The British tabloid News Of The World is reporting that a HUGE blaze has wrecked the Hogwarts set after a battle scene went spectacularly wrong.

Explosives used in action sequences set light to scenery for the wizardry school.

Firefighters battled for 40 minutes to bring the flames under control but the set - centrepiece for the film's Battle of Hogwarts climax - was left badly damaged.

Our source on set said: "We were shooting the scenes where Hogwarts gets blown up during the battle. But fire managed to catch hold of the set and it went up in flames. It was completely out of control at one point."

Some actors were still filming at the studio but none of the movie's biggest stars - Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione) or Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) - was involved. No one was injured but our source added: "The special effects guys involved are devastated.

"There's always a risk when there's shooting involving fire and explosives but this shouldn't happen."

The costly blaze will not help studio bosses, who are battling to finish the film in time for its November release.

We'll let you know as soon as we know anything more. Thanks to loony_luvgood for the tip.

Emma Thompson, who plays Professor Trelawney in the Potter films, was on the set of Deathly Hallows recently, said Clemence Poesy in an interview with Tatler Magazine.

But in Paris, she adds, 'the French are too snob' to admit to recognising anyone. 'And I'm proud of that!' So proud that when Emma Thompson -- a heroine of hers -- was in make-up for Harry Potter the other day and she felt a goosepimply 'Aaaah!', she 'didn't say anything. Because I'm French! I won't admit it!'

Thompson had said before that she would not reprise her role in the final installments of the series.

Are you looking forward to seeing Trelawney in the final film? Thanks to Keith!

Local firefighters were called when a fire broke out last night on the set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Close to 100 crew members were on hand, and no injuries were reported when a "mock battle" scene got out of control. Watch commander Tony Smith said:

"I think they are filming some stunts for the last scene. There is a big battle scene involving a lot of pyrotechnics and explosions.

It's hard to say how much damage was caused, because some of it may have been planned as part of the filming.

Perhaps they got much better footage than they expected."

Thanks to Brandon for the tip!

WB screened some "raw and unfinished" footage from Deathly Hallows tonight at ShoWest. Alan Horn, president of WB, introduced the 4-to-7-minute-long clip, according to a report from Collider.

Collider:

The footage started with Voldemort walking in the forest with all of his followers around him. He was looking for Harry. While I assumed the footage was going to be just from the first Harry Potter movie coming this November, I think the opening was from part 2 and it was from the big climatic battle between Harry and Voldemort!

Cinemablend:

The footage shown came from all sections of The Deathly Hallows, so it's impossible to tell where they will split up the two movies. We saw little bits of everything, from the seven Harry Potters escaping from the Dursleys house (totally surreal) to the attack at Bill and Fleur's wedding to the escape from Gringotts on the pale dragon and even Hogwarts on fire. With unfinished effects it's hard to really say how it all looks, though some of the most effective moments were the simplest-- Ron and Harry's fight in the tent, Harry visiting his parents' graves, running away from the Snatchers in the woods, Harry defiantly telling Voldemort that he stays alive "because I have something worth fighting for."

One odd moment-- one of the final shots was of Hermione riding a broom, by herself, escaping from a fireball that's likely the curse that Crabbe and Goyle set off in the Room of Requirement near the end. Did Hermione ever ride a broom by herself in the books? Is this a change that will mean something bigger, or just something convenient so the movie doesn't have to bother explaining that Hermione isn't good on a broom?


If anyone was lucky enough to be there, please let us know! Thanks to Mariene, Thomas and Alex!

Speaking at the UK premiere for Remember Me, Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy in the Potter films, talked about Deathly Hallows and revealed for the first time how they will be aging the characters for the epilogue.

"There's a lovely moment at the end of the film where we're all 35 years old, Dan and I are very excited to see each other as old men!"

"They're doing it with prosthetics, with me at least. No digital enhancements, it's all real stuff. I'm hoping it's going to be flattering, we'll see!"

He also mentioned the benefit of splitting the book into two films saying, "One of the great things about the last one is that we've managed to split it into two films. We have all the freedom to stick to the books exactly and revel in them and enjoy every page."

The video footage can be seen here courtesy of Digital Spy.

Actor Freddie Stroma, who played Cormac McLaggen in Half-Blood Prince, will reprise his role in Deathly Hallows, according to his management agency's website, Waring and McKenna.

Visit MuggleNet's Deathly Hallows Section for the latest on the films by clicking here.

Thanks to SnitchSeeker!

.. and as a result of the decision, Jason had months less of filming.

The real tease? Jason didn't reveal what the change is!

This new bit of information comes from a recent interview Jason conducted with BBC Radio 2. You can listen to the clip right here thanks to Snitch Seeker. Here is a transcript:

"In fact, [Lucius' ending] wasn't planned. It was a decision made about how Lucius should end his bit in the story and we'd been leading up to it for a while and David - the lovely director - came to me and goes "What are we going to do with you that's really great? How are we going to do the ending?" And one day I came up with this thing and he went "gasp Oh that's it! Oh that's it. It'll be great."

We shot some particular bit but I still had months left to film. And I went to the trailer and took my wig off and the First Assistant came to me and said "Jason I'm just looking at the schedule and I noticed that, actually, we don't need you now." And I said "Why?" and he said "Well because that thing you decided to do means you're not in that scene or that scene or that scene." And I went [jokingly] "Ahhh! I've changed my mind!"

What could it be?! Did they actually decide to kill Lucius in the film? Hopefully we find out soon! Thanks to Daniel for the tip.

While still a far way off from being hung on your wall, Amazon has listed several Harry Potter and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows calendars on their website for pre-order.

All of the calendars listed use photos from previous Potter calendars, but these are obviously just placeholders for product images to be unveiled later this year.

A list of the products (all are set to be released August 1st, 2010):
- 2011 Harry Potter World Calendar, $17.99
- 2011 Harry Potter World Box Calendar, $13.99
- 2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Calendar, $7.99
- 2011 The World of Harry Potter Wall Calendar, $14.99
- 2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Engagement Calendar, $16.99
- 2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Wall Calendar, $14.99

We'll let you know when these listings are updated with real images from the products. Do you plan on buying any of these?

Thanks to Cindy for the tip!

British television station ITN caught up with Bill Nighy - the actor who plays Scrimgeour in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - at an event the other day while he promoted his new film Wild Target.

In it, Bill spoke about working with Deathly Hallows cast and crew.

Watch the small interview bit here on YouTube!

MTV has a new interview online with actor Rhys Ifans, who plays Xenophilius Lovegood, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. He talks about getting the part, what it was like on set and working with the cast.

"When you're an English actor and you get the 'Harry Potter' call-- it's like Batman, you know? You have a phone, you have a normal phone, and then you have one that is made out of wood. That's the 'Potter' people. They call you up [and] you get your wand out, you put your cloak on and off you go. It's a real honor. It's like getting knighted or something."

"You just sit with all these actors you've starved with in the theater... sitting there dressed as wizards [and] having wand-offs. So it's very pleasantly surreal."

Thanks to Tom for the tip!

ABC Family will be hosting another "Harry Potter Weekend" March 19th-21st. The weekend event includes the basic cable premiere of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, featuring deleted scenes not included in the original film version, as well as a two-minute never-seen-before sneak peek of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

The schedule is below:

Friday, March 19th
(7:30 – 11:00 PM ET/PT) "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"

Saturday, March 20th
(9:00 AM – 12:30 PM ET/PT) "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"
(12:30 – 4:30 PM ET/PT) "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"
(4:30 – 7:30 PM ET/PT) "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"
(7:30 – 11:00 PM ET/PT) "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

Sunday, March 21st
(9:30 AM – 1:30 PM ET/PT) "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"
(1:30 – 4:30 PM ET/PT) "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"
(4:30 – 8:00 PM ET/PT) "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"
(8:00 – 11:00 PM ET/PT) "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

MTV continues to pump out the interviews, this time with actor Jason Isaacs, who plays Lucius Malfoy in the Potter films. In promotion of his new movie, Green Zone, Jason spends some time talking about his feelings now that he is finished filming Deathly Hallows.

"I'm looking for any excuse to go back, pretend I left things in my trailer, that kind of thing."

"Mostly saying goodbye to the wig was a very emotional experience. I don't get to keep the wig. I don't know, it might be on a traveling exhibit. I think it's got a very good agent who's got some more work lined up."

"I'm [both] dreading and looking forward to when it says 'The End' because it's the end of a decade of an amazing experience for all of us."

More pieces of the interview Dan Radcliffe conducted with MTV are now online. The Harry Potter actor discusses filming The Epilogue, who will play his daughter, the forest scene with Gary Oldman and David Thewlis, his thoughts on Twitter, gay rumors, being a role model and his possible return to Broadway.

On the forest scene:

"It was just one of those things where I'd put a lot of pressure on myself beforehand to get it right and so I wasn't able to relax and enjoy it as much as I might have done otherwise."

"Gary was brilliant at it and he was there, David Thewlis obviously has died by that point in the film, and also there was my parents played by Adrian and Geraldine were there as well."

You can watch all the videos courtesy of MTV right here. All video segments are located on the right-hand side of the site.

Thanks to Snitch Seeker!

Speaking with MTV primarily to talk about his involvement with The Trevor Project, Dan Radcliffe had a few words about wrapping up the filming of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

"It will be very sad when it comes to a finishing," Daniel Radcliffe said of his rapidly diminishing days working on the final "Potter" film. "But it's something you have to accept."

"I did have a moment the other day, in the makeup room that I have been in for 10 years now," he revealed. "I did walk in and go, 'Wow, this is [hitting me]. One day — in about four or five months from now — I'm gonna walk in here for the last time.' Especially since, after we're done shooting, they're redoing the entire studio, tearing down and starting again."

If there are indeed four or five months of shooting left, this would meaning filming will wrap up as early as July. Filming for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows started in February 2009.

Read more from Dan - including his thoughts on other actors having already left - on MTV's site!

The stream of new Deathly Hallows-related comments from actors promoting other films continue to flow. Tonight, ComingSoon.net has released bits of recent interviews with Ciaran Hinds (Aberforth Dumbledore) and Rhys Ifans (Xenophilius Lovegood). They both discuss entering the franchise at this late stage in the franchise's life:

Ciaran: 'I had the joy of sharing the scene with three... well, they're not kids anymore... Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. They were very charming, very gracious, made you feel very welcome and you're aware. Here I am at a certain age with all my experience and these kids really know what they're doing, they know their characters and here I am saying, 'Who the hell am I... apart from Michael Gambon's brother?'

Rhys: 'You get on set and you see all these actors who you've either admired from afar or more often than not, actors you've worked with before, all sitting there, dressed up as wizards, having wand-offs, and then bitching about other actors who didn't get the call-up. It's just such a surreal situation to be in. I was really genuinely proud to have been invited to be part of that whole machine.'

Thanks to Tommie for the tip!

Exciting comments related to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 are out this evening thanks to Jason Isaacs, who spoke to ComingSoon.net at the premiere of Green Zone today.

Of particular interest is this about the final battle sequence:

"They made the last book into two films, and it was a fantastic experience because everyone who is left alive is back… and even some of the dead people," he said with a sly smile. "There is one long sequence where everyone who is left standing is there when the forces of good meet the forces of evil."

He also spoke about how they've been molding these two final films:

"This franchise goes out in an epic way," he concluded. "I think the end of the films will be a fantastically cinematic and visual feast and it will more than satisfy the readers of the books, but what you won't get is the book on screen. You will get something more and different."

More great comments from Jason can be read on ComingSoon.net!

Tom Felton has made a couple of tweets over the past 24 hours that may provide some insight into the fact that the filming of the Epilogue is near.

"Back at hogwarts getting a head cast. You guess what for."

"Just had my body cast in plaster. Very odd feeling! So nice when it comes off! Will be the last time I do that for HP. Quite sad really."

Don't forget you can follow our list of all the Potter starts on Twitter. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Earlier today we told you about an interview with Helena where she discussed her role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Now, a new interview with MTV (primarily to promote Helena's upcoming role in Alice in Wonderland) offers us even greater details from the actress. Most notable is her mention of the Deathly Hallows split occurring before the Malfoy Manor scenes. This, after many fans speculated it would happen directly after. From MTV's report:

"The best bit about being Bellatrix in this one is also because I got to pretend to be Hermione," she added of a pivotal scene that has the evil witch's identity being assumed by Harry's friend in order to gain access to Gringotts Wizarding Bank, which holds Hufflepuff's cup — and a part of Voldemort's soul. "Because Hermione takes polyjuice potion and gets to look like Bellatrix."

After J.K. Rowling wrote the scene in the final "Potter" book, the film series' producers were faced with a difficult question: Was it preferable to use makeup and CGI to make Watson look like Bonham Carter, or have the older actress act like the younger?

"Rather than put Emma Watson in a helluva load of make-up they just said, 'Now you go act like Hermione,' " Bonham Carter said of their decision. "That was fun, because I always wanted to be Hermione.

"It was great fun," she said of the scene. "[I was] looking at Dan [Radcliffe] and Rupert [Grint] and they were treating me as if I was 17."

The scene itself falls near the middle of the "Deathly Hallows" novel — but Bonham Carter's next statement might shed some important light on where the books will be split, a point on which the "Potter" crew have been elusive.

"I can't remember where they are going to cut," she explained, then remembered. "Yeah, [the scene is] definitely in the second one, because all of my stuff is in the second one. So you won't see me until 2011."

We're listening to BBC Radio 2's interview as it is broadcasted live (we reported the interview's airing yesterday). Below are our notes from the interview.

- (10:51 PM GMT) Stuart Craig says if part of the deal at the beginning was to work on this for 10 years, he would have said no. To his great surprise, he's here 10 years later having enjoyed all of it.
- (10:53 PM GMT) Nick Dudman: JK Rowling took the fantasy genre and made it acceptable to everyone. The amount of fantasy is vast compared to the size before Potter. The box office numbers tell you the vast number of people love these movies.
- (10:55 PM GMT) David Heyman: When Jo Rowling wrote the first book, she knew what the end was. It was amazing when I first met her that she had charted everything out.
- (11:00 PM GMT) David Heyman says the themes in the books and films are universally relatable - that is what is at the heart of Jo's stories.
- (11:00 PM GMT) David says he's primarily interested in making the best adaptation of Jo's book. Each time we tell the story in the best way we can. That's the key and that's the foundation, because if we make a bad film it's all meaningless.

Actress Imelda Staunton, who will be reprising her role as Dolores Umbridge in Deathly Hallows, will start filming next week, according to an article from the Liverpool Daily Post.

The article focuses on Staunton's visit to Liverpool’s Acting Academy, where the actress spoke of her career in film and television.

Thanks to Snitch Seeker!