Previous guess of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort will remember that during the spooky season Death Eaters would come out at Hogsmeade in the evenings to duel with guests and ask fellow believers to join them. This year they will be lurking about in Diagon Alley.
According to the press release from Universal:
An ominous presence returns to The Wizarding World of Harry Potterat Universal Orlando Resort this fall as Death Eaters appear for the first time ever in Diagon Alley select dates September 1 through November 4.
A sinister energy will fill the air in Diagon Alley as guests encounter the villainous Death Eaters – devoted followers of Lord Voldemort who do not shy away from the practice of the Dark Arts. This interactive live entertainment experience puts guests face-to-face with these fanatic witches and wizards as they roam through London, lurk their way through the cobbled streets of Knockturn Alley, and challenge guests to join the Dark Lord.
Also, while visiting Diagon Alley, guests can shop for a variety of Death Eater-themed merchandise to embrace their sinister side.
Today, for a limited time only, the LEGO Store Leicester Square will take payment in socks for the first ever time, to celebrate a very special house-elf’s birthday. You guessed right, it’s Dobby the House Elf’s birthday. Customers can pick up a free LEGO Harry Potter Dobby™ the House-Elf, while stocks last, from 10am this morning.
Fans of Harry Potter know better than anyone that the most valuable thing to Dobby the House-Elf is … socks! So to mark Dobby’s birthday, and in celebration of the LEGO Harry Potter Dobby™ the House-Elf product, available to buy now, the LEGO Store is launching a very special offer, like no other!
The first 100* customers to arrive at the LEGO Store Leicester Square, from 10am on Wednesday 28th June, 2023, and flash a (clean please!) sock at the front of the queue, will be able to redeem a free LEGO Harry Potter Dobby the House-Elf product from in-store.
The LEGO Harry Potter Dobby the House-Elf product is the first ever LEGO brick model of Dobby. The instantly recognisable brick-built figure comes with iconic accessories including Tom Riddle’s diary that Harry used to set Dobby free, and Aunt Petunia’s ‘floating’ pudding cake to inspire memories of the classic scenes.
The product is available in LEGO Stores and online at LEGO.com for £24.99/$34.99.
*This offer is valid at the flagship store in Leicester Square from Wednesday 28 June, for one day only, whilst stocks last.
Warner Bros. Games and NetEase, Inc. today announced Harry Potter: Magic Awakened will be released in global territories on June 27, 2023. A new trailer showcases the exciting adventures players will embark on as they experience a brand-new story ten years after the Battle of Hogwarts.
This highly anticipated, free-to-play collectible card role-playing game (RPG) will be available for iOS and Android devices. Players are invited to pre-register now to receive exclusive rewards once the title is released.
Co-developed and co-published by Warner Bros. Games and NetEase Games, Harry Potter: Magic Awakened will be the latest title to launch globally under Portkey Games, the label dedicated to creating new mobile and videogame experiences inspired by the Wizarding World that place the player at the centre of their own adventure.
Harry Potter: Magic Awakened is a free-to-play, immersive collectible card (CCG) and massively multiplayer (MMO) wizarding dueling game featuring a blend of strategy role-play (RPG). Players will discover all the milestones of a student at Hogwarts including being sorted into a House, taking classes featuring familiar and new professors, exploring the Forbidden Forest, dancing with a friend at the Dance Club and so much more.
As players progress, they will learn spells that can be cast through the form of cards. Players will need to master these spells, devise unique strategies and form winning combinations – learning what to cast and when – as they venture through increasingly challenging trials, duel other players, and master the magic in their own illustrious wizarding journey.
New details about the “Discovering Hogwarts” event at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London have been revealed this morning. To celebrate the Studio Tour’s 11th year we will be invited to experience Hogwarts as Harry did in his first year. From 2nd May – 4th September 2023 fans can take part in new experiences like creating an origami Sorting Ceremony chatterbox, an opportunity to practice and learn the movement behind casting the Wingardium Leviosa spell, taking a seat in a new photo opportunity of Harry’s first boat journey to Hogwarts and a live demonstration of how Hagrid’s body double was fitted with stilts and a prosthetic head.
Just like a Hogwarts student would, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London will celebrate its 11th year with an invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Brand new for 2023, visitors will be invited to explore Harry’s early years at Hogwarts with some of their favourite scenes brought to life at the Studio Tour for this special feature.
For the first time since filming, over 400 floating candles will adorn the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall, giving visitors a chance to step into the set just as the cast would have seen it during Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. During filming over twenty years ago, real, lit candles were used for the scene. However, for the safety of the cast and crew, Producers decided to add them later during post-production. For this special feature, the candles (which have been adapted by the talented Special Effects Department to use a light effect instead of a live flame) have been hung with over three miles of wire.
During the feature, fans will be welcomed into one of Harry’s first experiences of magic; Professor Flitwick’s Charms class. A new set depicting the iconic scene in which a young Harry, Ron and Hermione learn to master Wingardium Leviosa will be revealed, sharing the filmmaking secrets behind the floating feathers. Created using practical effects, rather than CGI, the magic was as simple as stringing a feather onto a fishing line. A technique described by Special Effects Supervisor, John Richardson, as ‘’going back to the silent movie era.” Fans will also have the chance to practice their wand skills as they learn the movement behind casting the famous Wingardium Leviosa spell.
Among the first wizards Harry meets was beloved half-giant Hagrid. While actor Robbie Coltrane stood at 6ft, he was not quite tall enough to portray a half-giant. During many scenes, 6ft 10” England rugby player Martin Bayfield was used as a body double fitted with stilts and a prosthetic head to achieve Hagrid’s towering height. During Discovering Hogwarts, a live demonstration of this process will show visitors how the half-giant was brought to life right in front of their eyes.
Interactive experiences throughout the feature will tell the story of Harry’s first experiences in the wizarding world. Fans of all ages are invited to get hands on and create an origami ‘Sorting Ceremony’ chatterbox to take away, as well as taking a seat in a new photo opportunity depicting Harry’s first boat journey to Hogwarts.
A launch trailer for Hogwarts Legacy has been released ahead of it’s February 10th release! The upcoming open-world, action RPG releasing for PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on February 10, 2023. The Hogwarts Legacy Collector’s Edition for PlayStation®4 and Xbox One will be available April 4, 2023. Finally, the Nintendo Switch version of the game will be released July 25, 2023. Pre-Order the game at Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Amazon or Gamestop.
Hogwarts Legacy invites players to embark on an epic journey as a fifth-year student at Hogwarts, gifted with a rare ability to tap into ancient, powerful magic. Guided by the Wizard’s Field Guide and unique instruction from professors and other characters, fans will uncover a compelling storyline filled with thrilling challenges and mysteries.
Faced with perilous dangers, players will defend Hogwarts against deadly enemies and uncover the secrets of the wizarding world’s forgotten past.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter has announced a brand-new room inside 4 Privet Drive, showing the scene where Harry met Dobby the house elf for the first time, as part of their Magical Mischief feature. From 21st January – 18th April 2023 fans can enjoy special exhibits all featuring Mischief and Magic!
Fans can learn about the filmmaking techniques used to bring Dobby to life on-screen, created by the Creature Effects Team, which visitors will be able to see during their visit. Returning for a second year, other highlight scenes in this feature include:
Fans can get hands-on to make their own origami howler, just like the one Mrs Weasley delivered to Ron in the second film
The Great Hall dressed for the Weasley prank on the peaceful O.W.L.s exam
The secrets behind the disappearing effects of the invisibility cloak and Harry’s flying acceptance letters are revealed
Dolores Umbridge from The Order of the Phoenix in her infamous pink two-piece suit
The full press release may be read below:
Returning for a second year, filmmaking trickery, magical pranks and wizarding mishaps will be revealed as part of the Studio Tour’s Magical Mischief feature.
Brand new for 2023, visitors will be able to take a look inside Harry’s bedroom at number 4 Privet Drive, as the fan- favourite scene in which Harry meets the mischievous house elf, Dobby, is on display. Fans will recall Harry and Dobby’s first introduction at the Dursley home during Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, as Dobby attempts every trick to stop Harry from returning to Hogwarts. A variety of filmmaking techniques were used to bring beloved Dobby to life on-screen including the creation of models, used to give actors a reference point on-set, lovingly created by the Creature Effects Team, which visitors will be able to see during their visit.
Demonstrations will take place throughout the Studio Tour uncovering secrets behind the disappearing effect of the invisibility cloak and Harry’s flying acceptance letters. Visitors will even be able to get hands on to make their own origami howler, just like the one Mrs Weasley delivered to her son in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Visitors to the Studio Tour will also learn how their favourite mischievous moments from the films were brought to the screen in this exciting feature. Entering the Great Hall, fans will recognise the set dressed for a Weasley prank on the peaceful O.W.L.s exam, complete with the swinging pendulum under the watchful eye of Dolores Umbridge. From the fan-favourite scene in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the infamous pink two-piece costume of Dolores Umbridge will be centre stage and visitors should look above to see the playful Weasley twins’ costumes on their broomsticks suspended from the Great Hall ceiling.
