The Warner Bros. Studio Tour - The Making of Harry Potter located at the Hertfordshire Leavesden Studios showed a preview of its latest expansion, including Platform ¾ and the steaming Hogwarts Express train.
Based on J.K. Rowling’s book series, the red steam engine has gained considerable popularity for dropping off young wizards and witches at the King’s Cross Station and at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
A 78-year-old train named Olton Hall was used in the ‘Harry Potter’ movie franchise to bring Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and all the other students to their school of magic.
According to Mark Williams, who portrayed Arthur Weasley in the 'Potter' films, the steam engine is deemed as a highly significant part of the story.
"It's very important, the Hogwarts Express. Firstly it was the beginning of every adventure,” explained Williams, who attended the preview at the studios. “And also it is the point at which the Muggle and wizard worlds intersect. It's only a thin wall between outside and inside and so it was very magical," he said.
The actor also mentioned that visitors can expect the interiors of the train to be just the same as when used on set. The windows will also offer a view of famous train scenes from the 'Potter' movies, such as Harry having his first go at eating a Chocolate Frog as well as dementors entering the train. Selected luggage used as props for the films can also be found on display.
"You can walk down and look at the compartments which are all dressed as if on a set and then obviously there's a locomotive to look at, and then there's a special section over there where you can sit in compartments and behind you the journey's projected and you can take part in that,” Williams shared.
Measuring roughly 20,000 sq. ft., the latest exhibition of Warner Bros. Studios for Harry Potter will open to the general public on March 19.
Meanwhile, for fans who are anticipating more book content from Rowling, they can look forward to a new book that is not necessarily an extension of the 'Potter' series but is a bibliography containing details about the award-wining author’s writing process.
‘J.K. Rowling: A Bibliography 1997-2013’ contains 544 pages and is compiled by Philip Errington, a children’s books author for Sotheby’s.
After drawing out information from the Bloomsbury archives and interviewing the staff of the publishing house that distributed the ‘Potter’ books, Errington compiled a wide range of details about Rowling’s journey to finishing the series.
These include Harry being described as “a Scottish boy” by The New York Times and ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’, being almost renamed as ‘Harry Potter and the Death Eaters’ or ‘Harry Potter and the Three Champions.’
