Tokyo, Japan:

Harry Potter sword replicas sold at a theme park in Japan have been recalled for being too authentic, potentially violating the anti-weapons law, Warner Bros. Studios Japan and media have said.

Subject to the recall is an “authentic recreation” of the Godric Gryffindor Sword — named after one of the four founders of the Hogwarts wizardry school.

The pointed, silver sword is 34 inches (85 centimetres) long and comes affixed to a wood display plaque, according to a company statement that said there had been a “distribution issue” with the 30,000 yen ($200) replicas.

But Japanese media reported that investigators considered the toy sharp-edged enough to constitute a possible violation of the country’s sword and firearms control laws.

The replicas were being sold at “The Making of Harry Potter”, an immersive Tokyo studio park steeped in the world of the epic magic saga.

“We apologise for the inconvenience,” Warner Bros. Studios Japan said in its statement.

Violent crime is rare in Japan, which has strict gun control laws.

But there are occasional stabbings and even shootings, including the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.

Harry Potter fans who had to relinquish the sword took to social media to air their heartache.

The farewell was “frustrating” and “very sad”, one fan wrote on social media platform X, adding: “My fellow true Gryffindor students out there who agreed to the voluntary recall, I feel you.”

“I just handed over to police the Gryffindor sword which I once vowed to myself I will cherish for the rest of my life”, another wrote on X.

“I believe they will take good care of it until it is disposed of”.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Actor Michael Gambon
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Veteran actor Michael Gambon, who was known to many for his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight Harry Potter films, has died, his publicist said September 28. He was 82.

A statement by his family, issued by his publicist, said he died following “a bout of pneumonia.”

“We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon. Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside,” his family said.

No matter what role he took on in a career that lasted more than five decades, Gambon was always instantly recognizable by the deep and drawling tones of his voice. He was cast as the much-loved Dumbledore after the death of his predecessor, Richard Harris, in 2002.

He once acknowledged not having read any of J. K. Rowling’s best-selling books, arguing that it was safer to follow the script rather than be too influenced by the books. That didn’t prevent him from embodying the spirit of Professor Dumbledore, the powerful wizard who fought against evil to protect his students.

Although the Potter role raised Mr. Gambon’s international profile and introduced him to a new generation of fans, he had long been recognized as one of Britain’s leading actors. His work spanned TV, theater and radio, and he starred in dozens of films from Gosford Park to The King’s Speech and the animated family movie Paddington.

Gambon was knighted for services to drama in 1998.

Born in Ireland on Oct. 19, 1940, Gambon was raised in London and originally trained as an engineer, following in the footsteps of his father. He made his theater debut in a production of Othello in Dublin.

In 1963 he got his first big break with a minor role in Hamlet, the National Theatre Company’s opening production, under the directorship of the legendary Laurence Olivier.

Gambon soon became a distinguished stage actor and received critical acclaim for his leading performance in Life of Galileo directed by John Dexter. He was frequently nominated for awards and won the Laurence Olivier Award 3 times and the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards twice.

A multi-talented actor, Gambon was also the recipient of four coveted British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards for his television work.

He became a household name in Britain after his lead role in the 1986 BBC series The Singing Detective, written by Dennis Potter and considered a classic of British television drama. Gambon won the BAFTA for best actor for the role.

Gambon was versatile as an actor but once told the BBC of his preference for playing “villainous characters.” He played gangster Eddie Temple in the British crime thriller Layer Cake — a review of the film by the New York Times referred to Gambon as “reliably excellent” — and a Satanic crime boss in Peter Greenaway’s The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover.

He also had a part as King George V in the 2010 drama film The King’s Speech. In 2015 he returned to the works of J.K. Rowling, taking a leading role in the TV adaptation of her book The Casual Vacancy.

Gambon retired from the stage in 2015 after struggling to remember his lines in front of an audience due to his advancing age. He once told the Sunday Times Magazine: “It’s a horrible thing to admit, but I can’t do it. It breaks my heart.”

The actor was always protective when it came to his private life. He married Anne Miller and they had one son, Fergus. He later had two sons with set designer Philippa Hart.