Harry Potter

YSL.com will cover

Harry Potter movie coming; book is delayed

Young Saint Louis.com is ready to provide fast coverage next month of the second Harry Potter movie. Our exclusive, kid-written review will be on the website before the movie opens Nov. 15.

Anticipation for the second movie is building. But, Harry Potter fans also are restless because the fifth book hasn't come out yet.

It's been nearly a year since the first movie, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," opened. It was 2001's top money-making film, taking in over $300 million at theaters.

Author J.K. Rowling's fourth book, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," came out over two years ago.

Her original plan was to publish a new book each year for seven consecutive years. The original movie plan was for one a year for seven years.

So far, the movie series is on schedule. The second movie, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," is due to open in theaters next month. The producers want to have a new movie before each holiday season.

Traditionally, that's one of the biggest movie-going times of the year.

Reviewer Eddie Szewczyk

Last year, YSL.com asked Eddie Szewczyk (pronounced, cev-check) of Belleville to do an exclusive review. He attended a special critic's preview showing of the movie. Then Eddie's review was on the website before the movie opened to the public. (To see coverage in November, 2001, click here.)

We plan to do the same for the second movie. That way, you'll get up-to-the-minute coverage of what promises to be another blockbuster movie event.

Fourteen-year-old Eddie is a reporter for Radio Disney in St. Louis. He reviews movies and covers news stories. He's following the Cardinals drive for the World Series.

He's already agreed to write the review for the second Harry Potter movie.

This year, he'll review the new movie and also compare it with the first film. And he'll do it from a St. Louis-area perspective since he's always lived in this area.

While the second movie is on schedule, the next book seems to be delayed.

Actually, there's a debate about whether there has been a delay. What is known is that the fifth book in the seven-book series doesn't seem to be close to publication.

There are various explanations, although author Rowling isn't talking. One says marketers for the Harry Potter books and movies don't want the new book and the new movie to come out too close together.

Others say that wouldn't have been a problem if the fifth book, tentatively titled, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," had come out last spring as originally planned.

But, a spokesman for Scholastic Books says there was no definite publication date for that fifth book. It looks like the new book won't come out until next summer, at the earliest.

Maybe the best explanation is that Rowling has little time for new writing. She's just too busy keeping up with activities around the old books and new movies. After all, she has turned out to be the most successful author in recorded history.

Her four books already have sold over 140 million copies worldwide. The books have been translated into 47 different languages.

One new publishing move did come this summer. "Goblet of Fire" was released in paperback. The first week, it topped the New York Times paperback kids' best-seller list.

Also, her other three books gave Rowling four of the top five listings in that August 18 rating. No. 2 was "Prisoner of Azkaban." No. 4 was "Chamber of Secrets."

The original book, "Sorcerer's Stone," was No. 5 and has been on the list for 147 weeks.

Another draw on Rowling's time comes because she is very careful about mistakes in her books. And she wants the movies to be very true to the plots laid down in those books.

St. Louis-area movie goers can be sure the second movie will be true to the "Chamber of Secrets" book. Rowling is watching and the second movie has the same director, Chris Columbus. Also, Daniel Radcliffe again will star as Harry.

One new character has been added for the second movie. Actor Kenneth Branagh will be Gilderoy Lockhart, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School.

You can be sure YSL.com and Eddie Szewczyk are ready to give coverage in November.