Katie Leung, who is known for playing the role of Cho Chang in the Harry Potter series, has opened up about receiving racist abuse from fans while shooting for the fantasy franchise. Leung, on a recent episode of the Chinese Chippy Girl podcast, claimed that publicists asked her to deny experiencing online abuse.
Recalling her experience, Leung said that she started noticing racist messages from fans online after her casting in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) was announced. Many publications covered the news and then someone secretly took a picture of her. After that picture was published, Leung started receiving hateful messages.
She remembered, “I just broke down. I just started crying”.
Leung discovered several abusive messages about her being shared on several fan clubs dedicated to the Harry Potter series.
“I was Googling myself at one point, and I was on this website, which was kind of dedicated to the Harry Potter fandom. I remember reading all the comments. And, yeah, it was a lot of racist shit,” she said.
At that time, Leung approached a publicist as she was a teenager and had no media training. After having a discussion about online abuse, the publicist told her not to talk about it to the media. It’s still unclear if the publicist was working for Warner Bros Pictures or for Leung.
The Scottish-born performer of Chinese descent, Leung, who later starred in films including T2 Trainspotting, added that she feels grateful to be a part of the huge franchise but her experience “wasn’t great.”
Budding wizards and witches will have to wait a while longer to delve into Hogwarts Legacy. The open-world Harry Potter RPG, which was supposed to arrive this year, has been delayed to 2022.
“We would like to thank fans from around the world on the tremendous reaction to the announcement of Hogwarts Legacy from our Portkey Games label,” publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment wrote in a statement on Twitter. “Creating the best possible experience for all of the Wizarding World and gaming fans is paramount to us, so we are giving the game the time it needs.”
Hogwarts Legacy, which is set well before Harry Potter’s time in the 1800s, was reportedly the key reason behind ATT changing its mind about selling off the Warner Bros. gaming division. When the game finally arrives, you’ll be able to play it on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
Amad Diallo, Harvey Elliott, Folarin Balogun and Billy Gilmour are among the young players looking to impress this season
Every season, a group of young players make the first big step on the journey to becoming Premier League stars.
But who are the likely candidates to be this season’s breakout performers?
BBC Sport selects nine young players who could make a genuine impact on the English top flight next season.
Clearly, there is some guesswork at play here and we cannot cover every possible young superstar, so feel free to use the comments section to add to this list with your own suggestions and why you think they will shine next season.
Folarin Balogun (Arsenal)
Arsenal and their fans have been waiting for one of their stable of promising young strikers to step up and start scoring in the Premier League for a number of seasons.
With the progress of Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah both stalling somewhat for differing reasons, there are big hopes that Folarin Balogun can steal a march on both.
The 20-year-old made his first-team debut last season, playing six games in total and scoring twice in five Europa League matches, and after signing a new four-year deal in April is now set to be a permanent fixture in the first-team squad.
Nine goals in 18 Premier League 2 games in 2019-20 is just a teaser of his predatory skills and with the Gunners seemingly looking more towards youth, now could be Balogun’s time to shine on the big stage.
Brighton reportedly beat a number of other European clubs to the signature of 19-year-old Ecuadorean Moises Caicedo, parting with what could prove to be a bargain £4m for the midfielder in the last winter transfer window.
Manager Graham Potter was quick to temper expectations, stating it was important to give the player time to adjust to living in England and Premier League football.
Now with that acclimatisation process a few months down the line and with some impressive Under-23 games under his belt, now may be the time for Caicedo to shine.
The level of his involvement could depend on the presence and form of Yves Bissouma, who was first choice as the defensive lynchpin of Brighton’s midfield last season, but has been linked with a move away from Sussex.
Liam Delap (Manchester City)
The departure of Sergio Aguero means that as it stands, Manchester City go into next season with Gabriel Jesus as their only recognised centre-forward.
Pep Guardiola obviously has options, with Ferran Torres and Raheem Sterling both able to operate as a false nine, and could significantly boost their numbers if they turn their interest in Tottenham’s Harry Kane into a signed and sealed transfer.
Barring such a big move, though, they may turn to one of their own academy lads – 18-year-old striker Liam Delap.
Signed from Derby in 2018, the son of former Stoke player Rory scored 24 times in 20 Under-23 games last season, netted his first senior goal in a Carabao Cup third-round win over Bournemouth and made his Premier League bow.
It is not often that a young player breaks through into one of the truly elite Premier League clubs, especially a striker – but if Delap can, it could prove a very cost-effective masterstroke.
“One of the most exciting young prospects in the game” was how United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer described the 19-year-old Ivorian at the time and he has already shown flashes of this.
Quick, skilful, and direct with good vision, he could prove to be a nightmare for Premier League defenders.
He has competition in wide attacking areas, but with four competitions in which to compete, his opportunities at Old Trafford will surely come.
He is not the only promising young player at United either, with 18-year-old midfielder Hannibal Mejbri and 17-year-old Shola Shoretire among a crop of talented teens.
Under Marcelo Bielsa’s management, Leeds are developing a reputation as a side who offer a clearer pathway to first-team football than most in the English top flight.
More than 10 Under-23 players have made their debut during the Argentine’s reign and 19-year-old Cody Drameh – an August 2020 signing from Fulham – could be next.
He has rivals in the shape of forwards Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood, and recently acquired midfielder Lewis Bate, but Drameh is better placed than most.
As a right-back, his pathway is clearer, with only Luke Ayling in front of him, although the versatile Stuart Dallas is also an option for the role.
Drameh also comes into this campaign with the club’s Under-23 player of the year award on his mantelpiece after helping them to promotion to the first division with 21 appearances full of dynamism and drive.
Harvey Elliott (Liverpool)
It feels like Harvey Elliott has been around for a while now, but that is mainly because he made his Premier League debut for Fulham aged 16 years and 30 days.
Full of huge promise, Liverpool signed him in July 2019 and have spent the following years honing him for regular first-team action.
Now, after a successful loan spell at Blackburn last season, in which he registered seven goals and 11 assists in 42 games, he may just be ready to step up.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has been making positive noises already this pre-season, with Elliott impressing deeper in midfield than his usual right-sided forward role.
At some point, Klopp needs to start preparing for a future without first-choice forward trio Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane (now all 29), which opens the door for Elliott.
Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour has specifically moved this summer in order to take the next step towards becoming a Premier League regular.
Having impressed for his country at Euro 2020 following a handful of promising displays in the middle of Chelsea’s midfield the season before, the 20-year-old now needs top-flight minutes under his belt to try and deliver on his undoubted talent.
With elite trio Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic in front of him in the Blues’ pecking order, he has made the temporary move to newly promoted Norwich.
The Canaries have a forward-thinking coach in Daniel Farke and a suitable hole in the middle of the park to fill with Oliver Skipp – more on him in a bit – having returned to Tottenham following his own successful loan spell last season.
If Gilmour can make a sizable improvement on the 11 first-team appearances he managed in 2019-20, it will be a big win for all parties involved.
Marc Guehi is emblematic of a changing of the guard at Crystal Palace, from the mature, experienced squad under Roy Hodgson to a younger one with burgeoning promise led by Patrick Vieira.
Regarded as one of the most promising centre-backs in the country, 21-year-old Guehi joined this summer from Chelsea for a fee believed to be about £18m and has not come to sit on the bench.
After two impressive loan spells at Swansea in the Championship, his playing time would have been limited at Stamford Bridge, but at Palace his combination of physical strength and technical ability fits the bill perfectly.
With a number of senior first-team figures having left the club, Guehi will line up alongside other young, promising recent recruits at Selhurst Park, including forward pair Jean-Philippe Mateta and Michael Olise.
Oliver Skipp (Tottenham)
Oliver Skipp returned to Tottenham this summer from his loan spell at Norwich with 45 appearances under his belt, a goal and two assists to his name, a Championship winner’s medal in his pocket and a long list of rave reviews.
The Canaries would undoubtedly have liked to take him for another season to help them reacclimatise back to Premier League life. That Tottenham have not sanctioned such a move says a lot.
There is competition in the middle of the pitch at Spurs, but with a new boss in Nuno Espirito Santo providing everyone with a fresh start and an already impressive pre-season display under his belt against Colchester, Skipp is primed.
At 20, it is a big season for him and a golden chance to add significantly to his 15 Premier League appearances to date.
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The “Harry Potter” book series by controversial author J.K. Rowling was adapted into an equally popular film series throughout the early aughts. But as with most adaptations, some details got lost in translation.
Whether they were creative choices made by the actors and directors or inconsistencies from movie to movie, these changes may feel like glaring mistakes to fans of the books.
Read on for some of the most noticeable “Harry Potter” book details that the movies got wrong.
Do you have your list made for Hogwarts? Need a wand? A trunk? Maybe a new bag with your House logo? Well Insiders, we are excited to report that the first ever Harry Potter flagship store is about to open on June 3 in New York!
Opening June 3rd, the Harry Potter Store New York will house the largest collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products in the world from pocket money items to rare collectibles. Spanning three floors and over 20,000 sq. ft., the flagship store will offer exclusive lines, magical photo opportunities and lots more!
Source: EW
Karl Durrant, VP and General Manager of Warner Bros. Retail Destinations, told Entertainment Weekly exclusively, “It’s been a really tough period in people’s lives and by opening the Harry Potter store in the heart of New York City, we’re looking forward to bringing some magic back into people’s lives.”
This new store will have 15 different themed areas with magical elements — many of which aren’t available at any other location — that includes an interactive wand table where you can put your very own wand to the test!
Durrant also told EW, “We at Warner Bros. are in a very uniquely privileged position to work directly with the filmmakers. Thanks to this collaboration, we’re bringing authentic props that come directly from the films and also authentic recreations. From the Harry Potter films, you’ll be able to find Harry’s authentic wand on display, as well as Ron’s, Hermoine’s, and Dumbledore’s wands. We have the original Golden Snitch, Harry’s broomstick, Tom Riddle’s diary with a basilisk’s fang in the middle of it, and many other items.”
Source: EW
This new and magical store with be packed with unique items for sale that can’t be purchased anywhere else and it’s the only place wizards can have their wands personalized outside of Ollivander’s.
EW states that one of its most special features is that the store is within a store. The House of MinaLima, the graphic design duo on all Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies, showcasing the graphic art of the Wizarding World.
EW also reports that they are currently working on a virtual reality experience where Harry Potter fans will be able to fly into new adventures within the Wizarding World!
“We have two virtual reality experiences will be able to reveal more about soon,” he shares. “One will take you on a journey around Hogwarts called ‘Chaos at Hogwarts’ and another that will put you on a broomstick where you can fly over the River Thames in London called ‘Wizards Take Flight.’”
If you aren’t able to make the trip to New York, you can purchase some of the items sold in stores on the Harry Potter Shop website.
Does anyone know where I can get some Floo Powder or a Portkey so I can transport myself directly to New York on June 3?!
“Is it true that the RSS is not happy with the overall handling of the Corona crisis?” I asked a senior RSS functionary. His laconic reply: “But what can it do?” His answer sums up the state of affairs in the RSS. It is in a state of utter helplessness. The RSS leadership which, with lot of fanfare, decided to project Narendra Modi as the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate in 2013 now finds itself feeling dejected.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent statement can be taken in that context. At an event meant to generate “positivity”, he said, “We are facing this situation because, whether it was the government, administration or public, everyone dropped their guard after the first wave despite indications from doctors”. He added, “We will not be scared. We shall stand like a rock.” Then he quoted from religious scriptures and talked about Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean) and how the churning produces nectar and poison. In his own style, he gave weight to the accusations of the Opposition that the Modi Government ignored the advice of the scientific community that a second wave of Corona would hit the country and it would be more lethal than the earlier one, but the Modi Government chose to ignore them, made no plan to contain the spread of the virus and that their priority was winning elections rather than saving lives.
The same day, another RSS leader, Ram Madhav, who till recently was serving as General Secretary of the BJP, and has now gone back to his original organisation, wrote a column for The Indian Express. If one reads between the lines, Madhav was critical of the government functioning. He wrote, “Initially, the government looked like ‘a deer in the headlights,’ as one commentator put it. But it has come out of that and is engaged full throttle in handling the challenge. A little more transparency, a little more engagement with the public by the political leadership and a little more openness to constructive criticism and enlightened expert opinion from outside the government would further help the government’s efforts. After all, the lives of millions of people are at stake.” Obliquely, he blamed the Modi government for the mess and spelt out the reasons including the lack of transparency. In the RSS, every word is uttered after much internal debate and discussion. Therefore, the words of Bhagwat and Madhav cannot be taken lightly or wished away as off-the-cuff remarks.
A BJP leader told me that that the top RSS leadership believes that the government has landed itself in a mess and this allows it to make a point that it has wanted to for some time: that the concept of collective leadership has been hijacked by the extreme centralization of the decision-making process so that even senior ministers are not consulted on crucial issues; only two people decide all matters. Those who were active in the organisation when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister feel that despite similar murmurs then, the government was at least open to suggestions, in particular from its ideological friends.
In 2014, Modi needed the RSS to win the election and become Prime Minister. And the RSS leadership felt that in Modi, they had found a perfect replacement to Advani, the original Hindu Hriday Samrat. Nobody could question his Hindutva. Since 2007, he had been busy branding himself as the Vikas Purush. Throughout the campaign, he did not utter a word which could be construed as ‘communal’. The RSS was ecstatic with his thumping victory, but forgot that during his regime in Gujarat, the RSS and its subsidiary organisations were reduced to non-entities. In Gujarat, it was either Modi or no one. If they thought that Modi at the Centre would be a different person, they were grossly mistaken.
Modi has undoubtedly ensured the fulfilment of the Hindutva agenda after becoming Prime Minister. He has ideologically enhanced its reach many times over. Today, Hindutva is the hegemonic ideology. The RSS is no longer considered untouchable as it was in the past. But Modi has also ensured that it is he who gets all credit, not the RSS or its chief. Even within the Sangh Parivar, it is Modi, not Bhagwat who is the presiding deity.
The RSS works on the concept of ‘follow the leader’; within the Sangh Parivar, the Sarsanghchalak is supreme, others have to follow him blindly. But Mohan Bhagwat, as the chief of the Parivar, falls short of that. Even K C Sudarshan, who was the RSS chief when Vajpayee was Prime Minister, carried a lot more weight. It was difficult for even Vajpayee to ignore him. Today, it’s not the same. Bhagwat has systematically been cut to size; he is no longer the supreme commander, he is one of many leaders of the Sangh Parivar. With the appointment of Dattatreya Hosabale as the Sar Karywah (General Secretary), the Number Two post in the RSS, Bhagwat has lost more authority within the organisation. It is for the first time that a leader who had not worked within the core of the ideological function of RSS has been appointed to that position. Hosabale spent more time in the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the RSS. He is considered close to Modi. And there are many who believe that with his appointment, Modi controls the RSS and Bhagwat is only a figure-head. It is not surprising that Hosabale has a different take than Bhagwat. Late last month, Hosabale said, “It is possible that destructive and anti-Bharat forces in the society can take advantage of these circumstances to create an atmosphere of negativity and mistrust in the country.”
At some other time, the RSS chief’s statement would have been taken as a warning signal by the government. Today, it carries no weight. And it makes no difference to those who are at the helm. Earlier, the ideology was the driving force, the RSS leadership was the engine, the moral force of the Sangh Parivar; now, it has been replaced by power politics. And politics is the guiding principle. This is the truth the RSS must contend with.
(Ashutosh is Author and Editor, satyahindi.com)
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
J.K. Rowling’s controversy started back in 2019, but became national news after she wrote a scathing letter which many deemed to be transphobic. Many members of the Wizarding World spoke out against these comments, including Eddie Redmayne, Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Rupert Grint. The latter actor opened up about his feelings toward Rowling and her controversy, saying:
Four days after a court ruled that Johnny Depp abused his ex-wife Amber Heard during their tumultuous time together, the actor angrily announced Friday that he was asked to give up his role as the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the “Fantastic Beasts” film franchise.
“I wish to let you know that I have been asked to resign by Warner Bros. from my role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and I have respected and agreed to that request,” Depp wrote on Instagram Friday.
Depp’s exit from the lucrative “Harry Potter” series comes days after he lost his libel case against News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, and the tabloid’s executive editor Dan Wootton. In a 2018 article, The Sun alleged that the once beloved star was “a wife beater.” In a stunning verdict that went against most expectations, a judge ruled that the article was “substantially true,” the Daily Mail and Daily Beast reported.
In his Instagram post, Depp confirmed that he plans to appeal the ruling. “The surreal judgement of the court in the U.K. will not change my fight to tell the truth and I confirm that I plan to appeal,” he said. “My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false. My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time.”
Thus far, his career and reputation have taken a major hit from Heard’s allegations. His casting in the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise divided “Harry Potter” fans and forced author J.K. Rowling to make the controversial move to come to his defense in 2017.
Fans felt betrayed by Depp’s casting because Rowling has become known through her fiction and her social media as a strong advocate for women’s empowerment and for survivors of abuse. Rowling said she was “genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies.”
Rowing explained in a statement that she had been “deeply concerned” by Heard’s allegations, but said she and the the filmmakers had certain insight into what happened between Depp and Heard. This insight apparently led her and the filmmakers to believe that the violence in the marriage was mutual or somehow exaggerated. As of early Friday, Rowling had not issued any statement about Depp leaving the Grindelwald role. Her usually active Twitter account has been quiet since mid-October.
It was seen as a risky move for Depp to file his libel suit because it meant that tawdry details of his and Heard’s behavior during their five years together were aired in a public trial over the summer. Depp must have thought the trouble was worth it to save his career as one of Hollywood’s most popular and bankable stars.
During the 16-day trial in July, the judge heard multiple allegations against Depp, including the time in 2014 when Heard said a drunken Depp slapped and kicked her on a flight from Boston to Los Angeles, before passing out in the toilet. The Sun claimed that Depp’s jealousy, addictions and misogyny led to “violent explosions,” including a 2015 fight in Australia in which Depp’s finger was severed and he used the stump to scrawl messages in his own blood.
Depp, moreover, faced intense questioning about his extravagant, self-indulgent Hollywood lifestyle, his abuse of alcohol and drugs, and allegations of violence. Depp and Heard, 34, began dating near the end of 2011, married in 2015, but split in 2016, when Heard filed a domestic violence restraining order against him.
During testimony, Depp admitted to drinking and using cocaine excessively and discussed losing the $650 million he made during the height of his “Pirates of the Caribbean” fame. He also accused Heard of having an affair with billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk, which Heard denied, and was questioned about threatening to cut Musk’s penis off.
The last book was released in 2007 while the final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was released in 2011.
Yet the wizarding world of Harry Potter remains one of the world’s most-loved fictional worlds with grown aldults still awaiting their letter from Hogwarts.
Many of us grew up alongside Harry, Ron and Hermione, glued to the books and eagerly awaiting the cinema releases, while younger generations are only just discovering the magical world beyond Platform 9 3/4.
Now, a new Harry Potter experience is opening in the UK this autumn, giving fans the chance to wander through the Forbidden Forest.
The new attraction will debut in the enchanting woodland at Arley Hall and Gardens in Cheshire, before heading over to Burbank in the US.
What will the experience include?
Potter fans will be able to wander down illuminated woodland paths inspired by the Forbidden Forest where they will discover a host of magical surprises along the way.
Mystical creatures from JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series will be lurking in the forest, including Hippogriffs, centaurs, unicorns and Nifflers, among others.
The night-time woodland experience, created by Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment, is suitable for the whole family to enjoy, with plenty to keep fans of all ages to see and do.
As well as seeing the forest come to life, visitors will be able to indulge in an array of tasty food and drinks at a seasonally themed village, and pick up some goodies at the on-site merchandise shop.
The trail follows a one-way route and is designed to be accessible to all visitors.
It will also be Covid secure and adhere to the latest government safety guidelines to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit.
Peter van Roden, senior vice president of Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment said the Forbidden Forest “offers fans a new way to enjoy some of the most iconic and magical wizarding world moments.
He added: “We’re thrilled to be working alongside Thinkwell to bring this incredible light trail to life at Arley Hall Gardens, a perfect location where the natural beauty of the forest trail and illuminated sets filled with familiar creatures from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series, will make for a magical experience for fans of all ages.”
When do tickets go on sale?
Ticket prices will start from £19 per person and will be available to buy on Fever’s marketplace from 10am on Thursday 29 July.
Fans can sign up to the waiting list to receive early access to tickets and more information about the experience.
Shares in Bloomsbury Publishing have climbed more than 10% after the Harry Potter publisher reported strong book sales during the coronavirus lockdowns.
The UK-based company said sales were up 14% to £185.1m in the year to 28 February, while profit before tax was up 22% to $19.2m.
Chief executive Nigel Newton said: “The popularity of reading has been a ray of sunshine in an otherwise very dark year.”
The UK has been under various levels of lockdown since March last year in an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus.
At the height of the pandemic, people were ordered to stay home, with many turning to activities such as reading books to while away the lockdown days.
Bloomsbury said books on themes such as humanity, social inclusion, escapism, fantasy, cookery and baking were especially popular with readers.
Even the Harry Potter books – more than 20 years after the franchise began – saw a 7% increase in sales, as children and adults swapped the grim reality of the pandemic for tales of teenage wizardry.
Mr Newton told Reuters: “I think that it is the (reading) habit itself which may have become permanent as people have rediscovered the role of books in their lives.
“It is across the board, from the inspiration for recipes to the escapism, which great novels give, to books about exercise and meditation (which) have become relevant to people.
“As the pandemic recedes, we will never return to exactly the world we had before.”
Shares closed up 11.3% on news that the company’s final dividend would increase 10% and a special dividend was being proposed of 9.78p per share.
Mr Newton said: “The board greatly appreciate the support of our shareholders during such unprecedented circumstances last year.”
He added that Bloomsbury’s revenue is expected to be ahead and profit to be comfortably ahead of market expectations for the year ending 28 February 2022.
AJ Bell analyst Danni Hewson said: “Bloomsbury faced a painful transition following its mid-noughties peak at the height of Pottermania but it is no longer a one-hit wonder with a diverse list of bestsellers in its portfolio.”
