Crikey!

[birdsofshore]

There's going to be a Harry Potter prequel play. A proper one, in the West End, with JKR co-producing and stuff. About the 'previously untold story of Harry Potter’s early years as an orphan and outcast’.

(sob, so no Draco, then.... OR WILL THERE BE??)

A little bit more info here if you don't mind the - yeuch - Daily Mail, sorry.

I am tentatively excited about this! But, I don't know, something about it leaves me slightly nervous. I think it's the 'orphan and outcast' bit. I'm imagining Annie or something, with lots of feelgood songs. O_o Let's hope I will be proved SO WRONG.

However, I REALLY like the look of the new UK HP art by Jim Kay. I never liked the UK book covers in the slightest, and I am jealous of the US illustrations, which I admire. The new UK editions will be fully illustrated *glee*.



Oh, pretty! Fresh, lovely colours and Harry is very charming with his clear eyes and mussed hair. The style of this one reminds me of leochi, or is that just because it's watercolour?

Harry looks more sly and mischievous in the b/w drawing, however, I think this one is actually my favourite of the two:



Hogwarts looks utterly magical, but not in a cute and sparkly way. I would say it's gorgeously creepy with fairy-tale influences:



It's hard to draw many conclusions from these couple of pieces, but I'm hoping the illustrations are all going to have this slight edge to them.  Either way I'm very happy we are getting a whole lot of new art, and yes, it'll be tempting to buy an entire new set...

I really like the quote where Jim Kay says "the commission of a lifetime" brought "an explosion of delight, followed instantly by an implosion of brain-freezing terror". :DDDDD

I have a feeling we are in safe hands with this one. <3

Comments

[kitty_fic]

Awesome! Thanks for pointing this out! <3 I agree the art is fabulous!

[kedavranox.livejournal.com]

I'd always bee jealous of the American illustrations!

Whoa these are so cool!!!! Harry looks adorable!

And LOL at orphan Annie. Please God let it be nothing like that. HAHA

[akatnamedeaster.livejournal.com]

Ha! I just posted the same news from our NY tabloid rag! Can't say I have any interest in this but it is nice to know that the franchise is not being left to go to seed.

It's funny that you favor the American illustrations, I know a lot of people over here really dislike Grandpre's art, I'm among them.

[0idontknow0]

Oh, that art is lovely! And part of me doesn't want that play to be a musical - and if it is, definitely not the Annie type of thing.

All Yay!!! also Yes I'm not the only one!!!

[nevrafire.livejournal.com]

I'm so happy i'm not the only one liking the idea of the rowling sponsored play!!!

It's been all over the fandom since yesterday and the general consensus is "Harry story pre-hogwarts? YAWN, BORIIIING" or "I like the A Very Potter Musical better" *headdesk*

both of them make me soooo mad. this is brand new, there no production stuff yet and everyone is just hating it on without waiting to see how it goes first.

(and the "I like the very potter musical better" is making me so mad because that was a PARODY, a parody from fans that love the material, and with somewhat catchy songs and occasionally heartfelt moments but still A PARODY! from a group of college students who did it for fun! this would have rowling approval and be done by award winning producers!)

even someone from the hp cast is hating on it! (it's a reallly really minor actor- the guy who played 1st year sirius in snape's memory flashback but Still! you worked in the Movies! from rowling's book! because it's Her work! why are you hating on this?! )

:(

on the other hand everyone is loving the hp illustrations, me included! and i'm SO excited to get the illustrated books when they come out (I admit I would like if the illustrations be done by rowling herself- who can draw really well too:
http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/ed/a4/cabed250fca0c4c3a1b14010.L.jpg

but Jim Kay's illustrations are still pretty awesome- so not complaining.

(can't wait to see how he draw Hermione, and McGonagall and Dumbledore, and Neville!! and... Sirius! & Lupin!! :D)

the castle kind of freaks me out a little because giant fish monsters, what?


Yay Potter! (I'm also going to go to Scotland & Wales next summer and I'm SO excited!! :D

[firethesound]

I'm not sure how I feel about a play about Little Orphan Harry, so I'm reserving judgement until after I learn more about it.

Meanwhile, I will be busy flailing about those illustrations because omg that matches my headcanon of how Harry looks EXACTLY. That nose. Oh my gosh that nose. That is exactly how I have always pictured his nose. I'm about thisclose to shrieking aloud with glee, but I'm in a hotel room with fairly thin walls, as my neighbors were kind enough to demonstrate this morning, er, rather enthusiastically.

[birdsofshore]

I love the art very much. I'm so intrigued to see what he does with Draco the other characters and things like the beasts? It's like getting a whole lot of really wonderful fanart!

[birdsofshore]

The US illustrations are so characterful and quirky. I feel 100% meh about the old UK illustrations - no, actually, I dislike them.

[birdsofshore]

Oh, I love the US art. I find her style charming and the colours are beautiful.

[birdsofshore]

I'm very interested to see how it turns out... I can't imagine it NOT being a musical, somehow - a big children's show in the West End... but we'll have to wait and see! Nothing about musicals has been mentioned, so I am probably worrying for nothing :DD

[birdsofshore]

He has your headcanon NOSE? Wow :DDD I'm really thrilled for you. Hahahaha!

Perhaps your neighbours Christmas celebrations can inspire some plot bunnies? :D

[birdsofshore]

Actually, I'm lying. I either like UK books 1 to 5 or find them meh. It's 6 and 7 I hate! They've marred the memory of all the rest of them!

[kitty_fic]

Definitely! And yes to the other characters and of course Draco! ;D It's all very exciting! \o/

[0idontknow0]

You know what I think makes this sort of weird, a lot of fans grew up 'with' Harry and jumping back to when he's that young is probably a little jarring because Harry did a lot of growing up in those seven books.

And even the content of the books became less and less childlike.

[kitty_fic]

Me too actually. I never liked the US art... I had to go google it because I wasn't sure that's what you guys were even talking about!

[who_la_hoop]

The thing about the play is that it will be full of hideous British stage-school-trained child actors. I would rather eat my own toes, frankly :DD

[birdsofshore]

Yes. I don't really understand what the story is going to be. Harry with the Dursleys? That's kind of ...depressing...?

[birdsofshore]

Noooooo! Surely it'll be full of fab British actors, like Benny and Hiddles ;-D I've heard they have Benny signed for Petunia, and Hiddles is going to fatten himself up specially for the role of Vernon.

[firethesound]

I have very specific headcanon pictures of them in my head, lol. But yes, that's exactly the nose I picture! I'm still squeeing about it.

And the neighbors... Well, my husband and I giggled about it like the immature people we are, and decided that she was probably faking it. It did give me a plot bunny, though, but it's a scene rather than a fic so I'll have to figure out what to do with it.

[birdsofshore]

You don't prefer this



to this?

[kitty_fic]

Okay, I see! It's these I think that I've always disliked:




Is that a different artist than the one you mean? I think so?

(sorry for editing this comment a zillion times!)

[0idontknow0]

Which is why I can imagine it being a play without all the musical theatrics. Or if there was a musical aspect it'd be somber. I mean, it can't be directed towards children all that much if we're going to watch Harry starving and getting beat up on a playground, can it?

???

[nevrafire.livejournal.com]

what's wrong my with british stage-school-trained child actors?

[birdsofshore]

I used to live next door to a woman with a particularly active, loud and reckless sex life. One night we were wearily listening to the proceedings (it wears thin after a few weeks, being woken up by loud fucking) and she suddenly squealed in great indignation "Not THAT!! You dirty FUCKER!" LOLOL I always wanted to know what exactly it was that was too much for her.

[capitu]

I'm very excited. I mean, everything that keeps the franchise alive is good on my book. :D