Confirmation that Christmas will be the second most-hyped children's event of this year arrived early yesterday, when Internet users had a sneak preview of the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
The movie is not due for release until November 16th, when it will screen simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic - Irish actress Fiona Shaw plays Harry's Aunt Petunia, while other stars include John Cleese as Sir Nicholas De Mimsy-Popington.
But a 100-second teaser on Warner Brothers' official Harry Potter website has begun the process of whipping the public into a frenzy, and the boy wizard's millions of fans can expect to be well whipped by the autumn. Praised for helping children rediscover books, J.K. Rowling has sold more than 60 million copies in 200 countries and 31 languages, and plans to add three more Potter volumes to the four already published.
Ironically, Warner Brothers marked UNESCO's World Book Day yesterday by encouraging fans to drop the 600-page latest instalment, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and log on to www.harrypotter.co.uk instead.
For aficionados, the trailer begins with the scene in which the hero is summoned from his life as an unwanted 11-year-old in a cupboard under the stairs, to enrol at Hogwarts, a boarding school for witchcraft and wizardry.
Fleeting moments from his time there follow, narrated by Richard Harris in his role as Dumbledore, the Hogwarts' headmaster.
The trailer ends with the message: "The magic begins November 16th." The hype begins now.
