UK gets Harry Potter studio tour attraction

(All Rights Reserved)

With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - the finale of the blockbuster film franchise draws to a close this July. But Warner Bros. announced plans last Friday to create a permanent Potter attraction, opening in the spring 2012 as a museum devoted to the young wizard's world, based on J.K. Rowling's novel series.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, The Making of Harry Potter, will open at Leavesden Studios, transforming the location where the eight films were shot. The three-hour tour allows fans to walk onto the iconic sets, filled with authentic artifacts, props, and costumes on display.

Exhibits include the Great Hall and Dumbledore's office. Built in 2000 for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the 120-foot by 40-foot (36.5 m by 12 m) Great Hall, designed by Oscar-winning designer Stuart Craig features the original dining tables and benches.

Dumbledore's office, built for the film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, features the Sorting Hat and Sword of Gryffindor. Special effects and animatronics from the productions will be incorporated to provide the sense of the films' magic.

The Hogwarts' sets were recreated for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida which opened in 2010.

The facility is undergoing a $161 million renovation to encompass 250,000 square feet (23, 225 sq m) of soundstages as well as the largest backlot in Europe. Other films shot at the 200-acre (80 hectare) site include Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight and Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes and the sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

Tickets will be available later this year at www.wbstudiotour.co.uk or through approved operators.

http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/

RC