Emma Watson who plays Hermione Granger took time out of filming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, which was nice of her. (Merry Christmas from Filmonic too if you will be celebrating it over the upcoming days).

In other Deathly Hallows news Bill Nighy, who will play Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour in the upcoming films, spoke to The Daily Record about his role. (Potential spoilers for those who haven’t read the book).

“Scrimgeour is a tragic figure,” said Bill. “He knows what’s coming. It’s a very moving thing to play.

“He’s also very powerful and has had a very complicated progress to the top. And he has an interesting relationship with Harry, who views him initially with contempt. But then it’s softened by subsequent events.

“There’s a scene where he delivers Dumbledore’s legacy to the three children. He gives them all the things Dumbledore has left them, and that’s when it’s indicated he may not be around for much longer.”

We got our first glimpse at Nighy as Scrimgeour in the teaser trailer that was released earlier this month.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 will be released next November, and Deathly Hallows: Part 2 will be released July 2011.

In an interview with The Independent Bill Nighy (Underworld, Pirates of the Caribbean) announced that he would be joining the cast of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Nighy has been saying for years how he seems to be one of the only (well known) British actors who hasn’t had a role in the franchise, but now he has!

“I don’t think I’m allowed to say it but I’m going to be in the next Harry Potter film,” he tells us. “I won’t say which character, but he’s a goodie. I just got the gig.” If you don’t mind us saying, it’s about time, Bill. The rangy actor has been dropping hints for aeons, once complaining that he was “the only British actor who hasn’t been in Harry Potter”. But has he read the books? “Not yet, but I will!” he says. “It’s rather like being in a Shakespeare that way, you know?”

According to The Leaky Cauldron Bill Nighy will be playing Rufus Scrimgeour, a veteran Auror in the Ministry of Magic who spends most of his time fighting Dark Wizards.

Back in September is was announced that Johnny Depp would be returning as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean 4, however nothing else was revealed apart from that it may be released in 2012 and a script is being written. As 2012 is far off there have been no casting updates and there probably won’t be for a while, however Bill Nighy, who played Davy Jones in Pirates 2 & 3, has told MTV he would like to get his tentacles out once again.

“I am technically dead but then again, who cares?” Nighy said to MTV News. “Everybody dies in the pirates movies. They killed Johnny [Depp] and Geoffrey [Rush]. Death is not permanent in the pirate world. I have a serious desire to come back.”

At the end of At World’s End it hinted that Jack Sparrow would be going after the Fountain of Youth. Whether Davy Jones could fit into that is up for the writers to decide. They managed to pack a lot into the last film so it isn’t out of the question.

USA Today got our first look at some highly trained guinea pigs from Jerry Bruckheimer’s G-Force, which features the vocal talents of Bill Nighy, Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Penelope Cruz, Steve Buscemi and Tracy Morgan.

The film is about the latest evolution of a covert government program to train animals to work in espionage. Armed with the latest high-tech spy equipment, these highly trained guinea pigs discover that the fate of the world is in their paws. Tapped for the G-Force are guinea pigs Darwin (Rockwell), the squad leader determined to succeed at all costs; Blaster (Morgan), an outrageous weapons expert with tons of attitude and a love for all things extreme; and Juarez (Cruz), a sexy martial arts pro; plus the literal fly-on-the-wall reconnaissance expert, Mooch, and a star-nosed mole, Speckles (Cage), the computer and information specialist.