Harry Potter fans may be left feeling unfulfilled and anxious during this period of time. The pushed back release date for the upcoming Warner Brothers film Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince has disappointed millions of Potter fans. This disappointment was doubled when they found out that the film adaptation of Stephanie Meyer’s hit book series Twilight (considered a sort of Harry Potter rival, in the book and film world) would be coming out on the date the sixth Harry Potter film would have been released. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is now scheduled for July of 2009, and Twilight fans have gotten their fill this holiday season. However, Harry fans who are not so fond of Meyer’s series need not despair – there is plenty to keep them occupied until the release of The Half Blood Prince.
One of the predominant things that will keep Harry Potter fans fascinated is J.K. Rowling’s release of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which is a tie-in for the Harry Potter series. The Tales of Beedle the Bard is supposed to be a book from the actual wizarding world – a fairy tale sort of tome full of morals – and yes, violence. It is only 108 pages, but features witty commentary by Albus Dumbledore and is full of illustrations by Rowling herself. Though it is only a fraction of the size of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last installment in the series, it has rereading power – fans will probably return to this book repeatedly simply because it is a quick read, and funny at that. Much like the two other tie-in books Rowling released previously (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages), the proceeds from the sales will go to a charity. This time, though, the charity is one of Rowling’s own creation, a charity for children’s rights.
This will not be the only thing to keep Harry Potter fans from sleeping until July of 2009, though. We must not forget that the actors featured in the Harry Potter films will be doing all sorts of interviews very soon. Daniel Radcliffe recently made an appearance on Bravo channel’s Inside the Actor’s Studio. Emma Watson did a brief interview on the BBC, and we surely can count on appearances from Rupert Grint and the other cast members in the near future. Emma Watson appeared in the film The Tale of Despereaux, a family film which will be released in the United States on December 19. We can also count on many HBO: First Look type shows on The Half Blood Prince, as well as more trailers, advertisements, and posters.
A few Harry Potter themed stocking stuffers may whet the appetites of young fans – the Warner Brothers shop online features jewelry, dolls, clothing, bookmarks and more. There are sure to be boxed gift sets of the seven Harry Potter books for any fan who may not own them all (though you might be hard-pressed to find one).
Fans also may want to keep an eye on the Universal Orlando site for the new Harry Potter theme park – it features polls, concepts for the park, and announcements. The theme park is set to open in 2010, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be more pictures, questions, and ideas posted between now and then. It is something to think about, at the very least.
Visiting the official Harry Potter site at Warner Brothers might also give fans something to do, albeit for a brief amount of time. ABC plans to air the first four movies of the Harry Potter series during its 25 Days of Christmas special. ABC Family will also air a first look special on Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. New photos from the Half Blood Prince are released quite often, and more and more interviews and promotional material are coming out. Along with this, news of the filming of the seventh Harry Potter film is coming out.
It’s not a new film, no. It is a new book, new trailers to bide time, plenty of gift ideas, a theme park in the making, and plenty of other things to wrap your mind around. Additionally, the suspense of having to wait longer for the sixth film will probably do the movie a world of good, as well as some of the fans. Keeping an eye out for magazines with news or interviews on the cover, interviews on television, and other things of interest regarding Harry Potter could prove an interesting sort of scavenger hunt in its own right.
