Attention Harry Potter fans! You already know that we’ll be publishing a brand new book Harry Potter Page to Screen, which tells the complete story of how all eight films were made. It goes on sale October 25, but right now we have a special perk for anyone who’s already pre-ordered the book: through the link below, enter your proof of purchase from the store, and you’ll get exclusive access to never-before-seen 20 pages from the book. In addition, once you’re on the entry site, there’s one more bonus for you (maybe this?), so get going, already!

Click here to get access to the brand-new set of 20 pages:
I pre-ordered Harry Potter Page to Screen, now show me the exclusive excerpt!

And we don’t want to leave out anyone who may be waiting to get Page to Screen as a gift, so feast your eyes on and enjoy these additional 2 excerpts:
The Making of Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
The Art of Harry Potter

Enjoy these sneak peeks, and we promise you, the full book is worth the wait!

If you haven’t heard (I can’t see how you haven’t), Just Kids is Smith’s memoir of arriving in New York in 1967 and the then 20 year old’s chance encounter with Robert Mapplethorpe, another 20 year old aspiring artist. It’s her story of their love, their friendship, their art and a New York few would recognize today.

So the question goes out… who would you cast as Smith and Mapplethorpe?

Kristen Stewart (age: 21) and Robert Pattison (age: 25)

Surely these two will be at the top of studio exec’s wish list. Stewart, proved that she could rock in her transformation into Joan Jett in the film biopic The Runaways and the resemblance between the two [rumored] real-life couple to the originals is uncanny. But the fit and the two megastars’ ties to the mega-Twilight-franchise may not hit audiences (or Ms. Smith) the right way.

Frances Bean Cobain (age: 19) and Ezra Miller (age: 18)

The Princess of Grunge as the Godmother of Punk? Can Miss Cobain act? Who knows? But if she can – and would want to step up into the Hollywood world, the photos by Hedi Slimane that recently were released prove she has the look – and the balls – to play Smith. I’d cast the currently almost famous Ezra Miller as Mapplethorpe against Cobain’s Smith. He has the East Village circa 1967 thing down already – and if his performance in the upcoming We Need to Talk About Kevin is as amazing as is being predicted, this could be the massive follow-up he will be looking for.

Emma Watson (age: 21) and Nicholas Hout (age: 21)

Former Harry Potter student Emma Watson seems poised for an image-crashing turn in to catapult her out of Hogwarts. I’d pair her with fellow Brit Nicholas Hout, who came to fame years ago in About a Boy and crashed his own child-star image in the amazing British take on Gossip Girl (but dirtier and better) Skins. His follow-up to that, playing the lovelorn college boy pining for a night with professor Colin Firth in Tom Ford’s A Single Man.

Jennifer Damiano (age: 20) and Eddie Redmayne (age: 29)

Perhaps the modern day Smith and Mapplethorpe might be found forty blocks north of The Village and on Broadway. Jennifer Damiano got amazing attention for her originating role in Spring Awakening. Followed by her Tony-nominated role in Next to Normal. Currently she’s starring in Spider Man. So she should be looking for a new job soon. The Mapplethorpe to Damiano’s Smith? Eddie Redmayne, the Tony award-winning star of Red and the upcoming film My Week with Marilyn.

So who do you think should be cast as Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe in Just Kids?

Mind you these movies were written and produced in Swedish, but when I heard that they were bringing it to America to re-make, I didn’t know if I should rejoice or be scared out of my mind.

The 2011 Girl with the Dragon Tattoo teaser trailer…was nothing less than epic. Can’t get over the Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” reproduced by Trent Reznor (NIN) and Karen O (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’s).  I am still nervous about Rooney Mara portraying the damaged Lisbeth Salander and I hope Daniel Craig can do Mikael Blomkvist justice as well. Very happy to see Christopher Plummer in the cast list though. The teaser trailer gives me hope for the movies and I am very excited and a little impatient for December to roll around.

If you have not already looked into this trilogy via movie or books (the books are ALWAYS better), you need to. I’m being very serious…you really need to step away from the computer or better yet hit up amazon that way you never have to leave your seat, and purchase the books.

Fair warning, these are very dark and twisted books with heavy rape, violence, and language; but we are all big kids here right?

You will enjoy it all the same because Lisbeth is just so badass.

One of the most eagerly anticipated film trailers of 2011 hit the web recently in the form of the fourth entry in Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible franchise – and it seems there are plenty of new reasons to get excited about its release.

Five reasons to get excited about the Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol film trailer

Overall, it looks like Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, to give its full title, promises the same high octane action we’ve come to expect from the series.

A brand new director – in more ways than one…

The film news websites and blogs went crazy with excitement last May when it was confirmed that Brad Bird had been selected to direct the fourth Mission Impossible movie. But questions were raised as to what fans could expect. Ghost Protocol won’t be Bird’s directorial debut, but with only animated features like The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille to his name, everyone is looking forward to seeing what he can do with a live action feature.

A brand new Tom Cruise?

In addition to starring as Hawkeye in Marvel’s upcoming superhero-athon The Avengers, Jeremy Renner has been added to the Mission Impossible 4 cast and many have suggested he could return as the replacement for Cruise as lead character Ethan Hawke if the series continues. Speaking to Collider.com, co-star Simon Pegg even commented: “[Mission Impossible 4] certainly sets up a new IMF agent who can return and who is an Ethan-level player.”

Two brand new – but familiar – faces

Fans of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and its two made-for-TV sequels will already know the face of Michael Nyqvist. As Mikael Blomkvist (the role being taken on by Daniel Craig in the upcoming remake), he was the investigative journalist who partnered with the trilogy’s eponymous female, but here he’s playing the bad guy. Another familiar name that has been added to the Mission Impossible cast is Lost star Josh Holloway. Although not too much is known about his part, it seems he’ll be on the side of the good guys.

A brand new love interest?

Special Agent Ethan Hawke hasn’t had much luck with his female co-stars in the previous films. But following in the footsteps of femmes fatales and love interests like Emmanuelle Beart, Thandie Newton and Michelle Monaghan, Paula Patton (Precious) and Lea Seydoux (Inglourious Basterds) will be the ladies we’ll be watching in Mission Impossible 4. Will there be romance? Will there be double-crossing? Well, only time will tell – but my guess is yes!

Cowboys & Aliens Prize Pack

Set in The Old West: an era when all a man could depend on was his horse and his six-gun, and settlers and Indians fought it out for territory on the last American frontier. Invaders from another planet have crash-landed, and cowboys and Indians alike must put aside their differences to drive the aliens off the sovereign soil of planet Earth.

The graphic novel was created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg of Platinum Studios and published this year by us at It Books.  Browse the first few pages here:

Then check out the movie trailer below, and showtimes in your local theater:

Bonus: director Jon Favreau conducted a bunch of interviews with his stars, posted on the CowboysAliensIntrvws YouTube channel.  Here’s a clip with Harrison Ford talking about his character Colonel Dolarhyde’s cowboy hat, and how he vetoed the whip originally written in the script (no Indy redux!).  Wow, he sounds like a cowboy even when he’s just chatting with his direction!

Cowboys & Aliens opens on Friday, July 29, 2011 from Universal Pictures.  The graphic novel is in stores now; click below to buy, or stop by your favorite store.  Also available as an e-book.

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

[Summary Source]

Now that Lionsgate has announced the movie to be released March 23, 2012 it has sent the fans into a frenzy and thirsting for more. Jennifer Lawrence, who recently played Raven/Mystique on the big screens X-Men: First Class, has been announced as the beloved heroine, Katniss Everdeen, for the Hunger Games movie. Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth have also been added to the casting list as the fans favorites Peeta (Hutcherson) and Gale (Hemsworth).

Lawrence has my vote!

As we await the 200+ days until the movie arrives, check out the Official Hunger Games movie website to grab their HOT poster widget and movie countdown.

Things are going to start heating up really quick.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Prize Pack

Your It List and IMAX have teamed up to offer you the chance to enjoy a spectacular Harry Potter film experience. 10 lucky winners will be chosen to receive a pair of tickets to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in IMAX 3D; a Deathly Hallows – Part 2 IMAX movie poster; and a copy of the book Harry Potter Film Wizardry, which takes readers behind the scenes of the most successful film franchise of all time.

To enter the sweepstakes just head right over to the Your It List fan page on Facebook, click “enter sweepstakes” and follow the instructions.

About Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2:

Opening Date: July 15, 2011. Rated: PG-13. The end begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione go back to Hogwarts to find and destroy Voldemort’s final horcruxes, but when Voldemort finds out about their mission, the biggest battle begins and life as they know it will never be the same again.

Robots, smoke, and explosions, oh my!

It’s nearly the July 4th holiday!  Yes, summer is in full swing–and you may not have noticed that a ton of blockbusters have already hit theaters, with even more to come.  In anticipation of some much-appreciated time off, here’s a movie guide to help you spend a few hours in air-conditioned bliss:

Today, June 29: Transformers: Dark of the Moon (official site), 3rd in the series.  Shia LaBeouf and a girl who isn’t Megan Fox run around with lots of CGI-robots and loud explosions.

Friday, July 1: Larry Crowne (official site), with American treasures Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.  The cute “grown-ups” romantic drama for people who don’t want to watch robots.

Friday, July 8: Horrible Bosses (official site).  The star power of Jason Bateman, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell, and Colin Farrell’s horrific combover makes this one look like a winner.

These movies have already been released–better hurry up if you still want to catch them on the big screen.  Click to go to the trailers.
Thor, Bridesmaids, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, The Hangover 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, X-Men: First Class, Super 8, Green Lantern, Cars 2, and Bad Teacher.

It’s a lot to keep up with, but may you find a comfy seat at your favorite theater and make it through.  (Or you could just spend more time outside and Netflix everything in the fall.)

The Art of The Adventures of Tintin
with forewords by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson

NEW YORK, NY (June 22, 2011) – The Art of The Adventures of Tintin is the beautifully presented book that will accompany the new film from Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures, The Adventures of Tintin, due for release in late 2011. This 3D performance-capture film, based on the universally popular series of books The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé, is directed by Steven Spielberg, and produced by Peter Jackson and Kathleen Kennedy.

The animation, visual effects and conceptual design for the movie are being created by Weta, the multi-Academy Award-winning company based in New Zealand that helped create global blockbusters such as The Lord of the Rings, King Kong and Avatar. The Art of The Adventures of Tintin was created by the actual Weta artists who brought Hergé’s wonderful Tintin characters to the big screen.

From early concept illustrations to final shots from the film and everything in between, this book gives fans a rare glimpse of the creativity that goes into making a film like this a reality. The book even includes special pieces of artwork produced exclusively for this book.

The Art of The Adventures of Tintin features forewords from Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. Oscar winners Joe Letteri and Richard Taylor also share their insights into the film-making experience in their introductions for this outstanding book.

Moulinsart, the official organization that looks after the world of Tintin, has contributed an introductory chapter on the comic’s creator Georges Remi, aka Hergé, and has kindly provided examples of his inspirational artwork for reproduction in the book.

Chris Guise, the author of The Art of The Adventures of Tintin, provides a unique perspective on the film, both as a lifelong Tintin fan and as the lead conceptual designer on the film. Guise interviewed many of his colleagues about the production of the movie and lets them tell their stories and inspiration behind their work in their own words.

The Art of The Adventures of Tintin will be published by HarperCollins Publishers in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand simultaneously on 13 October in two exciting formats: a visually dynamic 200-page hardcover book and a ground-breaking digital e-book. The e-book will include wonderful additional imagery, special audio commentary from the film makers, character animations and extra content.

Here is the movie trailor for The Adventures of Tintin:

About Weta: Weta provides a wide range of creative services to the global entertainment community and has a reputation for unsurpassed creativity and dedication to craft. The recipient of multiple Academy Awards, Weta continues to be in high demand by the top studios and content creators around the globe. Weta is based in Wellington, New Zealand. More information about Weta can be found at www.wetaNZ.com.

About HarperCollins Publishers: HarperCollins, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world, is a subsidiary of News Corporation. Headquartered in New York, HarperCollins has publishing groups around the world including the HarperCollins General Books Group, HarperCollins Children’s Books Group, Zondervan, HarperCollins UK, HarperCollins Canada, HarperCollins Australia and New Zealand and HarperCollins India. HarperCollins is a broad-based publisher with strengths in literary and commercial fiction, business books, children’s books, cookbooks, mystery, romance, reference, religious and spiritual books. With nearly 200 years of history, HarperCollins has published some of the world’s foremost authors and has won numerous awards including the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, the Newbery Medal and the Caldecott. You can visit HarperCollins Publishers on the Internet at www.harpercollins.com, www.harpercollins.co.uk, www.harpercollins.com.au and www.harpercollins.co.nz.