I have a couple of friends going to England later on in June and I have already asked them to get me a copy of any British Harry Potter book so I can read the "original."

I so agree with Adrienne on this! Do any of you remember that Rosie O'Donnell was chomping at the bit to play Professor McGonagall? Eeew. "She" gives me the willies. (Rosie, not Professor McGonagall)

I had heard that she wanted to play Mrs. Weasley. I think she's equally missuited for both parts, personally.

Actually, I think at the rate her career's going right now, she'll be chomping at the bit for any part... :rolleyes:

This is a little off-topic, but I have the COOLEST poster from the first movie!

I was studying abroad in London when the first movie came out, so my friend Merry (who is obsessed as I am, if not more so) and I headed down to Leister Square the day of the premiere. The theatre is HUGE and was all decorated as Hogwarts, with big house banners hanging up. It was a really neat experience, we saw JK Rowling and a bunch of the actors coming to see the movie (we saw Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred and George, Crabbe and Goyle, Hagrid...) and it was really cool.

So they had these big posters hanging on all the barriers, and they had a stack of leftovers they were handing out at the end - so Merry and I each got one of those. And a few weeks later, Alan Rickman came and talked to one of my classes (I know, you're all jealous!) and so I got him to sign it!

The neatest thing is that it says "The Philosopher's Stone" - everyone looks at it and asks "Why doesn't it say Sorcerer's Stone?" And then I get to tell my London story! :)

*wibbles* Lucky! What's Alan Rickman like in person?

Oh My God!!! I am so insanely jealous. The closest I've ever been was when I went to see Private Lives in NYC. I was sick so I couldn't even try to see him as he left the theatre. Did you get a picture of him?

Well, my theatre class had seen Private Lives in London, so Alan Rickman had come in to talk about that - I do have two pictures of him, surrounded by about 30 eager theatre majors. :)

He was nice, kind of formal - and I think we surprised him, because we were "supposed" to asking about Private Lives and theatre and all that, and we kept asking about his movies... he kind of laughed at us and had a "silly Americans!" attitude, but he was nice.

And he stole my marker when he signed my poster, but I've forgiven him!