harry potter star tom felton casts a magical

For Immediate Release
HARRY POTTER STAR TOM FELTON CASTS A MAGICAL SPELL
ON FANS TO UNVEIL EXCLUSIVE NEW PRODUCTS AT
HOT TOPIC STORES NATIONWIDE
Harry Potter’s own “Draco Malfoy” delights the crowd in Paramus, New Jersey, with a live
Q&A session after meeting with and signing shirts for hundreds of fans at
Warner Bros. Consumer Products’ retail partner Hot Topic
Burbank, Calif., July 11, 2009 – Last night, Harry Potter star Tom Felton hosted a special, one-time
fan event in Paramus, New Jersey, to introduce an exclusive, new line of products in support of the
highly anticipated film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from Warner Bros Pictures. Felton,
who plays Harry’s arch rival Draco Malfoy in the film series, visited the Hot Topic store at the
Garden State Plaza and participated in a VIP signing for 750 lucky fans who purchased the special
edition Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince T-shirt. The signing was followed by a public Q&A
session with Felton, hosted by noted Harry Potter fan sites. Warner Bros. Consumer Products
(WBCP), along with its prominent retail partner, Hot Topic (Nasdaq: HOTT) teamed up to orchestrate
this landmark fan event.
Prior to last night’s festivities, Hot Topic gave fans the opportunity to own a limited-edition Harry
Potter and the Half-Blood Prince T-shirt, which was available exclusively at the Hot Topic store at
the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey. Subsequently, all 750 available shirts for the event
quickly sold out. Additionally, Hot Topic stores nationwide have now introduced a number of new
products inspired by the film.
The magic really begins with special midnight showings of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in
theaters nationwide on the night of Tuesday, July 14, with the regular theatre engagement beginning
Wednesday, July 15, 2009. The sixth installment of the highly successful film franchise, Harry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince reunites Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione
(Emma Watson) as they prepare for the battle that lies ahead. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood
Prince also features other returning key characters, including Professor Dumbledore (Michael
Gambon), Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter), Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), Hagrid
(Robbie Coltrane), Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) and Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton). The film
also introduces Professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent).
“The fans are bursting with anticipation for the latest Harry Potter film and we were thrilled to be able
to have Tom Felton meet so many of them at this exclusive event,” said Karen McTier, Executive Vice
President of Domestic Licensing and Worldwide Marketing, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “It
was an incredible experience and thanks to Hot Topic, it was an evening that hundreds of loyal fans
will never forget.”
As part of the retail program in support of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, each of the 679
Hot Topic stores across the United States are featuring Harry Potter window store-front displays and
merchandise boutiques, offering the widest selection of Harry Potter products, including hoodies, Tshirts, wallets, messenger bags, accessories and more.
“Based on the fans’ reaction to last night’s event, Harry Potter mania is clearly on the rise as we
approach the upcoming release of the sixth film in the series,” said Betsy McLaughlin, CEO, Hot
Topic. “We were thrilled to host Tom Felton and collaborate with Warner Bros. Consumer Products.”
About Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Emboldened by the return of Lord Voldemort, the Death Eaters are wreaking havoc in both the
Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects
that new dangers may lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the
final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very
different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies
ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Heyday Films production, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,
the sixth installment of Warner Bros. Pictures’ Harry Potter film franchise based on the beloved
novels by J.K. Rowling. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson return in the roles of
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The film also stars Jim Broadbent, Helena
Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall,
David Thewlis, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Helen McCrory, Julie Walters and Bonnie Wright.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Steve
Kloves, based on the novel by J.K. Rowling. David Heyman and David Barron produced the film,
with Lionel Wigram serving as executive producer and John Trehy co-producing.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is being distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a
Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. This film has been rated PG by the MPAA for scary
images, some violence, language and mild sensuality.
For downloadable press materials on this film, please visit: http://press.warnerbros.com and for
downloadable film clips and other EPK materials please visit: www.epk.tv.
www.harrypotter.com
About Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading
licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.
About Hot Topic
Hot Topic, Inc. is a mall and web based specialty retailer operating the Hot Topic and Torrid
concepts, as well as the e-space music discovery concept, ShockHound. Hot Topic offers music/pop
culture-licensed and music/pop culture-influenced apparel, accessories, music and gift items for
young men and women principally between the ages of 12 and 22. Torrid offers apparel, lingerie,
shoes and accessories designed for various lifestyles for plus-size females principally between the
ages of 15 and 29. ShockHound (www.shockhound.com) is a one-stop, genre-spanning music website
where people of all ages can purchase MP3s and music merchandise, share their music interests and
read music news and editorial content. As of May 30, 2009, the company operated 679 Hot Topic
stores in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, 157 Torrid stores, and Internet stores www.hottopic.com,
www.torrid.com and www.shockhound.com.
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Media Contacts:
Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Rita Cooper
Director, Worldwide Public Relations
Warner Bros. Consumer Products
818/ 954-3821
[email protected]
Hot Topic
Carter Thorson
Event Marketing
Hot Topic
626/ 839-4681 ext. 2413
[email protected]
TM & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K. Rowling.
(s09)
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