If botany hasn’t already been removed from the curriculum over at Hogwarts, now might be a good time.

Jamie Waylett, the Harry Potter bully turned small scale marijuana cultivator,
was sentenced this morning to 120 hours of community service for his
illicit green thumb. Draco Malfoy’s wingman could have faced up to 14
years behind bars after pleading guilty last week to growing 10 cannabis plants in his mother’s home.

Nancy Botwin he’s not.

During the 15-minute hearing, the judge said he decided against sending the actor—who has appeared in all six Harry Potter flicks, including the reigning box-office champ—to jail, as the makeshift farm was done on a “small scale” and Waylett himself was quick to cop to the error of his ways.

“I give you credit for pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity,
your cooperation with police and the fact that you are, until now, a
man of good character,” the judge tutted.

Outside the courthouse, Waylett, who celebrates his 20th birthday
today, was quick to make amends with both his fans and employers.
(Incidentally, how much you wanna bet he opts for a quiet night in?)

“I extend my sincere apologies to the producers, cast and crew and all at Warners and most especially to all Harry Potter fans,” he said.

The next time Vincent Crabbe wants to get high, he may want to stick with his magic broomstick.

The weekend box office was the domain of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which followed up its big Wednesday opening with a big $79.5 million Friday-Sunday, per estimates, pushing its overall take to $159.7 million.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s Brüno, meanwhile, saw ticket sales plunge 73 percent from last weekend, a drop that put the comedy in the inglorious company of all-time free-fallers such as The Real Cancun, The Adventures of Pluto Nash and videogame bust Doom.

Here’s how Half-Blood Prince stacked up against its Harry Potter elders (and, for those ardent Edward Cullen boosters, Twilight, too):

Despite catching the swine flu, Rupert Grint is alive and well, and ready to celebrate.

The actor, who plays Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter movies, recently came down with the possibly fatal virus.

“I thought, ‘Am I going to die?’ ” he told reporters at a London press conference. “But it was just like any other flu, really. I had a sore throat and I went to bed for a few days.”

It seems like he bounced back just in time…

The 19-year-old actor is so worried he won’t be able to find a job after the “Harry Potter” films come to an end he has decided to don tights and slippers in a bid to make him more employable.

He told Esquire magazine: “I’m learning the basics of ballet. The thing is, in a few years I’ll be 21, 22, and that’s when all the guys who’ve been at drama school will come out.” “They’ve been learning dance or singing and all that stuff and I’m going to need to compete with them because I won’t have ‘Harry Potter’ as my safety net any more. I need to make myself as viable a choice for any part as I possibly can.”

Radcliffe and his co-stars Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright and Tom Felton will wear white wrist ribbons at the world premiere of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” in London tonight (July 7, 2009), in tribute to murdered cast member Rob Knox.

Knox – who played Marcus Belby in the movie – was stabbed outside a bar in Kent, England, in May, just weeks after filming wrapped.

Daniel said: “What happened to Rob was awful.”

Bonnie Wright – who plays Harry’s love interest Ginny Weasley – added: “The premiere is going to be a traumatic experience for his family.”

Emma Watson is taking a break from movies to travel.The “Harry Potter” actress – who plays Hermione Granger in the wizard franchise – has decided to see the world following the postponement of the release date of the next installment in the series, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”

Emma, 18, said: “I’ve just come back from Kenya, It was amazing – I’ve just always really wanted to go there. I went to Masai Mara, and I went to beaches and it was a great place.”

“I’ve just got back from Hong Kong too. I may go over to New York to see Daniel Radcliffe in ‘Equus’ over there. I am going to make the most of my time off.”

The sixth installment was originally planned for release in November this year, but was pushed back until July 2009 by film company Warner Bros.

But Emma isn’t worried that fans will lose interest because of the delay.

She added: “The new release date will create more fuss and hype and then when you finally see it, the film will be even better!”

Emma recently revealed she is thinking of applying to go to university next year, and is considering studying an arts degree in America.

She said: “I’ve applied to a few universities for next year, including several American ones.”

“If I do go there I will do a liberal arts degree, but if I stay in the UK I’ll do English Literature.”

The makers of Bollywood’s Hari Putter – A Comedy Of Terrors have defended the film, saying it has nothing in common with Harry Potter.

Warner Bros is taking legal action against producers Mirchi Movies, based in Mumbai, India, over the film title.

The studio believes the name is too similar to that of the young wizard.

But Munish Purii, of Mirchi Movies, said: “Our film bears no resemblance to the Hollywood film Harry Potter and it is a completely different story.”

He added: “Our film has been in the making for quite some time and everyone knew about it.”

A spokesman for Warner Bros, which owns the rights to the boy wizard movies, confirmed the lawsuit against Mirchi Movies last week.

Hari Puttar, directed by Rajesh Bajaj and Lucky Kohli, is due to hit Indian movie screens on 12 September.

Two weeks ago, it was reported that the release date for the next Potter film – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – had been pushed back by eight months to July 2009.

Warner Bros said the decision had been taken in order to guarantee the studio a major summer blockbuster in 2009.

Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling has stunned fans by admitting she was on the brink of suicide when she was a struggling young single mum. The novelist – now worth around $1.09 billion (GBP545 million) – succumbed to depression in her early twenties when her husband, Portuguese journalist Jorge Arantes, left, leaving her to bring up baby Jessica alone.

Rowling admits she sought professional help when she started toying with the idea of ending her life. She says, “Mid-twenties, my life circumstances were poor and I really plummeted. The thing that made me go for help was probably my daughter. She was something that earthed me, grounded me, and I thought, this isn’t right, she cannot grow up with me in this state.” And the author’s battle with her dark thoughts wasn’t made any easier by the poor medical advice she received from her local doctors’ surgery in Edinburgh, Scotland.

She adds, “She (the medical advisor) said: ‘If you ever feel a bit low, come back and speak to the practice nurse,’ and dismissed me. We’re talking suicidal thoughts here; we’re not talking ‘I’m a bit miserable’. “Two weeks later I had a call from my regular GP (General Practitioner) who looked back over the notes. She called me back in. She saved me because I don’t think I would have had the guts to go twice.”

Harry Potter star Emma Watson stepped out for the Empire Awards in London last night – with a self-confessed “nobody”.

The actress – who has been romantically linked with rocker Johnny Borrell and her Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe – shunned a famous lover in favor of someone more unknown – as she made her latest romance very public at last night’s Empire Awards aftershow party.

The pair spent the night making out in trendy London club Carbon, with him fondling her bottom whenever he had the chance.

An onlooker said: “They look very loved up. Emma looked really happy.”

Emma, famous for her role as Hermione Granger in the Potter films, and turns 18 next month – was shy at first but became more amorous as the cocktails flowed before she discovered a slightly more private area upstairs.

But when her mystery man came up for breath and was asked by one of Emma’s female fans what she’d seen him in, he replied: “Nothing. I’m a nobody. I work in admin.”

The couple left the London hotspot separately at around midnight, but soon reunited and spent the night together in a hotel

‘Harry Potter’ star Emma Watson has been partying with Razorlight star Johnny Borrell.

The 17-year-old actress – who plays schoolgirl Hermione Granger in the hit movie franchise about a teen wizard – was seen laughing and joking with the rocker at a party at London’s National Portrait Gallery on Monday night (11.02.08).

Emma and Johnny, 27, then shared a taxi to local nightclub Dolce, where fashion designers PPQ hosted a party.

An onlooker said: “They looked like they were getting on really well. While nothing happened, there was an obvious chemistry between them.”

Emma, who was wearing a flesh coloured tight strapless minidress and four-inch black heels, seemed determined to show how she is maturing into a beautiful young woman.

One partygoer said: “Emma looked stunning, but she couldn’t have looked more different to her ‘Harry Potter’ character if she had tried!”

Johnny – who split from Spider-Man’ actress girlfriend Kirsten Dunst last year after a five-month romance – and Emma later left the party in separate cabs.

After missing out on a nomination for the Oscars, Brit beauty Keira Knightley has managed to bag one for the 2008 Empire Awards.

Harry Potter’s also leading the way, with both films having received six nominations ahead of next month’s ceremony.

Billed as an antidote to the Oscars and the Baftas, Zodiac, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Bourne Ultimatum, and The Assassination of Jesse James will battle it out for Best Film.

Atonement is shortlisted for Best British Film, Best Actress for Knightley, Best Actor for James McAvoy, Best Director for Joe Wright, Best Newcomer for Saoirse Ronan, and Best Soundtrack.

Helen O’Hara from Empire thinks Knightley is a very deserving contender.

She said: “This is really the film that shows she’s a proper actress – not just the star from the Pirate movies. It’s definitely her best work to date.”

The award ceremony will be aired on ITV2 on Monday, March 10 at 9pm.

Thousands who attended an open audition for a role in the new Harry Potter film have been left disappointed after the part went to an established actress.

Producers held a casting in July for girls aged 15 to 18 to play Lavender Brown in The Half Blood Prince.

But the part went to Jessie Cave, 20, star of new CBBC drama Summerhill and movie Inkheart with Dame Helen Mirren.

The casting stated no acting experience was necessary and attracted 7,000 hopefuls. Cave’s agent did not comment.

Lavender Brown is Ron Weasley’s girlfriend in the Harry Potter series, and a fellow pupil at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Producers described the character as “a pretty and lively girl who loves to be the centre of attention”.

She features in the sixth movie based on the book series, due to be released in November 2008.

Announcing the auditions in July, director David Yates said: “These auditions are open to everybody and we can’t wait to see who comes in the door.

“Normally I have all these casting agents sending me kids who have been to stage school and who come in tap-dancing and singing.

“What we are looking for is someone natural and absolutely credible in their own right.”

Tap-dancing is listed among the skills on Cave’s CV, published by her agent A&J Management.

Director David Yates was not available for comment.

Open auditions were also held for the character of Tom Riddle, who goes on to become the evil Voldemort. The winner of that role has yet to be announced.

The last Harry Potter film, The Order of the Phoenix, did feature an unknown actress found through a casting call.

Evanna Lunch, 14, from Co Louth, Ireland, beat 15,000 hopefuls to the role of eccentric Hogwarts pupil Luna Lovegood.

JK Rowling is so impressed by Daniel Radcliffe’s nude scenes in ‘Equus’ that she is tempted to see him strip off for the next instalment of the boy wizard franchise.

Radcliffe said that after seeing the West End show, Rowling came backstage to tell him that he was going to be naked all the time in the next Potter film.

“When Jo came to see me in Equus she popped backstage afterwards and told me: ‘In the next film, Harry’s going to be naked all of the time!’” Contactmusic quoted Radcliffe, as saying. Radcliffe, who has made his mark at West End, is also planning to do the same on Broadway.

The actor earlier confirmed that he would be making his debut on the American stage when the play Equus goes to the Big Apple next year.

Publisher delays Potter reference work After being sued by JK Rowling, a publisher has agreed to delay its plans to release an encyclopedic reference work on the fictitious world of the Harry Potter novels.

RDR Books Publisher Roger Rapoport said he volunteered to halt typesetting on the planned “Harry Potter Lexicon” until a judge rules on whether the work constitutes a violation of Rowling’s intellectual property rights, or the copyright on her novels held by Warner Bros.

The book, drawn on material from the fan-created Harry Potter Lexicon Web site, had been scheduled for release on Nov. 28.
A federal judge in New York gave force to the agreement by issuing an order Thursday barring completion, distribution, marketing or advance sales of the book until further notice.

Rapoport, whose small company is based in Muskegon, Mich., said he had also turned over a copy of the Lexicon to Warner Bros. lawyers, in the hopes that they would read it and decide that it didn’t amount to copyright infringement.
“I think they should drop it. I’m hopeful that they will,” he said.

The lawsuit, filed Oct. 31, sought an injunction blocking publication of the book because it was likely to borrow too heavily from Rowling’s work and interfere with her plans to eventually publish her own version of an encyclopedia on the wizarding world. The suit was somewhat of a surprise because Rowling had been a supporter of the Lexicon Web site, which would contain much of the same material. But she and Warner Bros. said they saw a difference between fans publishing such information for free on the Web, and putting it into a book for commercial sale.

In a statement released on her Web site, Rowling said she took “no pleasure” in the prevention of the Lexicon’s publication.
“On the contrary, I feel massively disappointed that this matter had to come to court at all,” the statement said. “Given my past good relations with the Lexicon fan site, I can only feel sad and disillusioned that this is where we have ended up.”
The seventh and final installment in Rowling’s hugely successful series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” was published in July. The seven books have sold nearly 400 million copies and have been translated into 64 languages.

The famous Emma Watson from ‘Harry Potter’ series recently broke up with her long time boyfriend, Tom Drucker after she saw his photos with other teenage girls. Emma is heartbroken and very upset since Tom was her first love. She didn’t want things to end this way.

The split was amicable and they split like any other teenagers do. Emma Watson is now concentrating on her studies and her new upcoming film – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Don’t worry Emma, you will find someone better and most probably someone mature, not a teenager

“The Reader,” a long-gestating project based on Bernhard Schlink’s international best-seller, will be directed by Stephen Daldry. The Weinstein Co. project is scheduled to begin next month in Germany.

The story is set in postwar Germany and centers on Michael Berg, who is 15 years old when he begins a long, obsessive affair with Hanna, an enigmatic older woman. He never learns much about her, and when she disappears one day, he expects never to see her again. But to his horror, he discovers that she is a defendant in a Nazi war crimes trial, and it soon becomes clear that she is guilty of an unspeakable crime.

David Hare, who adapted the Oscar-nominated screenplay for “The Hours,” wrote “The Reader.”

Kidman is currently in theaters with the sci-fi thriller “The Invasion,” which earned an estimated $6.0 million during its first weekend. She next stars in “Margot at the Wedding,” “The Golden Compass” and “Australia.”
Fiennes is also in theaters, playing Lord Voldemort in “Harry Potter and the Order of
the Phoenix.”

There’s good news for all those who think that Harry Potter author, JK Rowling is over with the boy wizard.

The bestseller novelist is now contemplating penning an encyclopaedia about the seven books and movie franchise.

The British author came out with the seventh and final Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on July 21.

However, she plans to conclude the series with an A to Z descriptive guide, through which fans will get many more details about their favourite characters as well as more news about the wizarding world.

Rowling said that the Harry Potter Encyclopaedia will presumably include back stories of characters she has already written but had to slice for the sake of the narrative plus details about the characters who survive “Deathly Hallows,” and continue to live on in her mind.

“There’s always been bits that I knew about characters that didn’t make the final cuts because they weren’t that relevant,” Contactmusic quoted her, as saying.

Universal Orlando Resort is opening a Harry Potter theme park that will let fans visit many of the iconic locations in the books and movies that endeared the boy magician to millions.

“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” is set to open at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park in late 2009, complete with the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade village.

“The plans I’ve seen look incredibly exciting, and I don’t think fans of the books or films will be disappointed,” said author J.K. Rowling, who has been working with a creative team to make sure the park resembles the books and films.

More than a dozen artists lead by Stuart Craig, the production designer of the movies, have set up house in the studio where the movies are being filmed to make sure every detail is considered, said Scott Trowbridge of Universal.”We’re really going to the people who know this world best to ensure that level of authenticity,” he said.

The park will let visitors view the famed locations in Rowling’s magical world, like Dumbledore’s office in Hogwarts and the shops in Hogsmeade. Some locations may be in upcoming books, Trowbridge said.

Many tourists outside the theme park said the experience would boost its appeal to a younger audience.

“I’d go to Universal before I would Disney World to go on a Harry Potter ride,” said 15-year-old Alex Moran, who was visiting Orlando from Pleasant Hill, Mo.

Brandon Wilson, another 15 year old from Pleasant Hill, said he can’t get enough of Harry Potter. He has read every book and watched every movie.

“I hope we get to simulate flying like Harry Potter,” Wilson said.

Trowbridge said while there would not be any character lookalikes at the park, fans wanting to see Harry Potter and his magical friends wouldn’t leave disappointed.

“This is Harry’s world,” said Trowbridge. “Most every fan wants to have an encounter with the star of the show.”

The Harry Potter book series has been translated into 65 languages with more than 325 million copies sold in over 200 territories around the world.

The fifth film in the series, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” will be released in theaters July 13 by Warner Bros. The seventh and final book of the series will be released July 21.

Kate Beckinsale’s eight-year-old daughter plays ‘’spot who’s had Botox” on Los Angeles streets.

The 33-year-old British actress wants Lily exposed to the reality of plastic surgery at such a young age because she thinks women who undergo the cosmetic procedure look like “monsters.”

Kate told US Glamour magazine: “This is what’s sick about living in Los Angeles. My eight-year-old daughter will point to a woman and say, ‘Look! That woman’s had too much Botox.’”

“She spots them because they all look a bit like Lord Voldemort from ‘Harry Potter.’”

The “Underworld” star – who gained 20 pounds to play Hollywood beauty Ava Gardner in “The Aviator” has also revealed the Hollywood ideal is an unachievable look.

She said: “I don’t think you can aspire to it, nor can I. Everybody is retouched, stretched, lengthened, slimmed and trimmed.”

“I could look at a picture of myself from the past and think, ‘Why don’t I look like that now?’ It’s because I never have!”

Kate – who is married to director Len Wiseman – recently confessed she is obsessed with breasts because she would love a large bust herself.

She said: “I’m so fascinated by breasts because my mother didn’t have them either. “If I had them, I’d run up and down flights of stairs!”

Emma Watson has agreed to star in the final two ”Harry Potter” movies.

The 16-year-old actress, who reportedly told movie bosses she no longer wanted to play Hermione over fears of being typecast, has been persuaded to commit to the remaining installments of the boy wizard series.

Emma said: “I could never let Hermione Granger go. I love her too much and love what playing her has meant to me. I’m excited and honored to be finishing what I started and playing her in all seven films.”

Emma has signed a deal which will earn her a reported $4 million per movie.

Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint – who play Harry Potter and Ron Weasley respectively – have already agreed to reprise their roles for “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

Earlier this month, Rupert revealed Emma was keen to take on new challenges.

He said: “Emma doesn’t want to do it any more. She’s tired of being known as ‘that girl from Harry Potter.’”

“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” – the franchise’s fifth film – will be released this summer.

Author J.K. Rowling’s final book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” will be published in July.

Actress Emma Watson, who has played Hermione Granger in all the “Harry Potter” films, was stalked at her British school by an obsessed fan, a report says.

Sky News said a source explained that the 16-year-old actress was recently approached by a man in his 20s who had been following her into her open lectures at her school.

“The man actually gate-crashed her school,” the source said. “She was very alarmed and worried.”

After the man began questioning Watson about the “Harry Potter” films, police arrived at the scene and questioned him.

While police warned the man to leave the actress alone, her school and parents began to take precautions to ensure her safety.

Watson, who now will have a bodyguard at the school, previously said that her increasing popularity has made having a boyfriend an impossibility, Sky News reported.

British actor Daniel Radcliffe has signed up for the final two films in the seven-part Harry Potter series, his spokeswoman said on Friday.

The 17-year-old, who has just won rave reviews for his performance in Peter Shaffer’s controversial play “Equus,” will start filming the sixth movie based on the bestselling books by J.K. Rowling in September, she added.

Radcliffe shot to fame in 2001 when he appeared as the boy wizard in the first Harry Potter film.

The hit franchise, which continues with the fifth installment called “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” later this year, has amassed around $3.5 billion globally at the box office and turned the teenager into a multi-millionaire.

Rowling recently announced that the seventh and final book in the series, called “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” will be published on July 21, but it is not clear when the film version will be made.

The first six books have sold in excess of 325 million copies worldwide.

Movie commentators had wondered if Radcliffe could sustain the role of Potter throughout the film franchise, and whether the raunchy publicity shots of Radcliffe for “Equus” would alienate him from his core fan base.