Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- July 11th, 2007
Official site: harrypotter.com
Director: David Yates
Writer: Michael Goldenberg
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Imelda Staunton, George Harris, Helena Bonham Carter, Natalia Tena, Kathryn Hunter, Evanna Lynch, Gary Oldman, Harry Melling, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Sian Thomas, Jason Boyd, Richard Macklin, Charles Hughes, Susie Shinner, Auror Dawlish, Nick Shim, Ralph Fiennes, Apple Brook, James Walters, James Utechin, Alec Hopkins, Jason Piper
Summary: In "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," Harry returns for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts and discovers that much of the wizarding community is in denial about the teenager's recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort, preferring to turn a blind eye to the news that Voldemort has returned. Fearing that Hogwarts' venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about Voldemort's return in order to undermine his power and take his job, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep watch over Dumbledore and the Hogwarts students. But Professor Dolores Umbridge's Ministry-approved course of defensive magic leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared to defend themselves against the dark forces threatening them and the entire wizarding community, so at the prompting of his friends Hermione and Ron, Harry takes matters into his own hands. Meeting secretly with a small group of students who name themselves "Dumbledore's Army," Harry teaches them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that lies ahead.
News: Next, Warner showed a video-taped message from Daniel Radcliffe and director David Yates. The crowd cheered when Daniel came on the screen. They joked around about sitting in each others chairs, but then got down to business and talked a little bit about working on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. David pointed out in this film, "Harry is in a battle for his life and soul. There's a wonderful battle scene at the end for his life; it's absolutely amazing."
Daniel talked about working on this film, "It's fantastic; it's such a blast being on set." David gave out some info about Professor Umbridge, played by Imelda Staunton. "She's a cross between Doris Day and Freddy Krueger," he said. They're also going to add some new creatures for this fifth version of the Harry Potter series; "We're also bringing in these half-men/half-horse characters to the mix, that are wonderful."
She's already played a corpse bride so why not a Death Eater?
Helena Bonham Carter is the latest pedigreed British thespian to hop aboard
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Warner Bros. announced Thursday.
The 40-year-old actress will play Bellatrix Lestrange, the cousin of Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, and an avid devotee of Lord Voldemort.
Hotshot British television director David Yates is making his feature helming debut on Phoenix, which will see
Daniel Radcliffe returning as everyone's favorite lightning-scarred magician, with Rupert Gint and
Emma Watson reprising their roles as Harry's respective best buds, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
Also returning is
Ralph Fiennes as You-Know-Who,
Gary Oldman as Sirius Black,
Michael Gambon as Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, along with
Maggie Smith,
Robbie Coltrane,
Alan Rickman, David Thewles,
Brendan Gleeson,
Emma Thompson,
Jason Isaacs and
Fiona Shaw.
Bonham Carter isn't the Potter rookie. Oscar nominee
Imelda Staunton will debut as the bespectacled boy wizard's main nemesis in Phoenix, Dolores Umbridge.
Other cast newbies include George Harris as Kingsley Shacklebolt, Kathryn Hunter as Mrs. Arabella Figg, Natalia Tena as Nymphadora Tonk and 14-year-old Evanna Lynch as Harry's loopy new pal, Luna Lovegood.
A new addition behind the scenes is composer Nicholas Hooper, who will pick up where previous music men John Williams and Patrick Doyle left off.
The fifth book in
J.K. Rowling's mega-selling fantasy series, adapted by Michael Goldenberg, is scheduled to cast its spell over moviegoers next July. The film is currently shooting.
New Characters:
Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood):
Imelda Staunton (Professor Umbridge):