Beautifully done by Red Hen Publications, this is content of the back cover for the special Azkatraz edition of Hog’s Head Conversations: Essays on Harry Potter. Note the charities that will be helped with purchases of this volume at Azkatraz!
- Journey to the Sea, Issue 12 is posted! Great stuff in here on Hades/Death in mythology. I’m really looking forward to reading through this issue.
- HP Progs’ Episode 101 is an interview with Steve Vander Ark about the Harry Potter Lexicon
- Cory Godbey is doing Tolkien tribute work: Here’s Bilbo, and here’s Gandalf. Love ‘em both.
- The Tolkien Professor is working his way through lectures on The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Looks like a great set of lectures. Free subscription through iTunes (HT to Amy Sturgis)
- Janet Batchler continues her re-read of Harry Potter: Here’s Book 5!
We haven’t talked at length about some of the characters that we would meet in the DH films. I personally can’t help but wonder who will play the wonderfully delirious Xenophilius Lovegood (assuming they leave him in the script…).
But, a little news/rumor found its way to IGN today concerning the casting of Rufus Scrimgeour. It seems as though Bill Nighy might be taking up the scowling minister’s robes. Lately, he’s best known for his turn as Davey Jones in the last two Pirates of the Caribbean movies. And uber-dedicated sci fi/fantasy nerds will recognize him from the Underworld movies (which, IMO, suck…). 
His resume is long and varied. He’s a very versatile actor, and recently he’s been in everything from the hilarious British film Hot Fuzz to The Constant Gardener to Valkyrie (outshining Tom Cruise by a mile — you know, like it’s difficult or something…).
I think his choice is interesting, and it is potentially a quiet but very definitive home run. But, it’s also got me to thinking about who might play some of the other characters that haven’t made it on screen yet. Or, for that matter, which ones might be cut in the name of filmic-adaption.
Thoughts? Ideas?