Weekly Round-Up: Coronavirus Pauses Premieres & Productions, New Doctor Who Audio Series With David Tennant, & More!

The coronavirus wreaked more havoc on the Wizarding World this week than a Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom full of Cornish Pixies. We shared the news that Broadway would be going dark until April 12 including the New York production of Cursed Child as would its San Francisco counterpart. We also confirmed that Universal Orlando and Universal Hollywood would be closing their doors for the remainder of the month as would Warner Bros Studio Tour London. Where is Madam Pomfrey when we need her? Despite corona fears, Leaky announced a GIVEAWAY from specialty design book company Juniper Books ahead of House Pride Days and our new Patreon from Mischief Media. We also covered news of a unique signed first edition Philosopher’s Stone and a Reducio’d Harry Potter book handwritten by the author up for auction and a new endeavor from Wizarding World graphic designers MinaLima.

In this week’s Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts Round-Up a preview of the upcoming HBO/Sky One drama The Third Day featuring Fantastic Beasts co-stars Jude Law and Katherine Waterston, Daniel Radcliffe responds to coronavirus rumors, a behind the scenes look at Warwick Davis and his son Harrison filming Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, Scarlett Hefner announces her pregnancy, a trailer for mystery series Deadwater Fell and a new Doctor Who audio series for David Tennant and films for Julie Walters, Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz and Domhnall Gleeson halt production / switch premiere timelines due to coronavirus concerns.

A Sneak Peek of Jude Law and Katherine Waterston in The Third Day

It may be over a year until the next Fantastic Beasts film hits theaters, but fans will be able to see two of it’s stars together on screen this spring. Jude Law, young Albus Dumbledore, and Katherine Waterston, Tina Goldstein, star in the upcoming mystery drama The Third Day. In the six-part series divided into two parts, Law plays a character named Sam who’s confronted by a trauma in his past while on a mysterious island off the British Coast. Waterston plays a woman he meets on the island named Jess. Check out the trailer below for the series that’s scheduled to premiere May 11 on HBO in the U.S. and Sky One in the U.K. They may not play wizards here, but it is undoubtedly magical to see Law and Waterston together again.

Daniel Radcliffe Responds to Coronavirus Rumors

Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, has been affected by the coronavirus outbreak, but not too worry, despite internet rumors flying faster than a Firebolt, the former Boy Wizard is doing just fine. Here’s his response to the news from an interview with Australian radio show Smallzy’s Surgery via EW

“I walked into the hair and makeup room on the play yesterday and the makeup artist was like, my niece has just texted me and told me you’ve got corona,”[…]”I was like, ‘What?’ He showed me a tweet and it was like, ‘Daniel Radcliffe becomes the first famous person to contract coronavirus.’ I think it’s just because I look ill all the time so you can believably say it about me ’cause I’m very pale. That’s the internet. Flattered they chose me.”

We’re so happy to hear all is well with Daniel. The last thing he needs is another trip to the Hospital Wing. Radcliffe can be seen currently in Guns Akimbo and Escape to Pretoria both streaming on Amazon, Dark Ages Tuesdays on TBS and Endgame at the Old Vic Theatre.

Wizards Behind the Scenes of Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker

Amidst all the worrisome world news this week, a couple of behind-the-scenes looks surfaced from a galaxy far far away. Warwick Davis who’s known best to Potter fans as Professor Flitwick and Griphook is a fandom crossover extraordinaire as well. Most fans know he started acting in the role of Wicket the Ewok in Star Wars, a role he reprised almost four decades later in the recent final installment, The Rise of Skywalker along with his real life son Harrison playing Wicket’s son Pommet. In this exclusive clip from Syfy we get a look at the father-son acting duo on set getting into costume and working with director J.J. Abrams. Take a look below:

A Rise of Skywalker blooper that’s appeared online reveals from silliness on set from Domhnall Gleeson. The actor known to Potter fans as Bill Weasley reprised his role as the nefarious General Hux who turned out to be a spy within the First Order giving info to the Resistance. Take a look at the clip posted on Twitter by USA Today entertainment writer Brian Truitt:

The First Order goes to the lighter side in this @usatodaylife exclusive blooper reel from @StarWars #TheRiseofSkywalker, on digital platforms Tuesday. (Domhnall Gleeson is my spirit animal here.) https://t.co/FN4fD1pexq pic.twitter.com/cDlHKtWjAK

— Brian Truitt (@briantruitt) March 10, 2020

Scarlett Hefner Reveals Pregnancy

Some Lumos in this darkness! Last year we shared the news that Scarlett Byrne (now Scarlett Hefner) wed her longtime boyfriend Cooper Hefner, son of Playboy founder the late Hugh Hefner. This week the actress who played Slytherin Pansy Parkinson in the last three Harry Potter films announced via Instagram that she and Hefner are expecting their first child And no surprise that some of her Potter co-stars celebrated the news along with them. Evanna Lynch posted,

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Glowing angel mother to be!!! “

And Bonnie Wright said,

“Congratulations to you both. This is so exciting!”

It’s so nice to hear some good news this week! Congratulations from Leaky!!

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Cooper and I are delighted to share that we have a little one on the way. Our hearts are filled with gratitude and joy, and the two of us can’t wait to meet the newest little Hefner. A post shared by Scarlett Hefner (@scarletthefner) on Mar 10, 2020 at 10:05am PDT

Ezra Miller Talks the Art of Performance and Gender Identity with GQ

As enigmatic as his Fantastic Beasts character is, Ezra Miller, is just as intriguing off screen. Ahead of Miller’s return to the Wizarding World he sat down with British GQ to discuss the art of performance, gender identity and what sets Miller apart from his contemporaries,

GQ describes Miller,

“This is the way they speak, eloquent and rhythmic. It’s both wonderful and terrifying to realise the person you’re sitting next to has been improvising as a part of their life for so long that they have an almost limitless grasp of English. Miller uses language to twist and turn throughout sermons that somehow both explain and avoid the topics of entertainment, acting, and what it means to be an artist.[…]Miller is a part of a new wave of entertainers – Billy Porter, Cody Fern and Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness among them – that sends gender-binary tabloids into paroxysms of confusion with lavish dresses and expressive make-up. It’s hard to imagine the previous generation – the Matt Damons and Leonardo DiCaprios – making similar style choices. For Miller, it seems to be not just a provocation, but a function of their mysticism.”

And Miller shares some insight into his own psyche,

‘People do not understand me. I don’t intend them to, right? I want a certain amount of confusion and I’m comfortable sharing that. I have plans that not a soul, even in my closest spheres, know of. I mean, I tell stories in a lot of ways; I’m doing a lot of different types of work at once. They all interrelate. Some of them use my public image, some of them don’t. My prerogative is service. I’m here to do what I can for everybody I can do it for.’

While fans wait for Miller to appear again in Fantastic Beasts and hopefully shed some Lumos on the Credence/Aurelius conundrum, GQ mentions that Miller will be seen in the upcoming TV adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand. Interestingly the Fantastic Beasts star isn’t listed on the IMDB page and Leaky hasn’t heard about the role in the series which has eerie similarities to the current coronavirus situation.

Miller also refers to themself this way which makes us think his Wizarding World role is the perfect fit. Life imitating art or vice versa?

‘We [actors and artists] are all practitioners of the various works of magic and medicine, storytelling and ritual.’ 

Read this recent interview with Ezra Miller in its entirety on GQ.

First Looks and a New Doctor Who Series for David Tennant

A first look has been revealed at David Tennant, Harry Potter’s Barty Crouch, Jr., in the upcoming 4-part crime drama Deadwater Fell. The series takes place in a small Scottish community, where Tennant plays local doctor Tom Kendrick who is suspected of killing his wife and children. Tennant is also an executive producer on the show, which premieres in the U.S. April 6 on AcornTV. Take a look at the trailer:

The former Death Eater will also be stepping back into the shoes of the Tenth incarnation of Doctor Who’s iconic Time Lord for a cameo in an upcoming Big Finish audio series. Catherine Tate, who played his time travelling companion Donna Noble, has a new four-part Doctor Who audio spinoff on the way called Donna Noble: Kidnapped and according to Digital Spy, Tennant will make an appearance in one of the episodes. Donna Noble: Kidnapped is available now on Big Finish.

Postponed Premieres & Production Amidst Corona Fears

Two former Weasleys have films that have been given the old Petrificus Totalus as a result of concerns over the coronavirus. Julie Walters, who played Mrs. Molly Weasley in the Harry Potter films, stars in the upcoming remake of The Secret Garden from Wizarding World producer David Heyman’s StudioCanal. The film was scheduled to open April 3 but has now been pushed back to August 14. In addition, StudioCanal has closed their London offices according to Deadline. Walters, who recently revealed that she’s been successfully treated for stage 3 bowel cancer said during an interview with the BBC that as a result of the health condition The Secret Garden may be her last film. Keep an eye out for the release. Hopefully she’ll make an appearance on the red carpet since she missed the premiere of Mamma Mia 2 during her treatment.

The actor that played her eldest son in Harry Potter, Domhnall Gleeson also has a film that’s been put on the back Burrow burner. Gleeson returns as  Mr.Tom McGregor in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway which has been delayed from a pre-Easter release to August 7.

Production on highly anticipated The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz, has also been postponed for two weeks due to Coronavirus – it’s likely at this point that we could see a halt in production on Fantastic Beasts 3 at this point, too, as movie studios continue to be affected by the pandemic.

‘The Batman’ Shuts Down Production For Two Weeks Due to Coronavirus https://t.co/8Lx0NUBmn1

— Variety (@Variety) March 14, 2020

Bill Nighy and Callum Turner Lead Emma Featurette

The latest revival of Emma starring Bill Nighy and Callum Turner puts an even more humorous spin on the Jane Austen classic. In tandem with its current run in theaters, People revealed a featurette for Emma that has its stars explaining the film and its protagonist in 60 seconds. Turner, Fantastic Beasts Theseus Scamander, who plays the lead’s love interest Frank Churchill, says this in the spot,

“She fancies herself the best matchmaker around,”

Nighy, who played Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour is Mr. Woodhouse, Emma’s father adds,

“But she has what we now call: Control issues.”

Hear all about Emma below and check in out now in theaters, while they’re still open.

Fiona Glascott Cast in Julia Child Biopic 

Has there ever been a character in a Wizarding World film so surrounded by controversy than the appearance of a young Minerva McGonagall in Crimes of Grindelwald? Fiona Glascott, the actress who had the honor of stepping into one of our favorite Hogwarts professor’s shoes in the second Fantastic Beasts has been cast in the upcoming HBO Max series Julia based on the life of cookbook and TV star Julia Child. According to Deadline Glascott will play Judith,

“the visionary Editor with a knack for pulling manuscripts out of the reject pile and turning them into bestsellers.”  

Congratulations to Fiona Glascott. We’ll look forward to seeing her in Julia and no doubt patrolling the Hogwarts halls again in future installments of Fantastic Beasts.

That’s all the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts news for this week Potterheads! Don’t miss the latest Wizarding World news from the stage including a new play for Evanna Lynch and the big Cursed Child Toronto cast announcement, and the latest theater closings in our Theater Round-Up and don’t forget to enter our GIVEAWAY from Juniper Books to win a set of House-themed book jackets until midnight March 23.