JK Rowling's gay reveal fails to impress fans

LONDON -- J.K. Rowling's revelation that two "Harry Potter" characters were in a gay relationship has sparked an angry backlash, with some fans accusing her of changing her books to keep up with social trends. 

In 2007, Rowling outed Albus Dumbledore, the head of Hogwarts school in the best-selling books, saying he had fallen in love with Gellert Grindelwald -- a fellow wizard.

More than a decade on, she said there had been a "sexual dimension" to their relationship, leading to accusations on social media that she was trying to "score brownie points" with the LGBT+ community.

"You had your chance to make Dumbledore/Grindelwald gay when you, you know, wrote the books/made the movies," tweeted @ZoeyReport, one of many fans who criticized the move.

Rowling's agent declined to comment on the response.

Retroactive continuity, or "retcon" -- whereby authors or film-makers retrospectively change original storylines, often to bring them into line with modern views -- is becoming more common.

Marvel Comics came under fire for making the lead character of its latest movie "Captain Marvel" a woman -- even though he was male in the comic series the film is based on.

Rowling has previously been accused of retroactively trying to insert diversity into a series dominated by white heterosexual characters, such as when a black actor was cast as Hermione in the play "Harry Potter and The Cursed Child."

However, a number of fans thanked the billionaire author for her latest effort to introduce diversity into the Harry Potter world.

"I choose to focus on progress, and I think your characters help us grow and think," tweeted @dr_michael_b.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Pokemon Go's Niantic taps 'Harry Potter' magic for new AR game

LOS ANGELES - Fantastic beasts, wizard adventures and magic spells will come to life in a new "Harry Potter" augmented reality mobile game from Pokemon Go developer Niantic Inc and Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment, the companies said on Wednesday.

"Harry Potter: Wizards Unite" will bring author J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World to mobile phones and use augmented reality (AR) to create a real-world scavenger hunt, allow players to cast spells, find artifacts, team up and encounter magical beasts and characters from the popular book series.

The game's use of real locations is similar to Niantic and Nintendo Co Ltd's Pokemon Go, which became the first mass market adoption of AR in July 2016 and allows players to "catch" animated characters that appeared in their real surroundings.

No release date was given for the "Harry Potter" game, but Niantic and Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros said more details would be available next year.

Warner Bros Pictures, which produced the $7.7 billion-grossing "Harry Potter" film franchise, will release "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2" in November 2018, the second installment in a new series of films that expand the world Rowling created in her Potter franchise.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

New Harry Potter attraction opens at Florida theme park

ORLANDO - The new Harry Potter attraction at Universal Orlando opened on Tuesday to crowds of fans eager to be among the first to experience the theme park's Diagon Alley expansion based on J.K. Rowling's books and the popular films about the boy wizard.

Fans began lining up before dawn for the public opening of the "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley" attraction, modeled after the London shopping district for wizards that is featured in Rowling's book series.

The area quickly filled to capacity, leading to staggered admissions into the self-contained attraction.

Universal typically does not release admission figures, but the wait time for the attraction's new signature ride, "Escape from Gringotts," was as long as six hours, according to local media reports.

"If we could give it a standing ovation, we would," Nikida Vaughn of Florida told the Orlando Sentinel after experiencing the interactive roller coaster.

The opening of Diagon Alley is expected to provide a boost to the theme park's revenues and to tourism in central Florida.

The long waits and exuberant fans were reminiscent of the 2010 opening of Hogsmeade Village, the theme park's original Harry Potter attraction.

This time, however, gridlock did not spill over to the interstate highway and snarl traffic into Orlando as it did in 2010, said a spokeswoman for the Florida Highway Patrol.

Heavily geared to shopping and eating, Diagon Alley guests can purchase collectible souvenirs, such as interactive wands that trigger special effects within the park.

Visitors can dine on traditional British dishes and purchase the popular butterbeer featured in the series, as well as try new drinks called Fishy Green Ale and Tongue Tying Lemon Squash.

The Diagon Alley expansion is connected to the Hogsmeade attraction by the new Hogwarts Express, a four-minute train ride based on a magical locomotive in the series.

The Potter-themed areas are in two adjoining Universal parks, each of which requires a separate admission. A ride on the train requires a $136 two-park pass.

Comcast Corp's Universal Studios will bring the world of "Harry Potter" to its Hollywood theme park in 2016, part of a multi-year revamp of its film-themed attractions.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

J.K. Rowling's Pottermore website to open in April

NEW YORK - Author J.K. Rowling's new Pottermore website that will allow fans to navigate the world of British boy wizard Harry Potter and shop for merchandise including e-books of the Potter adventures will open in April.

A posting on the website said the Pottermore Shop would soon welcome fans after being delayed from a planned October opening. The site's creators have been testing it and said they changed to a more "suitable" platform for the millions of expected visitors.

The posting did not say whether e-book versions of the seven "Harry Potter" novels will be available immediately.

The interactive site will let readers navigate through the stories of witchcraft and wizardry on which Rowling based her blockbuster books about the teenage wizard and his friends.

"So get ready to join the Pottermore journey - the wait is nearly over," the posting said.

source: interaksyon.com