Please join us in raising a bucket-sized glass of single malt whiskey in a toast to actress Frances de la Tour (Madame Maxime), who turns 62 today. Happy Birthday!

The calendar at JKRowling.com has been updated to wish a Happy Birthday to Neville Longbottom! Cheers, Neville. 🙂

The London premiere of Driving Lessons, starring Rupert Grint (Ron) and Julie Walters (Mrs. Weasley) will be held at the Vue Cinema in Leicester Square on Monday, September 4. The film was recently honored at the Moscow Film Festival and will also be screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on August 25 and 26. …read more!

Tickets for “An Evening With Harry, Carrie and Garp,” the charity reading from JK Rowling, Stephen King and John Irving at Radio City Music Hall next week, are in high demand, with some seats selling for well over their face value. The event comprises two evenings of readings by the authors, “surprise guests” and question-and-answer …read more!

We told you in December that Daniel Radcliffe was rumored to be in talks to appear in Peter Shaffer’s 1973 play Equus. Dan has now confirmed to DanRadcliffe.com and DanRadcliffe.co.uk that he will indeed be playing 17-year-old psychiatric patient Alan Strang in the award-winning play, which begins rehearsals in January 2007 and will open in …read more!

The rumors are true: the PotterCast team from Leaky and the MuggleCast team from MuggleNet will face off in the ultimate Harry Potter trivia battle at the end of the LeakyMug podcast on Saturday. It will be hosted and moderated by the Harry Potter Lexicon. Be there for the grudge match. The podcast starts at …read more!

Today is our own Alex Robbin’s (otherwise known as Super Alex Robbin) birthday! He’s a senior Leaky programmer and he usually pretty much rules the world around here. Love you, Alex – have a happy day!

The 63rd Annual Venice Film Festival will feature three films in which Harry Potter personnel are involved. In consideration for the Golden Lion prize are “Children of Men,” directed by Alfonso Cuaró (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) and Brian de Palma’s “The Black Dahlia,” featuring actress Fiona Shaw (Aunt Petunia). “The Magic Flute,” …read more!

The Oxford Mail reports that film crews for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix were in the vicinity of Blenheim Palace preparing for shooting there this week. Although Warner Bros. has not discussed details of the filming, the Mail reveals that “a location near the park’s lake will feature in the much-anticipated [film].” …read more!