It’s already one of the best attractions in the country, and now the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour has announced their 2017 slate, including Directing Dobby, Dining in the Great Hall for Valentine’s Day, Wizarding Wardrobes, Dark Arts and of course, Hogwarts in the Snow.
Alongside all the fantastic features appearing in the tour they will also be announcing some very exciting news around the Easter months – something Harry Potter fans will not want to miss! If we were betting on it, expect Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to get a look-in!
For now, here is what’s coming up at the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour next year – and don’t forget, there’s still plenty of time to enjoy Hogwarts in the Snow this Christmas too!
Directing Dobby
4th February- 31st March
Visitors are invited to discover the behind-the-scenes secrets of everybody’s favourite house-elf as Warner Bros. Studio Tour London unveils a special feature dedicated to Dobby. Filmmakers went through multiple processes and techniques to create Dobby from a tennis ball on a stick to a full sized, intricately detailed, physical model, both of which will be on display for the special feature. Visitors will also be able to make Dobby copy their movements in a new interactive experience that demonstrates the motion capture technology used to bring CGI characters to life on screen.
Valentine’s Dinner in the Great Hall
11th & 12th February
Couples are invited to spend Valentine’s weekend somewhere truly magical next February as Warner Bros. Studio Tour London hosts a romantic banquet in the iconic Great Hall on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th February.
Guests attending the Studio Tour’s ‘Valentine’s Dinner in the Great Hall’ will be greeted on arrival with welcome drinks and canapés, including a special ‘Love Potion’ cocktail, before taking their seats at individual tables for two on the authentic Great Hall set.
The Great Hall has served as the location for many memorable moments from the film series, including the Yule Ball dance scenes from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Unusually for the film industry, the set has stood the test of time and is now dressed with the iconic long tables as well as a selection of costumes and props used during production such as the House Point Counter and Dumbledore’s lectern.
Sitting at tables for two, guests will enjoy a candle-lit three-course dinner including a starter, main course and assiette of desserts to share. During the meal, couples will receive their first memento of the evening as a complimentary photo is taken at their table.
After dinner, guests will be given exclusive after-hours access to the Studio Tour with the chance to see sets such as the Gryffindor common room, Dumbledore’s office, the Weasley kitchen at The Burrow and the Malfoy Manor dining table before enjoying a drink on Platform 9 3/4. Featuring the original Hogwarts Express locomotive, the platform also includes the costumes of film couples Harry and Ginny and Ron and Hermione from the series’ concluding scene set 19 years after the battle of Hogwarts.
Following a tankard of Butterbeer in the backlot café, couples will be able to wander up the wizarding shopping street of Diagon Alley before arriving at the breathtaking Hogwarts castle model. After-dinner tea, coffee and petit fours will be served overlooking the majestic model.
Easter 2017 – news to be announced soon!
Wizarding Wardrobes
21st July- 4th September
Thousands of costumes were created during the ten years of filming, from Hogwarts school robes and Hermione’s beautiful Yule Ball gown to ghost costumes that could appear transparent via visual effects. During this special feature, visitors will discover the incredible craftsmanship and artistry that went into creating the visual world of Harry Potter, as the Studio Tour showcases some of the best never-before-seen costumes from the magical film series.
Visitors will be able to see the whole process from initial designs to the finished costume, as well as learning how new clothes were made to look centuries old or battle-torn through the art of costume distressing.
Dark Arts
27th October – 6th November
For a limited time only, visitors will get the chance to delve deeper than ever before into the sinister world of Dark Arts. Visitors can try out their wand combat techniques against a Death Eater or walk down a darker, spookier Diagon Alley. As part of the feature, the lights in the wizarding shopping street will be dimmed, the music will become more foreboding and the set will be patrolled by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’s followers.
Hogwarts in the Snow
18th November- 4th February 2018
2017 will conclude with the return of the Studio Tour’s popular festive feature, Hogwarts in the Snow, running from 18th November – 4th February 2018.
The festive makeover will see Christmas trees line the Great Hall, the Gryffindor common room dressed for the season and a blanket of filmmaking snow covering the majestic Hogwarts castle model. Visitors will even be able to touch samples of the different types of ‘snow’ used during production, each selected for its ability to float like falling snow, crunch under foot or glisten in the light like ice.
For more info on the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour check out their official website.
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