Harry Potter Week: Morning newsblast

Jim Dale, who reads the Harry audiobooks, knows how it all ends, and he can’t even tell his grandkids. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the NYT, a look at the directors of the HP films. Or simply keep up with their Harry Potter index. (Thanks, Liz!)

Meanwhile, no one has any business being surprised that Order of the Phoenix is tops at the box office, making about twice as the nearest competition, Transformers.

Also…

Harry Potter and the Fear of Spoilers

Wal-Mart recently announced its Harry Potter spoiler policy with a rather amusingly-written poem:

Wal-Mart’s Pledge to Harry Potter Fans

There’s plenty of excitement brewing,
As the final chapter draws near;
But hearing the story’s end from others,
Is what magicals and muggles all fear;
So at Wal-Mart worldwide we’ve decided,
To make a pledge to our customers that’s clear,
We’ll keep silent on what we discover July 21,
So you buy without fear of reveal here.

JK Rowling they aren’t, but it’s a great sentiment. Some stores are even handing out earplugs for the even more nervous.

Club Jade will also make all attempts to keep the spoilage off of our pages (if any of us can even stand to look for fear of getting spoiled ourselves) with plenty of warnings and links.

Harry Potter: OotP breaks Wednesday records

hp-ootp.jpgHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix made $12 million from Wednesday’s midnight openings, busting Return of the King’s previous record of $8 million. Who knows how much cash the weekend will bring… Also from Variety: Will book/movie synergy work for Potter? I don’t doubt it.

Order of the Phoenix

Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Hype of Ages

Security on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows isn’t being taken lightly. Printing plants hired extra guards, the printed books are kept in locked boxes, but nothing beats this:

Bloomsbury refused to send the manuscript to Scholastic electronically because it feared that it would be intercepted. Instead, Mark Seidenfeld, the American publisher’s lawyer, travelled to Britain to pick it up and, on his return journey, protected it from prying eyes by sitting on it.

Sounds like a lousy way to spent a transatlantic flight…

The Potterdämmerung approaches!

Order of the Pheonix

I refuse to believe this is for real

Higher than average whinging is expected in the wake of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, yes. But a helpline?

Retailers fear that the ending of the series and the accompanying deaths could cause such level of distress among fans that Waterstone’s, a major bookseller, are planning to set up a helpline for readers.

Because no beloved character has ever died in fiction before. Quick, hide the Russian literature section! (via fandom lounge)