Fans brave rain for Potter stars

Fans brave rain for Potter stars

Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe got a thunderous reception

Radcliffe at premiere
Hundreds of Harry Potter fans crammed into London's Leicester Square in torrential rain for the European premiere of the fifth film.

The film's star Daniel Radcliffe arrived clutching an umbrella as fans' chants of "Harry, Harry, Harry" drowned out the sound of thunder.

He was joined by author JK Rowling, who said that it was "fantastic" to see the crowds of fans.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix opens in the UK on 12 July.

Rowling spoke of finishing the final book in the series, which is published on 21 July.

Harry Potter fans
Some fans had camped out overnight
"Finishing it was very, very emotional," she said. "It's been a hell of a month. I'll want to know what the people in my house think of it."

Asked what plans she had for the near future Rowling said: "I'm looking forward to going on holiday."

Darker film

Radcliffe, 17, who was joined by his co-stars Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), returns to the role of the student wizard, which he first played at the age of 10.

Emma Watson
Emma Watson returns as Harry's classmate Hermione Granger
He admitted that the new film is darker than previous ones.

"Toward the end there's not many laughs to be had," he said. "While there's not actually direct comedy, there's some really heartfelt emotion."

Speaking of his first on-screen clinch with Katie Leung, who plays Cho Chang, he said: "She's a very good kisser."

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix sees Harry bring together a group of apprentice wizards and witches at his Hogwarts school to battle a growing evil.




HOW HARRY POTTER HAS AGED
Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

Daniel Radcliffe was chosen to play Harry Potter in The Philosopher’s Stone when he was just 10 years old.
Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

By the time the Chamber of Secrets was released, Radcliffe, 13, had grown used to the limelight.
Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Radcliffe was 15 when The Prisoner of Azkaban came out. Questions were asked about whether he was too old.
Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Following the Goblet of Fire, Radcliffe, then 16, signed up to play Potter in the remaining three films.
Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix


Radcliffe, who next appears in The Order of the Phoenix, is now 17 and has branched out into theatre.

British director David Yates takes over the reins from Mike Newell, becoming the fourth director to be involved in the franchise.

Better known for gritty TV projects such as State of Play and Sex Traffic, Yates has already signed up for the sixth movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Nearly 1.6 million have already placed an order for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - the seventh and final instalment - ahead of its publication.

Potter star greets Japanese fans

Daniel Radcliffe
Radcliffe briefly spoke to the crowd in Japanese

Potter film clips
Actor Daniel Radcliffe was met by hundreds of fans as he attended the world premiere of the fifth Harry Potter film in Tokyo.

Japanese competition winners were among the first to see The Order of the Phoenix movie.

Radcliffe, 17, greeted the crowd in Japanese, saying "Nihon no minasan, Konnichiwa" (hello, people of Japan).

The UK premiere of the film will be held in London on 3 July, and it opens in cinemas on 11 July.

Radcliffe, accompanied by the film's producer David Heyman, was the only one of the film's main stars to make the journey to Tokyo.

He was introduced on to the red carpet amid plumes of smoke and pyrotechnics.

"It's wonderful to come over here and to say hello," said Radcliffe.

"I hope people will be impressed by the new characters, the new performances, and the big battle."




Harry Potter fans
Potter fans gathered to show their appreciation

First kiss

In the movie, Harry experiences his first kiss, with schoolmate Cho Chang, played by actress Katie Leung. Radcliffe has admitted kissing on screen was nothing in comparison to stripping off on stage, as he did in the West End play Equus.

"Once you've been on stage naked in front of 1,000 people you really feel you can do almost anything without inhibition," he told the BBC News website.

"Kissing Katie was a very, very comfortable experience, especially when compared to being naked on stage and blinding horses."

The latest of the Potter film sequels is being released just weeks before the long-awaited seventh and final book is published, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.


'Record demand for final Potter'



Harry Potter book cover
Author JK Rowling has already said two characters will die in the book
Nearly 1.6m copies of the final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, have been pre-ordered online ahead of its release on 21 July.

According to online retailer Amazon, JK Rowling's seventh Potter book has become its most pre-ordered product.

Demand has surpassed a previous record of 1.5 million copies ordered ahead of the release of The Half-Blood Prince.

The latest film in the series, The Order of the Phoenix, has its European premiere in London on Tuesday.

The film opens across the globe from 11 July.

HOW HARRY POTTER HAS AGED
Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

Daniel Radcliffe was chosen to play Harry Potter in The Philosopher’s Stone when he was just 10 years old.
Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

By the time the Chamber of Secrets was released, Radcliffe, 13, had grown used to the limelight.
Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Radcliffe was 15 when The Prisoner of Azkaban came out. Questions were asked about whether he was too old.
Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Following the Goblet of Fire, Radcliffe, then 16, signed up to play Potter in the remaining three films.
Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Radcliffe, who next appears in The Order of the Phoenix, is now 17 and has branched out into theatre.
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It is believed that author Rowling will join the film's stars, including Daniel Radcliffe, Imelda Staunton and Robbie Coltrane, on the red carpet in Leicester Square.


Guests including Doctor Who star David Tennant, actor Pierce Brosnan and presenter Graham Norton are also expected to attend.

Speculation

The world premiere of the film took place in Tokyo, where Harry Potter has a huge fanbase.

Another highly-anticipated sequel, Spider-Man 3, opened in the Japanese capital in April and went on to break box office records.

Rowling has said two characters die in the final book, prompting worldwide speculation.

The Potter books have sold 325 million copies worldwide, have been translated into 64 languages and spawned five films.