Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban [the trailer is up, and it looks great]

MSNBC Entertainment ^

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Opting for a producer-only role this time, director Chris Columbus passes the Harry Potter baton off to Alfonso Cuarón (Y Tu Mamá También) for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third film in the series. Daniel Radcliffe returns as the bespectacled young wizard who is now in his third year at Hogwarts. After and incident that sees his anger get the best of him, Harry runs away from the school. Unfortunately, the magical wunderkind soon learns that Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban prison and is after him. Along with Oldman, the additions to the cast the third time around include David Thewlis and Michael Gambon, who assumes the role of Professor Albus Dumbledore, previously played by the late Richard Harris. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

[Not A Snowbird]

Did you check out the preview? His wanted poster is seriously creepy.

Yes! Spooky dude!

[js1138]

Hang on to that copy. That was corrected in later printings. There's also a place in book three where Snape is spelled Snap. There are several web sites that keep tabs of errors in the books and the movies. The thestral sighting, however, is the only goof I'm aware of that alters a major plot expectation. I'm trying to visualize the movie scene where Harry's mother gets it. I don't think it shows Harry in the same scene. Perhaps this was done to allow JK to say that Harry didn't see his parents die.

It does show the need for the moviemakers to know about upcoming plot developments, to avoid giving making plot killing goofs.

[Not A Snowbird]

Now that you mention it, in one of the first two movies, there's a flashback where Harry sees his mother, holding him, then her falling, then Voldemort pointing his wand at Harry. How could he not have seen her die? Unless she put him down and ran back to Voldemort?

Or are we being unnecessarily nit picky?

[null and void]

If she's following the model, there will be resurection after the final battle.

The wands will give up their dead...

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Damn - I never, ever thought of that. You're right, he didn't see them. I've always figured that she had the entire set of plotlines up through 7, nd probably had the first 3 books written before the first book ever hit the shelves, and you confirm what I've suspected for a while about his parents.

[Not A Snowbird]

Please put me on your Potter Ping list! I have to go back to work. :-(

[mhking]

Oldman looks great (don't miss Oldman in the "living" wanted poster, it looks fantastic!); Gambon looks and sounds the part (my son didn't know the difference when he saw the trailer).

I'm hoping they can live up to the first film in the series (the second, while good, was a little light in some parts).

[null and void]

But doesn't he hear his parents dying when the dementors are near? I mean, you're always under the impression that Harry-as-a-baby was there when Voldemort killed his folks.

Yep. He hears them screaming. Dying? I don't think so, but I could be wrong. It's sufficient for Harry to believe the screams are their dying sounds, as he has been told...

[mhking]

(Lord Hildamort!™ - She Who Must Not Be Named)

Nominee for post and tagline of the day!

[null and void]

*blush*

[mhking]

The other issue is the increasing length of the later books. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix could be a mini-series!

Last I heard, Goblet of Fire will be four hours long with an intermission in the middle. At this rate, Order of the Phoenix (I still haven't read it - my son still has the book) will end up being a miniseries!

[js1138]

Considering the director, perhaps this movie should be called y su pequeño perro también.

Sorry, but I was watching Wizard of Oz last weekend.

[Liberal Classic]

Gary Oldman is one of my favorite character actors. I'm already looking forward to the next movie, but this is an added treat.

As Dracula:

A gangster in True Romance:

Evil industrialist in The Fifth Element:

And Dr. Smith of Lost In Space:

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Speaking of "The Wizard of O", it turns out that the hanging victim legend is bogus - its just a bird, flapping wings that doesn't show up well on tv.

[Rutabega]

Oh, I totally agree that just because Harry is under the impression that he was there when his folks were killed (as he has been told by Dumbledore, et all) and therefore so are we (as we are relying on Harry's POV for our information) that it is necessarily true. Luna (at the end of book five) seems pretty convinced that she will see her mother again, and I think Luna is going to end up being quite a prophetess.

[null and void]

And married to Harry...

[Rutabega]

And don't forget Punk-rock nut job/heroin addict killer Sid Vicious! He was great (Sid and Nancy)!!! (I believe he is also a conservative!)

[Centurion2000]

bump .... Gary Oldman is playing a good guy for once ?

How marvellous :-)

[Rutabega]

Luna and Harry? Conceivable. . .even likely. She is the only one that makes him feel better at the very end of book five, and that is an important clue!

[retrokitten]

He was a great choice for Sirus!

My husband gets told alot that he looks like him (regular Gary Oldman, not Dracula or anyone like that. LOL!).