Tag: Harry Potter

Celebrate the Publication of ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’ and ‘Goblet of Fire’ Today!

This day, July 8th, saw the original publication of two Harry Potter novels: The Prisoner of Azkaban in 1999 and The Goblet of Fire in 2000. Both were huge milestones for the series, representing the continued evolution of the Potterverse into darker, more complex territory than the comparatively straightforward, whimsical first two novels (The Philosopher’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets.) The books were both bestsellers, Azkaban selling three million in the United Kingdom alone, and Goblet of Fire selling over five million copies. Each book received positive reviews, especially Azkaban, praised for its excellent character development as the characters become teenagers, leaving behind their child selves. The Goblet of Fire meanwhile won the Hugo Award in 2001, the only Harry Potter novel to do so.

 

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Prisoner of Azkaban chronicles Harry’s third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he begins the new year, a dangerous convict known as Sirius Black escapes from the dreaded prison Azkaban. Black is thought to be an associate of Voldemort, and so Hogwarts is guarded by Dementors, as the teachers believe Black will seek out Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. While dealing with this, Harry must deal with the regular perils of teenage life: increased schoolwork, feelings for girls, and a hidden secret Hermione is carrying around with her.

The Goblet of Fire tells the story of Harry taking part in the massive Triwizard Tournament, a huge competition between Hogwarts and rival schools over the course of the semester. Harry’s name appeared in the Goblet of Fire (the method by which contestants are selected) under mysterious circumstances ad Harry must deal with the tournament’s various challenges, such as stealing eggs from an angry dragon, diving beneath the Hogwarts Lake to rescue trapped students, and make his way through a monster infested, booby trapped maze to claim the Triwizard Cup. All the while, dark forces plot in the background, growing steadily throughout the school year.

 

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Film adaptations of the two books were released in 2004 and 2005 respectively. Prisoner of Azkaban grossed $796 million, as well as earning critical acclaim and further embracing the change of tone for the series by embracing a new, more darker style for the overall work. Goblet of Fire earned similar acclaim, grossing $897 million. Both were among the highest grossing, best reviewed films of their respective years, enforcing the overall popularity of the ongoing fantasy series.

Both works deepened the Potterverse, introducing iconic characters and creatures, while planting the seeds for the epic saga centering around the rise of Lord Voldemort. Celebrate their original releases and read the original books again!

 

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‘Harry Potter’ Prequel Series Coming to Television!

Starved for more Harry Potter content? Well look no further, Potterheads, as exciting news as been unveiled today! According to Book Riot, Warner Brothers is in the very early stages of developing a Harry Potter prequel series for TV. The series will be attached to Warner Brothers’ upcoming streaming service. The series will occur mostly at Hogwarts, according to the press release, as well as occasional visits to other parts of Europe. While the Harry Potter franchise is already packed to the brim with novels, video games, board games, movies, comics, and Broadway plays, we can’t help but be excited for this latest addition to the ever popular young adult fantasy series!

 

Image via Harry Potter wiki

 

More news has been released, including that the show will center around new characters (although if it’s at Hogwarts we can bet you’ll see cameos of fan favorites like various professors and administrative presences in the Wizarding World). However, being in the early stages of development, the plot, the premise, and even the characters themselves haven’t been announced yet for obvious reasons. But we can always speculate about WHAT will happen in this prequel series.

 

 

Here are a few premises we’d love to see in the show:

+ A show about a new batch of students dealing with the ins and outs of daily life at Hogwarts with no overarching main villain. One of the greatest strengths of Harry Potter was its relatability for young people about the hardships of growing up and schoolwork. No need to thrust Voldemort 2.0 in there, fretting about O.W.L.S. is drama enough.

+ A flipped premise, showcasing the POV of the teachers instead of the students and pulling back the curtain to give us a behind the scenes of Hogwarts.

+ An anthology series, showing different stories about Hogwarts, with a different premise and storyline every week. One week you’d have a student, one week you’d have a teacher, maybe the following week someone gets lost in the Forbidden Forest, and maybe one week it could center around some of the ghosts that haunt the school!

 

Image Via Pottermore

 

What premises would you personally like to see in this show? Are you excited to see a Harry Potter television series? Let us know in the comments! And keep an ear peeled for further news, we’ll let you know when we hear anything more!

 

 

Featured Image Via Harry Potter Wiki 

 

These Jocks like Harry Potter Too

For those who don’t know, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will play against each other twice in London Stadium this weekend, for the first Major League Baseball games ever played in Europe. For many years, the commissioner of the MLB has showed an increasing desire to increase the international presence of baseball, and this is clearly the league’s most determined effort.

 

Image Via USA Today

 

Before the games tomorrow and on Sunday, ESPN has asked players from both the Yankees and Red Sox various questions about details of the trip, from tourism to what they want to see from British fans. However, they have also asked players if they were fans of Harry Potter, and their responses have been quite varied and unique.

 

 

Aaron Hicks, the outfielder for the Yankees, spoke about his love for the franchise, and which Hogwarts house he thinks he belongs to.

“I’m just going to say I’m a Gryffindor and leave it at that,” he said. “They’re the normal ones, the good-hearted people. I just want to go to Harry Potter World or the original Harry Potter [Studio]. I’m a big Harry Potter fan.”

 

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“I think it was not this offseason but the offseason before, it was the first time I saw the Harry Potter movies,” said Michael Chavis, the second baseman for the Red Sox. “It was one of those things where, like, I was behind on it… I got together with my girlfriend, and we binged them, and they’re awesome. And then we ended up going to Harry Potter World and Disney and all of that and did the Butterbeer. It’s awesome. I’m all-in on it.”

Several players also spoke about their favorite Harry Potter characters.

“Let’s go with Dumbledore,” Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. said. “He’s considered one of the leaders and someone who’s trying to help Harry along the way.”

Chavis said that his favorite character is Dobby. “He’s cute, he’s nice, he’s a good dude. I feel like he gets overlooked a lot, but I like his personality. I thought it was cool.”

 

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Image Via Harry Potter Wiki

 

As the MLB attempts to globalize baseball, it’s interesting to see how the players’ viewpoints contrast internationally. Harry Potter is an intercontinental franchise, so it’s no surprise that these players are all in on diving deeper into the lore when they visit the United Kingdom.

 

 

Featured Image Via Multilingual Books