ENTERTAINMENT / Movies
Harry Potter faces evil, teen angst in "Phoenix"
(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-20 10:21
TOKYO - Schoolboy wizard Harry Potter battles for recognition as a grown
man in the latest movie of the blockbuster series, in which he finds
himself torn between good and evil -- and experiences his first on-screen
kiss.
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the fifth in the
multi-billion-dollar movie based on the best-selling books by J.K.
Rowling, was screened in Tokyo on Tuesday, ahead of a Japan premiere
later this month that will be the world's first.
Unexpectedly attacked by "Dementors" while tussling with his unpleasant
cousin Dudley in a park near their suburban home, Harry beats the cloaked
monsters off with a spell, a feat that could earn him expulsion from
school for the crime of "underage magic."
Harry must try to have the charges dismissed at a court hearing in London
before he can join his old pals Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley for
another eventful year at Hogwarts school of wizardry.
Now on the cusp of adulthood, Harry not only takes a leading role in
rallying his fellow wizards against the evil Voldemort, but also
experiences a teenage rite of passage when he falls in love with a fellow
pupil.
Daniel Radcliffe, who has played Harry throughout the series, turns 18
next month and is seeking to build a reputation as an adult actor outside
the Potter franchise. He won praise for his performance in a London
theatrical production of "Equus" earlier this year.
But new to the series is director David Yates, a Briton previously best
known for a string of award-winning television dramas.
With a roster of high-profile British actors on hand, from Ralph Fiennes
as Voldemort to Imelda Staunton as the bossy Dolores Umbridge,
distributors Warner Bros. will be hoping to repeat the success of
previous Potter films, which have grossed a worldwide total of $3.5
billion.
Radcliffe and his two main co-stars, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, are to
appear in the final two films of the series, the first of which, "Harry
Potter and the Half Blood Prince," is set for U.S. release in November
2008.
The last book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," is
set to hit bookstores on July 21 and no date has been fixed for the
release of the film version.
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