Weekly Round-Up: J.K. Rowling Shares ‘Harry Potter’ Story on Twitter, Daniel Radcliffe in a ‘Kimmy Schmidt’ Special & More!
Apr 20, 2020
Depp, Harry Potter Round-Up, News, Pattinson, Radcliffe, Round-Up, Tennant, Thewlis, Thompson, Wright
This week in the Wizarding World we reported on a new Alexa home device feature, a dream job for Potter fans, and a behind-the-scenes look at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. We published an exclusive interview with the author of The Wand Collection, reported on an interview with Domnhall Gleeson, and shared the (old) news that J.K. Rowling had bought her childhood home. We learned the sad news that the opening of Cursed Child in Toronto has been delayed until 2021, but also received a heartwarming update about Harry Potter tour buses being used to transport NHS staff in London during the COVID-19 crisis.
In this week’s round-up, J.K. Rowling shares a personal Harry Potter story and some writing advice, Daniel Radcliffe is set to star in a Kimmy Schmidt Netflix special, Bonnie Wright talks Harry Potter cast friendships, Fiona Shaw speaks Killing Eve, Dame Emma Thompson and Stephen Fry contribute to a collection of love letters to the NHS, a first look at Robert Pattinson in Tenet, Claudia Kim announces her pregnancy, Dan Fogler leaves Instagram whilst Johnny Depp joins the platform, and much more:
J.K. Rowling Shares Potter story & Advice on Twitter
In a series of tweets this week, J.K. Rowling shared a personal story about Order of the Phoenix, prompted by a fan sharing their well-read copy of Order of the Phoenix:
Seeing my books in this condition is the highest possible compliment, so thank *you*, @emiika_ https://t.co/NZOCjpn0gW
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 16, 2020
“Now seeing a lot of love for Order of the Phoenix from other readers, which means a huge amount to me! I’m fond of many bits (Luna, DA & Umbridge) but it was a hard book to write for a number of reasons that haven’t ever made it into the public domain (& aren’t about to!) 1/3
“It’s hard to communicate the relationship you have with your books post-publication, once they become everybody’s. There are invisible stories interwoven with the printed ones that nobody else can see. It took me years to realise where a certain idea in Potter had come from, 2/3
“because it had taken such a circuitous, personal journey up from my subconscious. This is the strange underbelly of published work, which only the writer knows. Phoenix is very much that kind of book, so there’s something reassuring about it being loved, nonetheless. 3/X”
Rowling went on to say planning for both Potter and the Cormoran Strike series started with character, because “character is plot!”. She also said the easiest book she’d ever written was Prisoner of Azkaban:
Character, always character. https://t.co/G3n9y2913V
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 16, 2020
Yes, definitely. Character is plot! I need to thoroughly understand why the crime was committed, and by whom, before I start plotting clues and red herrings. https://t.co/UKpHFhn5cw
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 16, 2020
Choosing which idea to write is like picking a lodger, so make sure you like it enough to forgive it all the trouble it's going to put you through. https://t.co/jvsCJjA4Kz
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 16, 2020
Of the Potters, Prisoner of Azkaban. I was in a more financially secure place, Pottermania wasn't yet overwhelming and my daughter had started school. For the first time, I had hours a day to write and that book just wrote itself. https://t.co/n7sj3cIPJ5
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 16, 2020
Daniel Radcliffe Covers Sharp Magazine & Stars in Special Kimmy Schmidt Episode
Daniel Radcliffe will start in an interactive special of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, in which Radcliffe portrays a prince! In the special, Kimmy takes on the Reverend one last time, and party with said prince:
The Netflix special episode lets the viewer decide which direction the story goes – foil the plan and get to Kimmy’s wedding on time, or “accidentally start a war against the robots”?
Dan also features on the cover of the Spring 2020 edition of Sharp Magazine, available now:
Watch some tips for isolation from Dan in a promo interview from Sharp below:
Claudia Kim Announces Pregnancy
Fantastic Beasts star Claudia Kim (Kim Soo Hyun) is pregnant with her first child! Her agency Culture Depot said in an announcement:
“We are announcing that Soo Hyun is 15 weeks pregnant, and she is coming into a more stable period in the pregnancy. As she focuses on her pregnancy, we will be carefully organizing her schedule, and she will be attending some higher priority events. Thank you to everyone for the support and congratulations.”
Kim was last month announced as the first official face of TIME , and joined them in a 2020 campaign video, which you can see here in a repost on her Instagram. She also posted a throwback to Nagini’s costume, saying “missing #Nagini” – we can’t wait for her return!
View this post on Instagram
???? ???? missing #Nagini ? A post shared by ?? • Claudia Kim Shampine (@claudiashkim) on
Join us in congratulating Kim on the news!
Dan Fogler Leaves Instagram
After several videos being blocked on Instagram due to claims that the post “may have copyrighted content that belongs to somebody else”, Fogler reached his limit and decided to leave the platform:
“Aaaaand that’s Strike 3 @instagram so long and thanks for all the fish. I’d like to apologize to my fans but this was the final straw.
I’ll be removing this account by the end of the day. Unfortunately I predict this kinda fascist policing and overly sensitive algorithms will be the norm in the daze to come. How dare you @instagram shame on you for s******* on my little parade. Perhaps you should police some of these other sites streaming content far more “dangerous” to your precious fragile system. Peace.
I’ll be at @mrdanfogler on twitter … for now. AND At least on twitter, WHERE I POSTED THIS SAME CLIP weeks AGO and tagged #AMC, I’m welcome and have yet to be blocked. And why should I have to appeal because of an obvious glitch in the #insta system?
This is a much larger problem that we all will soon face leaving it to machines to decide our fate. Not only is the future “plastic” it’s also gonna be riddled with glitches like these and “false positives” . BEWARE.
*ACTUALLY I’VE DECIDED TO GO LIVE TODAY AT SOME POINT FOR ONE LAST HURRAH. We can chat about what this world is coming to then… stay tuned. Much love”
He had previously posted on the “facist” and “over-policing algorithm”, and frustrations at content being blocked. In a livestream, Dan said that the clip, from Warner Bros. (who he works for), would have been flagged by the studio if it had been a problem, and it had existed on Twitter with no issues.
“Once we get to making [Fantastic Beasts 3] it’s going to be great, and Instagram’s not going to get any photos from it!” Fogler said in response to a comment on his livestream.
Find Dan over at @mrdanfogler on Twitter from now on.
Fiona Shaw on Killing Eve Season 3
After the debut of Season 3 of Killing Eve, Fiona Shaw spoke to Forbes on the twist in episode 1, and her character’s arc in this season:
“I was very upset by it and I thought it was absolutely brilliant writing because something personal has got to happen to change the [character] […] You do need all the aspects of human life to be ticked if the thing is to get richer and I do think Season 3 is all the richer for this catastrophe, in that you do get to meet someone at their least glamorous, at their least in charge. Not play into their strengths, but into their weaknesses.”
Read the full interview here (but beware of Season 3 spoilers!).
David Thewlis Stars in National Geographic’s Barkskins
David Thewlis stars in a limited eight-part series by National Geographic, that has had its release date bumped up to Memorial Day, May 25, due to COVID-19 postponing other shows.
The series is based on Brokeback Mountain author Annie Proulx’s novel about a massacre in 17th century Canada threatening to throw the country into war, and will also star Marcia Gay Harden. The series will episode two episodes per week over four weeks, and will be eligible for Emmy nominations.
Read more on the series here.
Bonnie Wright On Harry Potter Cast Friendships
In an interview with Insider, Bonnie Wright spoke about her friendships with the Harry Potter cast, saying she’s still close to Evanna Lynch (listen to her episode on Lynch’s vegan podcast The Chickpeeps here), and also said that James and Oliver Phelps and Rupert Grint are “like brothers” off screen.
She also spoke about the cast’s Christmas reunion, organized by Emma Watson for Potter actors spending Christmas in the UK:
“It was relatively last minute, Emma put together a little sort of Christmas drinks party thing and it was just the perfect time because we all happened to be back in England,”
“I spent a very huge part of my formative years and life with them so it’s nice that we still have each other.” Wright told Insider.
Read the full interview here.
Johnny Depp Joins Instagram
Johnny Depp has officially joined Instagram! In his first video, he thanked fans for standing by him, and spoke to the strange times in isolation due to COVID-19. He also announced a new cover of John Lennon’s Isolation, with Jeff Beck, which you can listen to below:
sent with love from @jeffbeckofficial and me
It’s the actor’s first taste of social media, and he said he decided to join due to the ability to connect with others in these uncertain, isolated times. Join us in welcoming him to social media!
Dame Emma Thompson on Front Row Lates & New NHS Book
Dame Emma Thompson recently performed on Front Row Late, reading a poem by John Donne, in the first episode of the new BBC Arts series. The episode aired Thursday on BBC Two, and can be found here.
Thompson and U.K. Harry Potter audiobook reader Stephen Fry also read love letters to the NHS in a charity book Dear NHS: 100 Stories to Say Thank You. The book will raise funds for NHS Charities Together and The Lullaby Trust, and has been curated by This Is Going To Hurt author, Adam Kay:
“I hope that the book, and the money it raises for charity, will in some way manage to say thank you to the heroes who are putting our lives before their own every day.”
The book will be released on July 9. Read more here.
David Tennant and Catherine Tate Live Tweet Doctor Who & Star in Return of Little Britain
David Tennant and Catherine Tate live tweeted during a reshowing of Doctor Who episode Detonate the Reality Bomb, announced by then-showrunner, Russell T Davies.
View this post on InstagramIt’s going to be a loooong night…? #kingofmyspace #SubwaveNetwork @twitter
A post shared by Georgia Tennant (@georgiatennantofficial) on
Georgia Tennant shared a few comments, alongside the main tweeting over at @LockdownWho:
DAVID: …it got cut and a whole spin off series never happened… #SubwaveNetwork
— David Tennant & Catherine Tate #SubwaveNetwork (@LockdownWho) April 19, 2020
I nicked a bit of the tardis when I filmed my episode. Does that mean I can grow my own one? https://t.co/277vcDhD2B
— Georgia Tennant (@georgiaEtennant) April 19, 2020
Cheers everyone #SubwaveNetwork pic.twitter.com/tfEACPCyr9
— Georgia Tennant (@georgiaEtennant) April 19, 2020
Find the full set of live tweets here.
David Tennant will also star with Catherine Tate in a return of Little Britain for BBC’s Big Night In, raising money for the NHS. The three-hour show will air on BBC One on April 23. Read more here.
First Look at Robert Pattinson in Tenet
First photos of Robert Pattinson on Christopher Nolan’s Tenet have now emerged, showing the actor with costar John David Washington. The movie is a complete mystery, and star Michael Cain even has no idea what it’s about, however, according to Heroic Hollywood, fans have managed to discover through trailers that it features time travel of some kind.
See the photos below:
The movie is still set for a July 17 release date, however, this is could change given current circumstances. Warner Bros. has officially described the film as “an action epic evolving from the world of international espionage”. Read more here.
That’s all for this week! Be sure to stay posted for the latest Wizarding World news, and we’ll see you soon for another round-up.
