Big Screen – Warner Bros. – Harry Potter (Leavesden) Studio Tour Panel Live Blog

Hello Potter fans! We’re here at the end of the Empire Big Screen event to hear about the Warner Bros Studio Tour London – Harry Potter.

we’ll do everything we can to bring you all the news and details of what you’ll see and when you’ll be able to see it.

The lights are down – and we’re off…

Huge cheers for the panel – Ben Shepard is on stage introducing the event. He’s always on the behind the scenes shows. The WBST (Warner Bros Studio Tour) is your chance to step into the world of Harry Potter where it was actually filmed.

Two stars of the films are here – and there’s a two minute trailer of the WBST experience to see later on.

There’s a whole lot of Potter love here this afternoon and this appears to be the next step in the Harry Potter world. We’ve been at the studios where Harry Potter was filmed and you’d never know that behind those enormous grey walls lies a place of magic. Open a door and there’s a Hogwarts staircase. Now the public will have the chance to walk in these places – to see the wonderful detail written into each of the sets.

Hello to all the commenters! Keep your questions coming and we’ll do our best to answer them.

The tour will be opening in the Spring – the first time the public will be allowed onto the sets – like The Great Hall – it will be at Leavesden Studios North West London

Warwick Davis, Nick Dudman, Evanna Lynch, Sam Burroughs, Ben Shephard are all here to present and introduce this new experience. It’s going to be HUGE!

Dumbledore’s office, the Great Hall, the corridors – and so much more. All the wands, the costumes – there will be 150,000 square feet of Pure Potter.

On the stage are loads of prosthetic heads from many of the charaters in the movie

Here;s the trailer – this is our first look at what is in store.

Welcome to Hogwarts! The Great Hall, Diagon Alley, the Chamber of Secrets, the costumes and some of the huge set piece locations.

This is just a small taste but there’s the common rooms of Hogwarts present as well as some of the outdoor sets (Hagrid was featured heavily and I’d be very surprised if his hut wasn’t part of the tour)

The Warwick Davis is on stage talking about working on Potter every day – pointing out the details in the Great Hall doors as an example of why it’s important for fans to come in experience the tour.

Luke: Open indefinitely at the moment an will still be a working studio too.

I’m told the trailer will be online very soon

It makes a lot of sense – the sets are part of the magic and while there won’t be any more Potter film something will live on. The rooms and corridors are filled with memories and each person will bring their experience to bear on their time.

This is clearly being billed as the UK’s Disneyland – and though the focus is for one film series you can imagine this running for years with thousands of Potter fans taking their first steps into a world they’ve only seen on screen.

Richard – No, as it’s stil a working studio

Nick Dudman, Make-up and Special Effects on Potter, is on stage talking about the experience of working with Warwick (which went as far back as Willow) and this is part of the other side of the tour – the behind the scenes tour which will give a real flavour of the craft and work which go into the films.

If someone is a fan of any film series then the chance to hear more about every detail of the production will be welcome indeed – and anything which highlights the work of the crew behind the magic is just as welcome.

Warwick’s wife Sam has come on stage in full Gringott’s goblin get up.

ND is describing the process of creating the make up of just one goblin and then talking of the trouble of working on scenes where there are hundreds of costumes.

Just as an aside I think there’s a fairly good chance that visitors on the tour will get the chance to wear The Sorting Hat.

They’ve not released the details of the tour just yet – in terms of everything that you’ll experience but we understand there’ll be a press release coming out pretty soon so keep your eyes peeled. The prices also haven’t been given yet – but I guess that’ll follow in the next week.

Back to the tour – we wanted to recreate the creature shop – so you can see everything in the tour. Aragog Buckbeak and many of the other creatures – even the smaller ones, are going to be seen during the tour.

So, we’ve got a whole host of Potter. Creatures and costumes, full sets and everything which has been preserved from the films (which is a lot according to ND) will be on show. Spring 2012 is the vague date….

There’s an artists rendition of the studio – it looks huge….

Oh, and The Ministry of Magic will be there too… That’s one impressive set.

Hey! Evanna Lynch is on stage- Hi Evanna!

She’s talking about getting the part of Luna as a fan, rather than as an actress. She’s perfect casting really.

She is talking about walking onto the set – “It’s like art” and this is exactly what the fans will get.

She’s now doing her Luna dance on stage. Lots of people enjoyed that – she wanted it to be the next Moonwalk.

She’s all kinds of charming and really as a fan of the series who had the chance to experience the films from on set she really is the perfect ambassador for this.

The Lovegood house will also be part of the tour – I think she said that.

You can buy your tickets… 13th October 2011

You won’t be able to turn up and pay on the door – you’ll have to pre-book.

That’s a very important point.

www.wbstudiotour.co.uk

That’s where you need to head over on Thursday the 13th of October to prebook.

that’s the crowd searching for their ticket on the backs of their chairs – Evanna will pick out a number and they will win tickets.

The winner screamed the place down.

I do love a good Potter crowd. Lovely people, genuinely happy to be here.

that’s all for now – there’s a few things coming over in the next few days on HeyUGuys so do check back. Hope you all enjoy the tour – it looks nuts.

Bye!

Now at the Harry Potter Leaveden press conference and they’ve just said Dumbledore’s office will be at Leavesden too!

WD says: “Gringott’s bank was originally filmed in the Australian House, but in order to film more scenes and be able to blow up the set they recreated the location at Leavesden” It’s dressed in Goblin architecture and filled with galleons.