HOLLYWOOD - Daniel Radcliffe, the young actor who was chosen to portray Harry Potter, has told the BBC's Radio Times publication that he is looking forward to fame. "I have thought a lot about being recognized, and I think it will be quite cool," he said. The twelve-year-old, apparently counseled about the capriciousness of fame, added: "I'm just going to enjoy it. After all, I might do this film and then disappear, or something might go horribly wrong and I'll never act again. Or in a couple of years I might have changed so much that I look wrong for the part -- even though Harry grows with the books. So I just want to enjoy it while I can."
And his fame is preceding him.
Theater chains in the U.K. have been assured children are eager to see Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (in Britain, the film is being released under the novel's original title), despite word that 500,000 tickets have been presold -- many to corporate entities.
The BBC reported on Monday that the Odeon theater chain was planning to devote 225 of its 599 screens to the movie and will screen the 2 1/2-hour film at least four times each day.
UCI Cinemas is staggering screenings on an hourly basis and said it is still taking bookings.