Saturday, March 24, 2007

Watson, Grint Agree To Harry Potter Deal

Contrary to speculation that she was done with the films, ”Harry Potter“ actress Emma Watson has decided to reprise her role as Hermione Granger in the final two installments of the hit series, Warner Bros. said on Friday.

Watson was not the only recent signing. Reuters has reported that Rupert Grint will also be returning as Harry’s friend, Ron Weasley, and as previously announced, Daniel Radcliffe signed up to return as Harry in the sixth and seventh installments of the seven-part series.

Meanwhile, Watson (possibly at the urging of Warner Bros.) attempted to reassure fans of her commitment to the role and the movie, in general.

“I could never let Hermione go… she is my hero!,” Watson said in a statement from the Warner Bros. film studio. “I love her too much and love what playing her has meant to me.”

The signing comes amidst news reports which speculated that the Watson, 16, may not return to the role she originated. The main reason being given was that Emma was tired of being typecast and recognized solely as “that girl from Harry Potter”.

With Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint all locked-in, Warner Bros. has assured themselves of more big paydays to come.

As Reuters reports, “The trio round out the main characters in the movie series that began in 2001 with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” which proved to be a box-office sensation, raking in $976 million in global ticket sales. Three other “Potter” movies have since been released, adding nearly $2.6 billion to the worldwide box office. In all, the four “Harry Potter” movies have grossed over $3.5 billion.”

Now there are three more on the way, with the fifth film in the series, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” scheduled for release on July 13, 2007.

Check out this special preview of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”: