UNIVERSAL TO OPEN THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

THE COUNTDOWN IS WELL AND TRULY ON FOR THE GRAND OPENING OF THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED HARRY POTTER THEME PARK THAT IS BEING BUILT IN FLORIDA. FANS OF THE POPULAR BOOKS AND FILMS WILL BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE A FULL-SIZE VERSION OF THE YOUNG WIZARD'S MAGICAL WORLD, WHEN A NEW 20 ACRE AMUSEMENT PARK AREA IS OPENED AT UNIVERSAL'S ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA. THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER WILL OPEN THIS SPRING, WITH UNIVERSAL STILL TO CONFIRM THE EXACT DATE. BUT FANS ARE HOPING IT OPENS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER WITH THE HOST OF STUNNING NEW ADVERTS BEING RELEASED TO PROMOTE THE THEME PARK, A 30SECOND TELEVISION AD WILL AIR FOR THE FIRST TIME DURING THE COMMERCIALS BREAKS FOR THE SUPER BOWL - ONE OF THE BIGGEST AMERICAN TELEVISION EVENTS OF THE YEAR. THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE HAS ALSO BEEN RECENTLY UPDATED AND FANS ARE NOW GIVEN A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE AN INTERACTIVE MAP OF THE THEME PARK.


HARRY POTTER AND THE FORBIDDEN JOURNEY WILL TAKE GUESTS THROUGH SCENES AND ROOMS FROM THE BLOCKBUSTER FILMS WITH THE TURRETED BUILDING MADE TO LOOK 700 FEET TALL. FANS WILL ENTER THE WIZARDING WORLD THROUGH A STATION ARCHWAY NAMED AFTER HOGSMEADE, THE MAGICAL VILLAGE NEAR HOGWARTS. A PLUME OF STEAM AND A TRAIN WHISTLE WILL SOUND THE ARRIVAL OF THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS. OTHER RIDES INCLUDE THE 'DRAGON CHALLENGE', A TWIN HIGH-SPEED ROLLER COASTER THEMED AFTER THE TRI-WIZARD TOURNAMENT. THERE WILL ALSO BE A FAMILY ROLLER COASTER CALLED FLIGHT OF THE HIPPOGRIFF, NAMED AFTER A CREATURE WITH AN EAGLE'S HEAD AND A HORSE'S BODY. EVERY SHOP AND RESTAURANT IS POTTER-THEMED. HONEYDUKES SELLS CHOCOLATE FROGS AND 'BERTIE BOTT'S EVERY-FLAVOUR BEANS', OLLIVANDER'S SELLS MAGIC WANDS, ZONKO'S JOKE SHOP HAS SNEAKOSCOPES AND THE BRITISH RESTAURANT 'THREE BROOMSTICKS' POURS BUTTERBEER. AND AT THE OWL POST, GUESTS CAN SEND LETTERS WITH A CERTIFIED HOGSMEADE POSTMARK. ART AND SET DIRECTORS FROM THE FILMS, INCLUDING OSCAR-WINNING PRODUCTION DESIGNER STUART CRAIG AND ART DIRECTOR ALAN GILMORE, WERE HIRED TO TRANSLATE THE FILMS INTO THE PAR. ROWLING, KNOWN FOR CAREFULLY GUARDING THE POTTER FRANCHISE, HASN'T YET BEEN TO ORLANDO, BUT THE DESIGN TEAM HAS MADE SEVERAL TRIPS TO LONDON FOR CONSULTATIONS WITH THE AUTHOR. 'THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT HARRY POTTER IS THAT THE STORIES ARE SO RICH IN THEMSELVES, SO DEEP', SAID UNIVERSAL CREATIVE PRESIDENT MARK WOODBURY.

CHRISTIE'S TO SELL MICHAEL CRICHTON COLLECTION

CHRISTIE'S RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL OFFER AT AUCTION THIS COMING SPRING IN NEW YORK MAJOR WORKS FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE MICHAEL CRICHTON. BEST-SELLING AUTHOR AND SCREENWRITER, FILM DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER, CRICHTON IS RENOWNED FOR HIS TERRIFYING AND SOMETIMES CONTROVERSIAL SCIENTIFIC THRILLERS SUCH AS 'THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN', 'JURASSIC PARK', 'TIMELINE' AND FOR CREATING THE TELEVISION SERIES ER. CRICHTON IS ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED AS A LEADING AUTHORITY ON THE AMERICAN ARTIST JASPER JOHNS. CRICHTON'S NOVELS HAVE SOLD MORE THAN 150 MILLION COPIES WORLDWIDE; THEY HAVE BEEN TRANSLATED INTO 36 LANGUAGES, AND AS MANY HAVE BEEN MADE INTO BLOCKBUSTER MOVIES. EARLY IN HIS CAREER, CRICHTON DEVELOPED A KEEN INTEREST IN CONTEMPORARY ART AND FRIENDSHIPS WITH DAVID HOCKNEY (WHO MADE A PORTRAIT OF CRICHTON IN 1976), ROY LICHTENSTEIN, ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG AND CLAES OLDENBURG. IN THE 1970s, CRICHTON ALSO BECAME A CLOSE FRIEND AND AVID COLLECTOR OF JASPER JOHNS. HE WAS ASKED BY JOHNS TO WRITE A CATALOG FOR HIS MAJOR RETROSPECTIVE AT THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, NEW YORK, IN 1977. THE PUBLICATION AND ITS REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION ARE CONSIDERED ONE OF THE PREEMINENT STUDIES ON AMERICA'S FOREMOST LIVING ARTIST. IN 2006 CRICHTON WAS APPOINTED TO THE BOARD OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ARTS. CHRISTIE'S WILL BE PREVIEWING AND SHOWCASING FOUR IMPORTANT WORKS FROM THE MICHAEL CRICHTON COLLECTION AS PART OF THE PREVIEW EXHIBITION OF MAJOR POST-WAR AND CONTEMPORARY ART TO BE SOLD AT CHRISTIE'S IN LONDON NEXT WEEK. 'THIS EXHIBITION IN LONDON IS AN INCREDIBLE INSIGHT INTO THE MIND AND PERSONAL JOURNEY THAT MICHAEL CRICHTON MADE AS A COLLECTOR', SAID A SPOKESPERSON FOR CHRISTIE'S. 'WE WILL SHOW WONDERFUL WORKS BY PICASSO, LICHTENSTEIN, JOHNS AND RAUSCHENBERG, ARTISTS WHOM MICHAEL RANKED AS THE GREATEST OF OUR AGE. WE ARE THRILLED TO BE EXHIBITING AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF JASPER JOHNS' 'FLAG', ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS ICONS OF AMERICAN ART. JOHNS' FLAG HAD AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON ARTISTS WORLDWIDE. IT IS AN IMAGE WHICH LITERALLY CHANGED THE COURSE OF ART HISTORY.'

THE WORKS ON VIEW IN LONDON WILL BE:
• JASPER JOHNS, FLAG, Jasper Johns, Flag, 1960-1966
• ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG, STUDIO PAINTING (COMBINE), 1960-1961
• PICASSO, FEMME ET FILLETTES (WOMAN AND CHILDREN), 1961
• ROY LICHTENSTEIN, GIRL IN WATER, 1965

NATIONAL GALLERIES OF SCOTLAND TO PRESENT 'THE YOUNG VERMEER'

THREE PAINTINGS FROM JOHANNES VERMEER'S EARLY CAREER WILL BE REUNITED FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME IN A DISPLAY AT THE NATIONAL GALLERIES OF SCOTLAND, EDINBURGH, IN DECEMBER 2010. THE YOUNG VERMEER WILL PRESENT A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPARE DIRECTLY THREE WORKS AND DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CELEBRATED ARTISTS. JOHANNES VERMEER (1632-75) IS WORLD RENOWNED FOR HIS METICULOUS PAINTINGS OF DUTCH INTERIORS, WHICH REFLECT HIS FASCINATION WITH OPTICAL EFFECTS AND SERENELY BALANCED COMPOSITIONS. HE PRODUCED FEW WORKS, OF WHICH LESS THAN 40 SURVIVE, DURING HIS CAREER IN DELFT. THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND IS ONE OF ONLY 17 GALLERIES WORLDWIDE THAT HOLDS A WORK BY VERMEER IN ITS COLLECTION. WHILST HIS LATER WORK CONCENTRATES ON DOMESTIC INTERIORS, HIS EARLY PAINTINGS SEEM TO HAVE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON TRADITIONAL SUBJECTS DERIVED FORM THE BIBLE AND CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY. THE YOUNG VERMEER WILL SHOW THREE PAINTINGS CREATED BETWEEN 1653 AND 1656: THE NATIONAL GALLERIES OF SCOTLAND'S 'CHRIST IN THE HOUSE OF MARY AND MARTHA' (c.1654-55); 'THE PROCURESS' (1656) FROM STAATLICHE KUNSTSAMMLUGEN DRESDEN; AND 'DIANA AND HER COMPANIONS' (c.1653-54) FROM MAURITSHUIS, THE ROYAL PICTURE GALLERY IN THE HAGUE. WHILE THESE EARLY WORKS DIFFER GREATLY FROM HIS LATER PAINTINGS IN TERMS OF SUBJECT MATTER, SIZE AND STYLE THEY ALREADY SHOW VERMEER'S INTEREST IN THE DEPICTION OF COLOUR, LIGHT AND TEXTURE.

LOUIS VUITTON $35,000 WHISKEY TRAVEL CASE

FRENCH LUXURY DESIGN HOUSE LOUIS VUITTON HAS RECENTLY RELEASED AN UPDATED VERSION OF ITS CLASSIC WHISKEY CASE PORTABLE BAR WHICH WAS FIRST OFFERED IN 1955. AVAILABLE BY SPECIAL ORDER THROUGH LOUIS VUITTON BOUTIQUES WORLD WIDE AND PRICED AT ABOUT $35,000, THE CASE IS WRAPPED IN ELEGANT TAIGA LEATHER, THOUGH IT CAN BE SPECIAL ORDERED IN THE ICONIC MONOGRAM CANVAS AS WELL. THE ELEGANT CASE IS CONSTRUCTED ENTIRELY BY HAND AT THE LOUIS VUITTON ATELIER IN FRANCE WITH THE FITTINGS, HASPS AND LOCKS OS SILVERED SOLID BRASS. THE ACCESSORIES THAT ACCOMPANY IT INCLUDE A SILVER ICE BUCKET WITH TONGS, SILVER COCKTAIL STICKS IN A PULL-OUT DRAWER, FOUR CRISTAL WHISKEY TUMBLERS, A CRISTAL DECANTER WITH A SILVER LID AND TWO CRISTAL 'COUPELLE' DISHES IN SEPARATE COMPARTMENTS.

PETROSSIAN CAVIARCUBES

THE NY TIMES RECENTLY REPORTED THAT FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS THE UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE HAS NOT PERMITTED THE IMPORTING OF PRESSED CAVIAR BECAUSE IT IS TOO HARD TO DISCERN WHAT SOURCE THE STURGEON CAME FROM. BUT NOW LUXURY FOOD PURVEYORS PETROSSIAN IS MAKING DELECTABLE CUBES OF PRESSED CAVIAR FROM SPECIALLY FARMED CALIFORNIA TRANSMONTANUS. PRESENTED IN GLASS JARS CONTAINING ABOUT 18 CAVIARCUBES AND PACKED IN OIL, THE UNIQUE CREATIONS CAN BE USED FOR A VARIETY OF PURPOSES INCLUDING ADDING A LUXURIOUS TWIST TO PASTA. THE PETROSSIAN CAVIARCUBES ARE SOLD EXCLUSIVELY AT PETROSSIAN FOR $45.

DUCHESS OF CORNWALL VISITS CORONATION STREET SET

THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL WORE A SPECIAL BROOCH DURING A RECENT VISIT TO THE CORONATION STREET SET, FEATURING THREE FLYING DUCKS. CAMILLA WAS PRESENTED WITH THE JEWELRY BY ITV BEFORE HER TRIP TO THE COBBLES OF WEATHERFIELD, IN CELEBRATION OF THE SOAP'S 50th ANNIVERSARY. FOR MANY YEARS THE MUCH-LOVED CHARACTER HILDA OGDEN HAD THREE PLASTER DUCKS HANGING ON HER WALL, WITH THE MIDDLE ONE ALWAYS 'ASKEW'. THE DUCKS SOON BECAME SYNONYMOUS WITH THE SHOW, AND EVEN WAS FEATURED IN THE CORONATION STREET MONOPOLY GAME. THE BROOCH WAS MADE BY KEITH SIMPSON, OF 1849 GOLDSMITHS IN WHITEFIELD, MANCHESTER. THE DUCHESS PULLED A PINT BEHIND THE BAR OF THE ROVER'S RETURN DURING THE VISIT TO GRANADA STUDIOS SET, AFTER WATCHING THE CAST FILM A SCENE WHICH WILL BE AIRED IN APRIL. THE ONLY ORIGINAL CAST MEMBER, WILLIAM ROACHE OBE, WHO PLAYS KEN BARLOW, WAS CHOSEN TO GREET CAMILLA, WHO IS A LIFE-LONG FAN OF THE SOAP. THE SET OF DUCKS WAS PART OF THE STREET AS EARLY AS 1960, APPEARING IN ELSIE TANNER'S HOME, BEFORE IT WAS PASSED TO HILDA.

SOTHEBY'S SELLS GIACOMETTI'S L'HOMME QUI MARCHE I FOR RECORD £65,001,250/$104,327,006

GIACOMETTI'S LIFE-SIZED SCULPTURE L'HOMME QUI MARCHE I (WALKING MAN I) FETCHED £65,001,250/$104,327,006 AFTER JUST EIGHT MINUTES OF BIDDING AT SOTHEBY'S. THE WINNING BID, WHICH OPENED AT £12 MILLION, WAS MADE OVER THE PHONE BY AN ANONYMOUS BIDDER. THE SCULPTURE, CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BY THE 20th CENTURY SWISS ARTIST, WAS ESTIMATED TO SELL FOR BETWEEN £12 MILLION TO £18 MILLION. FURIOUS BIDDING SAW MORE THAN TEN RIVALS ESCALATE THE PRICE, EVENTUALLY HITTING THE £65 MILLION MARK. A SOTHEBY'S SPOKESPERSON SAID IT WAS THE HIGHEST FOR ANY WORK OF ART EVER SOLD AT AN AUCTION. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS A PICASSO PAINTING, 'BOY WITH A PIPE', WHICH WAS HIS HAUNTING ROSE PERIOD PORTRAIT OF A YOUNGSTER CALLED 'LITTLE LOUIS', WHO USED TO HANG AROUND HIS STUDIO IN PARIS, WHICH SOLD FOR A STAGGERING £58.5 MILLION/$104 MILLION IN 2004. A SPOKESPERSON FOR SOTHEBY'S SAID: 'THE COMPETITION WHICH GENERATED THESE EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS DEMONSTRATES THE CONTINUED QUEST FOR QUALITY THAT COMPELS TODAY'S COLLECTORS'. IN AN AMAZING NIGHT FOR SOTHEBY'S, ONE OF THE OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF THE IMPRESSIONIST AND MODERN ART SALE ALSO EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS. GUSTAV KLIMT'S 'KIRCHE IN CASSONE' WENT FOR £26,921,250, FAR ABOVE THE £12 MILLION TO £18 MILLION ESTIMATE. IT PROVED TO BE A RECORD PRICE FOR A KLIMT LANDSCAPE AND THE SECOND HIGHEST AUCTION BID FOR ANY WORK BY THE AUSTRIAN PAINTER.