After Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe’s turn on Broadway in 200y in the London revival of Peter Shaffer’s Tony award-winning play Equus, Rupert Grint is trying to step out of his Ron Weasley role. Related story: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park

The 21-year-old British actor, best known for his cheeky and comic portrayal of the red-headed wizard, stars in Cherrybomb, a gritty Irish drama in which he plays a troubled teenager who shoplifts, steals cars and tries drugs during a wild weekend. The film, directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, is set for an April 23 release in the United Kingdom.

Filming his grown-up role wasn’t very easy for Rupert Grint, who admits that his filming his first sex scene with Kimberley Nixon was agonizing and that he did not know where to put his hands.

The worst bit, Rupert Grint says, was watching the X-rated scene with his parents. He says film bosses gave him a preview DVD of Cherrybomb, which Nigel and Joanne Grint were quite keen to watch.

How did they react to the nude scene? Rupert’s mum and dad simply didn’t talk about it.

Speaking about the scene, Rupert Grint says he did not want his “bum up there on the screen” but agreed as the scene was not very graphic. For those who want to see him in the buff, we are sorry to disappoint you but no clips of the nude scene have been released yet.

Harry Potter fans who have followed Rupert Grint through six movies may be surprised by Cherrybomb. The film, also starring James Nesbitt, Robert Sheehan and Kimberley Nixon – Rupert’s love interest, is far removed from the magical world created by J.K.Rowling.

Rupert Grint says he chose to do the film because of Malachy, the character he plays. Malachy is a complicated boy with a glut of teenage emotions and rebellion.

Rupert, like pal Daniel Radcliffe before him, knows he may come in from criticism from the public for his role in the wild teen weekend that goes wrong in Cherrybomb.

But, he says, doing adult roles as he gets older is the order of progression. With filming on the last-ever Harry Potter film on, Rupert Grint needs to experiment to ensure that he’s not remembered as only Harry Potter and Hermione Granger’s best friend.

Rupert Grint’s first non-Potter film was 2006’s Driving Lessons, another coming of age story about a shy teenager trying to escape the influence of his domineering mother.

Harry Potter cast members and –  surprise – Twilight heartthrob Jamie Campbell Bower turned up at the UK premiere of Cherrybomb.

No competition between the Harry Potter and the Twilight guys? Not at all, says Rupert Grint.

Meanwhile, bud Daniel Radcliffe is scheduled to return to Broadway in 2011, with a revival of a 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winning musical.

The 20-year-old Daniel Radcliffe’s nude scene in Equus had sparked controversy. He will play J. Pierrepont Finch in a revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The play will be directed by Tony winner Rob Ashford (Promises, Promises).

Based on Sheperd Mead’s 1952 book How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, the play tells the story of J. Pierrepont Finch, a young window washer who rises through the ranks at a New York company until his attempts at coming up with a brilliant idea threaten his growth.

Daniel Radcliffe will go to Broadway after completing work on the final movie in the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are currently working on the Deathly Hallows, which is to be released in two parts. The first instalment will be released on November 19, 2010.

Muggles rejoice! Universal Orlando Resort’s The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, on June 18, throws its doors open to non-wizarding folks, inviting them to meet Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and tempting them to spend a day in the village of Hogsmeade and at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

We do not have access to any photos of the theme park right now – apart from one which we think is a real photo of Hagrid’s Hut in the Wizarding World. We will be updating this page with photos, instead of the renderings we have here, as soon as we can.

Touted as an all-new adventure, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park combines a powerful storyline with dazzling new technology to leave you spellbound. Universal Orlando Resorts hopes that the 20-acre park will rival the attractions of Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

What can Muggles expect when they step foot into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter? Let us give you a sneak peek.

Hogsmeade

Photo: Hog's Head Pub in the Hogsmeade Village. Early rendering of Hog's Head courtesy Universal Orlando Resort.

Roofs laden with snow, the picture-perfect village of Hogsmeade – nestled in a lush forest – welcomes visitors. At the entrance, the Hogwarts Express – steaming but stationary – beckons. The towering parapets of Hogwarts Castle rise high above the village. The cobblestoned streets invite you to window shop – at Honeydukes (the window display’s bursting with sweets of all kind), at Zonko’s (remember where Fred and George Weasley got their tricks and toys) and at Ollivander’s (the makers of fine wands since 382 B.C.).

This is Harry Potter’s world brought to life. The involvement of J.K.Rowling, the creator of the Harry Potter universe, has been an integral part in the creation of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Related story: Plotholes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Approvals were sought from J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros., which produces the Harry Potter movie franchise, for the ambience and feel of the theme park as well as the taste and look of the trademark Potter food (Butterbeer, chocolate frogs and Cauldron Cake).

Alan Gilmore, the art director for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the Harry Potter movies, said J.K.Rowling has been continually involved with the project, adding that the writer has a very clear vision of her world.

All that’s fine, but what does Butterbeer taste like? The drink reportedly tastes kind of like fudge – think cream soda spiked with butterscotch.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden journey at the Wizarding World theme park

According to Thierry Coup, creative director of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the main attraction of the World is Harry Potter and the Forbidden journey, a ride that will re-invent the theme park experience.

What does the Forbidden Journey involve? You enter the castle, meet the four founders of Hogwarts (Godric  Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin, for those who forgot their Potter history) and are greeted by the strict but “off his rocker” headmaster Albus Dumbledore in his office. Then, Harry, Ron and Hermione convince you to bunk a Defence Against the Dark Arts class and play a match of Quidditch. You sit on a magical bench, and your journey begins. You encounter a dragon and also have a close encounter with the Whomping Willow before you’re back on the ground.

Hogwarts

Photo: Rendering of Hogwarts in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park

The recreation of Hogwarts is immaculate. Just like the Hogwarts in the books, magical talking portraits line the walls of Hogwarts castle in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. J.K.Rowling reportedly wanted the 100 “moving” portraits in the gallery of Hogwarts just as she envisioned they should be. The Room of Requirement and the Gryffindor common room are also on the itinerary during the ride.

Rides at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogriff

Photo: Rendering of the entrance to the Dragon Challenge at Harry Potter theme park, Orlando

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter  theme park has two other rides – the Dragon Challenge and the Flight of the Hippogriff.

The intense Dragon Challenge is based on the Tri-Wizard Tournament theme. What does one do? Choose your dragon – either the Hungarian Horntail (Harry drew the vicious dragon during the tournament in Book 4 of the series) or the Chinese Fireball. Climb aboard and watch the two dragons face-off. The dragons are high-speed roller-coasters, each promising a different ride experience.

Photo: Flight of the Hippogriff is a family-ride at the Potter theme park

Photo: Flight of the Hippogriff roller-coaster ride entry (rendering from Harry Potter theme park promos)

The Flight of the Hippogriff is being promoted as a “family” roller-coaster. Walk past Hagrid’s hut and learn the proper way to approach a hippogriff (the winged creature that helped Sirius Black make his escape in Book 3). Clamber on and watch the view as you soar above Hagrid’s hut and the pumpkin patch. You might also be interested in this story: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 3D

Photo: Hagrid's hut from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park

Tired after those rides? Head to the Three Broomsticks. With its rustic, tavern-like atmosphere, it offers you a selection of goodies. Slurp down some Butterbeer or pumpkin juice, then decide between shepherd’s pie and Cornish pasties. You can round it off with strawberry and peanut butter ice cream. For those who like a drink or two, there’s also the Hog’s Head, where you can choose from a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Ollivander’s

You can’t leave The Wizarding World of Harry Potter without a round of shopping. At Ollivander’s, a small, dusty shop, you can -enact a scene from the first Harry Potter book, letting a wand “choose” you.  Or else, just pick up a replica of your favourite Harry Potter character’s wand. Related story: The Elder Wand: Debate and discussion

Check out Dervish and Banges for magical items such as sneakoscopes, spectrespecs, omniculars and the Monster Book of Monsters. Also available are golden snitches, brooms (Firebolt and Nimbus 2000), Hogwarts school uniforms and clothing like robes, scarves, ties, t-shirts, sweatshirts, journals and stationery items. You can purchase souvenirs like death eater masks, chess sets and magical toys at Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods.

Zonko’s offers you a variety of novelty items and jokes (extendable ears and screaming yo-yos). The sweets created by Fred and George Weasley for those wishing to cut classes – Puking Pastilles, Nosebleed Nougats and Fever Fudge – are also available here.  For the real thing when it comes to sweets, don’t miss Honeydukes. Choose from Acid Pops, exploding bonbons, Cauldron Cake, treacle fudge, Fizzing Whizbees, Chocolate Frogs (complete with a wizard trading card) and Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans.

That is all for now, folks. Remember to come back later and we will have a bunch of photos from the Wizarding World theme park ready for you here!

A preview clip from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, will be released as two films.

The Part I of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows is set for release on November 19, 2010, and the Part II of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows on July 15, 2011.

Harry Potter and the Deathy Hallows official logo

The last Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince, had 25 minutes of 3D footage at the beginning, viewable at Imax cinema. Looking for the book? Read an interesting article about plotholes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book here.

Since the cost of conversion to the 3D format has now come down, it is more affordable to release the entire film in the 3D format.

The news of making the final two movies in the Harry Potter series in 3D comes in the same week that James Cameron’s 3D film Avatar became the highest-grossing movie ever, beating the previous record held by Titanic. Related: Avatar movie’s deleted sex scene in 3D

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Brothers will soon make an announcement that both the Greek fantasy movie Clash Of The Titans and the two Harry Potter films will be released in 3D.

Reports say that each movie now costs $5 million to change into 3D. In addition, Warner Brothers will spend another $5million per movie to pay for the 3D glasses.

It is not yet clear whether J K Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series of books, has had to approve of the movies being made in 3D.,

Industry observers are of the opinion that, the plan to make the Harry Potter movies in 3D could prompt other high-profile moves – even the James Bond films made by MGM – switching to the 3D format.

Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors poster

Warner Bros are in battle mode because of an upcoming Bollywood flick, Hari Puttar: A comedy of terrors. The studio has sued the makers of Hari Puttar for infringement of intellectual property rights and asked for a stay on the film’s release.

It is understandable that Warner Bros is jittery about Harry Potter’s property rights, but in this case they seem to be just paranoid. Because, at first look, Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors has nothing to do with Harry Potter.

The only connection Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors has with Harry Potter is that Hari puttar in India is a play on the words Harry Potter and is a common graffiti line found on T-shirts, mugs, and such like. Hari, itself is a generic Hindu Indian name and puttar is an endearing  way of addressing a son. Puttar is a common noun, like tyke, son, or boy.

But one can’t blame Warner Bros for being suspicious because Hari Puttar in the West would be pronounced as Harry Putter (note: Putter as in Put and not Pot), whereas Hari in Hindi is pronounced as ‘Hurry’. Ditto for Puttar. The syllable Pu in Hindi is pronounced as poo and not  like, say, paw. And the syllable tar is pronounced as “thar” with a rolling r. So the pronunciation is “pootharr” and not “pottah.” Har, Har.

Hari Puttar with his mother in Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors

Hari Potter: A Comedy of Terrors is the story of a 10-year-old boy Hari Prasad Dhoonda, affectionately called Hari puttar by his parents. Hari and his family move to the UK, where his father Prof. Dhoonda is assigned a hush-hush defense project. The professor keep a chip containing sensitive data in a secure place in his home. When Hari’s Uncle, DK, and his four kids come to visit the Dhoondas, Hari feels neglected and seeks refuge in an imaginary friend, Funtoon (animated character).

Hari Puttar and Tuk Tuk

The Dhoonda and DK family plan to go for a vacation but forget to take Hari and his little cousin Tuk Tuk along. The two kids are left alone at home, when a Don sends two burglars to filch the chip. The intrepid Hari and Tuk Tuk have the adventure of their life when they take on the burglars to protect the chip.

Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors will be released on September 12, 2008 in theatres across India. Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors has been produced by Lucky Kohli, Munish Purii, and A P Parigi. Hari Puttar has been directed by Lucky Kohli and Rajesh Bajaj, under the Mirchi Movies banner. The movie stars Zain Khan as Hari Puttar, Sweeny Khara as Tuk Tuk, Sarika as Hari’s mother, Jackie Shroff as DK, and Vijay Raaz and Saurabh Shukla as the bumbling burglars.

The two burglars in Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors

Hari Puttar has a peppy soundtrack that includes the title track ‘Hari Puttar’, ‘Tutaris,’ and ‘Hari Puttar is a Dude.’

Mirchi Movies’ earlier flick, Being Cyrus, was critically appreciated and a moderate hit at the box office, a first for an English language, Bollywood film.