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MTV announced this morning that Eddie Redmayne will be promoting Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them at the MTV Movie Awards this Sunday. The announcement came with a tweet, saying that Redmayne will be revealing a new clip of the film!

We may never recover. An exclusive sneak peek of @FantasticBeasts will be revealed at the #MovieAwards this Sunday!https://t.co/bAPkrBYScZ

— MTV (@MTV) April 5, 2016

In preparation for the reveal, MTV wrote an article summarizing everything they know so far. The writer leans heavily on Ezra Miller’s character of Credence. Credence is the “troubled,” “mysterious” character, the son of avid Second-Salemer, Mary Lou. It’s Hollywood’s worst kept secret that he must be a wizard afraid of his radical, oppressive mother. Perhaps the new clip will show more of Credence’s role. MTV reports:

On Sunday, April 10, MTV and Newt Scamander himself invite you to return to J.K. Rowling’s fantastical wizarding world. No, this is not a drill, and yes, you should probably sit down.

Famed Hufflepuff Eddie Redmayne is heading to the 2016 MTV Movie Awards to debut a sneak peek at his anticipated new film Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, MTV News can exclusively reveal.

It’s official: The very thought of this never-before-seen footage is going to keep us up all night for the next week. What will we get to see?! Well, we have a few suggestions…

 

MTV goes on to give suggestions based on their speculations. MTV, as well as the rest of us, would like to see more about MACUSA and the characters that work there, New York in the 1920’s, the Fantastic Beasts and creatures we haven’t seen yet, the “Grindelwald,” and Newt’s Hogwarts days. The original article can be read here.

Late last week, Dame Maggie Smith was awarded the Critics’ Circle Award for Services to the Arts. Dame Maggie Smith now joins other legendary actors and actresses such as Dame Judi Dench and Sir Ian McKellen.

What’s On Stage reported on the private ceremony and event, posting pictures and a video. The website reported:

Accepting the award, Smith said she felt “very, very honoured”.

“I know people say and I’ve certainly said I don’t read the critics, which a lot of actors say very airily, but believe me, you get to know what’s there.”

She spoke about one particular occasion when she picked up a newspaper whilst filming Othello, a film which led to her first Oscar nomination.

“There was a review in there and it was absolutely lethal and truly frightening,” she said. “It was for The Master Builder at the National, and I remember bursting into tears.”

The video may be seen below, and the original article may be read here.

Nominations for the 2016 Irish Film and Television Academy awards were announced this week, and    the list features a few names from the Harry Potter series!

Evanna Lynch is nominated for Best Actress in My Name is Emily, Domhnall Gleeson is up for Best Actor in Ex Machina and Best Supporting Actor for Brooklyn. Collin Farrell – who will star in Fantastic Beasts – is also nominated for Best Actor (Drama), for True Detective, and his performance in The Lobster also puts him up against Gleeson for Best Actor. Michelle Fairley (the actress who portrayed Hermione’s mother in the Potter series) is up for Best Supporting Actress for Rebellion.

My Name is Emily received seven nominations, including Best Film, Best Supporting Actor, Best Script, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound and Best Original Score.

 Ex Machina is up for Best International Film, whilst Brooklyn received multiple nominations, including Best Film, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director.

The IFTA awards will be taking place Saturday April 9th at the Round Room of the Mansion House in Dublin.

Dame Maggie Smith won ‘Best Actress’ at the Evening Standard British Film Awards,  for her role as Miss Shepherd in The Lady In The Van.

Emma Thompson won the Comedy award, for her portrayal of Cemolina in The Legend of Barney Thomson. Other nominations in this category included Fantastic Beasts’ Colin Farrell  (The Lobster).

Thompson also gave a heartwarming dedication to Alan Rickman in her speech:

“I’d like to commit this moment in time to dearest Alan Rickman, who many of us are dearly missing tonight. It’s so depressing but there it is, it does happen.

“He always predicted I would end up looking like my mother after a lifetime of Guinness, fish suppers and untipped Players. So thank you.”

The award for best film went to Brooklyn, which features Julie Walters. Walters has been nominated for the ‘Best Supporting Actress’ Bafta (the awards take place 14th February).

Eddie Redmayne and Dame Maggie Smith have also received Bafta 2016 nominations, so keep posted to hear more about the results!

Producer David Heyman received his just recognition at the Producers Guild Awards over the weekend.  Gary Oldman presented him with the David O. Selznick Achievement Award, saying, “I’ve never seen him settle for second-best,” according to Deadline‘s account of the event. Director Alfonso Cuaron called the award “very well deserved,” and Heyman accepted humbly, “This is an extraordinary honor, all the more so because it’s given to me by my peers and the PGA who really understand what it is I do and what a crazy calling we have as producers….it’s the greatest job in the world. I wouldn’t change it for the world.” PGA released a video of David Heyman’s acceptance speech on YouTube, and can be seen below:

But how did Heyman find Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone before most people had even heard of J.K. Rowling?  In an extensive interview for Produced By, the bi-monthly publication of the Producers Guild of America, Heyman answered this and more questions about his impressive career in film-making– revealing the true story of how the beloved Harry Potter films began– and his amazing orchestration of it all.

After being laid off from work with a major studio, Heyman opened a small office in London and decided to focus on books being published in Britain.  Heyman told Produced By,

“I set out to be a bridge between the U.S. and U.K. and decided to make books a central part of my business. One, I’m a voracious reader. Two, books had probably the best ratio of development to film at the time. At the time, the British books weren’t so aggressively pursued, so I thought I could distinguish myself.”

According to David Heyman, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was almost missed by his London office. Talking about how it all started Heyman said:

‘We had three shelves for incoming manuscripts and screenplays: priority, medium priority and low priority. Tanya Seghatchian, my very bright development executive, read an article in a trade publication about a book that hadn’t yet been published. She called the agent. The book came in and sat firmly on the low priority shelf for a couple of weeks before Nisha, my secretary, who only read material from that bottom shelf, took it home. At our Monday morning I asked, “Anybody read anything good?” And Nisha replied, “Yeah, I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.” I said, “Hmm, not sure about that title. What’s it about?” “It’s about a young boy who goes to wizard school,” she replied. My interest was piqued.‘

With that, the Harry Potter film producer became one of J.K. Rowling’s first true fans. Heyman described his experience to Produced By, saying:

‘I couldn’t put it down and there began my Potter odyssey… I thought if I was lucky, it might be my Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I had no idea that it would become what it became. What I did know was that I connected with it. It made me laugh. It moved me. I related to Harry and the characters at Hogwarts. We all, in our own way, feel like outsiders. And no matter who we are, no matter how successful, no matter how happily married we are or what good friends we have, there are times where we feel alone. At least I do. And I felt that story was something that people could connect with. It was about something: being true to yourself. It was about loyalty and friendship and fighting prejudice and so much more.‘

After Warner optioned the film, screenwriter Steve Kloves and author J.K. Rowling really hit it off, thanks to Heyman’s introduction. Heyman talked of how the two writers bonded, saying:

‘As Kloves was writing the films, the books became wildly successful. All of a sudden they were No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 on the New York Times bestseller list. Now there’s all this pressure as he’s trying to finish the script. At the same time, Jo, who had written the first two or three novels essentially without any expectations, now had all this expectation. And she was struggling as she had written herself into a little bit of a hole on Goblet of Fire but had a firm publication date! They really bonded through that shared experience and challenges.‘

Once director Chris Columbus joined the project, production designer Stuart Craig was the film’s first hire.  Then, the team scoured Britain for young actors to play the three leading roles.  They felt confident in their choices for Ron and Hermione but opened the search to the U.S. and Australia before finding just the right person to play Harry. Heyman told the legendary casting story to Produced by, saying:

‘One evening, Kloves and I went to the theater and seated in the audience, I noticed this boy with big round blue eyes. He seemed an old soul in a young body. And then this voice called, “David, great to see you.” Sitting next to the boy was his father, an agent I knew called Alan Radcliffe. The play started but I paid little attention to what was going on up on stage. I kept on turning around and looking at this boy. When the play finished, I went to find Alan and his son, but they’d gone. So the following morning I called ICM and asked if Alan would allow Daniel to visit the studio to meet Chris. Alan said, “Why don’t you meet him first, and then we can decide.” So Dan, his mum and I went out for a cup of tea and we spent two hours chatting. Dan had this incredible energy. He was so curious and intelligent—a curiosity and intelligence that have helped make him the actor he is today.‘

The team had a list of accomplished adult actors that they wanted, and they all accepted because the children in their lives loved the books.  The Wizarding World was established. David Heyman remembered how it all unfolded, saying:

‘We made the first two [Harry Potter films] back-to-back, we were prepping the second as we were posting the first. Chris did a brilliant job. I wouldn’t be sitting here today having a conversation with you [at Produced By] were it not for Chris. He cast our three leads and so many others, chose Stuart and many of our department heads and helped create the film world and an atmosphere and culture in front of and behind the camera that lasted till the end. And he directed two beautiful films.‘

But that was just the beginning.  David Heyman then explains how director Alfonso Cuaron and others joined the franchise that became a family.  The focus, however; was always J.K. Rowling’s storytelling. David Heyman talked of the consistency of J.K. Rowling’s voice shining through each film despite differing directors:

‘One of the things I’m proudest of in the Potter series is that in each film a director’s vision shines through. Jo Rowling’s voice is front and center, clearly, but each director channeled that voice and has made their films their own. Without that voice, a film is a blancmange and I am not a fan of blancmanges. A director with a vision is essential, even, or maybe especially within a franchise. Having said that, we never approached Harry Potter as a franchise. We were simply trying to make each film the best it could be!‘

This only skims the surface of the story.  To read more about the birth of the Harry Potter films and to learn about other great projects David Heyman has done, see the cover story for the December/January Produced By, here.

Back in November, The Leaky Cauldron reported that Kenneth Branagh would be receiving the Dilys Powell Award from The London Film Critics’ Circle. Branagh was recognized for his 34-year career of fantastic work in front of, as well as behind, the camera.

The London Film Critics’ Circle awards ceremony took place in London last weekend. Judi Dench was selected to introduce Branagh before he received his award. In the true spirited form that is Judi Dench, she told hilarious stories of her favorite times she’s spent with Branagh, including some insults he’s thrown her way all in good humor.

Judi Dench’s introduction and Branagh’s acceptance speech was uploaded to YouTube and can be seen below:

Branagh joins many other prestigious actors in the league who have also accepted this award. Among those big names is another Harry Potter actor, Gary Oldman (Sirius Black).

This weekend, David Heyman, producer of the Harry Potter films and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, will be honored with the Producers Guild Awards’ David O. Selznick Achievement Award for his work on the eight Harry Potter films, Gravity, Testament of Youth, and Paddington, among others.  In anticipation, Heyman has been interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter for its Jan. 29 issue.

David Heyman is excited to return to the Potterverse with Fantastic Beasts.  After all, he got the film rights to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997, before the book series had become an international phenomenon.  When first talking about what to do next, Heyman and producer Lional Wigram hoped to make a mockumentary about Newt Scamander and his work in magizoology, but J.K. Rowling came back with a plan for a more traditional feature film.  Heyman says,

Jo Rowling created such an incredibly rich and deeply conceived world. What you read in the books is in some ways just the surface of this world. I’d ask her about the [character Sirius Black’s] family tree because we had to paint it on the wall [for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix], and the book only had two names, and half an hour later I’d receive a family tree going back six generations with 100 people. I’m sure Newt Scamander and his story have been in her mind for many years. 

When asked if Fantastic Beasts is designed to be a franchise, Heyman answered conservatively, “We’ve talked about making a couple, but with all these things — and this may be a failing of mine — I don’t look at them as franchises; I look at them as films. We want to make each film as good as we can because if you don’t, you won’t have a second film or a third.”

Congratulations on the David O. Selznick Achievement Award, David Heyman, and thanks for all that you’ve done to bring J.K. Rowling’s books to life on screen!

To read more of the interview, read the Jan. 29 issue of The Hollywood Reporter, or see here.

After winning both Best Actor Oscar and Bafta in 2015 for A Theory of Everything, Eddie Redmayne is nominated again in 2016 for A Danish Girl, putting him in the position of potentially receiving a Bafta double. He is up against Bryan Cranston (Trumbo), Matt Damon (The Martian), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant) and Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs).

Dame Maggie Smith is also nominated in the Best Actress category for The Lady in the Van. Competition includes Cate Blanchett (Carol) , Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn), Brie Larson (Room) and Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl).

Julie Walters has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Brooklyn, pitting her against Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs), Rooney Mara (Carol) and Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful 8) . She says she was thrilled to be nominated and “proud to be included alongside these great women and their powerful performances”.

Brooklyn and The Danish Girl are both nominated for Most Outstanding British Film, Costume Design and Make-up and Hair. Brooklyn is also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Join us in congratulating Eddie Redmayne, Julie Walters and Dame Maggie Smith on their nominations, and make sure you see them in The Danish Girl, Brooklyn and The Lady in the Van!

The 2015 British Independent Film Awards took place on Sunday evening, with various Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts actors in attendance.

Harry Potter actors in attendance were Helena Bonham Carter, Domhnall Gleeson, Julie Walters, as well as Jason Isaacs and Nick Moran.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them co-stars Colin Farrell and Gemma Chan also attended the awards, with Farrell also answering questions about what it’s like working with David Yates:

Watch the full event and interviews below:

Thanks for the heads up, SnitchSeeker – view more photos from the event in their article here!

John Williams – composer of the first three Harry Potter film soundtracks – is set to receive the 44th AFL Life Achievement award at a gala tribute on June 9th 2016, marking the first time a composer has been honoured by the American Film Institute.

“John Williams has written the soundtrack to our lives,” said Sir Howard Stringer, Chair, AFI Board of Trustees. “Note by note, through chord and chorus, his genius for marrying music with movies has elevated the art form to symphonic levels and inspired generations of audiences to be enriched by the magic of the movies. AFI is proud to present him with its 44th Life Achievement Award.”

Over 150 titles spanning seven decades are owed to Williams’ ingenuity. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Jurassic Park (1993) and the Star Wars (1997) sountracks are composed by Williams, along with famous collaborations with Steven Spielberg which include Jaws (1975), E.T. (1982) and Schindler’s List (1993). The newest Star Wars films will also be composed by him.

He has had the most Oscar nominations (49) of any living person, and has won 5 Oscars in total.

The Wrap reports:

‘The AFI Life Achievement Award dates back to 1973 and is presented to a single honoree each year “whose talent has in a fundamental way advanced the film art; whose accomplishment has been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time.”

The 43rd AFI Life Achievement Award honored Steve Martin, and other recipients include Mel Brooks (2013), Tom Hanks (2002) and Meryl Streep (2004).’

Join us here at Leaky in congratulating John Williams on another amazing (and well-deserved) achievement!

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" won the award for Best Fantasy Film at the 38th annual Saturn Awards. The Saturn Awards specifically honors films in the sci-fi, fantasy and horror genres.

"Deathly Hallows: Part 2" was also nominated in other acting and technical categories, including Best Supporting Actor for Ralph Fiennes and Alan Rickman and Stuart Craig for Best Production Design, but unfortunately did not manage to snag any further awards.

Best Hero has been recently added as a new catagory on the MTV Movie Award voting site. Harry Potter is nominated for this award along side Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games), Captain America (Captain America: The First Avenger), Thor (Thor), and Jenko (21 Jump Street). In order to vote for Harry as the best hero tweet:

Congratulations are in order for John Richardson and the special effects team of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" for winning the BAFTA for Special Visual Effects!

The award was presented at a ceremony in London tonight, which was attended by several actors who once made up the cast of "Harry Potter." In attendance was Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), Kenneth Branagh (Gilderoy Lockhard), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange) and John Hurt (Ollivander), who won the award for Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema.

Photos from the event can be seen at the official BAFTA website at this link. We hope to have some more in the gallery soon.

The nominations for the 84th Academy Awards were announced this morning. In the technical categories, "Deathly Hallows: Part 2" came away with three nominations. They are:

Art Direction
Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan

Makeup
Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng

Visual Effects
Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" is shortlisted as one of the top 15 films that is in the running for a 2012 visual effects Oscar. The list was released by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Other films in the running include "Thor," "Captain America," "Super 8" and "Sucker Punch."

The list will be narrowed down to five films, and will be announced with the rest of the official Oscar nominations on January 24, 2012.

Thank you Jamie and Joel for writing in!

The soundtrack for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," composed by Alexandre Desplat, has been nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.

Desplat is also nominated again in the same category for composing the score to "The King's Speech."

Winners will be announced during a ceremony at the 54th annual Grammy Awards on February 12, 2012.

This morning, the final nominees were announced for the People's Choice Awards. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" is up for several awards, along with its young cast. The categories are:

Favorite Movie: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"
Favorite Movie Actor: Daniel Radcliffe
Favorite Action Movie: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"
Favorite Movie Star Under 25 Presented by Moviefone: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton
Favorite Ensemble Movie Cast: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"
Favorite Book Adaptation: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"

The Art Directors Guild will present the creative team behind the "Harry Potter" films with the Outstanding Contribution to Cinematic Imagery Award. This will mark the first time a movie series is given the award, according to Deadline Hollywood.

The creative Potter team includes author J.K. Rowling, producers David Heyman and David Barron, director David Yates, screenwriter Steve Kloves, production designer Stuart Craig, art director Neil Lamont and set decorator Stephanie McMillan.

The award will be presented during the 16th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards on Feb. 4 at the Beverly Hilton. Congrats to all being honored!

The "Harry Potter" series was a big winner at Spike TV's SCREAM Awards, which was held over the weekend. 

The Hollywood Film Awards and Yahoo! Movies have revealed the 10 nominees for the 2011 Hollywood Movie of the Year Award, including "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2."

The award is voted on by the public, with the winner being announced during a ceremony on Oct. 24, reports the Hollywood Reporter. Other nominees in the same category include "Captain America," "The Help" and "Cowboys & Aliens."

Fans can vote starting today at this link.

In a ceremony held today at the University of Edinburgh, J.K. Rowling was presented with the Benefactor's award by Princess Anne, chancellor of the university.

The Benefactor's award was given to Ms. Rowling because of her £10 million donation to the university last year to establish a new multiple sclerosis research clinic. The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, named after the author's mother, is due to open sometime spring 2013.

A photo of Ms. Rowling with her award can be seen here at the BBC website.

In a report by the Press Association, University of Edinburgh Professor Sir John Savill gave a few words praising Ms. Rowling and her charitable donation:

Professor Sir John Savill, head of the college of medicine and veterinary medicine, said the money will have a "major impact" on the university and has already given hope to thousands of people with incurable diseases.

"While multiple sclerosis will be at the heart of the research initiative, people with the many other diseases caused by neurodegeneration, such as motor neurone disease, are likely to benefit from discoveries made here."

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" was awarded "Movie of the Year" at the annual RAAM Awards, which took place at a gala ceremony in London today at the Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square. Also nominated for "Movie of the Year" were "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" and "Up."

RAAM Award-winners are determined by box office data as well as by an advisory board comprised of representatives of ... Read the rest of this post

The Irish Film and Television Academy have today released a shortlist of some the nominees for the 2010 Irish Film and Television Awards. Actor Michael Gambon has been nominated for his portrayal of Albus Dumbledore in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". Mr. Gambon faces competition in the Supporting Actor category from Simon Delaney ("Happy Ever Afters"), Aidan Quinn ("The Eclipse") and ... Read the rest of this post

Here now is Part Two of Leaky's 2009 Year in Review of Harry Potter news!  Part One is posted below.  Enjoy!<>
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