Audiobook Review: Beyond the Wand – The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton

“Prepare to meet a real-life wizard.”

Published earlier this year, Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton tells his story from Borrower to wizard. Tom’s adolescence was anything but ordinary. His early rise to fame saw him catapulted into the limelight aged just twelve when he landed the iconic role of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films.

From growing up on screen in the wizarding world and making his big break, to what filming was really like and the lasting friendships he made during ten years as part of the franchise, as well as the highs and lows of fame and the reality of navigating adult life after filming finished.

Casting Catch-Up: Tom Felton, Rupert Grint, Colin Farell, Clive Owen & Many More!

(Written for BritScene)

This week’s casting news begins with a bit of a Harry Potter special. Whilst we’ve seen much from Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson since the end of filming for the Harry Potter franchise, it’s now time for Tom Felton and Rupert Grint to return to the big screen. Other news includes that of Keira Knightley, Colin Farrell, Clive Owen, Louise Lombard, Simon Merrells and Naomie Harris, so keep reading to see who will be Winnie Mandela to Idris Elba‘s Nelson, Marcus Crassus in Starz Original’s Spartacus series, and one of the lead roles in Warner Bros. Arthur and Lancelot.

Casting Catch-Up: Tom Felton, Saoirse Ronan, Tom Hiddleston, Emma Thompson, Dominic Cooper & More!

(Weekly feature written for BritScene)

There has been a lot of casting news over the past couple of weeks, so we thought we’d narrow it down a little for you with a short list of the most exciting stories involving which British actors have been recently attached to what. With upcoming films and TV series that we’ve heard a lot from, to a film that has been off the radar for nearly three years, take a look below to see the ongoings of Tom Felton, Nonso Anozie, Matt Milne, Saoirse Ronan, Tom Hiddleston, Leslie Manville, Emilia Clarke, Emma Thompson, and Dominic Cooper.

Film Review: Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

(Read this in my publication In Retrospect – Issue 1)

Rating:

Directed by Rupert Wyatt, The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes is the prequel to The Planet Of The Apes phenomenon that was first published as a novel in 1963 by Pierre Boulle. ‘La Planète des Singes‘ was first translated as Monkey Planet, but was later reissued to tie into the film franchise that the novel inspired. The first film adaptation was released in 1968 and starred Charlton Heston, which was then remade in 2001 starring Mark Wahlberg. This latest instalment explains the uprising of the apes, telling the story of how they escaped captivity and gained their intelligence, and how they managed to take over humanity when their only purpose was as test subjects to help save it.

Film Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2)

It’s the end of an era, and a sad one at that. For the millions of Harry Potter fans around the world, it has all finally come to a close. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, directed by David Yates, is the latest and final instalment to the Harry Potter franchise, based on the novels by J. K. Rowling.

After a decade of filming, the magical trio of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) finish their time at Hogwarts with a fight-to-the-death war. One can’t live whilst the other survives, and the long-awaited finale is here. But will Harry succeed?

Film Review: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows (Part 1)

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final book of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise. Directed by David Yates, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) drop out of Hogwarts to seek the remaining Horcruxes in order to defeat Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). On their journey, the trio learn about The Deathly Hallows, three sacred objects that together could also help them on their way. Following Voldemort’s return and Dumbledore’s death, they must sneak into the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts itself whilst having to remain hidden from the dark takeover of Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Tom Felton’s Upcoming Films

Seems Tom Felton has a few horror films lined up now that the filming of Harry Potter has finished. It’s good news that he’s still getting work after acting as Draco Malfoy for ten years (when not just appearing in Get Him To The Greek to take Snape-related jokes). To name a few:

13hrs (3rd September 2010)
Sarah Tyler returns to her troubled family home in the isolated countryside, for a much put-off visit. As a storm rages outside, Sarah, her family and friends shore up for the night, cut off from the outside world. But something comes out of the driving rain and darkness. Something that holds a dark secret so devastating that, in one night, it could wipe out the entire family.

Film Review: Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

Directed by David Yates and based on the sixth book in J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter series of novels, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince sees Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) enter their sixth year at Hogwarts, as both the muggle and wizarding world are under Voldemort’s tightening grip. Meanwhile, Dumbledore enlists the aid of resourceful yet unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) as we learn more about the dark past of the boy who grew up to become Lord Voldemort. Does Slughorn hold the key to their enemy’s Achilles’ heel?

Film Review: Harry Potter And The Order of The Phoenix

Directed by David Yates and based on the fifth book in J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter series of novels, Harry Potter And The Order of The Phoenix sees Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) return for their fifth year at Hogwarts, only to find that the magical community is in a state of denial about his recent encounter with the sinister Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Suspecting that Headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) may be fueling the rumours, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy) entrusts newly arrived Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) with the task of keeping a protective watch over the wizarding school. With the school failing to provide the students with the tools that they will need to defend Hogwarts against the powers of the Dark Arts, the trio takes it upon themselves to recruit a small group of students to form “Dumbledore’s Army”.

Film Review: Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire

Directed by Mike Newell and based on the fourth book in J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter series of novels, sees Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) return for their fourth year at Hogwarts as Harry’s famous lightning-bolt scar begins aching and causing him mysterious visions. Introduced to yet another Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, former dark wizard catcher Mad-Eye Moody (Brendan Gleeson), Harry’s wishes for an uneventful school year are almost immediately shattered when he is unexpectedly chosen, along with fellow student Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson), as Hogwarts’ representative in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Worse still, Harry doesn’t realize that the most feared wizard in the world, Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), is anticipating the tournament, as well.

Film Review: Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón and based on the third book in J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter series of novels, Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban sees Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) enter their third year at Hogwarts as trouble begins to brew when it is revealed that convicted murderer Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban and is coming after Harry. With yet another Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Remus Lupin (David Thewlis) tries to help Harry defend himself against the Dementors, the soul-sucking guards of Azkaban who have been employed at Hogwarts to protect the students. But they’re the least of his worries.

Film Review: Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets

Directed by Chris Columbus and based on the second book in J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter series of novels, Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets sees the return of young wizards Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) for their second year at Hogwarts with a new Defense against the Dark Arts, Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh). But it’s not long before the trio find themselves in trouble again, as a mysterious presence begins stalking the corridors of a school of magic and leaving its victims paralyzed. It seems that someone has opened the mysterious Chamber of Secrets, letting loose the monster and all its calamitous powers.

Book v Film: Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone

“He couldn’t know that at this very moment, people meeting up in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: ‘To Harry Potter – the boy who lived!’”

Directed by Chris Columbus, Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone is the first film in J.K. Rowling‘s seven-book Harry Potter series of novels to be adapted onto the big screen. The story follows a seemingly ordinary boy, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), who, on his 11th birthday, is visited by a half-giant, Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), and invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Soon discovering that he is famous in the Wizarding World for surviving an attack by the evil Lord Voldemort when Harry was only a baby, Harry must fulfil his destiny and prove his worth, with the help of his new friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson).

Film Review: Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone

Directed by Chris Columbus, Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone is the first film in J.K. Rowling‘s seven-book Harry Potter series of novels to be adapted onto the big screen. The story follows a seemingly ordinary boy, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), who, on his 11th birthday, is visited by a half-giant, Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), and invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Soon discovering that he is famous in the Wizarding World for surviving an attack by the evil Lord Voldemort when Harry was only a baby, Harry must fulfil his destiny and prove his worth, with the help of his new friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson).