Entertainment outlook 2007

One entertainment figure is likely to dominate this year's news: Harry Potter. Time magazine might as well declare the boy wizard as its Man of the Year, for '07 is the year of Book Seven – the final in J.K. Rowling's series, titled "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" – as well as the movie version of "The Order of the Phoenix."

In other 2007 news, Dan Brown is preparing the sequel to "The Da Vinci Code." Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones stars as Jack Sparrow's father in "Pirates of the Caribbean 3." And Broadway is preparing to be boarded by "The Pirate Queen."

In sum, it's a year of blockbusters. Our guide to 2007's theater, music, film, and books will provide plenty of distractions until Harry arrives.

Movies: At theaters in 2007, the year of the 'threequel' (www.csmonitor.com/2007/0105/p11s01-almo.html)
Music: Everyone who's anyone in music is releasing albums in 2007. Even Guns N' Roses. (www.csmonitor.com/2007/0105/p13s01-almp.html)
Theater: A megamusical, 'magical thinking,' and dancing scissors (www.csmonitor.com/2007/0105/p12s02-almp.html)
Books: 2007's top-notch books range From 'Astrid...' to 'Zoli' (www.csmonitor.com/2007/0105/p12s01-bogn.html)