The real-life dame and on-screen dowager countess, who has died aged 89, earned fame in her 70s and 80s for blockbuster roles. But her early work at the National Theatre marked her out as a talent for the agesDame Maggie Smith’s trophy cabinet reflected her extraordinary achievements across theatre, film and television – and in the biggest arenas of British and US culture, from the BBC to Hollywood, the West End to Broadway. A measure of her versatility and durability is that, in the 1960s, she played nine major roles in the formative years of the National Theatre, but also, from the start of the 2000s, appeared in five series of Downton Abbey, the ITV Sunday night series that became one of the biggest popular hits of the new millennium.Her role in that show was Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, who lived in such a bubble of exclusive comfort that, in trademark one-liners, she would drawl in mystification, for example: “What is a ‘weekend’?” That acerbic superiority was a signature throughout Smith’s career, including the part that brought her first Academy award in 1970, against a shortlist also featuring Liza Minnelli and Jane Fonda, for the title role in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, adapted from Muriel Spark’s novel about a maverick, arrogant schoolteacher in Edinburgh. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2024-09-27 13:37:47 UTC ]
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood is about to debut. After 2 1/2 years of construction, Wizarding World is set for its grand opening Thursday morning. Leading up to that, a red carpet event tonight will include several stars from the "Harry Potter" films, and more... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The upcoming movie 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,' based in the world of 'Harry Potter,' is set in America. Upcoming stories published on the site Pottermore will reveal more about the magical culture in the US. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The upcoming movie 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,' based in the world of 'Harry Potter,' is set in America. Upcoming stories published on the site Pottermore will reveal more about the magical culture in the US. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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J .K. Rowling has some good news for fans of her "Harry Potter" universe, especially ones on this side of the Atlantic. The author's website, Pottermore, will publish a four-part story this week called "History of Magic in North America." The story will provide the background for "Fantastic... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New research from Booklist shows page counts have grown 173% over 40 years, and suggests that JK Rowling’s boy hero may be responsible for large increase in early 2000sChildren’s novels have almost doubled in length over the last 40 years, according to research from US review journal Booklist,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The script from the forthcoming Harry Potter play leaps to the top of the book bestseller list, a day after its July release was announced. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2016-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I & II will be published the day after the play begins in London, picking up the wizard’s story 19 years after the final novel in the seriesHarry Potter author JK Rowling’s script of the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is going to be... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author JK Rowling has announced a new book which will follow the next generation as they set off for Hogwarts. Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald
[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2016-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new book celebrating the best writing of the past century follows a well-worn script when it comes to equalityI’ve been dipping in and out of DJ Taylor’s fat new book, The Prose Factory, a pleasingly gossipy history of literary life in England since 1918, and so far as it goes, it’s very... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A movie based on a book inside a Harry Potter book is here, and this is our first glimpse.During a week where many people have reached critical levels of Star Wars overload, Warner Bros. has released the first look at an entire movie based around a book that was listed on Harry Potter's freshman... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2015-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has received his share of celebrity endorsements, with stars such as Mike Tyson and Dennis Rodman backing the controversial billionaire. "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling, however, is decidedly not a member of Trump's fan club. The Scottish writer... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-12-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Katniss Everdeen may have come out on top of the weekend box office with an estimated $101 million in domestic ticket sales, but the new "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 2" fell short of industry expectations and, unlike the "Twilight" and "Harry Potter" young-adult juggernauts, her "Hunger... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hungry for wands, stuffy spell books and elaborate magical alleys with complicated villain back stories? Never fear, the Harry Potter universe has returned with the new prequel film "Fantastic Beasts." Entertainment Weekly has debuted a collection of stills for the "Harry Potter" prequel,... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new play will pick up the story of Harry Potter where the seventh and final volume of JK Rowling's saga left off, with a plot involving a grown-up Harry and his youngest son, Albus. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2015-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Potter' fans now know what the upcoming play will be about and it involves more of the characters from the book series than they may have thought. The show is set to open in London in the summer of 2016. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It’s a big week for old favorites, especially among children’s authors: Rick Riordan has the #1 book in the country, Harry Potter is back with a new look, and ‘Twilight'’s Bella and Edward are back with new genders. Plus two books delved into Kennedy Clan history, Patti Smith follows up ‘Just... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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J.K. Rowling’s 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone' knocked Andy Weir’s 'The Martian' from its #1 spot on the iBooks Bestsellers list for the week ended October 11. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It's been several years since the last book in the 'Potter' series was published, but judging by the fervor of fans, the boy wizard isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From the multi-coloured sorting hat, to the sinister Snape to the red glow of Ron’s hair, we revel in Jim Kay’s glorious pictures for the new illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone• Win a copy of the new illustrated edition, plus a signed Jim Kay print and a Harry Potter... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Environmental Protection Agency should have listened to Ron Weasley’s dad. In the Harry Potter books and films, Arthur Weasley is a bureaucrat in the British magical world’s chief regulatory agency, the Ministry of Magic, where his job is to protect people from dangerous devices. He is known... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2015-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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