title: Fullmetal Alchemist

text: Video games based on "Fullmetal Alchemist" have been released. The storylines of the games often diverge from those of the anime and manga, and feature original characters. Square Enix has released three role-playing games (RPG)—"Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel", "", and "". Bandai has released two RPG titles, and , for the Game Boy Advance and one, "", for the Nintendo DS. In Japan, Bandai released an RPG for the PlayStation Portable on May 20, 2010. Bandai also released a fighting game, "", for the PlayStation 2. Destineer released a game based on the trading card game in North America for the Nintendo DS. Of the seven games made in Japan, "Broken Angel", "Curse of the Crimson Elixir", and "Dual Sympathy" have seen international releases. For the Wii, was released in Japan on August 13, 2009. A direct sequel of the game, , was released on December 10, 2009, for the same console.


title: Fullmetal Alchemist

text: Funimation licensed the franchise to create a new series of "Fullmetal Alchemist"-related video games to be published by Destineer Publishing Corporation in the United States. Destineer released its first "Fullmetal Alchemist" game for the Nintendo DS, a translation of Bandai's "Dual Sympathy", on December 15, 2006, and said that they plan to release further titles. On February 19, 2007, Destineer announced the second game in its "Fullmetal Alchemist" series, the "Fullmetal Alchemist Trading Card Game", which was released on October 15, 2007. A second game for the PlayStation Portable titled was released in Japan on October 15, 2009. A European release of the game, published by Namco Bandai Games, was announced on March 4, 2010. The massively multiplayer online role-playing game "MapleStory" also received special in-game items based on the anime series. For the 20th Anniversary of the series, Square Enix announced "Fullmetal Alchemist Mobile", which was released for iOS and Android devices on August 4, 2022.


title: Fullmetal Alchemist

text: Arakawa oversaw the story and designed the characters for the RPG games, while Bonesthe studio responsible for the anime seriesproduced several animation sequences. The developers looked at other titlesspecifically Square Enix's action role-playing game "Kingdom Hearts" and other games based on manga series, such as "Dragon Ball", "Naruto" or "One Piece" gamesfor inspiration. The biggest challenge was to make a "full-fledged" game rather than a simple character-based one. Tomoya Asano, the assistant producer for the games, said that development took more than a year, unlike most character-based games.


title: Fullmetal Alchemist

text: The "Fullmetal Alchemist" has received several artbooks. Three artbooks called were released by Square Enix; two of those were released in the US by Viz Media. The first artbook contains illustrations made between May 2001 to April 2003, spanning the first six manga volumes, while the second has illustrations from September 2003 to October 2005, spanning the next six volumes. The last one includes illustrations from the remaining volumes.


title: Fullmetal Alchemist

text: The manga also has three guidebooks; each of them contains timelines, guides to the Elric brothers' journey, and "gaiden" chapters that were never released in manga volumes. Only the first guidebook was released by Viz Media, titled "Fullmetal Alchemist Profiles". A guidebook titled , which contains post-manga story information, was released in Japan on July 29, 2011.


title: Fullmetal Alchemist

text: Action figures, busts, and statues from the "Fullmetal Alchemist" anime and manga have been produced by toy companies, including Medicom and Southern Island. Medicom has created high end deluxe vinyl figures of the characters from the anime. These figures are exclusively distributed in the United States and UK by Southern Island. Southern Island released its own action figures of the main characters in 2007, and a 12" statuette was scheduled for release the same year. Southern Island has since gone bankrupt, putting the statuette's release in doubt. A trading card game was first published in 2005 in the United States by Joyride Entertainment. Since then, six expansions have been released. The card game was withdrawn on July 11, 2007. Destineer released a Nintendo DS adaptation of the game on October 15, 2007.


title: Fullmetal Alchemist

text: "Fullmetal Alchemist" was one of the Manga Division's Jury Recommended Works at the 8th and 11th installments of Japan Media Arts Festival in 2004 and 2007, respectively. Along with "Yakitate!! Japan", the series won the 49th Shogakukan Manga Award for the "shōnen" category in 2004. It won the public voting for Eagle Award's "Favourite Manga" in 2010 and 2011. The series won the "Shonen Tournament 2009" by the editorial staff of the French website "manga-news". The manga also received the 42nd Seiun Award for best science fiction comic in 2011. Arakawa also received the New Artist Prize in the fifteenth Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prizes for the manga series in 2011. "Fullmetal Alchemist" ranked 3rd on the first annual Tsutaya Comic Awards' All-Time Best Section in 2017. The manga was nominated for the Grand Prize of the 10th Sense of Gender Award in 2010.


title: Fullmetal Alchemist

text: In a survey from Oricon in 2009, "Fullmetal Alchemist" ranked ninth as the manga that fans wanted to be turned into a live-action film. The series is also popular with amateur writers who produce "dōjinshi" (fan fiction) that borrows characters from the series. In the Japanese market Super Comic City, there have been over 1,100 "dōjinshi" based on "Fullmetal Alchemist", some of which focused on romantic interactions between Edward Elric and Roy Mustang. "Anime News Network" said the series had the same impact in Comiket 2004 as several female fans were seen there writing "dōjinshi". On TV Asahi's Manga Sōsenkyo 2021 poll, in which 150.000 people voted for their top 100 manga series, "Fullmetal Alchemist" ranked No. 9.


title: Fullmetal Alchemist

text: The series has become one of Square Enix's best-performing properties, along with "Final Fantasy" and "Dragon Quest". With the release of volume 27, the manga sold over 50 million copies in Japan. As of January 10, 2010, every volume of the manga has sold over a million copies each in Japan. Square Enix reported that the series had sold 70.3 million copies worldwide as of April 25, 2018, 16.4 million of those outside Japan. As of July 2021, the manga had 80 million copies in circulation worldwide. The series is also one of Viz Media's best sellers, appearing in "BookScan's Top 20 Graphic Novels" and the "USA Today Booklist". It was featured in the Diamond Comic Distributors' polls of graphic novels and "The New York Times" Best Seller Manga list. The English release of the manga's first volume was the top-selling graphic novel during 2005.


title: Fullmetal Alchemist

text: During 2008, volumes 19 and 20 sold over a million copies, ranking as the 10th and 11th best seller comics in Japan respectively. In the first half of 2009, it ranked as the seventh best-seller in Japan, having sold over 3 million copies. Volume 21 ranked fourth, with more than a million copies sold and volume 22 ranked sixth with a similar number of sold copies. Producer Kouji Taguchi of Square Enix said that Volume 1's initial sales were 150,000 copies; this grew to 1.5 million copies after the first anime aired. Prior to the second anime's premiere, each volume sold about 1.9 million copies, and then it changed to 2.1 million copies.


title: Fullmetal Alchemist

text: "Fullmetal Alchemist" has generally been well received by critics. Though the first volumes were thought to be formulaic, critics said that the series grows in complexity as it progresses. Jason Thompson called Arakawa one of the best at creating action scenes and praised the series for having great female characters despite being a boys' manga. He also noted how the story gets dark by including real-world issues such as government corruption, war and genocide. Thompson finished by stating that "Fullmetal Alchemist" "will be remembered as one of the classic shonen manga series of the 2000s." Melissa Harper of "Anime News Network" praised Arakawa for keeping all of her character designs unique and distinguishable, despite many of them wearing the same basic uniforms. IGN's Hilary Goldstein wrote that the characterization of Edward balances between being a "typical clever kid" and a "stubborn kid", allowing him to float between the comical moments and the underlying drama without seeming false. Holly Ellingwood for Active Anime praised the development of the characters in the manga and their beliefs changing during the story, forcing them to mature. Mania Entertainment's Jarred Pine said that the manga can be enjoyed by anybody who has watched the first anime, despite the similarities in the first chapters. Like other reviewers, Pine praised the dark mood of the series and the way it balances the humor and action scenes. Pine also praised the development of characters who have few appearances in the first anime. In a review of volume 14, Sakura Eriesalso of Mania Entertainmentliked the revelations, despite the need to resolve several story arcs. She also praised the development of the homunculi, such as the return of Greed, as well as their fights.


title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)

text: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a 2005 fantasy film directed by Mike Newell and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, based on the 2000 novel of the same name. Produced by David Heyman and written by Steve Kloves, it is the sequel to "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004) and the fourth instalment in the "Harry Potter" film series. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, alongside Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry's best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger respectively. Its story follows Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts as he is chosen by the Goblet of Fire to compete in the Triwizard Tournament.


text: Principal photography began in early 2004, and the film premiered worldwide on 18 November 2005. Five days following release, it had earned over US$102 million at the North American box office, the third-highest first-weekend tally for a "Harry Potter" film behind "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1" and "Part 2". "Goblet of Fire" enjoyed an immensely successful run at the box office, grossing $896 million worldwide, the highest-grossing film of 2005 and the sixth-highest-grossing film in the series.


text: The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction and won the BAFTA Award for Best Production Design. "Goblet of Fire" was the second film in the series to be released in IMAX. The film is one of the best-reviewed instalments within the series, being praised for the higher level of maturity and sophistication of its characters, story, tone, screenplay, and the performances of the lead actors. It was followed by "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" in 2007.


text: Harry Potter has a nightmare in which a Muggle caretaker is murdered after overhearing a plot by Lord Voldemort, Peter Pettigrew and another man whom Harry does not recognise. Harry, along with the Weasleys, Hermione, and Cedric and Amos Diggory attend the Quidditch World Cup. Death Eaters attack the tournament and the man from Harry's nightmare casts the Dark Mark.


text: At Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore announces that the school will host the Triwizard Tournament along with the Durmstrang Institute from northern Europe and the Beauxbatons Academy from France. A single student from each school will be selected by the Goblet of Fire to participate; students below the age of seventeen are ineligible. Fleur Delacour is selected as the Champion from Beauxbatons, Viktor Krum is selected from Durmstrang, and Cedric Diggory is selected from Hogwarts. The Goblet of Fire then selects Harry as the fourth Champion, causing much confusion. Many students believe Harry cheated and Ron shuns him, hurt that Harry did not inform him when he apparently entered.


text: For the first task, the Champions have to collect an egg by getting past a dragon. Professor Moody, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, hints that Harry can use his wand to summon his broomstick. All four Champions collect their eggs. Ron reconciles with Harry after seeing how dangerous the first task was. At Christmas, the school hosts the Yule Ball – Harry and Ron are unable to go with their desired dates, and hence go with Parvati and Padma Patil respectively; while Hermione goes with Viktor. Cedric advises Harry to use the Prefects' bathroom to get a clue for the second task using the egg.


text: For the second task, the Champions have to save somebody of value to them from the Black Lake: Harry has to save Ron, Cedric has to save Cho, Viktor has to rescue Hermione, and Fleur has to save her sister. Neville Longbottom gives Harry gillyweed to help him breathe underwater. Cedric comes in first and Harry is awarded second place after he saves not only Ron but Fleur's sister after Fleur withdraws from the task. Harry later finds the lifeless body of Barty Crouch Sr, a Ministry of Magic official, in the Forbidden Forest. In Dumbledore's office, he enters a Pensieve and witnesses a previous trial of Igor Karkaroff, current headmaster of Durmstrang, during Voldemort's first downfall. Karkaroff is asked to name those who served Voldemort – he gives Severus Snape who is vouched for by Dumbledore. Karkaroff then exposes Barty Crouch Jr, the son of Crouch Sr who is hosting the trial. Harry recognises Crouch Jr from his nightmare.


text: For the third task, the Champions must navigate a maze to reach the Triwizard Cup at its centre. Harry and Cedric reach the Cup only to discover it is a Portkey that transports them to a graveyard. Peter Pettigrew kills Cedric on Voldemort's orders. He then resurrects Voldemort, who summons his Death Eaters. Voldemort attempts to use the Killing Curse on Harry but the latter deflects it – the ghosts of Voldemort's previous victims appear, distracting Voldemort long enough for Harry to use the Cup to return to Hogwarts with Cedric's body.


text: Harry informs Dumbledore that Cedric was murdered by Voldemort. Harry is dragged by Moody to his office – he learns that Moody entered him into the Tournament and was guiding him to ensure the return of Voldemort. Before Moody attempts to kill Harry, Dumbledore, Snape and Minerva McGonagall subdue Moody. Using Veritaserum, they learn that they have caught Barty Crouch Jr who was impersonating Moody using Polyjuice Potion; the real Moody is imprisoned in a magical trunk. Crouch Jr is returned to Azkaban.


text: At the end of term feast, Dumbledore announces that Cedric was murdered by Voldemort, although the Ministry denies these claims. Harry informs Dumbledore of his encounter with Voldemort and Dumbledore describes it as Priori Incantatem. The three schools bid farewell to one another with Harry, Ron and Hermione agreeing that everything is going to change.


text: Several actors from the previous film reprise their roles in "Goblet of Fire". James and Oliver Phelps play Fred and George Weasley, Ron's twin brothers, and Bonnie Wright portrays their sister Ginny, while Mark Williams plays their father, Arthur Weasley. Tom Felton portrays Lucius Malfoy's son Draco, Harry's rival in Slytherin, while Jamie Waylett and Joshua Herdman appear as Crabbe and Goyle, Draco's minions. Matthew Lewis, Devon Murray and Alfred Enoch play Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas respectively, three Gryffindor students in Harry's year. David Bradley appears as Argus Filch, Hogwarts' caretaker, and Warwick Davis returns as Professor Filius Flitwick, now using the look used when Davis portrayed the conductor of the Hogwarts Choir in the previous film. Shirley Henderson reprises her role as Moaning Myrtle, a Hogwarts ghost, and Robert Hardy returns as Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic.


text: Robert Pattinson replaced stunt performer/actor Joe Livermore as Hogwarts champion Cedric Diggory, who made a brief appearance in the previous film during a Quidditch sequence. Jeff Rawle appears as Cedric's father Amos. David Tennant plays Barty Crouch Jr, a Death Eater, and Roger Lloyd-Pack portrays his father Barty Crouch Sr, head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Katie Leung appears as Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw student and Harry's love interest. Clémence Poésy plays Beauxbatons champion Fleur Delacour, while Stanislav Ianevski portrays Durmstrang champion and Quidditch star Viktor Krum. Miranda Richardson plays "The Daily Prophet" reporter Rita Skeeter. Predrag Bjelac appears as Igor Karkaroff, Headmaster of Durmstrang and a former Death Eater, while Frances de la Tour plays Olympe Maxime, Headmistress of Beauxbatons. Shefali Chowdhury and Afshan Azad play Parvati and Padma Patil, Harry and Ron's dates to the Yule Ball, respectively. Eric Sykes appears as Frank Bryce, the caretaker at the Riddle family house. John Hurt originally confirmed in an interview with "Empire" that he would reprise his role as Garrick Ollivander as part of his four-film contract, but his scenes were cut.


text: Chris Columbus, who directed "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (2001) and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002), originally thought about returning to direct the film adaptation of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" while producing "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004), but ultimately declined because his children wanted to spend time with him like a family. In addition, they wanted to move back to the United States of America to see their friends after moving in to England for the first two films. Having read the first three books, Columbus had noticed the progressively darker tone of the story, leading author J.K. Rowling to give him, producer David Heyman and screenwriter Steve Kloves copies of a huge manuscript about her plans for "Goblet of Fire" before it was published, just so they could prepare themselves in terms of filming each subsequent film. M. Night Shyamalan was approached to direct the film but he was more interested in doing a film adaptation of "Life of Pi". British film director Mike Newell was chosen to direct the film after "Prisoner of Azkaban" director Alfonso Cuarón announced that he would only be able to direct one "Harry Potter" film. In a statement explaining the transition of directors, series producer Heyman said:


text: Work on the script began in April 2003. Heyman considered the pre-production on "Goblet of Fire" had been too lengthy for a single film. He stated, "We're going to shoot it as one and see how it ends up. If it's too long then we'll make it into two." Kloves, writer for the previous instalments, returned for "Goblet of Fire". On adapting the 636-page book into a single feature-length film, Kloves commented, "we always thought it would be two movies, but we could never figure out a way to break it in two. So it will be a different experience from the book." Columbus advised Heyman of splitting "Goblet of Fire" into two separate films due to its length, but Warner Bros. showed no interest in the idea. Newell found that "there was a way of making one film, which was as a thriller," while "[staying] true to the book and [keeping] the length down." In order to prepare for the film, Newell watched "paranoid thrillers" such as "North by Northwest" (1959), "The Parallax View" (1974), and "Three Days of the Condor" (1975).


text: Costume designer Jany Temime returned as costume designer for "Goblet of Fire". Temime made the Beauxbatons uniforms out of french blue silk, which stood out from the muted colours of the other schools. The fabric of the uniforms "clings to their form, in complete contrast to the restrictive uniforms the Hogwarts girls wear." The hat was designed by milliner Philip Treacy. The Durmstrang uniform was made of thick wool, with crimson robes and fur hats and capes. Temime drew inspiration from Habsburg and Russian folklore. For the Yule Ball, Temime created more than 300 costumes. Hermione's dress, which took three months to make, was designed to be a "fairy-tale dress", balancing "sweetness and allure" and keeping it "very prudish", in order for it to be "slightly sexy" while still appropriate for a teenager. Moody's coat was inspired by spaghetti westerns, with a team spending a week "aging and distressing the coat to give it a lifetime's worth of wear."


text: As in the previous instalments, Stuart Craig and Stephenie McMillan served as production designer and set decorator, respectively. Due to the film's scope, there were many new sets and transformations of old sets created. McMillan was most excited about redesigning the Great Hall for the scenes involving the Yule Ball. As the novel described it as an ice palace, they decided to make "the magic ceiling out of ice", covering the walls in reflective silver and giving "an icy or silver makeover" to the decorations. McMillan and fellow set decorator Lee Sandales also created "magical ice sculptures, iced drinks and frosted food". Each task of the Triwizard Tournament required massive sets. The rock quarry set for the first task, where Harry faces off with the Hungarian Horntail, was built in two sections at Leavesden Studios. Craig called it "one of the biggest sets we've ever built for any of the films." For the second task, involving the film's underwater scenes, the film crew designed and built a blue screen tank measuring deep by square, holding "about half a million gallons of water." It is the largest underwater filming tank in Europe. As for the final task, which took place in the maze, hedge walls ranging from tall were constructed and enhanced with computer-generated imagery.


text: Principal photography officially began on 4 May 2004, although shooting with the main cast did not start until 25 June 2004 at Leavesden Studios in England, and wrapped in March 2005.


text: The local area surrounding Leavesden Studios was used for the site of the Quidditch World Cup, filmed in Ivinghoe Beacon, and Ashridge Wood, while the cliff where the characters land with the Portkey was located in Seven Sisters Country Park in Seaford, East Sussex. Kirby wires were used to suspend the actors in the air during the landing scene.


text: Parts of Hogwarts were filmed at Oxford University. Harry's confrontation with Malfoy, who is later turned into a ferret by Moody, was shot in the courtyard quadrangle of the New College Cloister. Divinity School served as the room where McGonagall teaches Gryffindor students how to dance for the Yule Ball, having also been used as Hogwarts' infirmary in previous films. The Yule Ball scene was filmed in December 2004. Scenes by Hogwarts' Lake were filmed at the Virginia Water Lake in Surrey.


text: The forest where Hagrid shows Harry the dragons was set in Black Park, next to Pinewood Studios, while the first task of the Triwizard Tournament was filmed at the Steall Falls in Glen Nevis and Black Rock Gorge. For the second task, set in the Black Lake, the filmmakers tried a technique called dry for wet, where actors are suspended and wind is blown on them to simulate being underwater, but found "the hair didn't undulate convincingly." The sequence was then filmed in a large underwater tank, and the actors took scuba diving lessons in preparation, under the supervision of stunt coordinator Greg Powell. Radcliffe underwent six months of training for the scene and spent more than 40 hours underwater over the three weeks it took to film.


text: John Williams, who had scored the first three "Harry Potter" films, could not return for the fourth instalment due to a busy schedule. Patrick Doyle, who had worked with Newell on "Into the West" and "Donnie Brasco", replaced him as composer. The initial request was that Doyle would be working with Williams' material, but eventually only "Hedwig's Theme", the leitmotif of the series, remained from the previous scores. Pulp lead singer Jarvis Cocker, who was even reported to score the film, was one of the musicians invited by Doyle, with whom he had worked in the "Great Expectations" soundtrack, to write a song for a wizard rock band. Once Doyle chose Cocker's composition, he and other British musicians such as Jonny Greenwood and Philip Selway of Radiohead were picked to play the fictional band, both performing songs for the soundtrack and having cameo roles in the film.


text: With the "Goblet of Fire" novel almost twice the length of "Prisoner of Azkaban", the writers and producers reduced certain scenes and concepts to make the transition from page to screen. Director Mike Newell described the problem as one of "compressing a huge book into the compass of a movie". This was achieved by "putting aside" all the components of the novel which did not directly relate to Harry and his journey.


text: "Goblet of Fire" is the first film adaptation not to begin at Privet Drive; after the opening sequence, Harry awakens at the Burrow on the morning of the Quidditch World Cup.


text: The gameplay at the Quidditch World Cup was removed for timing reasons, leaving an abrupt temporal jump that some reviewers considered awkward or "rushed". In the book, Harry and many of the Weasleys support Ireland, while in the film Harry and Ron support Bulgaria. Nonetheless, both of them admire the Bulgarian seeker Viktor Krum. The scene where Dumbledore asks Harry if he put his name in the goblet is noticeably different, in the book he asks calmly but in the film he grabs Harry and shouts at him instead.


text: Much of the house elves/slavery subplot, which involves Herimone's attempt to form a group (S.P.E.W.) to promote their welfare is omitted. The scene where Harry hears Karkaroff arguing with Snape at the Yule Ball is cut from the film, but was shot and can be seen on the DVD extras.


text: Other scenes are shortened and amalgamated to include only the most essential plot details. For example, the three Death Eater trials Harry witnesses in the Pensieve are merged into one sequence. The characters of Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Ludo Bagman, Winky, Narcissa Malfoy, and Bertha Jorkins are all absent, as well as Dobby, who was supposed to help Harry obtain Gillyweed for the second task. In place of Dobby, this scene was changed to involve Neville Longbottom. There is no train scene at the end where Rita Skeeter is revealed to be an illegal, unregistered Animagus or that Herimone uses this information to blackmail her into silence for a year. Harry is never seen either receiving or giving away the 1,000 galleons in prize winnings. All of Sirius Black's lines are condensed into a single fireside conversation. The scene in which Crouch Jr. is taken back to Azkaban is different from the book, in which he was "kissed" by a Dementor summoned by Cornelius Fudge. There is also no conversation in which Fudge refuses to believe that Voldemort has returned, leaving this to be explained in the next film.


text: An exclusive first-look was shown on ABC during the television premiere of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" on 7 May 2005. The first trailer was made available online on 8 May 2005. The international trailer debuted online on 23 August 2005.


text: The video game adaptation, designed by EA UK, was released 8 November 2005. Mattel released a line of action figures and artefacts based on the film. Among these was the first edition of "Harry Potter Scene It?" containing over 1,000 questions involving the four films.


text: "Goblet of Fire" was the first instalment in the series to be rated 12A by the BBFC for its dark themes, fantasy violence, threat and frightening images. In the US, it received a PG-13 rating by the MPAA for "sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images". In Australia, the ACB classified it as M (Mature) for "moderate dark themes, moderate fantasy violence".


text: "Goblet of Fire" was the second film in the series to be given a simultaneous release in conventional theatres and IMAX. Dubbed "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The IMAX Experience", it was digitally remastered for IMAX from its 35mm form to take part in a "commercial growth strategy" set up between IMAX and Warner Bros.


text: The film was released in most countries within a two-week period starting on 18 November 2005 in the United Kingdom and United States, with a 1 December 2005 release in Australia. In the United States, the film opened in a maximum of 3,858 cinemas that included several IMAX venues.


text: The world premiere took place in London, England on 6 November 2005. One of the features of the premiere was an animatronic, fire-breathing Hungarian Horntail. The 40-foot-long dragon, used during the scene where Hagrid leads Harry into the forest at night before the first task, was designed and built by special effects supervisor John Richardson and creature effects/makeup supervisor Nick Dudman.


text: The film was released on DVD in North America on 7 March 2006. It was available in one- and two-disc editions, as well as part of an 8-disc box set that includes all four films at that time. The bonus disc features three interactive games, as well as seven behind the scenes featurettes. It was also released in UMD format for PSP.


text: On its first day of release in North America, over 5 million copies were sold, recording a franchise high for first-day sales. Within its first week, it sold over a total of 9 million units of combined sales of both the widescreen and full-screen versions of the DVD.


text: The UK edition was released on DVD on 20 March 2006 and became the fastest selling UK DVD ever, selling six copies per second on its day of release. According to the Official Charts Company, the DVD sold 1.4 million copies in the first week. It is also available in a two-disc pressing with special features similar to the North American edition.


text: The film holds the Guinness World Record for being the fastest selling DVD of all time. The achievement was added to the 2007 book edition of "The Guinness World Records", which includes a picture of the award being presented to Daniel Radcliffe on the "Order of the Phoenix" set at Leavesden Film Studios in April 2006.


text: In the United States, the first five films were released on HD DVD and Blu-ray disc on 11 December 2007. "Goblet of Fire" has since become available in numerous box sets containing the other released films, including the "Harry Potter: Complete 8-Film Collection" and "Harry Potter Wizard's Collection". An Ultimate Edition of "Goblet of Fire" was released on 19 October 2010, featuring behind-the-scenes footage, trailers, deleted scenes and a feature-length special "Creating the World of Harry Potter Part 4: Sound & Music". Despite not being included in the Ultimate Edition, an extended version has been shown during certain television airings with roughly ten minutes of additional footage.


text: After an opening day of $40 million at the North American box office and staying at number 1 for three weeks, "Goblet of Fire" made a successful 20-week run in cinemas, closing on 6 April 2006. The film set numerous records, including the highest non-May opening weekend in the US, and earned £14.9m in its opening weekend in the UK, a record which has since been beaten by the 2008 James Bond film "Quantum of Solace", which took in £15.4m. "The Goblet of Fire" drew $102.7 million for its opening weekend at the North American box office, setting a new opening high for the franchise and also achieved the highest weekend debut in November, with the latter being surpassed by "" in 2009. The film also achieved the biggest opening weekend for a Warner Bros. film, holding this record for three years until the release of "The Dark Knight" in July 2008. It sold about as many tickets as "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" did in its opening weekend. The film's franchise record was later overtaken in 2010 by "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1", which opened to $125 million; "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2" followed with $169.1 million in its opening weekend. "The Goblet of Fire"s debut marked the fourth $100 million weekend in history and , it stands as the 17th largest opening weekend ever. In Mainland China, the film generated 93 million yuan.


text: "The Goblet of Fire" earned almost US$897 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing international and worldwide release of 2005.


text: In IMAX theatres only, the film grossed a total of US$20,033,758 worldwide for a cumulative per-screen average of $188,998 thus setting a new record and a new milestone for a digitally remastered 2-D IMAX release.


text: In January 2006, "The Goblet of Fire" surpassed the box office takings of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002) to become the eighth-highest-grossing film worldwide, and the second-highest-grossing film in the " Harry Potter" series, behind "The Philosopher's Stone". , it has been the sixth-highest-grossing "Harry Potter" film behind "The Philosopher's Stone", "The Order of the Phoenix" and "The Half-Blood Prince", "The Deathly Hallows – Part 1", and "The Deathly Hallows – Part 2".


text: The film ranks third in the North American box office behind "" and "" for 2005, with US$290 million, although both films rank lower than "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" in worldwide terms.


text: On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The site's critical consensus reads, "The main characters are maturing, and the filmmakers are likewise improving on their craft; vibrant special effects and assured performances add up to what is the most complex yet of the "Harry Potter" films." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 81 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.


text: The "New York Daily News" praised the film for both its humour and its dark tone. The young actors were praised for demonstrating a "greater range of subtle emotions", particularly Daniel Radcliffe whom "Variety" described as delivering a "dimensional and nuanced performance". New cast members were also praised: Brendan Gleeson's portrayal of Mad-Eye Moody was described as "colourful"; Miranda Richardson's scenes as Rita Skeeter were described as "wonderful"; and Ralph Fiennes's portrayal of Lord Voldemort was described as "sublime villainy".


text: The maturity of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, among others, impressed most critics. While the major characters were portrayed as children in the previous films, "they have subtly transitioned into teenagers (in "Goblet of Fire")" according to one "USA Today" reviewer. Desson Thomson of "The Washington Post" called the film "Probably the most engaging film of the Potter series thus far". Joe Morgenstern of "The Wall Street Journal" stated "The studio, like plucky Harry, passes with flying colors. The new one, directed by Mike Newell from another astute script by Mr. Kloves, is even richer and fuller, as well as dramatically darker. It's downright scary how good this movie is".


text: Negative criticism included the film's pace which "The Arizona Republic" described as being "far too episodic", while CNN.com described the film as "clunky and disjointed". Another criticism was that the many supporting characters did not get enough screen time. The film was listed at #36 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the "50 Best High School Movies" praising Rowling for ingeniously blending "two literary traditions, fantasy and coming-through-school fiction".


text: The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction at the 78th Academy Awards. At the 2006 Teen Choice Awards, the film won the award for Choice Movie Drama. The film won the BAFTA Award for Best Production Design, making it the first "Harry Potter" film to win at the BAFTAs.


text: At the 2006 Kids' Choice Awards, the film won the Blimp Award for Favorite Movie, becoming the only "Harry Potter" film to do so.


text: In the run up to the film, Warner Bros. approached a Canadian folk group called the Wyrd Sisters to obtain permission to use the name "The Weird Sisters" for its "Harry Potter" Band. When a deal could not be made, the Canadian band filed a US$40-million lawsuit against Warner Bros., the North American distributor of the film, as well as the members of the in-movie band (members of Radiohead and Pulp, among others) for the misuse of their group's name. (In a deleted scene, they are simply introduced as "the band that needs no introduction".) The Canadian band also brought an injunction to stop the release of the film in its country as it contained a performance by the identically named fictional rock band. An Ontario judge dismissed this motion, and to avoid further controversy Warner Bros. rendered the band unnamed in the film and many derived products. However, the Winnipeg-based group continued to pursue the lawsuit; lead singer Kim Baryluk stated in her claim that "consumers will assume that the smaller and less famous Canadian band is trying to take advantage of the "Harry Potter" fame by copying the "Harry Potter" band's name when in fact the reverse is true." The injunction was dismissed, and the band was ordered to pay costs. , the lawsuit has been settled, the details sealed.


title: Melanie C

text: Melanie Jayne Chisholm (born 12 January 1974), better known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer-songwriter and media personality. She is best known as one of the five members of the Spice Girls, during which time she was nicknamed Sporty Spice.


title: Melanie C

text: She rose to fame in 1996, releasing, in two years with the Spice Girls, two consecutive number-one albums, eight number-one singles from nine worldwide hits, the biggest-selling debut single of all time and the biggest-selling album in music history by a girl group, respectively with "Wannabe" atop in 37 countries with over seven million records, and "Spice", which peaked at number one in more than 17 countries across the world, with over 31 million copies, as well as the second album "Spiceworld" with more than 20 million copies sold. Melanie C is known for her unique vocal prowess that helped shoot the Spice Girls to international stardom. Chisholm began her solo career in late 1998 by singing with Canadian rock singer Bryan Adams, and her solo debut album "Northern Star" was released in 1999, reaching number one in Sweden and number 4 on the UK Albums Chart. It was certified internationally with seven platinum and three gold certifications, including the triple-Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry, selling over 4 million copies worldwide, and becoming the best selling solo album of any Spice Girls member.


title: Melanie C

text: After her second album, gold certified in UK, "Reason", with more than 500,000 copies, Chisholm, in 2004, parted from Virgin and founded her own record company, Red Girl Records. "Beautiful Intentions", her third album, in 2005, spent 9 weeks at number one in Portugal and spawned international hit singles, selling over 1.5 million copies worldwide with several international certifications. The fourth studio album, "This Time", was released in 2007, became her first top 10 album in Switzerland where was certified gold. Of the five singles released from the album, the first three went to number one in Portugal. In December, Chisholm reunited with the Spice Girls to release a greatest hits album supported by a world tour. She released her fifth solo album, "The Sea", in 2011, her first EP "The Night" in 2012, the sixth studio album "Stages", in 2012, and seventh album, "Version of Me" (2016). Her eponymous eighth studio album was released in 2020.


title: Melanie C

text: Having co-written 11 UK number-ones, more than any other female artist in chart history, she remains the only female performer to top the charts as a solo artist, as part of a duo, quartet and quintet. With twelve UK number-one singles, including the charity single as part of The Justice Collective, she is the second female artist – and the first British female artist – with most singles at number one in the United Kingdom, and with a total of fourteen songs that have received the number one in Britain (including the double A-sides), Chisholm is the female artist with most songs at number one in the UK ranking history. Her work has earned her several awards and nominations, including a Guinness Book mention, three World Music Awards, five Brit Awards from 10 nominations, three American Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards from six nomination, eight Billboard special awards, three MTV Europe Music Awards from seven nominations, one MTV Video Music Awards from two nomination, ten ASCAP awards, one Juno Award from two nominations, and four nominations at the Echo Awards.


title: Melanie C

text: Since 1996, Chisholm has sold more than 123 million records, including 100 million copies with the group, and 23 million solo albums, singles and collaborations, and has earned over 326 worldwide certifications (with numerous diamonds), including 41 silver, gold and platinum certifications as a solo artist. Chisholm's autobiography, "Who I Am: My Story", was released on 15 September 2022.


title: Melanie C

text: Melanie Jayne Chisholm was born on 12 January 1974 in Whiston, Lancashire, the only daughter of Joan O'Neill, who worked as a secretary and personal assistant and has been singing in music bands since she was 14, and Alan Chisholm, a fitter at the Otis Elevator Company. Her parents married in 1971 and separated in 1978, when Chisholm was four years old. Her mother remarried and had more children, one of whom is racing driver Paul O'Neill, who was born when Chisholm was six years old. She grew up in Widnes, Cheshire, attending Brookvale Junior School in nearby Runcorn and Fairfield High School in Widnes. Following school, she studied for a diploma course in singing, dancing , and musical theatre at the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts in London. During college, she replied to an advert in "The Stage" placed by Chris and Bob Herbert, who were looking to form a new girl group, later to become the Spice Girls. She left college just short of completing her three-year course, and gained teaching qualifications in tap and modern theatre dance with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing.


title: Melanie C

text: In 1994, Chisholm, along with Mel B, Geri Halliwell, and Victoria Beckham (née Adams) responded to an advertisement in "The Stage" magazine. Around 400 women who answered the ad went to Dance Works studios. Halliwell, Chisholm, Beckham and Brown were originally chosen as the members of the group, and then formed a quintet with Emma Bunton. The group felt insecure about the lack of a contract and were frustrated by the direction of Heart Management and broke with them. In 1995, they toured record labels in London and Los Angeles and finally signed a deal with Virgin. Their debut album, "Spice", was a huge worldwide commercial success, peaked at number 1 in more than 17 countries across the world, and was certified multi-platinum in 27 countries. Conceptually, the album centered on the idea of Girl Power, and during that time was compared to Beatlemania. In total the album sold 30 million copies worldwide, becoming the biggest-selling album in music history by a girl group and one of the most successful albums of all time. The first single, "Wannabe" reached number 1 in 37 countries, and their subsequent singles – "Say You'll Be There", "2 Become 1", "Who Do You Think You Are" and "Mama" – all peaked at number 1 in the UK.


title: Melanie C

text: In 1997, they released their second album, "Spiceworld", with the two first singles "Spice Up Your Life" and "Too Much", that entered the UK Albums Chart at number 1, making it the group's all consecutive number 1 hit single, a record of musical groups all time. The album was a global best seller, selling 20 million copies worldwide. The group also starred in their own film, "Spiceworld: The Movie", which grossed $100 million at the box office worldwide and became the second most watched movie of the year. The next single, "Stop", peaked at two, breaking the sequence of number 1s, their only single to not reach the top of the charts. "Viva Forever", another number 1, was the last single before Geri Halliwell's departure from the group in May 1998. With four members, the group released "Goodbye", before Christmas in 1998 and when it topped the UK Singles Chart it became their third consecutive Christmas number-one – equalling the record previously set by the Beatles. On 30 November, Canadian artist Bryan Adams, released "When You're Gone" with featured vocals of Chisholm, her debut solo project. The song peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart, spent 15 weeks in the top 40 and received the platinum certified.


title: Melanie C

text: In 1999, Chisholm signed with Virgin and, during the summer, recorded the album "Northern Star". She recorded "Ga Ga" from the soundtrack of the film "Big Daddy". The song was released as promotional single on 25 June, only in the UK. She also co-wrote and recorded the backing vocals for "(Hey You) Free Up Your Mind", sung by Emma Bunton from the film soundtrack "". On 27 September, Chisholm released her debut single, "Goin' Down" and peaked at number 4 in the UK and 25 in Australia. The music video was shot in Los Angeles and directed by Giuseppi Capotondi. Her debut album, "Northern Star", was released on 18 October 1999, peaked at number 4 and sold 4 million copies worldwide, received triple platinum in the UK, and another seven certifications, including platinum in Germany and Sweden. "Northern Star" was released as a second single and also peaked at number 4. To promote the album, Chisholm embarked on a tour called From Liverpool to Leicester Square, traveling to Australia, the US, Canada, Japan, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Netherlands and Denmark, between 27 September and 1 November. In 2000, Chisholm had two songs in film soundtracks, "Suddenly Monday" in "Maybe Baby" and "Go!" in "Whatever It Takes".


title: Melanie C

text: After the two singles did not reach the top of the charts, Virgin thought to end the promotion of the album, but decided to release one more single, "Never Be the Same Again", which broke the pop rock sound of the other songs and focused on R&B. The song, featuring TLC member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, was released on 20 March 2000 and became her first number 1 single. It was received gold certification in the UK and also peaked at number 1 in Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland and Sweden. The song was the 18th best-selling song of 2000 and sold more than a million copies across Europe. After the success of "Never Be the Same Again", the label decided to release two more singles. On 7 August 2000, Virgin released a remix version of "I Turn to You" as the fourth single; the song reached her second number 1 in the UK, Netherlands and Sweden. "I Turn to You" also peaked at number 1 in Austria, Denmark and Dance Club Songs of United States. "If That Were Me" was released as fifth and final single and peaked at number 18. The proceeds from its sale went to the Kandu Arts charity. The North American version of "Northern Star" was released on 21 August 2000 and included the single versions of "Never Be The Same Again" and "I Turn To You". In late 2000, after the first solo work of members, the Spice Girls released their third and final album, "Forever", sporting a new edgier R&B sound. "Holler" and "Let Love Lead the Way" were released as singles on 23 October 2000 and the songs reached number 1 in the UK. The album sold 5 million copies. The group announced that they were beginning an indefinite hiatus. In the same year, the Chinese singer FanFan recorded a Chinese version of "Suddenly Monday" from her debut album "FanFan's World".


title: Melanie C

text: Chisholm embarked in her first world tour, the Northern Star Tour, between late 2000 and 26 August 2001, to promote her debut album. The tour traveled in 76 dates, 30 countries and 4 continents, just not going to Oceania and South America. The Shepherd's Bush Empire concert was webcast on Chisholm's original website with a special appearance of Bryan Adams. On 4 April 2001, The audio of the Anaheim concert also was webcast on House of Blues' website. A remixed album, entitled "Remix Collection", was released only in Japan. In 2001, Chisholm collaborated in the live album of Russell Watson, "The Voice – Live", as featured vocals in the songs "Barcelona" and "Aren't You Kind of Glad We Did?".


title: Melanie C

text: Chisholm began recording her second album in November 2001. She traveled to the United States to record some songs. During this time, she also recorded "Independence Day" from the film soundtrack "Bend It Like Beckham" and wrote "Help Me Help You" for Holly Valance, included in her album "Footprints". Chisholm, along with Anastacia made an appearance at the 2002 MTV Europe Music Awards to present the award for "Best Song", which was given to P!nk.


title: Melanie C

text: Chisholm's second album was postponed to 10 March 2003. Chisholm also took time out due to struggles with clinical depression. On 24 February 2003 the first single from her new album was released, "Here It Comes Again", which reached number 7 in the UK and peaked in the top 20 in Spain and Ireland. She released her second studio album, "Reason", on 10 March 2003 and it peaked at number 5, received gold certification in the UK. The label sent Chisholm to promote the album, including several pocket shows. On 24 April 2003, she embarked in the Reason Tour, traveling only in Europe. The second single, "On the Horizon", was released on 2 June 2003. After the previous single, music critics were predicting that this single would redeem Chisholm's chart success, but the song peaked at number 14 and did not help sales.


title: Melanie C

text: "Let's Love", was released as a single exclusively in Japan and used for a Toyota Motor Corporation commercial. Alongside promoting the album, Chisholm competed on the reality sports game show "The Games". On 11 September 2003, during a taping of "The Games", Chisholm competed in a judo match with Turkish-Dutch actress Azra Akin, which resulted in Chisholm injuring her knee. Because of this, the song "Yeh Yeh Yeh", which was planned to be released as the third and final single on 22 September 2003, had to be pushed back because she could not fully promote an upbeat song with an injury. "Melt" was then chosen to be launched along with "Yeh Yeh Yeh" as a double A-side, because she could do a small number of performances. The double single was released on 10 November 2003. The song peaked at number 27. In other countries of Europe, "Melt" wasn't released, only "Yeh Yeh Yeh" as a solo release. After the release of "Melt/Yeh Yeh Yeh", Chisholm added some extra dates to the Reason Tour, and the Avo Session Basel concert was broadcast on 3sat.


title: Melanie C

text: On 1 January 2004, Virgin Records dismissed Chisholm after the conflict in previous years about the direction in her solo career. In April 2004, she founded her own label, Red Girl Records, to record and release her own projects. All of Chisolm's activities are decided upon and funded by herself. The label name was inspired by the colours of the football Liverpool F.C., of which Chisholm is a supporter. Nancy Phillips, who had been Chisholm's manager and business partner since the label's inception, retired in 2017.


title: Melanie C

text: In June 2004, she embarked in a five-date concert tour, The Barfly Mini-Tour, performed in The Barfly music halls, a series of venues dedicated to independent music. In October 2004, Chisholm finished recording her third album. In an interview, Chisholm said she wanted to create deeper songs using piano, violin and personal themes. On 4 April 2005, Chisholm released "Next Best Superstar" as the lead single of her third album. It was released in three formats: two singles with B-sides – the acoustic version or the B-side "Everything Must Change" – and a remixes EP. The song peaked at number 10 in the UK. On 11 April, she released "Beautiful Intentions", her third album and first by Red Girl. It was produced by Greg Haver, Guy Chambers, Paul Boddy and eleven of the twelve songs were written by Chisholm. The album peaked at number 24 in the UK, top 15 other Europeans countries, and was certified gold in Germany and Switzerland.


title: Melanie C

text: In support of the album, she embarked at Beautiful Intentions Tour, starting on 16 April in O2 Academy Birmingham, in London, and travelling for twenty-five dates across Europe and Asia. On 1 August, "Better Alone" was released only in the UK as the second single, but did not enter the charts due to the single being available online. "First Day of My Life" was released as single on 30 September in Australia and Europe – except in the UK. The song was not included in the original version of the album, only in the 2006 re-released version, becoming the second international single from "Beautiful Intentions". Originally been recorded by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, with lyrics in Italian as "Un Nuovo Giorno" for his 2004 eponymous album "Andrea". The song peaked at number 1 in Spain, Germany, Switzerland and Portugal, number 2 in Austria, and in the top 30 in Norway, France and Denmark. On 24 February 2006, "Better Alone" was released in Australia and Europe as the third official single, after a limited release in the UK the previous year. The song entered the charts in some countries, peaked at thirty-six in Italy and thirty-three in Switzerland. On 3 April, the album was re-released, including "First Day of My Life" and the music video. In 2006, Chisholm released her first live DVD, "Live Hits", recorded on 31 August 2006 at the Bridge in South East, London. The DVD peaked at number 10.


title: Melanie C

text: In early 2007, Chisholm finished recording her next album and, in March, she released two singles simultaneously. "The Moment You Believe" was released in Europe, except in the UK, and peaked at number 1 in Spain and Portugal, and in the top 20 in Switzerland, Sweden and Germany. Produced and co-written by Peter Vettese, it has been soundbed for the spring advertising campaign for German television show . "I Want Candy" was released only in the UK and Italy, peaking at number 24 and number 9, respectively, and featured on the soundtrack to the film of the same name. The song was a cover version of the Strangeloves song. On 30 March, she released her fourth album, "This Time", with thirteen tracks – six written by Chisholm – and other two cover versions: "What If I Stay" and "Don't Let Me Go", by Jill Jackson, from her debut album. The album peaked at number 57 in the UK and number 8 in Switzerland, which was certified gold. "Carolyna" was released as the third single on 8 June. During an interview at "Loose Women", Chisholm revealed that she wrote this song after watching a documentary about young adults and teenagers homeless, living in the streets in Seattle. The song peaked at 49 in the UK, and in the top 50 in other countries.


title: Melanie C

text: On 28 June 2007, the Spice Girls held a surprise press conference at The O2 Arena announcing that they were reuniting to embark on a worldwide concert tour, The Return of the Spice Girls, starting in Vancouver on 2 December. They received £10 million (approximately $20 million) each for the tour. Filmmaker Bob Smeaton directed an official documentary on the reunion. It was entitled "Giving You Everything". At the same time, Chisholm released the fourth single of her album, "This Time", features the B-side "We Love to Entertain You", which was used for 2007's Pro7 Starforce campaign in Germany. The song peaked at number 94 in the UK and 69 in Germany. On 5 November, the Spice Girls released their return single, "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)", also announced as the official Children in Need charity single and performed at Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. The song peaked at number 11, becoming the first song to not reach the top 10. The music video was directed by Anthony Mandler and the girls used exclusive clothes designed by Roberto Cavalli. They released a compilation album, the "Greatest Hits" in November, including the singles, the 1997 Pepsi's theme "Move Over" and two new songs, "Voodoo" and "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)". The compilation sold 6 million copies.


title: Melanie C

text: They embarked on the tour on 2 December, traveling for 47 dates until 26 February 2008. The tour is estimated to have grossed over US$70 million and produced $107.2 million in ticket sales and merchandising. The tour won the 2008 Billboard Touring Award. As well as their sell-out tour, the Spice Girls were contracted to appear in Tesco advertisements, for which they were paid £1 million each. After the end of the reunion with the Spice Girls, Chisholm embarked on her fifth tour, the This Time Canadian Tour, in May 2008, performing in nine Canadian cities. On 25 July, "Understand" was released as fifth and final single from "This Time" only in Canada.


title: Melanie C

text: In 2009, it was planned she would star in a sequel to the 1996 horror film "The Craft", but the production was canceled. On 29 June, Chisholm released her second DVD concert, "Live at the Hard Rock Cafe", including two previously unreleased songs, "Blue Skies All the Way" and "Paris Burning". The DVD peaked at number 22 in the UK.


title: Melanie C

text: In October 2009, she had her acting debut on stage as Mrs Johnstone in the musical "Blood Brothers", a new version of the 1983 original production. In an interview, Chisholm revealed that while she had been invited to star in movies and plays . She starred on "Blood Brothers" until the end of 2010. Chisholm was nominated for the 2010 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical but she did not win. In the same year she started working on her next album. On 24 June 2011, "Rock Me" was released as single only in Germany and peaked at number 33 in the country. The song was served as the official theme of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. "Think About It" was chosen as worldwide single and marked the Chisholm return to dance-pop. The song peaked at number 95 in the UK, 15 in the UK Indie Chart and top 40 in other European countries. "The Sea", her fifth studio album, was released on 2 September, and was produced by Andy Chatterley, Cutfather and Peter-John Vettese. The album peaked at number 45 in the UK and also 13 in Switzerland and sixteen in Germany.


title: Melanie C

text: Chisholm was mentor assistant in the third season of "The X Factor Australia" and helped the Mel B team, formed by under 25 years-old girls, during the selection process. The girls did not reach the final. "Weak" was released only in the UK as the third single, charting in the UK Indie Chart. "Let There Be Love" was released as fourth and final single of "The Sea" in Germany and Switzerland. She also recorded "Viva Life" for the documentary "Bash Street". In November, she embarked on her sixth concert tour, The Sea – Live, traveling in Europe during 17 dates. The record of the tour was released as DVD on 27 February 2012. In her interview for "Ask Melanie C Episode 8" on her YouTube channel, Chisholm said that she "feels very sad as "The Sea" was a really great album and it wasn't as successful as it deserved to be" In April, Chisholm was invited by British DJ Jodie Harsh to collaborate on an electronic project. On 13 May they released the EP "The Night", including three songs. "Set You Free" was released as a promo single from the EP. In July, she was judge of the ITV talent show "Superstar", which searched to find an actor to starring the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Ben Forster was chosen.


title: Melanie C

text: Chisholm co-starred in the musical, playing the role of Mary Magdalene. For her performance Chisholm won Best Supporting Actress in a musical at the Whatsonstage.com Awards. She played the character until 2013. Inspired by the stage, Chisholm began recording an album with musical theatre songs. "I Don't Know How to Love Him" was released on 22 July and peaked at number 20 on UK Indie Chart. The song is a version of Yvonne Elliman from 1970 musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". On 7 September, Chisholm released her sixth studio album, "Stages", produced by Peter-John Vettese and featuring a collection of show tunes that have been important to Chisholm at various stages of her life. The album peaked at number 50 in the UK and 83 in Ireland. "I Know Him So Well", a version of the Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson song from the 1984 musical "Chess", was released as a single on 11 November, featuring vocals by British singer Emma Bunton. The song peaked at number 153 in the UK and 14 in the UK Indie Chart.


title: Melanie C

text: She also was part of The Justice Collective, a super-group of musicians, including Robbie Williams and Paul McCartney, who recorded the charity song "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". The song was released as single on 17 December and peaked at number 1. In 2013, she played Christy in the British comedy film "Play Hard". On 18 August, released "Loving You", a collaboration with British singer Matt Cardle. The song peaked at number 14, becoming the first Chisholm's song in the top 15 since 2005. She released her first live album, "Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire", on 12 December. On 12 January 2014, Chisholm celebrated her 40th birthday with a special show for the fans, entitled Sporty's Forty, singing her hits and featured Emma Bunton. On 31 March, the Slovakian singer Peter Aristone released "Cool as You", featured vocals of Chisholm, as lead single from "19 Days in Tetbury". Her cover version of "Ain't Got No, I Got Life", by Nina Simone, was included in the compilation "Beautiful Cover Versions". She also had a cameo appearance in the music video "Word Up", by Little Mix.


title: Melanie C

text: In 2015, Chisholm joined the judging panel for "Asia's Got Talent", along with David Foster, Anggun Cipta, and Vanness Wu. They started the selection in Singapore. During production and selections, Chisholm lived in Malaysia, where the program was recorded. The "Asia's Got Talent" live shows, with the semifinalists, was aired in March 2015, and ran two months until the finals. On 14 May Chisholm and the judges released a cover version of "Let's Groove", originally by Earth, Wind & Fire, and performed the song in the final. In October, she was mentor assistant in the game competition "Bring the Noise". At the same time, she started working on her seventh studio album. The second season of "Asia's Got Talent" was confirmed for summer 2016, but the project has been discontinued. In 2016, she was featured as a vocalist on "Numb" with Sons Of Sonix, which was stated to be a song from her upcoming album. In September 2016, she made a cameo appearance in KT Tunstall's music video for "Hard Girls". Her seventh album, "Version of Me", was released on 21 October 2016.


title: Melanie C

text: Chisholm appeared on the "Graham Norton Show" in May 2017 to perform a duet with Keith Urban for his song, The Fighter. She sang in place of Carrie Underwood, who was the original singer on the duet. On 27 May 2017, Chisholm performed in Mexico City as part of the Classics Fest concert series, which also featured performances by Vanilla Ice and Jenny Berggren of Ace of Base, held at the Auditorio Blackberry. This marked Chisholm's first time performing as a solo artist in Latin America and her first visit in many years since her days with the Spice Girls. Chisholm stated upon her musical return to Mexico, "I haven't been back to Mexico in many years and when I was there it was very brief, so I am excited to return and sing." In June, Chisholm also performed for the first time in Brazil, playing live shows in both Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. In late 2017, Chisholm was co-headliner at Night of the Proms, a 25-concert tour in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg. In 2018, she turned her hand to disc jockeying by performing a "90s mix" at various events, and embarked on the Melanie C - Asia Tour 2018.


title: Melanie C

text: On 5 November 2018, Chisholm along with the Spice Girls announced a reunion tour. She and ex-bandmates Melanie B, Bunton and Geri Halliwell reunited for the Spice World – 2019 Tour, a 13 date tour of eight cities in the UK and Ireland that was their first for a decade. The tour opened at Croke Park, Dublin on 24 May 2019 and concluded at Wembley Stadium in London on 15 June 2019.


title: Melanie C

text: On 6 November 2019, Chisholm released the single "High Heels" which was written with Rae Morris and Benjamin "Fryars" Garrett and features drag act Sink the Pink. During promotion for the single, Chisholm stated during an interview with "The Guardian" that she had been working on a new album with artists including Shura and Little Boots.


title: Melanie C

text: On 19 March 2020, Chisholm released "Who I Am", the lead single from her eighth album, "Melanie C". Chisholm first performed "Who I Am" live on 21 April 2020 on "The Late Late Show with James Corden", where she live streamed her performance from her home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked how she was coping with the lockdown restrictions, she responded, "I'm keeping busy. I'm trying to get my album finished, remotely. I've been trying to stay connected with the fans: I've been doing lots of live Q&A's and streaming." On 13 May 2020, Chisholm sang "Who I Am", among other singles from her career, as part of a "bathroom" gig in aid of WaterAid. On 27 May 2020, Chisholm released "Blame It on Me". "In and Out of Love" was released as the album's third single on 29 July 2020. On 3 August 2020, Chisholm told BBC Music: "Obviously, I'm making a pop-dance record and I'm a mature artist, so I have to accept that some radio stations are not going to be playing me anymore. That's something to overcome. But I want people to enjoy this album, I want people to dance to it, I want people to be empowered by it. And when coronavirus has done one, I want to get out there and perform it live." On 16 September 2020, Chisholm premiered the video for "Fearless" the fourth single off the album, which is a collaboration with UK rapper Nadia Rose. "Meeting Nadia was kismet. I'd seen her on Kathy Burke's documentary series on women and fallen in love with her attitude. As female artists, we have to be fearless. I love this girl." "Melanie C" was released on 2 October 2020 to critical success. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 8, her first top 10 album since "Reason" in 2003.


title: Melanie C

text: On 13 November 2020, Chisholm was featured on "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" as part of the BBC Radio 2's Allstars' Children in Need charity single. Chisholm also made a guest appearance in British singer-songwriter Celeste's music video, "Love is Back", which premiered in January 2021. Chisholm was presented with the "Celebrity Ally" award at the 2021 British LGBT Awards, held in London in August.


title: Melanie C

text: On 3 September 2021, Chisholm released a deluxe version of her "Melanie C" album across all digital and streaming services. Chisholm premiered a video for her cover of "Touch Me" to accompany the new release. That same month, Chisholm was announced as a contestant for season 30 of the American series "Dancing with the Stars". Chisholm was eliminated on 18 October 2021, becoming the fifth star in the series to be voted off and therefore finishing in eleventh place. On 26 October 2021, Chisholm performed "2 Become 1" as a duet with Chris Martin of Coldplay for the 8th Annual "We Can Survive" concert by Audacy, which was held at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.


title: Melanie C

text: On 1 September 2021, the Spice Girls had announced the re-release of "Spice" to mark their anniversary, titling it "Spice25". The deluxe, double album was released on 29 October 2021 and contained remixes, demos and unreleased tracks. The CDs come in an A5 hardback booklet, with a collection of iconic images and a set of six Spice Girls postcards, while the original album is also available on limited edition vinyl and cassette. In an interview with Apple Music for the Spice25 release, Chisholm divulged, "We had [a] risqué song called 'C U Next Tuesday', which was vetoed for the 25th anniversary edition, but I do have plans for it. It sounds like a Lily Allen song; it's absolutely brilliant." The deluxe release saw the album reenter the UK Albums Chart at number five.


title: Melanie C

text: In November 2021, due to rising concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, Chisholm announced the cancellation of her European tour dates in support of her . The following month, she appeared once again as a judge "The Voice Kids". Teen Torrin Cuthill, who was mentored by Chisholm, won the three-episode series.


title: Melanie C

text: On 27 January 2022, Chisholm announced that her memoir would be published in the latter half of 2022, and will be published by Welbeck Publishing Group. The following month, Chisholm appeared as a guest judge on the first episode of "". The series was filmed in March 2021.


title: Melanie C

text: In June 2022, it was announced that Chisholm would appear as a panel judge, later that year, on ITV's "Queens for the Night", which would see celebrities drag up. The show aired on 5 November 2022.


title: Melanie C

text: In July 2022, a re-recording of "When You're Gone" featuring Chisholm with Bryan Adams was featured on the latter's album of reworked songs, "Classic Pt II". Chisholm had made a surprise appearance with Adams at a concert in the same stadium earlier in the month. That same month, Chisholm headlined "Northern Pride" in Newcastle, with a DJ set.


title: Melanie C

text: On 19 August 2022, Chisholm announced dates for her "Who I Am: My Story" book tour, for September and October 2022.


title: Melanie C

text: In an interview with "Retro Pop Magazine", published 8 September 2022, Chisholm revealed that she had begun work on her next studio album, her ninth, saying, "I’ve done some sessions, there are some new songs and I’ve begun the process for the next album [...] It’s had to take a bit of a backseat because writing and promoting the book has been a lot more work than I anticipated."


title: Melanie C

text: On 15 September 2022, Chisholm's memoir, "Who I Am: My Story" was released, debuting at number 17 on Amazon's Most Sold Nonfiction Chart. The American version of the tome, "The Sporty One: My Life as a Spice Girl" was released on 27 September 2022. Chisholm promoted the book in the United States and attended the Cheltenham and Henley Literature Festivals in the United Kingdom.


title: Melanie C

text: On 27 September 2022, the Spice Girls announced the tracklisting for "Spiceworld25", the 25th anniversary edition of their 1997 album "Spiceworld". Their 1997 song "Step to Me" was released digitally for the first time ever on the same day as the album announcement. "Spiceworld25" was released on 4 November 2022.


title: Melanie C

text: On 11 October 2022, Chisholm announced she would be starring in a dance production at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London in January 2023. The show, "how did we get here", is choreographed by Julie Cunningham.


title: Melanie C

text: On 11 November 2022, Chisholm was presented with the Inspirational Artist Award at the 2022 Music Week: Women in Music Awards. After receiving a standing ovation, Chisholm said: "It’s really nice at this time in my career to be honoured in an industry where sometimes your work is not fully credited or credited to other people [...] I’m seeking out and trying to work with as many women as I can, but we are still way off from it being a level playing field. The glass ceiling is barely cracked but together we will break it."


title: Melanie C

text: On 14 November 2022, music festival Camp Bestival announced their 2023 lineup, which included Chisholm, alongside Primal Scream, Craig David, Grace Jones, The Kooks, the Human League, and others.


title: Melanie C

text: Chisholm has been open about her experiences with clinical depression and an eating disorder. She spoke of her eating disorder to "Contact Music", stating, "I'd hammered the gym for three hours a day. It was a way of running away, not thinking. I felt like a robot. When the papers started calling me 'Sumo Spice', I was only a size 10. But I was so upset by all the criticism, it got worse and I went up to a size 14." In a 2022 interview with "The Cut", Chisholm elaborated, "It took me such a long time to recover. I would never want to be arrogant enough to say I'm all better because I'm always aware that they could come back. I've really learned how to look after myself. Sometimes, a healthy work-life balance is impossible to maintain. There are times, if I'm very tired or work's very stressful, I can feel things slipping. We all talk about self-care, but it is so vital for me to keep me on track with everything".


title: Melanie C

text: In 1997, Chisholm had a month-long relationship with singer Robbie Williams. In 1998, she dated record producer Jake Davies. Later that year, she was reported to have had a relationship with Red Hot Chili Peppers lead singer Anthony Kiedis, however Chisholm confirmed in 2022 that they had only been friends. Kiedis wrote "Emit Remmus", which is "summer time" spelled backwards, inspired by his relationship with Chisholm. The song was included on the album "Californication". In 2000, Chisholm and Jason "J" Brown of the boy band Five had an on-again, off-again relationship.


title: Melanie C

text: Chisholm was in a relationship with Thomas Starr for ten years. The couple split in 2012. In February 2009, Chisholm gave birth to her first child, a daughter. In an interview with the BBC, Chisholm admitted that the arrival of her child proved to be a turning point in her life: "Being a mum was so liberating because for the first time in my adult life, it wasn't all about me. It made me not only realise I had a huge responsibility to her but I have a huge responsibility to myself. In being her teacher, I had to treat myself better."


title: Melanie C

text: From 2015 to 2022, Chisholm was in a relationship with Joe Marshall, who also acted as her manager. The couple split in August 2022.


title: Melanie C

text: Chisholm is a supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an amateur triathlete, having completed the London Triathlon twice.


title: Melanie C

text: Whilst promoting her "Who I Am" autobiography in September 2022, Chisholm revealed that she had been sexually assaulted in 1997, on the eve of the first Girl Power! Live in Istanbul show in October 1997. Chisholm shared with Elizabeth Day's podcast "How to Fail": "I treat[ed] myself to a massage in the hotel and what happened to me, I kind of buried immediately because there were other things to focus on[...] I didn't want to make a fuss but also I didn't have time to deal with it. I felt violated, I felt very vulnerable, I felt embarrassed[...] I do want to talk about it because it has affected me. But I buried it."


title: Melanie C

text: In 2000, all proceeds from sales of her "If That Were Me" single went towards the Kandu Arts charity. In 2012, Chisholm joined the Sport Relief telethon by appearing in a "Never Mind the Buzzcocks" special. Chisholm also participated in a three-mile "Sport Relief Mile" run. In 2013, Chisholm joined Jack Dee, Dara Ó Briain, Greg James, Chelsee Healey and Philips Idowu in "Through Hell and High Water", a Comic Relief challenge which involved British celebrities canoeing the most difficult rapids of the Zambezi River. They raised over £1 million for the charity. In 2014, Chisholm travelled to Ghana to support a charity campaign by Procter & Gamble that provides African children with clean drinking water. The project involved the use of purification sachets that changes the water from stagnant to drinkable. Chisholm also supported a homeless charity by donating funds raised from her annual calendar.


title: Melanie C

text: Chisholm has cited Madonna as her biggest musical influence. She stated: "I think she's inspired me a lot musically, and maybe [in] just the way I present myself. I've always admired how hard she works and what a strong lady she is, so she's always inspired me in that way." Chisholm named Madonna, Blur, Oasis, Suede and the Cardigans as inspirations for her first album.


title: Melanie C

text: Her voice has been described as versatile for different styles and genres, having a distinctive timbre, and "full of flex and snap".


title: Melanie C

text: As a Spice Girls member Chisholm was called "Sporty Spice" because she usually wore a tracksuit paired with athletic shoes, wore her long dark hair in a high ponytail, and sported a tough girl attitude as well as tattoos on both of her arms. She has a tattoo on her left arm of a black Christian cross. On her upper-right arm she has tattoos of two Chinese characters: "女" meaning "female" and "力" meaning "force" which together represent the phrase "girl power". She also possessed true athletic abilities, including being able to perform back handsprings. The term "Cool Britannia" became prominent in the media and represented the new political and social climate that was emerging with the advances made by New Labour and the new UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.


title: Melanie C

text: Although by no means responsible for the onset of "Cool Britannia", the arrival of the Spice Girls added to the new image and re-branding of Britain, and underlined the growing world popularity of British, rather than American, pop music.


title: Melanie C

text: The Spice Girls broke onto the music scene at a time when alternative rock, hip-hop and R&B dominated global music charts. The modern pop phenomenon that the Spice Girls created by targeting early members of Generation Y was credited with changing the global music landscape, bringing about the global wave of late-1990s and early-2000s teen pop acts such as Hanson, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and NSYNC. The Spice Girls have also been credited with paving the way for the girl groups and female pop singers that have come after them. In the UK, they are credited for their massive commercial breakthrough in the previously male-dominated pop music scene, leading to the widespread formation of new girl groups in the late 1990s and early 2000s including All Saints, B*Witched, Atomic Kitten, Girls Aloud and Sugababes, hoping to emulate the Spice Girls' success. The Pussycat Dolls, 2NE1, Girls' Generation, Little Mix, Fifth Harmony, Lady Gaga, Jess Glynne, Alexandra Burke, Kim Petras, Charli XCX, Rita Ora, Demi Lovato Carly Rae Jepsen, Regine Velasquez, MØ, Billie Eilish and Adele credits the Spice Girls as a major influence.


title: Melanie C

text: Some songs from "Northern Star" have appeared in films, such as "Ga Ga" which is heard in "Charmed" and "Big Daddy". The song "Go" makes an appearance in "Whatever It Takes". "Suddenly Monday" appears in "Maybe Baby" and on its soundtrack. After the song gained popularity, "I Turn to You" was featured in the film "Bend It Like Beckham". It was covered by Darkseed on "Ultimate Darkness", by Machinae Supremacy on "Webography", and by Wig Wam on "667.. The Neighbour of the Beast". The song was also featured in the musical "Viva Forever!", a musical show based on the songs of the Spice Girls. Some songs have also been covered by international artists such as Christine Fan, who covered and translated "Suddenly Monday" in Chinese for her debut album "FanFan's World", and Dutch pop singer Do who covered the Japanese bonus-track "Follow Me", for her album of the same name. The single "First Day of My Life" was originally recorded by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, with lyrics in Italian as "Un Nuovo Giorno" ("A new day") for his 2004 album "Andrea", and he also released it as a single the same year. Chisolm's version of the single was a success in German-speaking countries because it was used as the title song of the German soap opera telenovela "Wege zum Glück". At the time of "The Sea"s release, the lead single "Rock Me" served as the official theme song for German TV channel ZDF's coverage of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.


title: Line of Duty

text: Line of Duty is a British police procedural television series created by Jed Mercurio and produced by World Productions. On 26 June 2012, BBC Two began to broadcast the first series; it was its best-performing drama series in ten years with a consolidated audience of 4.1 million viewers. Broadcast of the second series began on 12 February 2014; its widespread public and critical acclaim led to the BBC commissioning a further two series. The third series began on 24 March 2016 on BBC Two; the following three series were broadcast on BBC One.


title: Line of Duty

text: In May 2017, the BBC commissioned a sixth series. Filming began in February 2020 but stopped the following month due to the COVID-19 pandemic; it resumed in September. Filming continued until November 2020. Broadcast of the sixth series began on BBC One on 21 March 2021.


title: Line of Duty

text: Prior to switching channels from series four onwards, "Line of Duty" was the most popular drama series broadcast on BBC Two and is a winner of the Royal Television Society Award and Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Drama Series. The Telegraph included it in a list of the Top 50 BBC Two shows of all time and in a list of the 80 best BBC shows of all time. In 2016, the series ranked eighth in "The Independent"s list of the twenty greatest police shows of all time and third in a "Radio Times" 2018 poll of the best British crime dramas of all time. In 2021 "Line of Duty" won the National Television Award for Special Recognition.


title: Line of Duty

text: "Line of Duty" follows DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), an authorised firearms officer who is transferred to Anti-Corruption Unit 12 (AC-12) after refusing to agree to cover up an unlawful shooting by his own team. At AC-12 Arnott is partnered with DC Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure), a highly commended undercover officer with a keen investigative instinct. They work under the supervision of Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), uncovering corruption within the fictional Central Police Force. Throughout the series, AC-12 investigate seemingly disparate cases involving seemingly corrupt police officers such as DCI Tony Gates (Lennie James), DI Lindsay Denton (Keeley Hawes), Sergeant Danny Waldron (Daniel Mays), DCI Roseanne Huntley (Thandie Newton), undercover officer DS John Corbett (Stephen Graham) and DCI Joanne Davidson (Kelly Macdonald).


title: Line of Duty

text: AC-12 realises the pervasive nature of corruption and the police's deep-rooted links to an organised crime group. A long-running story arc revolves around discovering the identity of "H", a corrupt person or persons of senior rank within the police force who are instrumental in running organised crime.


title: Line of Duty

text: "Line of Duty" was created and written by Jed Mercurio drawing inspiration from the Metropolitan Police anti-corruption unit A10, which was set up in 1971. The first two series were produced by World Productions, on behalf of BBC Two. David Caffrey and Douglas Mackinnon directed series one. Mackinnon directed the first three episodes of series two and Daniel Nettheim directed the remaining three episodes. Mercurio produced series one and acted as executive producer for series two, with Peter Norris taking over as producer for the second series.


title: Line of Duty

text: Although the police refused to co-operate with the programme's producers, the production team was advised anonymously by serving officers and retired police officers, and made use of anonymous police blogs.


title: Line of Duty

text: Series one was filmed in Birmingham, including pub interiors in the Queen's Arms. The following five series were made in Northern Ireland. Although exact locations are never mentioned, maps of Birmingham appear on walls, and telephone numbers use an 0121 area code, again indicating Birmingham. The fictional 01632 phone code is also seen. Various postcodes seen on paper and screen have the Birmingham 'B' or Milton Keynes 'MK' prefix. The police forces referred to are the fictional Central Constabulary and the fictional East Midlands Constabulary. A photo gallery of exterior scenes from series two shows the 4th Street Station on Ormeau Avenue in Belfast. Many locations in Belfast have been used as filming locations; the offices of Invest Northern Ireland on Bedford Street depict the exterior of AC-12's headquarters.


title: Line of Duty

text: Kew Media (previously known as Content Media) handled international distribution of the series until its collapse in 2020.


title: Line of Duty

text: In Australia, as of 2021, the first five series are available across streaming services such as Britbox, Netflix, Acorn TV and Stan, but series six is exclusive to Britbox.


title: Line of Duty

text: In the United States, the first series was released on Hulu in August 2012, as an exclusive series, until Acorn TV picked up the streaming rights for its platform in 2018, which included the existing series and exclusive access to series five and later additions. The first three series began airing on AMC on 4 April 2020. However, licence changes in 2021 led to BritBox also obtaining the rights to the series in the United States, along with exclusive rights to series six and any future series.


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: SS "Edmund Fitzgerald" was an American Great Lakes freighter that sank in Lake Superior during a storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29 men. When launched on June 7, 1958, she was the largest ship on North America's Great Lakes, and she remains the largest to have sunk there. She was located in deep water on November 14, 1975, by a U.S. Navy aircraft detecting magnetic anomalies, and found soon afterwards to be in two large pieces.


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: For 17 years, "Edmund Fitzgerald" carried taconite iron ore from mines near Duluth, Minnesota, to iron works in Detroit, Michigan; Toledo, Ohio; and other Great Lakes ports. As a workhorse, she set seasonal haul records six times, often breaking her own record. Captain Peter Pulcer was known for piping music day or night over the ship's intercom while passing through the St. Clair and Detroit rivers (between lakes Huron and Erie), and entertaining spectators at the Soo Locks (between Lakes Superior and Huron) with a running commentary about the ship. Her size, record-breaking performance, and "DJ captain" endeared "Edmund Fitzgerald" to boat watchers.


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: Carrying a full cargo of ore pellets with Captain Ernest M. McSorley in command, she embarked on her ill-fated voyage from Superior, Wisconsin, near Duluth, on the afternoon of November 9, 1975. En route to a steel mill near Detroit, "Edmund Fitzgerald" joined a second taconite freighter, . By the next day, the two ships were caught in a severe storm on Lake Superior, with near-hurricane-force winds and waves up to high. Shortly after 7:10 p.m., "Edmund Fitzgerald" suddenly sank in Canadian (Ontario) waters deep, about from Whitefish Bay near the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario—a distance "Edmund Fitzgerald" could have covered in just over an hour at her top speed.


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: "Edmund Fitzgerald" previously reported being in significant difficulty to "Arthur M. Anderson": "I have a bad list, lost both radars. And am taking heavy seas over the deck. One of the worst seas I've ever been in." However, no distress signals were sent before she sank; Captain McSorley's last (7:10 p.m.) message to "Arthur M. Anderson" was, "We are holding our own." Her crew of 29 perished, and no bodies were recovered. The exact cause of the sinking remains unknown, though many books, studies, and expeditions have examined it. "Edmund Fitzgerald" may have been swamped, suffered structural failure or topside damage, grounded on a shoal, or suffered from a combination of these.


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: The disaster is one of the best known in the history of Great Lakes shipping. Gordon Lightfoot made it the subject of his 1976 hit song "The Wreck of the "Edmund Fitzgerald"" after reading an article, "The Cruelest Month", in the November 24, 1975, issue of "Newsweek". The sinking led to changes in Great Lakes shipping regulations and practices that included mandatory survival suits, depth finders, positioning systems, increased freeboard, and more frequent inspection of vessels.


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, invested in the iron and minerals industries on a large-scale basis, including the construction of "Edmund Fitzgerald", which represented the first such investment by any American life insurance company. In 1957, they contracted Great Lakes Engineering Works (GLEW), of River Rouge, Michigan, to design and construct the ship "within a foot of the maximum length allowed for passage through the soon-to-be completed Saint Lawrence Seaway." The ship's value at that time was $7 million (equivalent to $ in ). "Edmund Fitzgerald" was the first laker built to the maximum St. Lawrence Seaway size, which was long, wide, and with a draft. The moulded depth (roughly speaking, the vertical height of the hull) was . The hold depth (the inside height of the cargo hold) was . GLEW laid the first keel plate on August 7 the same year.


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: With a deadweight capacity of , and a hull, "Edmund Fitzgerald" was the longest ship on the Great Lakes, earning her the title Queen of the Lakes until September 17, 1959, when the SS "Murray Bay" was launched. "Edmund Fitzgerald"s three central cargo holds were loaded through 21 watertight cargo hatches, each of steel. Originally coal-fired, her boilers were converted to burn oil during the 1971–72 winter layup. In 1969, the ship's maneuverability was improved by the installation of a diesel-powered bow thruster.


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: By ore freighter standards, the interior of "Edmund Fitzgerald" was luxurious. Her J.L. Hudson Company-designed furnishings included deep pile carpeting, tiled bathrooms, drapes over the portholes, and leather swivel chairs in the guest lounge. There were two guest staterooms for passengers. Air conditioning extended to the crew quarters, which featured more amenities than usual. A large galley and fully stocked pantry supplied meals for two dining rooms. "Edmund Fitzgerald"s pilothouse was outfitted with "state-of-the-art nautical equipment and a beautiful map room."


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: Northwestern Mutual wanted to name the ship after its president and chairman of the board, Edmund Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald's own grandfather and all great uncles had themselves been lake captains, and his father owned the Milwaukee Drydock Company, which built and repaired ships. Fitzgerald had attempted to dissuade the naming of the ship after himself proposing the names "Centennial", "Seaway", "Milwaukee" and "Northwestern". The board was resolute, and Edmund abstained from voting; the 36 board members voted unanimously to name her the SS "Edmund Fitzgerald". More than 15,000 people attended "Edmund Fitzgerald"s christening and launch ceremony on June 7, 1958. The event was plagued by misfortunes. When Elizabeth Fitzgerald, wife of Edmund Fitzgerald, tried to christen the ship by smashing a champagne bottle over the bow, it took her three attempts to break it. A delay of 36 minutes followed while the shipyard crew struggled to release the keel blocks. Upon sideways launch, the ship created a large wave that "doused" the spectators and then crashed into a pier before righting herself. Other witnesses later said they swore the ship was "trying to climb right out of the water". On September 22, 1958, "Edmund Fitzgerald" completed nine days of sea trials.


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: Northwestern Mutual's normal practice was to purchase ships for operation by other companies. In "Edmund Fitzgerald"s case, they signed a 25-year contract with Oglebay Norton Corporation to operate the vessel. Oglebay Norton immediately designated "Edmund Fitzgerald" the flagship of its Columbia Transportation fleet.


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: "Edmund Fitzgerald" was a record-setting workhorse, often beating her own milestones. The vessel's record load for a single trip was in 1969. For 17 years, "Edmund Fitzgerald" carried taconite from Minnesota's Iron Range mines near Duluth, Minnesota, to iron works in Detroit, Toledo, and other ports. She set seasonal haul records six different times. Her nicknames included "Fitz", "Pride of the American Side", "Mighty Fitz", "Toledo Express", "Big Fitz", and the ""Titanic" of the Great Lakes". Loading "Edmund Fitzgerald" with taconite pellets took about four and a half hours, while unloading took around 14 hours. A round trip between Superior, Wisconsin, and Detroit, Michigan, usually took her five days and she averaged 47 similar trips per season. The vessel's usual route was between Superior, Wisconsin, and Toledo, Ohio, although her port of destination could vary. By November 1975, "Edmund Fitzgerald" had logged an estimated 748 round trips on the Great Lakes and covered more than a million miles, "a distance roughly equivalent to 44 trips around the world."


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: Up until a few weeks before her loss, passengers had traveled on board as company guests. Frederick Stonehouse wrote:


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: Because of her size, appearance, string of records, and "DJ captain," "Edmund Fitzgerald" became a favorite of boat watchers throughout her career. Although Captain Peter Pulcer was in command of "Edmund Fitzgerald" on trips when cargo records were set, "he is best remembered ... for piping music day or night over the ship's intercom system" while passing through the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers. While navigating the Soo Locks he would often come out of the pilothouse and use a bullhorn to entertain tourists with a commentary on details about "Edmund Fitzgerald".


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: In 1969, "Edmund Fitzgerald" received a safety award for eight years of operation without a time-off worker injury. The vessel ran aground in 1969, and she collided with SS "Hochelaga" in 1970. Later that same year, she struck the wall of a lock, an accident repeated in 1973 and 1974. During 1974, she lost her original bow anchor in the Detroit River. None of these mishaps, however, were considered serious or unusual. Freshwater ships are built to last more than half a century, and "Edmund Fitzgerald" would have still had a long career ahead of her when she sank.


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: "Edmund Fitzgerald" left Superior, Wisconsin, at 2:15 p.m. on the afternoon of November 9, 1975, under the command of Captain Ernest M. McSorley. She was en route to the steel mill on Zug Island, near Detroit, Michigan, with a cargo of of taconite ore pellets and soon reached her full speed of . Around 5 p.m., "Edmund Fitzgerald" joined a second freighter under the command of Captain Jesse B. "Bernie" Cooper, , destined for Gary, Indiana, out of Two Harbors, Minnesota. The weather forecast was not unusual for November and the National Weather Service (NWS) predicted that a storm would pass just south of Lake Superior by 7 a.m. on November 10.


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: SS "Wilfred Sykes" loaded opposite "Edmund Fitzgerald" at the Burlington Northern Dock #1 and departed at 4:15 p.m., about two hours after "Edmund Fitzgerald". In contrast to the NWS forecast, Captain Dudley J. Paquette of "Wilfred Sykes" predicted that a major storm would directly cross Lake Superior. From the outset, he chose a route that took advantage of the protection offered by the lake's north shore to avoid the worst effects of the storm. The crew of "Wilfred Sykes" followed the radio conversations between "Edmund Fitzgerald" and "Arthur M. Anderson" during the first part of their trip and overheard their captains deciding to take the regular Lake Carriers' Association downbound route. The NWS altered its forecast at 7:00 p.m., issuing gale warnings for the whole of Lake Superior. "Arthur M. Anderson" and "Edmund Fitzgerald" altered course northward seeking shelter along the Ontario shore where they encountered a winter storm at 1:00 a.m. on November 10. "Edmund Fitzgerald" reported winds of and waves high. Captain Paquette of "Wilfred Sykes" reported that after 1 a.m., he overheard McSorley say that he had reduced the ship's speed because of the rough conditions. Paquette said he was stunned to later hear McSorley, who was not known for turning aside or slowing down, state that "we're going to try for some lee from Isle Royale. You're walking away from us anyway … I can't stay with you."


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: At 2:00 a.m. on November 10, the NWS upgraded its warnings from gale to storm, forecasting winds of . Until then, "Edmund Fitzgerald" had followed "Arthur M. Anderson," which was travelling at a constant , but the faster "Edmund Fitzgerald" pulled ahead at about 3:00 a.m. As the storm center passed over the ships, they experienced shifting winds, with wind speeds temporarily dropping as wind direction changed from northeast to south and then northwest. After 1:50 p.m., when "Arthur M. Anderson" logged winds of , wind speeds again picked up rapidly, and it began to snow at 2:45 p.m., reducing visibility; "Arthur M. Anderson" lost sight of "Edmund Fitzgerald", which was about ahead at the time.


title: SS Edmund Fitzgerald

text: Shortly after 3:30 p.m., Captain McSorley radioed "Arthur M. Anderson" to report that "Edmund Fitzgerald" was taking on water and had lost two vent covers and a fence railing. The vessel had also developed a list. Two of "Edmund Fitzgerald"s six bilge pumps ran continuously to discharge shipped water. McSorley said that he would slow his ship down so that "Arthur M. Anderson" could close the gap between them. In a broadcast shortly afterward, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) warned all shipping that the Soo Locks had been closed and they should seek safe anchorage. Shortly after 4:10 p.m., McSorley called "Arthur M. Anderson" again to report a radar failure and asked "Arthur M. Anderson" to keep track of them. "Edmund Fitzgerald", effectively blind, slowed to let "Arthur M. Anderson" come within a range so she could receive radar guidance from the other ship.