Monday, December 26, 2011

'I'm still a student': Harry Potter's Emma Watson says she'll magically reappear at Brown University to finish degree - after stint at Oxford


Harry Potter star has revealed she plans to return to America's Brown University to complete her degree - despite apparently quitting the revered place of learning in April this year.
The actress, who plays Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series - a student at wizard school Hogwarts -  said that she is still enrolled at Brown, even though she will study at Oxford University in the autumn.
She said she intends to return to Providence, Rhode Island, next year to complete her studies at the Ivy League school.
Back to school: Emma Watson, seen here at the New York premiere of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 last week, says she's finishing her degree at Brown University
Back to school: , seen here at the New York premiere of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 last week, says she's finishing her degree at Brown University
She told U.S. newspaper The Virginia Pilot: 'I'm still a student at Brown. It's just that I'll spend my third year abroad – at Oxford. Then I'll return to Brown to complete my last year.'

 Emma, 21, left Brown in April this year, saying she wanted to devote her time to the final Harry Potter film and other acting opportunities.
At the time, it was said that bullying had forced her to quit, but that was strenuously denied by her spokespeople.
Back to school: Emma Watson, pictured with her Harry Potter co-stars Rupert Grint (L) and Daniel Radcliffe (C) at the New York premiere of the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 says she's finishing her degree at Brown University
Missing Hogwarts? Emma, pictured with her Harry Potter co-stars Rupert Grint (L) and Daniel Radcliffe (C) at the New York premiere, says she's going to Oxford before her Brown return
They released a statement saying: 'Emma has enjoyed her time at Brown tremendously and made many friends there who she keeps in constant contact with.
'She has now decided to change university, but not for the bullying, as that is just completely untrue. She has just decided to continue with a different course.'
The star is meanwhile spending the summer finishing filming for her new movie, The Perks of Being A Wallflower with Logan Lerman.
The final installment in the Harry Potter movie franchise premiered in the U.S. last week, setting box office records - and closing the final chapter in the last 10 year's of Emma's life.
Just wizard: Emma as Hermione with fellow Hogwarts pupils Harry Potter and Ron Weasley in her 2001 debut Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone
Just wizard: Emma as Hermione with fellow Hogwarts pupils Harry Potter and Ron Weasley in her 2001 debut Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone
It took in an estimated $168.6 million (£105 million) from Friday to Sunday, beating the previous best opening weekend of $158.4 million (£98 million) for 2008's Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight.
Emma, who has also been busy designing her own fashion range, walked the red carpet for the final time for Harry Potter last week for the New York premiere of the movie, having played Hermione since 2001.
Together with Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, they were joined by other stars of the film including Tom Felton and Alan Rickman, and celebrity guests Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick and Seth Green at the event.
At the London premiere of the movie the week before, Emma had welled up as she said a fond farewell to the franchise. 
Regular student: Emma denied that she was bullied while at the U.S. Ivy League school
Regular student: Emma denied that she was bullied while at the U.S. Ivy League school
She said: 'It’s overwhelming to try to find the words to say what I want to say, but I have been so privileged to play this role and be a part of these films.
‘I’ve had the most amazing 10 years of my life. Thank you so much.’
Emma, who is studying European women’s history and drama, has admitted being ‘scared’ that she wouldn’t fit in when she arrived at the university in September 2009.
She said of her peers: ‘I was afraid they’d think, “You’re famous. You’re given free handbags. Why should you deserve to be normal?”’
On campus: The star plans to go back to Brown University on Rhode Island after a stint at Oxford
On campus: The star plans to go back to Brown University on Rhode Island after a stint at Oxford
She said in April meanwhile of leaving Brown: 'I will still be working towards my degree... it's just going to take me a semester or two longer than I thought.'
It was also revealed today that the star is set to play the lead in Guillermo del Toro's re-imagining of fairytale Beauty And The Beast. 
E! Online reports that the film's producer Denise Di Novi accidently let slip that Emma was in the lead role while publicising her other new film, Crazy, Stupid, Love, at the weekend.
However, Emma's spokespeople are so far refusing to comment