Know What I Mean, Harry
REPORTERS FROM THE Oxford Student beat the tight security on the set of the new Harry Potter mega film to grab these exclusive pictures. The huge crew has been shooting the $120 million movie in the Bod and at Christ Church since Saturday.
The Oxford Student glimpsed Harry - actor Daniel Radcliffe - being rushed on set after he arrived in a Jaguar. A film insider revealed that 11 year-old Daniel has scooped £200,000 for the role.
His friend Hermione, played by Oxfordshire schoolgirl Emma Watson, was spotted on location in the Bod on Monday. The Oxford Student also saw Irish legend Richard Harris, playing Hogwarts chief Albus Dumbledore, being rushed off location on Tuesday and driven away at high speed. Top Hollywood director Chris Columbus oversaw the action.
Wandering round the film set dressed in gowns and uniform for the Hogwarts School, they and other actors have been protected by a tight wall of security. Scots actor Robbie Coltrane and Dame Maggie Smith are also expected to be filming during the week.
Parts of Oxford's most famous visitor attractions have also been sealed off over the past week in an attempt to protect the secrecy of the film. One of the halls at the divinity school at the Bodleian was completely closed to visitors. However, another sneak viewing by Oxford Student reporters revealed a series of metallic hospital beds inside. The book's very last scene takes place in the hospital wing.
At Christ Church, a cloister has been turned into a lake with the addition of a huge back-cloth. Custodians at the college have since stepped up security around one quad in an attempt to avert disruptions to filming. Students in the college's Meadows Quad have been warned to keep quiet at all times around the area to aid the smooth running of filming.
Any attempts to take photographs have also been obstructed by keen security guards on the look-out for journalists. The film's stars were shielded with umbrellas as they left the set.
Warner Brothers and Leavesden, the companies responsible for the film, have requested extra time at Christ Church and at the Bodleian to complete filming. They will now finish early next week.
26th Oct 2000