Muggles from all corners of Japan descended on Tokyo on Thursday as Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe swept up the red carpet to the delight of a huge crowd at the premiere of his new film.
Sporting a white summer suit, matching shoes and a pale blue shirt, the 17-year-old British actor dazzled hundreds of fans with his boyish smile and Japanese language skills, stopping to shake hands and sign autographs.
Smoke shot out of an outdoor stage by the cinema at the swanky shopping and entertainment complex of Roppongi Hills, while twin towers of white light pierced the evening sky on a sweltering Tokyo summer’s evening.
”Nihon no minasan, konnichiwa [Hello, people of Japan]!,” the teen sensation told the crowd as fans screamed his name. ”Boku wa Daniel Radcliffe desu. Nihon wa saiko [I am Daniel Radcliffe. Japan is the best],” he said.
Japanese ticket winners were the first general viewers in the world to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, although Warner Brothers Entertainment says the gala world premiere will be in London on July 3.
”It’s incredible,” Radcliffe said in English. ”It’s wonderful to come over here and to say hello. I hope people will be impressed by the new characters, the new performances and the big battle.”
Fans came from all over Japan, from northern Hokkaido to southern Okinawa, for the event. Dozens of children and other fans dressed in black capes, some with wigs, waited ahead of the showing, shouting ”Harry Potter” as music from the movie played in the background.
Excitement
Others not fortunate enough to get their hands on a ticket looked on from outside the security cordon, including eight-year-old Yuina Era, who said she burst into tears when she discovered she would not be able to get inside. ”I’m a huge fan. I think it’s so cool you can use magic. I’ve been waiting for this movie for so long. I’m really excited,” she said.
”We’ve been with Harry Potter since the first book,” said her mother, Reina Era (33). ”I feel like I am under a spell when I read his books.”
Iyako Ito (30), a manga artist, turned up at midday in a long black cape and striped tie to try to catch a glimpse of the stars. ”I can’t wait for the new film. I love the feeling of excitement, that we don’t know what’s going to happen next,” she said.
The Order of the Phoenix is the fifth instalment of author JK Rowling’s hit series of books, and is being released just weeks before the long-awaited seventh and final book is published.
The bespectacled wizard has charmed a wide range of Muggles — non-magical humans — from children avid to join Harry’s Dumbledore’s Army to Guantánamo Bay inmates who are reportedly entranced with the Potter series.
The huge, $150-million production follows Harry and his classmates Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger at the Hogwarts school as they face the evil Lord Voldemort, who has returned from the darkness. Harry experiences his first romance, making a kiss scene a highlight of the film.
The film will hit cinemas around the world starting on July 11. It will go on general release in Japan on July 20. — Sapa-AFP