When Daniel Radcliffe took on the monumental task of portraying the J.K. Rowling character, Harry Potter, 
he did so only for the first few movies. After the success of the Harry Potter films, Radcliffe had agreed to play Harry Potter for the first five movies, though the final two movies, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, had not been confirmed. Rumors had circulated that Radcliffe would move onto other roles and vacate the role that has made him one of the most famous teenagers in the world.
On Friday, the spokesperson for Daniel Radcliffe dispelled those rumors, as it was confirmed the 17-year-old Radcliffe had signed on for the final two films in the seven-part Harry Potter series. Coming hot on the heels of the rave reviews earned by Radcliffe for his performance in the Peter Shaffer play, Equus, it was announced that the young Briton would start filming on the sixth movie in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in September. The controversy started when Emma Watson, who plays the female lead, Hermione Granger, announced that she "might" not participate in the final two Potter films. Radcliffe also joined in the threat to move away from the franchise, though that concern has now been addressed.
Daniel Radcliffe was catapulted into fame in 2001 when he first appeared as the young wizard in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Since then, the Potter franchise has produced major blockbuster films, and the fifth movie in the series, Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix, is set for release later in 2007. Since the movie franchise started in 2001, Harry Potter has pulled in nearly $3.5 billion globally at the box office, making Radcliffe a multi-millionaire before his 18th birthday. Around the same time as the fifth Harry Potter film reaches movie screens, the seventh and final Harry Potter book will be published, as Rowling's publishers announced a July 21 release date. A shooting schedule for the seventh movie has yet to be released.
In an attempt to distinguish himself from the Harry Potter role, Daniel Radcliffe recently tackled the role of Alan Strang in the play, Equus. In contrast to the role of the loveable child wizard, Radcliffe's character in Equus smokes, strips naked and according to critics, acts wonderfully onstage. While Radcliffe will finish out the Harry Potter movie franchise, he has positioned himself well for his post-Hogwarts career.