If you’re forever mixing up the Order of the Phoenix and the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry Potter films, a new infographic released by the Warner Bros. Studio Tour will be a blessing.
Just so you know, the Prisoner of Azkaban came first, being filmed in 2003, and you can enjoy all of this information and much more, in a beautiful photographic format that will have you yearning for a poster of the same design, especially if you are already a fan of the interactive Tour.
Following the release of the final film, the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in 2011, the Studio Tour was opened in 2012, offering a place of pilgrimage for Potter fans everywhere. The combination of interactive exhibits, detailed sets, unique keepsakes, authentic food-and-drink stalls and licensed merchandise has kept people coming back every year, and they are not disappointed, but the studios haven’t always been as glamorous as they are now.
Bought by the Ministry of Defence in 1939, the land was used to build an aircraft production unit and runway, with the latter becoming popular in the 1980s with the Leavesden Flight Centre. From there, the vast expanse of land and hangers were deemed perfect for filming and following a James Bond shoot, the site’s popularity soared. In the mid-1990s, Leavesden Studios was born.
It’s hard to believe that what was once an aircraft base turned into such a culturally significant site, but when the first film began shooting in 2000, history was being made, despite nobody yet realising it. In 2010, the studios would enjoy a final evolution, having been bought by Warner Bros., with a view to opening them to the public, once all the films were completed.
Having welcomed 10 million visitors – including royalty – the Tour continues to go from strength to strength, debuting regular new exhibits and expansions of existing installations. In 2015, the opening of a new Platform 9 ¾ set was met with rapturous applause and 2019’s Gringotts set has also proved immensely popular.
You can see the infographic right here on this page. To find out more about booking your own tour, visit https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/our-history.
Did You Know?
• When Dumbledore’s office was first created, lots of the books were simply telephone directories wrapped in leather.
• The Ministry of Magic set was the largest built for any of the films.
• Hagrid’s hut was taken apart and rebuilt, 2,000 feet up a mountain, to get the right shot during filming for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
