Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and others were joined by author J.K. Rowling at the London premiere of the newest Harry Potter film The Half-Blood Prince at Leicester Square last night. Despite the buckets of rain that fell all night long, hundreds of fans came out to catch a glimpse or score an autograph of their fave Harry Potter stars as they walked the red carpet last night. Here are a few pics from the arrivals last night along with some info from the event:

If Potions Professor Horace Slughorn had mixed a brew to conjure up torrential rain, the weather could not have been worse for the premiere of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” Dedicated fans braved thunder, lightning and Biblical downpours in London’s Leicester Square to catch a glimpse of the film’s stars arriving at the opening of the sixth film in the wildly popular “Harry Potter” franchise. While dreadful weather has become an unfortunate tradition at Potter premieres (it rained during the 2007 premiere of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”), the latest installment holds something new for fans. “The Half-Blood Prince” offers up an uncommonly large helping of humor as Harry, Hermione and Ron enter their sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. “I think this film’s funnier,” said star Daniel Radcliffe who plays the titular young hero. “There are a couple of moments which I laughed out loud at.” Hormones are also running high inside the castle walls, with romances blossoming between some of the formerly chaste characters. But, says director David Yates, for all the romance and humor, the film still has a very dark side. “It is a bit bipolar,” Yates told CNN. “On the one hand, there’s all this snogging and romance and on the other hand people are getting killed and bridges are being blown up.” “The humor is there to kind of leaven the intensity of what happens later on in the movie,” he added. If the latest Harry Potter installment treads more adult terrain, it’s not just because the three lead actors — who started as unknown children — have grown up. The three have amassed huge fortunes and international recognition off the back of the films. Daniel Radcliffe wowed Broadway by going nude in “Equus,” Emma Watson has become the face of Burberry and Rupert Grint recently hit the headlines with a dose of swine flu. A dark storyline runs through the core of “The Half-Blood Prince”: The ascendancy of the malevolent Lord Voldemort threatens the wizarding world, while tragic events provide some genuinely scary moments and spell the end of childhood for Harry and the others. “I think it’s aimed at a slightly older audience,” says Emma Watson, 19, who plays bookish heroine Hermione Granger in the franchise. “I think the films have grown up with the audience” … Fans have had to wait an extra eight months for the latest installment after Warner Bros (which, like CNN, is owned by Time Warner) delayed the release of the movie after the success of “The Dark Knight” to spread out its blockbusters. It is estimated the film cost $250 million to make. The last film, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” came out in 2007 and took $938 million at the box office worldwide. The five films have so far made $4.5 billion in worldwide box office, making it the most successful movie franchise in history. The Harry Potter franchise is based on the best-selling series of books by British writer J.K Rowling. The first film, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” directed by Chris Columbus, was released in 2001.

OMG RELEASE THIS MOVIE ALREADY!!! We still have about a week left to wait for the film to hit theaters and I’m already freakin’ out about it. The Harry Potter story gets seriously serious in Half-Blood Prince and I can’t wait to see it on the big screen. Even tho those Londoners had to get soaked to the bone at last night’s premiere, I envy that they’ve been able to see the film already. I can’t even wait any more … Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens in theaters on July 15. Are y’all as excited as I am?

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

OMG … here are a few ADORABLE photos of Halle Berry with her family, daughter Nahla Ariela and babydaddy Gabriel Aubry, enjoying a day of sun, surf and cute fun in Miami Beach, FL yesterday afternoon:

I understand that Halle took little Nahla for a few personal swimming lessons in their hotel pool before the big trip to the beach yesterday. The happy family did spend quite a bit of time frolicking on the beach … but they also spent some time in the water. After the jump, check out those adorable photos …

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Here are a couple new photos of Twilight star Robert Pattinson on the NYC set of his new film Remember Me rockin’, again, his fake injuries and makin’ little girls’ dreams come true by stopping for photos and autographs … behold:

Actually, the lucky little girls at Regis High School (where filming took place) will also appear in the film alongside R. Pattz but that doesn’t mean that they weren’t still buggin’ him to death for autographs. I love that R. Pattz is such a good sport to his many fans. I’m sure these little girls will remember their day with Rob for some time to come … I mean, wouldn’t you?

[Photo credit: Splash News]

It’s been some time since we’ve seen photos of Angelina Jolie out and about with any of her children … but Ange and her eldest daughters Zahara Marley and Shiloh Nouvel were spotted in Studio City, CA yesterday stepping out for a day of fun. The ladies spent some time at Creation Station before making their way to dance class … which is why the little ones are all dolled up in their cute dancing gear. Check it out, it looks as if Shiloh has gotten more sassy these days … could she really be the one givin’ orders to Princess Zahara?

Mother of six Angelina Jolie treated her two eldest daughters to a girls’ day out in Los Angeles yesterday. The Wanted star, who was this week named Hollywood’s top earning actress, took Shiloh, 3, and Zahara, 4, to a dance class in Studio City. The adorable duo, who wore matching black leggings, took part in a session called ‘The Princess Series’, and couldn’t resist a twirl or two as they made their way home. Wearing a strapless maxi-dress, casual flip flops and aviator sunglasses, Angelina walked hand in hand with her daughters after their day of fun. It was a rare public outing for the family, who have largely kept out of the spotlight in recent months.

OMG … soooo cute! And, I should remind you, that the Brangelina twins Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Léon will be celebrating their first birthday this coming Sunday July 12. I know this because the young’ns were born on my birthday :) In any event, yesterday’s outing was for Ange and the eldest girls who might be dealing with a bit of sibling rivalry, it seems. To be honest, I’d've bet that it was Zahara who was the one in charge of those kids … but mebbe Shiloh has stepped up to exert herself in recent months? HMMM. No question, one of these girls is in control cuz you know neither boy, Maddox Chivan or Pax Thien, is in charge. The girls rule, of that fact I have no doubt.

[Photo credit: X17; Source]

Over the weekend we learned that Britney Spears and her sons Sean Preston & Jayden James (along her mooch ex-husband Kevin Federline and his new ladyfriend Victoria Prince) made their way to Paris, France for the next leg of Britney’s tour The Circus starring Britney Spears. Today we get to see a few supercute pics of Brit and her boys enjoying the famed Eiffel Tower during a sunset visit last night:

She regularly hits the heights during her stage show and performed the same feat at the Eiffel Tower last night. Britney Spears took sons Jayden James and Sean Preston to dinner at the Altitude 95 restaurant in the famous Paris monument. The boys were in awe and Brit herself seemed a bit overwhelmed but the posse didn’t betray any signs of vertigo as they headed up the tower. They had timed their arrival perfectly to check out the sunset views the 200-seat restaurant provides. The restaurant, as its name implies, is 95 metres above sea level on the first floor of the structure built in 1889 and accessible via a private lift. It has the reputation of being child-friendly and meals can cost up to 100 euros per person. Britney is enjoying her spare time after finishing the third and last of her Paris shows before the Circus tour hits Belgium in two days. After the meal Britney headed down to see the tower by night. In a post on her Twitter.com blog, she wrote, ‘Just had dinner with my boys at the Eiffel Tower. So beautiful!’ But her idol Michael Jackson, whose memorial ceremony took place yesterday, wasn’t far from her thoughts. She added that she was ‘deeply saddened’ by the pop superstar’s death. Britney has taken her two young sons to every destination on her International concerts after reportedly negotiating a deal with their father and her ex-husband Kevin Federline where he gets paid $5000 a week to also join her on tour.

Oh yes, K-Fed and his ladyfriend Vicky P. are still enjoying the beautiful city of Paris while our dear Britney pays for their trip. Here are a few cute pics of Sean Preston and Jayden James using a lull in sightseeing with their father to try and make a break for it:

Unfortch, I don’t think the little guys were able to escape … but you gotta love the little scamps for trying.

Back to the Britney news, she debuted a new number in Paris during her concert tour. After the jump, check out video of Britney performing Mannequin which has been newly added to her show …

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Yesterday morning, here in Los Angeles, CA, thousands of family, friends and fans of Michael Jackson paid tribute and homage to the late King of Pop in a respectful, somber yet mostly celebratory memorial service at the Staples Center in downtown LA (which you may have watched online HERE). David and I were at yesterday’s memorial service and I will share my personal experience from the event a little later on today … but I will say that it was a very beautiful, very fitting tribute to Michael Jackson. Family and friends eulogized him with words and songs as his shining casket, reportedly with his body inside, stood at the front of the venue for those in attendance to pay their respects. Here are a few photos and some info about the event itself:

His was a tumultuous life and a chaotic death, but Michael Jackson’s funeral and memorial Tuesday were orderly and celebratory, moving and bittersweet, as family, friends and fans around the world joined in lamenting the loss of the King of Pop. It was one of the most-watched celebrity sendoffs in history, telecast across multiple channels and streamed across the Internet. But the predicted traffic and crowd-control nightmares did not materialize. Thousands of police officers helped keep the ticketless crowd to a minimum — about 1,000 people vs. the 250,000 feared — and the motorcade with Jackson’s hearse encountered few problems traveling blocked-off freeways to downtown. The goodbye to Jackson started early with a private service for family and close friends at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills. (A crash was heard as drivers slowed to watch the procession leave the cemetery). A star-crowded memorial program followed, at the downtown Staples Center, that was spiritual, smoothly entertaining and jubilantly roof-raising as Jackson was hailed as a superstar and humanitarian. “The King of Pop has gone to meet the King of Kings,” intoned the Rev. Lucious Smith, pastor of the Friendship Baptist Church in Pasadena. It was a day filled with touching moments, perhaps the most poignant when Jackson’s daughter, Paris, 11, took the microphone. “I just want to say ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you can ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much,” she said, breaking into tears. That followed two hours of farewell tributes from musicians, athletes and friends of Michael Joseph Jackson, who died suddenly June 25 at age 50. The crowd of 20,000 was alternately reverent and boisterous. They watched in solemn silence as the likes of Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie and Mariah Carey sang sweetly, and older brother Jermaine crooned Smile, the theme from Charlie Chaplin’s classic film Modern Times. Usher sang Jackson’s sadly prescient Gone Too Soon as he caressed the golden casket spotlighted in front of the stage and draped in flowers. But when Kobe Bryant walked in, many jumped to their feet and started cheering and taking pictures; some reached over for high-fives. They cheered loud approval for the Rev. Al Sharpton’s fiery eulogy and laughed at a story Magic Johnson told about fried chicken. And they snapped photos with phones and rained shout-outs of “I love you, Michael!” during lulls … Other celebrities in the crowd: Cicely Tyson; P. Diddy; Rick, Kathy and Nicky Hilton; Lil Kim; Chris Brown; and Tatum O’Neal. Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela sent messages. Also absent: Jackson’s longtime pal Elizabeth Taylor, who said in a Twitter post she couldn’t bear to be part of the public hoopla, and Debbie Rowe, Jackson’s ex-wife and mother of Jackson’s two oldest children. Outside the Staples Center, the mood was festive. Vendors hawked T-shirts, buttons, photos and other memorabilia … As the memorial service ended, Jackson’s three children and eight siblings — his brothers were all wearing one beaded white glove in his honor — gathered onstage to say thanks. “We will never understand what he endured … being judged, ridiculed,” said brother Marlon, choking up. “Maybe, now, Michael, they will leave you alone.” The Rev. Smith closed by noting: “All around us are people of different cultures, different religions, different nationalities. And yet the music of Michael Jackson brings us together.” After the memorial, the family went to the Beverly Wilshire Hotel for a private reception. It was unclear whether Jackson’s casket would be returned to Forest Lawn for burial or taken to another final resting place.

I have to tell you that I was touched by the service more than I thought I would be. As I’ve tried to make clear, I’m not the biggest Michael Jackson fan in the world (there are plenty of uberfans all around the globe who are more fitting of that title than I) but I really wanted to pay respects to such an icon of pop culture. I didn’t count in being as affected by the memorial service as I was. Mariah Carey’s performance brought the first tears to my eyes … Brooke Shields’s eulogy brought them back. When Paris Michael Katherine, MJ’s 11 year old only daughter, spoke at the end of the service I absolutely burst out crying. There wasn’t a dry eye anywhere in our vicinity. Paris’s comments were so heartfelt, so honest … so raw. I’m sure it was difficult for most to keep from crying as she declared her love for her daddy. She said, “I just want to say… ever since I was born…. daddy has been the best father you can imagine. And I just want to say I love him so much.” In case you missed it, you can watch Paris’s short speech after the jump …

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