Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Gossip

In between the action of Transformers, and the screams over New Moon, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hits theaters around the country on July 15.

The film is the sixth installment in this wildly popular franchise, and fans have been waiting awhile for it.

Originally scheduled for a December 2008 release, the movie was pushed back seven months. It's received nothing but praise from critics, however, and we're sure viewers will be quick to forgive once Harry and company appear on screen.

The cast, led by Daniel Radcliffe, endured a torrential downpour in London earlier this week for the world premiere.

But when you've battled Lord Voldemort - and/or the swine flu, as Rupert Grint recently suffered through - what's a little rain? Click on the photos below to enlarge shots of the cast at the event:

[Photos: Splash News]

It may seem hard to believe, but New Moon is not the only highly-anticipated movie coming out in 2009.

On July 15, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hits theaters.

In this sixth installment of the franchise, Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggles and Wizards, as Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven. As a result, Dumbledore must work with his prized student in order to prepare him for the final battle between good and evil.

Here's the latest poster for the film:

Moreover, fans can enjoy an early look at the upcoming blockbuster below. Click on each photo to enlarge an image from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince...

The release of Star Trek? Sort of exciting.

The upcoming release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? Life-altering, for millions and millions of young fans.

On July 15, Harry and BFFs Ron and Hermione begin their sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the movie, everyone's favorite wizard discovers a mysterious book that helps him learn more about Lord Voldemort’s dark past.

In case you weren't excited enough about the movie, take a look at a quartet of newly-released posters for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince:

Click on the pics above to get a closer look at Dumbledore, Harry, Ron and Hermione!

Jessie Cave has been cast in the role of Lavendar Brown in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

And it sounds like Rupert Grint, who portrays Brown's boyfriend Ron Weasley, is pleased with the selection:

"I was involved with the Lavendar Brown audition and the whole Lavendar thing," the young actor recently said. "Her name's Jessie, and she is really cool, and it's going to be really funny."

Jessie Cave, we hope you enjoyed anonymity. A role in the next Harry Potter film should sky-rocket this young actress to stardom.

The 20-year old Cave is relatively unknown, having starred alongside Helen Mirren in Inkheart. She'll appear in a BBC drama called Summerhill next year.

The next Harry Potter movie is set to hit theaters November 21, 2008.