Recently, Hypable’s Richard Reid took a visit to Leavesden Studios to get an exclusive look on the progress that Warner Bros. are making in turning their legendary Harry Potter film-sets into a prolific and magical cinematic attraction for families. This is a report on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter.

There are still seven months to go before the tour opens to the world and there is still a lot of work to be completed in that time. The team tasked with this massive task are painstakingly resurrecting many of the classic sets, props and animatronics so famously captured in the films.

Many structures still exist in their original format, however, much of what the tour will eventually feature has been kept in storage for years. Unfortunately, this has meant that natural decay has happened and thus restoration has been underway for quite some time. So, if you were Warner Bros. and you wanted to restore all the sets and props to their original glory, how would you go about doing this? You’d bring back the original team who made them in the first place, of course! This is exactly what they are doing. Everyone from the production designer Stuart Craig to the makeup effects designer Nick Dudman are meticulously lamenting over every wall, floor, crack, fibre and object in the same level of dedication that they gave to each Potter film.

From here onwards, I, Richard, will try and take you through the tour in the same order I was shown round to give you a better idea of what the full tour will entail. I’ll throw in some fun facts and pictures along the way, but please don’t laugh at me in a high-visibility jacket and helmet. I had no choice but to wear them!

Background

The tour will take place across two massive film stages (J & K) where visitors are free to wander round the sets at their leisure while interacting with numerous props along the way. It is expected that it will take approximately 3 hours to see each attraction and the studios are expecting around 5000 visitors a day but groups entering at once are limited to 150 people at time, just so it doesn’t get too crowded!

On site, there will be a large café and gift shop selling many of the same merchandise available from the Wizarding World theme park in Florida, which is great news for those unable to make the trip to Orlando! Unfortunately, there won’t be any Butterbeer.

Quote (Daniel Radcliffe):

“It was such a magical place to grow up. People will be amazed to see the incredible sets that we’ve worked in all these years.”

Perhaps more interestingly, many of the sets will house large screens showing clips from various people involved in the Harry Potter movies detailing fascinating background information about what you’re currently looking at. You will even get to see some exclusive new footage delivered by Daniel Radcliffe and the rest of the cast at the start of your epic journey into the behind-the-scenes life of Harry Potter.

The Great Hall

The Great Hall is quite possibly the most iconic set in the entire film series. This massive area has been standing for 11 years and visitors will be able to walk around and marvel at the astounding magnificence of such a structure. Unlike the rest of the studio tour, a tour guide will deliver this part. Hopefully you will pay more attention than I did; this reporter was foolishly gawking at many of the little intricate details that were carved into this set that gives it a raw and realistic feel.

The Entrance Hall is in itself a spectacle to behold. Surrounding the solid oak doors are many of the “stone” statues seen throughout the film series including those featured in the Battle of Hogwarts that McGonagall transfigured into action.

The hall itself is set prior to the Battle and as such, each of the four House Tables are in place and fully furnished with traditional Hogwarts cutlery that have been hand-dipped in real gold! An interesting fact about these tables is that during the filming process, Stuart Craig was particularly adamant to make the set as realistic as possible on camera. Since Hogwarts is fundamentally a school for wizards and witches, he actively encouraged all of the extras and cast to mark and graffiti the tables and benches since many real-life students tend to do exactly that in their own school! I’m not sure my teacher would have approved of this…

Fun fact:

Axes and chains were used to deliberately damage the tables in the Great Hall to give them a more weathered look.

Behind the staff table, various costumes from the adult cast will be on display as well, along with the vials for displaying the House Points.

Gryffindor Common Room and Boy’s Dormitory

The Gryffindor common room is one of the films’ oldest sets and follows the Great Hall. The circular room will contain the fireplace that Harry talked to Sirius and all of the comfortable armchairs that litter the room. Visitors will NOT be able to walk freely around this room, but will be able to get close enough to feel like you’re inside. The same applies to the boy’s dormitory.

An interesting fact about the dormitory is that the beds were all handcrafted for the first movie Philosopher’s Stone/Sorcerer’s Stone. Because of their uniqueness and individuality, the same beds were used throughout every scene in the dormitory. Each bed was tailor built for the cast member at the time. However, an 11-year-old Dan was a LOT smaller than an 18-year-old Dan. As a result, the cast drastically outgrew their beds. If you want to see an example of this, check out the scene where Ron takes the love potion hidden in the chocolates in Half Blood Prince. You will notice that he sitting next to his bed because he’s simply too big to be lying across it!

Dumbledore’s Office

This set is another monumental dedication to detail and craftsmanship and a sure favourite for visitors on the studio tour. The room has been designed prior to Dumbledore’s death and features many of the key props seen in the films including the Sword of Gryffindor, the Sorting Hat and many of the portraits of former Headmasters.

What I found most shocking about this room was that there were balconies and platforms in the office that are never even seen on camera. I spoke to one of the set designers and when I asked why they bothered to construct this part of the set, he simply said: “it was too good not to built it.” Now THAT’S dedication!

Weasley Kitchen

Unfortunately, The Burrow has NOT been fully constructed for this tour but don’t despair! You will still be able to wander around the Weasley kitchen from their famous house. It gets even better. You will even be able to OPERATE some of the ‘magical’ props used in the films. Visitors will be able to use a variety of objects (such as waving a wand) that caused many of the magical scenes in the Burrow to come alive including the knives cutting food by themselves, pots stirring, needles knitting and an iron ironing clothes.

Privet Drive

Another exciting set to visit is number 4 Privet Drive. Not only will you be able to marvel at the pristine cleanliness of Aunt Petunia’s home, but also you will be able to go into the historic cupboard under the stairs! It’s not until you are inside it that you realise how small it actually is.

Ministry of Magic

When filming, the Ministry of Magic was one of the largest sets ever constructed for any film. Although you won’t be able to see the full thing, there is still a massive area to wander round, which contains the breath-taking Magic is Might statue seen in Deathly Hallows – Part 1. Also featured are the fireplaces used in the Fluu Network – each one, a massive structure that spans the entire height of the building.

Finally, Umbridge’s ministerial office is available for viewing, and as you’d expect, it will be splashed in pink and have those lovable porcelain plates painted with cats throughout the room. I’m not sure if her door will have Moody’s magical eye on it, but hopefully it shall!

Other great locations

Unfortunately, many of the set’s hadn’t finished production yet so I wasn’t able to get a good look around but I can report that visitors to the studio tour will be able to visit Professor Snape’s potion classroom, Hagrid’s Hut, the Hogwarts Bridge, Gates and Courtyard and the Hogwarts Library!

Special Effects and Props

When you think of the Harry Potter film series, you don’t just recall the unforgettable stories crafted by J.K. Rowling. You also recount the stunning special effects that are seamlessly integrated throughout each film. Perhaps my favourite part of the entire studio tour is seeing some of the jaw-dropping props and animatronics up close.

During the tour, I met John Richardson – the Special Effects Supervisor for the studio tour project – who shared many of the delightful treats in store for visitors.

The famous Ford Anglia will be present, not once but three times! One will be suspended from the ceiling as if flying through the air and another will be open to the public to even get inside it. Perfect for a photo opportunity!

There will be numerous broomsticks on display and you will even be able board one and go for a ride! It gives you the ultimate insight into what it was like for a cast member to ‘fly’ on a broomstick behind a green screen background.

Numerous other props are also on display including Lupin’s Trunk, Hagrid’s motorbike and Mad Eye’s trunk with 7 locks. If you open the final compartment, you will see down a large hole and gaze upon an unconscious Moody himself!

Fun fact:

15 different Ford Anglias were used in the filming of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

My personal favourite prop was the door to the Chamber of Secrets. It wasn’t until I was up close and touching it that I was able to appreciate the sheer scale of the work that went into creating this device. As the door unlucks and the metal snake travels the circumference of the door, you begin to realise that a lot of what you assumed was initially CGI is in fact real fully-working equipment.

Animatronics

Finally, the some of the animatronics will leave you with a lasting impression that will be difficult to forget – for many reasons. Walking round a movable Buckbeak is a heartening experience. On the other hand, frantically dodging a full-size Aragog that moves is quite simply terrifying. No wonder Ron was scared; this beast is MASSIVE!

Fun fact:

The cast have not yet been to visit the studio since they finished production on Deathly Hallows – Part 2.

I actually witnessed some of the restoration on Aragog personally. There was a small team focused on painting and gluing each and every hair onto his very large body.

Other animatronics that will feature include Fawkes the phoenix, the dead body of Charity Burbage and the head of the giant Basilisk.

My Impressions

My overall impression of the tour is somewhat conflicted. I am in complete awe over the dedication and perseverance that is going into bringing the films to life. Warner Bros. are clearly determined to do this “the right way” and I applaud them for it. What I find most saddening is that while walking round each set, it really does remind me that the greatest series of all time has ended. Harry Potter has concluded and that is a disappointing after-thought.

Nonetheless, that does not detract in any way from the enjoyment and magnificence of what the studio tour is going to be. I remain astounded as to the level of detail that has been captured in each set; most of which was not even noticeable on camera.

Quote (Michael Finnich):

“A big part of all of this is a celebration to the people who made these films.”

As I stated previously, it is a very fun revelation to discover that many of the effects you naturally assumed were CGI are in fact fully working props. You can’t help but respect the films that little bit more as a result.

Finally, I am particularly pleased that Warner Bros. have left the sets in a way that are true to the filming process. This tour is not like the Wizarding World where you fully immerse yourself into the world of Harry Potter. No, instead, you are in a film studio and that fact remains delightfully obvious. You are seeing the sets how the cast saw and interacted with them and that is the way it should be. Warner Bros. aren’t trying to beautify everything so it becomes a visually faultless family attraction, rather, they are trying to deliver a realistic experience for both a Harry Potter fan and a film fan in general. I applaud them for this brave decision.

Tickets for the tour are pre-bookable only due to massive demand. You will not be able to buy tickets at the door. This also means that there will be no queues! You will be able to buy tickets online at www.wbstudiotour.co.uk or from approved tour operators.

The Making of Harry Potter will open in Spring 2012 with tickets available from the 13th of October 2011. Tickets will be priced at £28 for adults, £21 for children and £83 for a family of four.

All images are TM & © 2011 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter publishing rights © JKR