Latest news with #Philosopher'sStone
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why are the Harry Potter TV show cast so young compared to the movies?
Harry Potter is coming to the small screen with an all-new cast taking over the iconic roles set out in JK Rowling's original books, but there is a noticeable difference between the actors being enlisted for the HBO series compared to the original movies: their ages. From Petunia Dursley to Severus Snape, Professor Minerva McGonagall to Lucius Malfoy, a number of the cast portraying the adults in the story appear much younger than their movie counterparts were back in 2001. Bel Powley, who has been cast as Harry Potter's menacing aunt Petunia Dursley, for example, is 33 compared to Fiona Shaw's 43 when she began the movies, while 42-year-old Daniel Rigby is 12 years younger than his movie counterpart, Richard Griffiths. The same can be said of Paapa Essiedu, who stars as Severus Snape in the upcoming series and is only 35. His movie counterpart Alan Rickman was 54 when he first took on the role of the potions master in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. So why are the TV series cast so much younger than their movie counterparts? Well there is a good explanation and it all stems from the books. In Rowling's novels the adult characters, for the most part, are much younger than they were depicted in the films. Snape was just 31 during the events of the first book, while Petunia is Lily Potter's older sister and was therefore only 34 — both of which match closer to the ages of the actors in the TV series. Lucius Malfoy is being played by Johnny Flynn in the series, the actor is aged 42 which is slightly older then his character who is 37 in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The same is true of Vernon Dursley, who is 37 in the first book and is played by a slightly older actor, Rigby. Katherine Parkinson was recently cast as Molly Weasley in the TV series. The character is in her forties in the first book which matches with Parkinson, who is 47. Julie Walters portrayed Molly in the movies, and she was aged 50 when production started on the first film. The biggest age difference between book and TV show characters is with Hagrid and Professor Dumbledore, the former is 63 in the first novel while the latter is 110. It goes without saying that no one expects the series to match Dumbledore's age in the books, and it is 79-year-old John Lithgow who plays him. Meanwhile Nick Frost is ten years younger than his book counterpart The HBO series prides itself on being a more accurate take on the source material than the movies, which is exactly why the cast are so much younger than might have been expected. The Harry Potter TV series will be released in 2027.
Daily Record
09-06-2025
- Daily Record
How a drug theft sparked bloody gangland war between Daniels and Lyons
Decades of gangland war between the two families began with a cocaine theft in 2001. It was the summer of 2001 and Tony Blair had just won a second term in government for Labour. The movie version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was about to be released and The Life of Pi was the year's best-selling book. Over in the tough Milton housing scheme in Glasgow a plot of a different kind was unfolding. A large stash of cocaine worth about £20,000 belonging to the feared Daniel crime family had been stolen from a safe house on the estate that summer. It had gone missing at a house party at the address. The coke, unsurprisingly, was not returned or paid for. The Daniel family then learned the drugs had either been sold to or appropriated by a rival organised crime group, the Lyons. At the time both were battling for control of the drugs trade on the north side of the city. Head of the Daniel family was the formidable Jamie Daniel, one of four brothers from the city's Possilpark. On the other side the Lyons were led by Eddie Lyons snr. He ran a community centre called Chirnsyde in Milton. It was claimed a group based there called the Club Boys – which included his son Steven – had orchestrated the theft. In the organised crime world a drugs debt, no matter how small, must be paid. Failure to do so can result in a loss of face. Jamie Daniel knew that. A wave of attacks by the Daniels followed as they fought to maintain their control of the area's drugs trade. The response was orchestrated by 24-year-old Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll – an up-and-coming figure in the Daniel clan close to Jamie Daniel and in a relationship with his daughter Kelly. First, the Daniel crew tried to shoot Steven Lyons outside a pub in Lambhill, Glasgow, in September 2001 – but the gunman missed. They then turned their attention to the Chirnsyde centre. It was torched causing £30,000 of damage and had its minibus trashed. Carroll was in turn blasted twice in the leg with a sawn-off shotgun outside his mum's house in Milton in January 2003 but survived. Just 11 days later, Eddie Lyons's brother Johnny, 49, was shot outside his home in nearby Stornoway Street. The wallet in his back pocket took the impact and the doctors think that may have saved him. In April 2006, as the feud continued, Carroll drove to Cumbernauld where he blasted another of Lyons's sons, Eddie Lyons jnr, at his door but failed to kill him. Then in November that year, Carroll allegedly used a tow rope to topple the headstone of Eddie snr's late son Garry, who was only eight when he died of leukaemia in 1991. The desecration of his grave marked a new low in the escalating conflict. Carroll had crossed a line but was still not satisfied. Two days later he ambushed and attempted to shoot Eddie Lyons jnr for a second time, in Bellshill, Lanarkshire. Lyons suffered minor injuries when his own car rolled over him. A henchman was hit with at least one round but survived. Eight days later the Lyons struck back when Carroll was shot along with close associate Ross Sherlock in Clelland Avenue, a residential street in Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow. Carroll suffered serious injuries as he was hit in the stomach from close range. Sherlock was hit in the legs. The violence culminated in one of the most brazen murders the city had ever seen. On Wednesday, December 6, 2006, a blue Mazda car drew up outside Applerow Motors in Balmore Road, Lambhill, shortly after 2pm. The garage was owned by David Lyons, brother of Eddie snr, and was operated by both him and his nephew Mark. Two men in black overcoats and 'old men' face masks and brandishing handguns got out and opened fire in what was later described in court as being like a scene from The Godfather. Eleven shots were fired, leaving mechanic Michael Lyons dead, and his cousin Steven Lyons and Lyons associate Robert Pickett, 41, seriously injured. Lyons was in plaster for up to 12 weeks with a broken leg and required part of a bullet to be removed from his back. Robert Pickett, who had served time for attempted murder, was left in a coma for a month and lost a kidney after being shot in the stomach. A bloody gangland feud which had largely been conducted in the shadows was now headline news. Two Daniel associates – Raymond Anderson, 46, and James McDonald, 34 – stood trial at the High Court in Glasgow in March 2008. The court heard David Lyons received a 'ransom note' at his home after the murder demanding £25,000 – the current value of the allegedly stolen cocaine. It read: 'The boys owe me £25,000 and I want what's owed to me. It's for drugs. They all know what it's about. The money doesn't matter to me as it's got to be paid to the piper.' Lyons didn't pay the money and handed the letter to the police. The multiple shooting which lasted only a few minutes had taken place yards from a special needs school. Ironically the school was to be the venue for a public meeting for people to air their growing fears about rising crime and gangland violence in the area. Already concerns had been raised about the role of the Lyons in the running of Chirnsyde and the £1.4million in taxpayers' cash it had received over the years. The murderous events would lead to the closure of the centre and funding finally being withdrawn. High levels of security were put in place throughout the trial which finished in May 2008. The case was heard in court No3 – which has been designed for terrorist accused – and people entering had to pass through a metal detector and police checks. Both Anderson and McDonald were convicted of illegal possession of guns and ammunition, the attempted murder of Steven Lyons and Robert Pickett, and Michael Lyons's murder. They had been heard in secret conversations taped by police talking about the 'piper' mentioned in the letter sent to David Lyons. At the time Campbell Corrigan was a detective superintendent with Strathclyde Police and was in charge of the Applerow murder investigation. He became aware of the Daniel clan influence as far back as the 80s when he was a young detective in Govan, Glasgow and saw their rise to power in the city as he built his own career. Campbell retired in 2013. He was the force's last chief constable before Police Scotland was formed. He told the Record: 'The victim Michael Lyons was an innocent member of the family who just got caught in the Crossfire. 'I was aware of the connection with Gerbil to Jamie Daniel's daughter and he directed a lot of the violence that had occurred. When you think of the Lyons on one side and the Daniels on the other side, it is a pretty long-running Glasgow feud.' He also described how his team had to overcome 'fear in the community' over speaking out about both the Lyons and Daniel families. He added: 'These were guys not to be trifled with. It will take a very concerted effort before you are able to undermine them.' After the jury's verdict, judge Lord Hardie branded MichaelLyons's murder a 'a cold-blooded, premeditated assassination'. Lord Hardie ordered the men to serve 35 years each before they could be considered for parole, the highest tariff ever set by a Scottish court. The terms were reduced on appeal to 30. However if the judge thought the tough sentences would stop the carnage, he was mistaken. Less than two years later Scotland would be shocked by a murder that took the long-running feud to terrifying new levels. Tomorrow: We tell how the feud reaches a new and terrifying level when a high-level Daniel gang member is shot dead in a busy supermarket car park in front of shoppers and their young children. We also tell how two men stand trial for the brazen lunchtime murder with one sensationally walking free.
Edinburgh Live
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
The creepy Edinburgh graveyard where the real Harry Potter characters are buried
Every Edinburgh local worth their salt has visited the world famous Greyfriars Kirkyard. Nestled in the heart of the city's beautiful Old Town, the church, Greyfriars Kirk, was founded in 1620 as the first church to be built in post-reformation Scotland. Burials in the graveyard surrounding the church have been taking place since the 16th century, resulting in it being the final resting place of a number of notable Edinburgh residents. READ MORE - Midlothian woman transforms mansion into a magical family escape READ MORE - Police thwart alleged terror attack plan on King Charles' guards Amongst the heavily decorated tombstones and mausoleums belonging to lords, scholars and architects, lie resting places of those whose names will most certainly ring bells. It is in this famed graveyard that you will find Tom Riddell, William McGonagall and a certain Robert Potter- the inspiration for some of JK Rowling's most famous Harry Potter characters. Rumour has it that the names emblazoned on various headstones in the graveyard inspired J.K. Rowling to create characters of similar names in the wizarding world of Harry Potter. It is also believed that Hogwarts was based on the neighbouring George Heriot's School, and another iconic Edinburgh location, Victoria Street, gave her the idea for Diagon Alley. Rowling wrote much of the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone book sitting in The Elephant House café, which has sweeping views across Greyfriars Kirkyard. She has previously acknowledged her connection to Edinburgh stating: "Edinburgh is very much home for me and is the place where Harry evolved over seven books and many, many hours of writing in its cafés." Thomas Riddell was a general who died on 24 November 1806 at the age of 72. It is commonly speculated that Thomas' name could have inspired the character of Lord Voldemort and his real name of Tom Marvolo Riddle. The site is so popular with Harry Potter fans flocking it have its own location marker on Google Maps. In July 2020, the City of Edinburgh Council even warned of 'significant erosion' around Riddell's grave. William McGonagall was unfortunately known as one of the worst poets in Scotland, one of his most famous works being that of 'The Tay Bridge Disaster' which is based on a horrific rail crash in Dundee, his hometown. McGonagall also worked as a weaver, struggling to make much money from his poetry. He was buried in an unmarked grave, although an inscribed slab was later installed in 1999. It is thought that his name inspired that of Professor Minerva McGonagall. Greyfriars Kirkyard also features a grave belonging to Mrs Elizabeth Moodie, a name which may have inspired the fictional character Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody. Look carefully and you'll also spot the names of Scrymgeour (which could have influenced the character of Rufus Scrimgeour), Cruikshanks (a slightly different spelling to Hermione Granger's cat, Crookshanks) a family of Potters and a family with the name Black. In addition, the entire Kirkyard is rumoured to have been the inspiration behind the fictional resting place of Harry Potter's parents, Lily and James, in Godric's Hollow. If you'd like to explore the Greyfriars Kirkyard for yourself, it is open 24 hours a day, and with many unofficial city-based Harry Potter tours, you'll be sure to spot the resting places of those who likely served as inspiration for J.K. Rowling. However, if you have no current plans to visit the city of Edinburgh, you can do so with a virtual tour via the Greyfriars website.
Time of India
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘We went looking for treasure & found nostalgia at every turn'
The three musketeers walk down memory lane with the The Curse of the Philosopher's Stone prop from the filmpics: Anindya Saha What's better than one brave character on an adventure? Three, of course! Koel Mallick , Parambrata Chattopadhyay , and Gaurav Chakrabarty are back together for the third film of the franchise, Sonar Kellay Jawker Dhan. Jaisalmer's golden sands aren't just scenic but the backdrop of the desert mystery they're chasing. It's not a remake, but a sun-soaked adventure with a knowing nod to Satyajit Ray 's Sonar Kella. And behind the scenes? Think Laal maas, post-packup adda, and Parambrata pulling pranks. We caught up with the trio at Kolkata Centre for Creativity, for a freewheeling chat to know how like the Philosopher's Stone in the story, their film promises a treasure trove of fun, friendship, food, and a whole lot of detective dazzle. Koel channels her character, psychiatrist Dr Ruby "The people of Jaisalmer are great, and the food is even better. We ate a lot of Dal baati churma & ghee. These two even had Laal maas without me" – Koel Mallick Action heroes, but with a twist Though Parambrata and Gaurav have not embodied action heroes on screen, but Koel says they aced it. 'Both Bimal (Param) and Kumar (Gaurav) have done fantastic action sequences. You've never really seen them do this before, but they've done it marvellously.' To this, Parambrata said: 'An adda session went on till 2am, but we got to know it was a 9am call. I had hardcore action scenes to shoot. It was, to put it plainly, not ideal,' he grinned. Jaisalmer and Ray's golden touch Calling Jaisalmer, especially its outskirts, the most beautiful part of the country, Parambrata reflected on the nostalgia associated with Sonar Kella and said, 'Many people got to know about Jaisalmer from Sonar Kella the film.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Essen: Gutes Hören sucht 700 Testhörer für Hörgeräte ohne Zuzahlung Gutes Hören Undo Reflecting on the same train of thought, Gaurav said that he saw Mukul Bari written outside the house in Hindi, adding, 'It's fascinating to see how, even though it's a Bengali name, Mukul Bari was written in hindi. ' What's a shoot without a few pranks? Outstation shoots are an opportunity to spend more time with co-actors and to pull each other's leg, or as the two men implied, Param pulling Koel's leg! Laughing and disagreeing with this, Koel said, 'Param has a certain way of getting into shoots and then pulling pranks on the team, and thankfully this time it was not me but Shaheb (Chatterjee).' Parambrata shares fun anecdotes from the shoot "There's something so emotional about shooting in Jaisalmer. Its vast desert holds a golden memory for many Bengalis" –Parambrata Chattopadhyay A grand sleuth reunion Given their collective detective resumes – Parambrata as Feluda, Koel as Mitin, and Gaurav as Byomkesh and Topshe – stepping into the world of Bimal and Kumar felt like a genre reunion. 'Feluda has a visual reference thanks to Ray's illustrations. Byomkesh doesn't. So the audience expects tall, charismatic detectives in jackets and dhotis,' explained Param. 'With Bimal and Kumar, we've moved away from Hemendra Kumar Roy's original story after the first film. We've built a world of our own.' Koel chimed in: 'My favourites? Feluda, Byomkesh… and yes, Mitin too, since I've played her.' Gaurav went global with his picks: 'I love Feluda's charm, but Philip Marlowe is another favourite. Inspired by him, Anjan Dutt even created Rudra Sen.' Param added a contemporary name to the list: 'Cormoran Strike, written by JK Rowling under Robert Galbraith. And yes, Feluda made me feel like I was travelling the world.' Gaurav with the charmed stones that play a crucial part in the film We are all Ray fans and Sonar Kella is a part of our pop culture. Shooting in Jaisalmer connected me to the cult film. It felt like I was living a childhood dream – Gaurav Chakrabarty When the book hit the floor and the giggles began Parambrata shared a delightful behind-the-scenes moment with co-star Saheb from the shoot. He recalled a scene and said, 'There is a sequence where Saheb and I meet for the first time, and we bump into each other and the book, The Curse of the Philosopher's Stone, falls and what truly tickled me was Saheb's intense dedication to his acting. Saheb takes his actor self seriously, sometimes very seriously, so every time the book fell, he would pick it up in such a dramatic way and every time he did that, I would giggle a bit. ' Without revealing why, the three also gave us a hint that The Curse of the Philosopher's Stone is an essential part of the storyline. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch: Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan investigate in 'Thursday Murder Club'
May 29 (UPI) -- Netflix is teasing The Thursday Murder Club starring Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan. The actors, who also star opposite one another in MobLand, portray retirees Elizabeth and Ron, who enjoy solving cold cases alongside Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley) and Joyce (Celia Imrie). The film takes its inspiration from Richard Osman's 2020 book, and follows the group as "their casual sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands," according to an official synopsis. "There's been a murder, an actual murder," Joyce says in the trailer released Thursday. "Now we've got a real case to solve. Isn't it wonderful? Obviously, RIP and all that." Chris Columbus, known for his work on Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, directs the film. "This is the finest cast I've worked with since Potter," he told Netflix's Tudum. "They're just so incredibly well-prepared, and it's because they do everything. They do theater, they do television, they do film, and they've developed those sorts of muscles." "Thematically it's interesting that we've got four elderly people who are living in a retirement community and who are fascinated by death and murder," he said. "They are facing their own demise, yet at the same time they are obsessed with studying cold cases. I fell in love thematically with that. It's comedic, but it's also very emotional." Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Tom Ellis, Jonathan Pryce, David Tennant, Paul Freeman, Geoff Bell, Richard E. Grant and Ingrid Oliver also star in the film, which arrives on Netflix Aug. 28.
