11/27/16
British Life and Culture
A Wizard’s Dream: Harry Potter Studio Tour
In 1997, world-renowned author J.K. Rowling introduced the world to the story of a young wizard, Harry Potter. Now 19 years later the Harry Potter series has become one of the top book series in the world. During the past 19 years the commercial success of Harry Potter series led to eight films to turn the novels into an onscreen dream for the world of Harry Potter fans. The Harry Potter film series has made more than 7.7billon dollars in the past 15 years; making it one of the top grossing British films. (Sabbagh) The first Harry Potter film was released in 2001, and that began the start of the Harry Potter film series refining and raising the bar …show more content…
Over the course of 10 years all of the Harry Potter film props, stages, and backdrops were able to stay in the Leavesden Studios, allowing for true consistency with filming. The studios are now owned entirely by Warner Brothers; making it the only Hollywood film studio with permanent studio in the United Kingdom. (Puig) After Warner Brothers acquired the property they invested more than 100 million dollars into the property to turn it into a one-stop magical adventure for Harry Potter fans of all ages. (Puig) The studio is now called Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. Today, one average 6,000 people visit the attraction, and according to Trip Advisor The Making of Harry Potter has been the highest rated attraction in the world every since opening in 2012. …show more content…
The guest were able to have some of the same experiences as the actors in the film. By yelling, “up” I was able to magically lift a broomstick into my hand just like Harry Potter and the other wizards of Hogwarts. Then I moved into the next room in front of a green screen where I recorded and then put into a scene of a film. During my cameo I was flying over the city as a wizard. It was amazing, but also really cool to see how the green screens work. As I continued walking on the tour, I turned the corner and I was on the famous Platform 9 ¾ where the Hogwarts express was located. I was able to walk on the Hogwarts Express and see where Harry sat and all of the props were there and ready for filming. Once I left Platform 9 ¾ I was able to try some of the popular wizarding beverage, Butterbeer. The beverage had an interesting butterscotch flavor, but nonetheless still allowed me to continue to feel apart of the film and the Hogwarts family. The last interactive part of the tour allowed visitors to walk on the Hogwarts Bridge. Being able to physically walk on the curvy and ridge bridge was great! Every part of the tour helped me understand more about the film and the all of the creativity behind the film