The rights to the Harry Potter franchise are owned by Warner Bros (WB) along with writer JK Rowling, and if the report in THR is to be believed, the studio is talking to writers to flesh out a live-action TV series. The talks are said to be in early stages with no actors or directors attached to the project yet. WB and HBO Max have also not confirmed the project yet.

Warner Bros is currently in the middle of producing the Fantastic Beasts franchise. The third film of the franchise is currently in production and has been in rough waters lately. The film’s star Johnny Depp was asked to quit the project and has been replaced by Mads Mikkelsen.

The original Harry Potter film franchise started in 2001 with Daniel Radcliffe playing the titular character. The eight-film franchise ended in 2011 culminating the main story that was the focus of JK Rowling’s original book series.

While the films have been loved by fans all over the world, fans have often voiced their dissatisfaction that some of the key moments from the books were not included in the movies. With a TV series in the making, this might be the opportunity for the makers to recreate the books in great detail.

The social media handles of Mumbai Police have got their game right on point as they never fail to impress the followers with creative posts. In the latest Instagram post, Mumbai Police has used ‘Felix Felicis’ reference from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in order to highlight the importance of wearing masks amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Referring to the famous scene from the Harry Potter film, that features Harry Potter and the Potions Master Professor Horace Slughorn, Mumbai Police has reminded people to wear masks. In the scene, Professor Slughorn gives a Felix Felicis (also called Liquid Luck) to Potter. However, Mumbai Police has used an edited image in which the Professor is seen giving a mask to Potter instead. The professor himself is also seen donning a mask in the viral image.

The picture has been captioned as, “A little bit of ‘Felix Felicis’ and mask by your side to ensure you stay safe from Corona”. The Marathi lines in the caption mean, “The mask is not only ‘lucky’ but also effective in protecting you! The ‘magic’ of the mask is very simple, learn”.

The fans of the Harry Potter film series are commenting and reacting to the post in large numbers. In a day, the tweet has got over 15,400 likes and many comments.

For the unversed, Felix Felicis or Liquid Luck in the Harry Potter series is a potion that made the drinker lucky. The drinker will be successful in everything attempted under the potion’s influence.

Here’s the original scene from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince which was released in 2009:

Even after so many years of release, Harry Potter films and books continue to enjoy huge popularity among fans. The last film of the series, titled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, released in 2011.

The series starred Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint as the three leading characters named Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley respectively.

The time-lapse video, shared by Leonardo Ugolini, shows how he recreated the School of Wizardry and Witchcraft from the popular books using sand.

The video shows Ugolini using a bucket and shovel to make one of the iconic towers of the school. He then uses a wooden stick as a wand to cast a ‘spell’, after which other parts of the castle ‘magically’ appear.

The video ends with a miniature version of Ugolini flying around the castle on a broomstick.

A post shared by Leonardo Ugolini (@leonardo_ugolini_artist)

Here’s how people reacted to the video:

Hogwarts is a fictional British boarding school of magic for students and is the primary setting for the first six books in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

In real life, Alnwick Castle in the English county of Northumberland was used as a stand-in for the exterior and interior of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.

In the years since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released, seven additional movies have followed.

In addition to following the life of Potter, the films have also featured his many friends, including Hermione Granger, played by actress Emma Watson, and Ron Weasley, played by Rupert Grint, both of whom were also students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

In the upcoming exhibit at the Franklin Institute, the Harry Potter films will be honored with items, settings, and moments of their most memorable scenes.

Today LEGO unveils the next ultimate exclusive Harry Potter set, 76391 Hogwarts Icons Collectors’ Edition. Designed to celebrate the theme’s 20th anniversary, the new Hogwarts Icons is a 3,010-piece collection of the saga’s major symbols. The set will be available from September 2, 2021, from LEGO Stores and www.lego.com/harrypotter for US $249.99 | UK £249.99

While the front of the box shows the general view, on the back, you’ll discover even more models included in the set. All in all, the collection consists of Harry’s wand and glasses, a chocolate frog, a tray of potions, Tom Riddle’s diary, the Golden Snitch, a Hogwarts scarf, Hedwig carrying a letter to Hogwarts, and three more anniversary minifigures — Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, and Rubeus Hagrid.

The set consists of independent models, so you can choose whether to display everything as one piece or place them separately. This is good news for those of us with limited space for LEGO sets.

The centerpiece is obviously the books with Hedwig on top. The new ultimate version of the magic owl dwarfs the 630-piece build from the last year’s 75979 Hedwig set.

Lately, LEGO has been releasing a great number of sets designed on the 1:1 scale. For instance, both 21327 Typewriter and 10282 Adidas Originals Superstar look just like the real things when placed on bookshelf in a living room. Although Hedwig is still a far cry from a real snowy owl (which measures more than 27″/70 cm), the rest of the Hogwarts Icons seem to be pretty close to the 1:1 scale.

The letter to Hogwarts is built with three printed 1×16 tiles in tan. As the first line is blank, you may enroll yourself with a pen.

The complete combination measures 17.5in/44cm high, 19.5in/50cm wide, and 13in/33cm deep.

76391 Hogwarts Icons Collectors’ Edition set will be available from September 2, 2021, from LEGO Stores and www.lego.com/harrypotter at US $249.99 | UK £249.99

Check out the press release and complete picture gallery below:

LEGO® Harry Potter™ HOGWARTS™ ICONS COLLECTORS’ EDITION CELEBRATES TWO DECADES OF WIZARDING WORLD LEGO MAGIC

Date: 5th August 2021

The LEGO Group is celebrating 20 years of LEGO® Harry Potter™ with the reveal of the LEGO Harry Potter™ Hogwarts™ Icons Collectors’ Edition, an intricate display model and a perfect homage to the fan-favourite Wizarding World.

The detailed new set follows the adventures of Harry Potter and his friends, capturing some of the most iconic characters and moments in one, single stunning model. The set also includes several famous artifacts found in the Wizarding World over the last two decades.

Sitting proudly at the centre of the set is Harry’s loyal owl, Hedwig™, clutching the infamous Hogwarts letter. Fans will also find Harry’s wand and glasses, a chocolate frog, a potions tray including five potion bottles and ingredients, as well as Tom Riddle’s diary, the Golden Snitch and a school scarf which is customisable to match any Hogwarts House.

The combination lends itself to a striking display of 3010 pieces, measuring over 44cm high, 50cm wide and 33cm deep, and is completed with a bespoke stand and celebratory tile to mark the 20th anniversary of LEGO Harry Potter.

In addition, the set also comes with a trio of exclusive anniversary golden LEGO minifigures, including Albus Dumbledore™, Minerva McGonagall™ and Rubeus Hagrid™, as seen together in the first scene of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

Speaking about the set, LEGO Designer Marcos Bessa commented: “The timeless magic of Harry Potter never leaves you, and this new LEGO set is our way of celebrating 20 years of LEGO Harry Potter and the wonderful people and things found in it.”

“Every item in the set is filled with memories, from winning quidditch matches to iconic potion ingredients, not to mention getting that all-important letter. Building the Hogwarts Icons Collectors’ Edition Set is sure to bring fond recollections back for Wizarding World and LEGO fans alike, with this beautiful centrepiece.”

Just in time for the new term at Hogwarts, the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Icons Collector’s Edition Set will be available from 2nd September 2021 from LEGO Stores and www.lego.com/harrypotter at a recommended price of 249.99 GBP / 249.99 EUR / 249.99 USD.

Sounds like Daniel Radcliffe is looking to dabble in the dark arts.

The actor who helped bring the “Harry Potter” books to life on-screen in the early 2000s reminisced about his role — his co-stars’ roles, actually — in an upcoming installment of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast.

Radcliffe, 32, joined host Josh Horowitz along with his current co-stars on TBS’s “Miracle Workers,” including Karan Soni and Geraldine Viswanathan.

In the third season of the anthology comedy series, Radcliffe’s Reverend Ezekiel Brown makes a hapless journey on the legendary Oregon Trail — a role very different from the British actor’s turn as a half-blood wizard at Hogwarts.

But if the Harry Potter franchise were to reboot — a concept that’s nowhere near becoming a reality — Radcliffe joked he’d want an even greater departure from his original role still.

“I would probably want to go with like, Sirius [Black] or [Remus] Lupin,” Radcliffe told podcast host Josh Horowitz, according to PopCulture.com. “Those were always the two characters that I was like, ‘They’re great.’ ”

It was Academy Award winner Gary Oldman who played the vicious Sirius Black, and David Thewlis (“Fargo”, “Big Mouth”) as fellow Marauder Remus Lupin, making multiple appearances throughout the films.

Radcliffe added, “And also like, I’m obviously biased by my experience of filming those scenes, with those people, and they’re like some of my favorite memories.”

For their parts, his “Miracle Workers” co-stars offered their own fantasy roles in a hypothetical “Harry Potter” reboot — with Soni selecting fellow nerd Hermione Granger because he “related to [her] the most,” and Viswanathan choosing Hagrid based on their shared love of animals.

HBO Max and Warner Bros., however, squashed rumors that a “Harry Potter” TV series was in development, telling The Post in a statement, “There are no ‘Harry Potter’ series in development at the studio or on the streaming platform.”

It turns out Gordon’s barrister Bret Walker SC and Atanaskovic’s representative Shane Doyle QC are very busy men. Atanaskovic Hartnell applied to shift the date of the appeal because its senior counsel, the Brisbane-based Doyle was no longer available. Turns out he had flown to Britain late last year and was unable to return to Oz in time. The corona, you see.

Additionally, Doyle expressed reluctance to fly back until he had received a COVID vaccination. So Atanaskovic Hartnell asked to change the date of the three-day hearing. But if only things were that easy. Gordon’s senior counsel Walker – who is representing Birketu – only has “very limited availability” to commit to three full days “at any later date this year”. Some of Walker’s recent professional engagements include his stint last year as the commissioner of the special inquiry into the Ruby Princess’ arrival in Sydney. And he successfully acted in Cardinal George Pell’s successful High Court appeal. Clearly the type of work that puts one in demand.

Why not pivot to Zoom? Doyle had ruled out representing his clients via videolink from Britain, explaining that with three sessions scheduled in the dead of the British night, he feared he couldn’t “safely” do justice to the appeal.

Justice Fabian Gleeson, who dismissed Atanaskovic Hartnell’s motion, clearly wasn’t too sympathetic.

″I accept that Mr Doyle genuinely holds such belief. That however is not a compelling reason to grant an adjournment.”

• The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling is being released on Tuesday 12 October 2021. Photography Debra Hurford Brown © J.K. Rowling 2018

J.K. Rowling is releasing her first children’s novel since the Harry Potter books.

The award-winning author, who grew up in Gloucestershire, has announced that she will be releasing a new children’s novel, The Christmas Pig, in October 2021.

The book will be her first children’s novel since the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Her last story, The Ickabog, was serialised online for free for children in lockdown, then published with all the royalties going to the author’s charitable trust Volant, which aims to help vulnerable groups impacted by the pandemic.

Rowling’s new novel, The Christmas Pig follows Jack and his childhood toy Dur Pig, or DP for short, who becomes lost one Christmas Eve. But on a night when all things come to life, even toys, Jack’s newest toy — the Christmas Pig, who is DP’s annoying replacement — has a daring plan which involves them embarking on a magical journey to seek something lost and save the only best friend Jack has ever known.

It is not yet known whether The Christmas Pig will feature any references to Gloucestershire like the Harry Potter series, but fans won’t have long to wait as J.K. Rowling’s new children’s novel will be released on Tuesday 12 October 2021.

By Maddy Richards

Follow SoGlos on Facebook and sign-up to the weekly SoGlos lifestyle newsletter for the very latest Gloucestershire news stories.

© SoGlos
Friday 02 July 2021

By 2007, U.S. forces were collecting biometric data primarily through mobile devices such as the Biometric Automated Toolset (BAT) and Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment (HIIDE). BAT includes a laptop, fingerprint reader, iris scanner and camera. HIIDE is a single small device that incorporates a fingerprint reader, iris scanner and camera. Users of these devices can collect iris and fingerprint scans and facial photos, and match them to entries in military databases and biometric watchlists.

In addition to biometric data, the system includes biographic and contextual data such as criminal and terrorist watchlist records, enabling users to determine if an individual is flagged in the system as a suspect. Intelligence analysts can also use the system to monitor people’s movements and activities by tracking biometric data recorded by troops in the field.

By 2011, a decade after 9/11, the Department of Defense maintained approximately 4.8 million biometric records of people in Afghanistan and Iraq, with about 630,000 of the records collected using HIIDE devices. Also by that time, the U.S. Army and its military partners in the Afghan government were using biometric-enabled intelligence or biometric cyberintelligence on the battlefield to identify and track insurgents.

In 2013, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps used the Biometric Enrollment and Screening Device, which enrolled the iris scans, fingerprints and digital face photos of persons of interest in Afghanistan. That device was replaced by the Identity Dominance System-Marine Corps in 2017, which uses a laptop with biometric data collection sensors, known as the Secure Electronic Enrollment Kit.

Over the years, to support these military objectives, the Department of Defense aimed to create a biometric database on 80% of the Afghan population, approximately 32 million people at today’s population level. It is unclear how close the military came to this goal.

More data equals more people at risk

In addition to the use of biometric data by the U.S. and Afghan military for security purposes, the Department of Defense and the Afghan government eventually adopted the technologies for a range of day-to-day governmental uses. These included evidence for criminal prosecution, clearing Afghan workers for employment and election security.

In addition, the Afghan National ID system and voter registration databases contained sensitive data, including ethnicity data. The Afghan ID, the e-Tazkira, is an electronic identification document that includes biometric data, which increases the privacy risks posed by Taliban access to the National ID system.

It’s not uncommon for fans to recognize big moments and anniversaries related to the musicians, actors, movies or TV shows they love the most. Potterheads, however, have taken their annual celebrations to an elite level. They commemorate the Battle of Hogwarts, shout out their favorite characters on their birthdays and, of course, honor important milestones for The Boy Who Lived. This weekend was no different — Harry Potter fans took to Twitter to celebrate what would be the beloved protagonist’s 41st birthday.