scene again. In Prisoner of Azkaban, Hogsmeade is shown in the winter, covered with snow - or in reality, of salt. This is the real movie magic.

At the end of the day, Harry with Ron and Hermione had a little chat with SET. Well-humored and still motivated for being on a production this big, Daniel Radcliffe runs over his words, completes the lines of his co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint and shows that he looks more like his character than it was possible to imagine. "It's all a great joy", says the young actor, before he confirms that he is getting ready to work on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth adventure which is going to be directed by Mike Newell. "I love Harry, I’m in a career not far from him", he says, "If I make all the movies of all the books, I’m still going to be a teenager, and I'm going to be just starting". When I asked if the trio already watched Cuarón’s other movies, Emma Watson quickly answers: "I didn´t see Y Tu Mama También... of course",she says with a laugh. "I saw it, twice!", shoots Radcliffe, showing that Harry Potter has indeed grown up!

Potter's plea for prezzies

Story dated: Jan 1st, 2004.  Source: The SUN.  Tip credit: Sarah.

By JAMES TAPPER

HARRY Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has caused a flood of donations to a children’s hospice - after begging fans to send Christmas gifts to the charity instead of him.

Daniel, 13, and his family have been plagued by well-meaning fans who flock to his London home to deliver gifts.

It started after Daniel starred in the first movie Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

In the film Harry has been deprived of gifts by his foster family and gets his first prezzies when he goes to Hogwarts.

Ever since, fans have confused the movie with real life and sent Daniel presents on his birthday in July and at Christmas.

But this Christmas Daniel announced on his website that he wanted fans to give donations to a children’s hospice in Sittingbourne, Kent, instead.

He said on his website: “In the past my fans have been truly generous in sending me fantastic presents.

"I appreciate these and feel very fortunate to have such loyal fans.  However, this Christmas, I would like to ask instead of sending me a gift they make a donation to Demelza House, a fantastic children’s hospice that I support.  The spirit of the place is amazing and the people who work there are extraordinary. I feel very humble when I visit it."

The hospice, which gives terminally ill kids a holiday, refused to comment last night.