Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter has announced a brand new feature coming to the experience this Summer – Mandrakes and Magical Creatures. The herbology greenhouse is making it’s studio tour debut for fans to learn all about the magical creatures from Hogwarts Herbology classes. It will a permanent fixture for the tour beginning on July 1st.
Various magical creatures will be sprinkled throughout the tour and fans will learn how Thestrals and Mandrakes were brought to life. This Mandrakes and Magical Creatures feature will run from 1st July – 12th September 2022.
In addition to the Herbology greenhouse, the model of The Burrow will also be on display to show fans how the filmmakers did external shots of the Weasley home. Fans will also be able to enjoy the Frog Choir in the Great Hall.
The full press release with more details may be read below.
Brand-new for 2022, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is opening the glass doors of Professor Sprout’s greenhouse for the very first time. The greenhouse is a fan-favourite set from the Harry Potter film series, where students were taught their Herbology lessons with Professor Pomona Sprout. Built by the original Harry Potter filmmakers, the greenhouse is home to many exotic and magical plants. Just like a Hogwarts student, visitors to the Studio Tour will be able to step into the greenhouse and stop to pull out a potted Mandrake as part of an interactive display.
Based on the scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, visitors will recognise the Venomous Tentacula hanging from the ceiling as they walk through the greenhouse. During filming, various techniques were used to achieve the movement of the magical plants. The sinuous grasping movement of the Tentacula’s tendrils was computer-generated however, the movement of the Mandrakes was achieved using animatronic controllers hidden beneath the table.
The greenhouse is a permanent addition to the Studio Tour and will open as part of a brand-new feature, Mandrakes and Magical Creatures, which will open on 1st July 2022. As part of the feature, visitors will be welcomed into the Great Hall to the Frog Choir scene as seen in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, featuring the costume of conductor of the choir, Professor Flitwick, as worn by Warwick Davis.
Keen-eyed fans should be on the lookout for their favourite magical creatures as they explore the Studio Tour, as Cornish Pixies, Dumbledore’s beloved Fawkes and the animatronic Monster Book of Monsters can be spotted during their visit. In addition, fans of filmmaking will learn how Thestrals and Mandrakes were brought to life using a mixture of scale models and CGI in the Creatures Workshop.
In addition to the exciting addition of Professor Sprout’s greenhouse, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London will be expanding the exterior sets in their backlot with new additions including the fountain from the Hogwarts courtyard and a 1:3 scale-version of the Weasleys’ Burrow.
The scale-model of The Burrow is an exciting addition to the Studio Tour’s backlot area as film-making fans will learn the camera trickery behind the external scenes of the family home, seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. During production, The Burrow took filmmakers 14 weeks to build but only six minutes to burn down in the iconic scene where the Death Eaters set the home ablaze.
Professor Sprout’s greenhouse, the courtyard fountain and the exterior of the Weasleys’ Burrow will be permanent additions to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. The Mandrakes and Magical Creatures feature will run from 1st July – 12th September 2022.
