First Look at the Forbidden Forest at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter

by · March 11, 2017

On March 8, MuggleNet was invited to a special sneak peek of the new Forbidden Forest expansion at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter and given the opportunity to interview some of the cast and crew members who worked on the Harry Potter movies, courtesy of Warner Bros.

Being somewhat a regular visitor at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour myself (that Wednesday being my 11th trip – do I get an acceptance letter for that?), I had previously spied the cordoned-off area of the “J” stage and had been dreaming up weird and wonderful ideas of what might lay behind it, but I’d never imagined I’d be as blown away by the reality as the fantasy inside my head.

Upon booking in and being handed my press badge, I was taken into a canteen holding room, where I ran through my questions in preparation for meeting the talent. Despite years of attending Harry Potter events and conventions, I had never before met any of the talent whom I’d be interviewing, so it was fair to say that I was more than a little nervous.

Running only ten minutes behind schedule, we were ushered in groups of three through the backlot, past the Potters’ house and the Knight Bus, into the main “J” studio, where the majority of the sets and props are housed. Inside, past Umbridge’s delightfully repulsive study, there was a huge black curtain – appropriate considering the dark forest that was lurking behind it. We were then taken in through a rear entrance, where we were greeted by the impressive and mesmerizing new set.

My first reaction to the Forbidden Forest was awe (though retrospectively I cannot fathom why, considering the other absolutely mind-blowing sets that I’ve gawked over on previous occasions). With 19 enormous trees, each with a diameter of over 12 feet, it feels as daunting and oppressive as it looks on the big screen.

The first creature I spotted, while waiting for my first interview slot, was Buckbeak the hippogriff, whom visitors have the opportunity to bow to. This new model is on display for the first time, standing majestically beneath the trees – he looks wonderfully at home in the Forest.

 

 

I was then taken through the Forest to the spectacular Hogwarts gates (which will be the entrance to the expansion upon its official opening), manned by Rubeus Hagrid, where a film crew awaited, alongside James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley). Meeting the Weasley twins on an as-yet-unopened set at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour felt like a dream, but sitting down behind the camera to interview them was something else entirely.

Chatting with James and Oliver about the Forbidden Forest gleaned some interesting views about the expansion, with Oliver proclaiming “it’s such a nice environment” and “when you actually see it here, you can see how much detail went into it.” It was clear to see their adoration of the new set.

Following the culmination of my first interview, I was taken through the Forest to Aragog’s lair, where creature and makeup effects designer Nick Dudman was waiting to tell me all about the complexities of creating the terrifying Acromantula and the beautiful Buckbeak, both of whom can be found in the new expansion.

 

 

 

Rounding the corner into a darker and more mysterious part of the Forest, with rolling white fog covering the spongy ground and adding a distinctly ominous air to the new set, sat Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy) and Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood). Jason appeared almost too at home in the expansion, stating “there’s a reason it’s called the Forbidden Forest. As soon as you introduce the word ‘forbidden,’ that’s the only place you want to go.” We had the opportunity to talk about the enthralling creatures that can be found in the Forest, including Aragog, whom Jason pronounced to be “magnificent.”

 

 

Upon conclusion of the interviews, I took full advantage of the opportunity and grabbed a couple of obligatory selfies with the actors before we were escorted out of the Forbidden Forest.

 

 

Overall, the Forbidden Forest expansion is an excellent addition to what is already a fabulous attraction. The new set is extraordinary and immersive on a level I’ve yet to experience at the Tour. The level of detail that went into the creatures and the trees themselves really has to be seen to be believed.

Finishing touches are currently taking place to ensure that the Forbidden Forest is ready to welcome its first visitors during the official opening on March 31. You can find out more about the expansion at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour and book your tickets here.

 

 

Full Transcript with James and Oliver Phelps, Saturday, March 11, 2017

Transcribed by Tracey Wong

Charlotte Molton: Hi, James and Oliver! I'm Charlotte from MuggleNet. Nice to see you in the Forbidden Forest. What was your first reaction when you heard the Forbidden Forest was the latest expansion at the Studio Tour?

Oliver Phelps: I think it just makes sense that they've added this here. How they've done it, it's such a nice environment as well.

Charlotte: If you had to undertake detention in the Forbidden Forest, which other character would you want to go in with?

James Phelps: I'd say Buckbeak.

Oliver: Kreacher.

Charlotte: Which creature in the forest do you think is the most enthralling?

James: Aragog.

Oliver: Yeah, he's here as well.

Charlotte: Terrifying, isn't it? [laughs]

Oliver: When you actually see it here, you can see how much detail went into it.

Charlotte: In terms of a creature that you haven't acted with on the sets, which one would you pick? A unicorn? Fawkes?

James: I'd say a centaur.

Oliver: Troll.

Charlotte: Would you have followed the spiders if you were in Ron and Harry's position?

Oliver: I don't think we'd have had much choice, really.

Charlotte: If your Patronus wasn't an animal – so it was a person, either real or fictional – who would it be?

Oliver: Shaggy Doo [Shaggy Rogers from Scooby Doo].

Charlotte: If you could have played a different character for any scene of the Potter films, which character would it be, which scene, and why?

James: In the Triwizard Tournament, I would be any one of... actually, Krum because I could've got my PADI license [for diving].

Oliver: I can't beat that. I would be the guy [who mans] the phone box to get into the Ministry.

Charlotte: If you could go back to Hogwarts now as yourselves, what would you say to Fred and George?

Oliver: Fred, don't go to the Battle of Hogwarts. And sort your hair out.

Charlotte: If you could take any artifact off the set and have it come to life in real life, which would you have?

Oliver: Nagini.

Charlotte: Really?

Oliver: Yeah, I'd like a pet Nagini. And wouldn't it be great when someone knocks on your door? At the same time, you would be that house with the snake.

James: I would have the Triwizard Cup. A Portkey would be useful – I hate queuing at immigration.

Full Transcript with Nick Dudman, Saturday, March 11, 2017

Transcribed by Felicia Grady, Sarah Beth Krutal, and Meg Scott

Charlotte Molton: Hi, Nick!

Nick Dudman: Hello!

Charlotte: I'm Charlotte from MuggleNet. Nice to see you.

Nick: Hello, Charlotte from MuggleNet.

Charlotte: So when you heard the Forbidden Forest expansion was happening, what was your first thought?

Nick: I think my first thought was probably, "So what are they going to put in it?" And then they told me.

Charlotte: [unintelligible]

Nick: Oh yes, absolutely. And it is one of those things where people say, "Ooh, can we have some spiders? Ooh, can we have Aragog? Ooh, can we have Buckbeak?" And then it was a case of working out "How long do you need? Can you find the original molds? What state are they in?" Because 15 years have passed since we originally did Aragog. And luckily, we found pretty much everything that we needed to construct a second Aragog, though we had to make various changes because of what he has to do. He has to perform all day, every day for the Tour as opposed to being a prototype that was put together for a film to do a very specific set of functions. So there are changes internally, mechanically, but in terms of the finish and everything, it's pretty much all tech. I didn't want to build another giant spider. I wanted to do Aragog so that when people come around the corner, they know who it is.

Charlotte: He's terrifying. [laughs]

Nick: Yup, yup. Well, he's just watching you, but he's fed.

Charlotte: He looks like he's about to pounce.

Nick: No, he's fed. He'll be fine.

Charlotte: Okay, so which original prop was your favorite to bring to life?

Nick: I think it's 50/50 Buckbeak and Aragog. Because the spiders I always enjoyed because people react, and actually, the kick that people like me get [by] doing this sort of thing is actually off other people's reactions. If you are scared because I've built a big rubber monstrosity, and you react as though it's a spider, then I've achieved something because you know it's fake as well as I do, but you are buying into it. And if I make you do that, then I'm doing my job. The same with Buckbeak. The number of people who... when you see a model of Buckbeak standing there, you won't go up to it without bowing. It's wonderful. Because if you don't bow to it, you're going to get shredded, and we all know that, and yet part of your brain is going, "It's a film prop." It's operated by that guy with the crazed expression over there next to the control panel, who's laughing at you. You still won't go near it unless you bow. And I've seen that so many times over the years, and that is what I find entertaining; is just ticking those boxes.

Charlotte: Which was the most challenging to create?

Nick: Technically challenging, probably... originally Buckbeak because the featherwork was incredibly complex. But I had a crew of people led by a lady whose featherwork knowledge from years of doing fake birds of various types was so great that she actually steered it, and she knew what she was doing. It was a lot of R&D. The most complex thing at the moment... Aragog is a complex piece of machinery. But I think it sort of falls between the two.

Charlotte: Where did you draw your inspiration from regarding the creation of your creatures??

Nick: Well, it always starts with Jo's writing. And because she's a writer who is very descriptive... after all, she might've been very sketchy in her descriptions, but actually, she's very detailed. So that's where you start. And when we were doing the movies, we always had the thing in our heads of, "Yes, you will contribute ideas, you'll throw your own thoughts in there, but you're never going to do anything that's going to directly contradict what's written." So if it says the spider is that big, or the spider looks like that or has the flavor of this or that, you're starting there. Then you had Stuart Craig as your production designer, who was setting the look of the entire series of movies, and he had obviously got a handle on how Jo Rowling thought and what people wanted and everything. So my view was, if it's in the book, we're safe; if Stuart likes it, we're safe; and within that framework, you then just try with fake creatures to simply reference as much reality as you can because the more reality I can put into something, the more likely you are to buy it. If I make him sort of fluffy and purple with bright green stripes, you're not going to like him in the same way as you will if he just feels like the biggest goddamn spider you've ever seen.

Charlotte: Progressing from that point, was there ever concern in making it just too realistic in terms of crossing the line between a fantasy for family and something that the audience finds unnerving?

Nick: No. Absolutely not. I think you absolutely go for the greatest level of realism you possibly can because the pitching of that, in terms of your audience, is down to your director and your editor and the people who are putting the movie together because they can control that. It's how it's shot. My job is to deliver something to the set in the most absolutely real way. If I [were] doing some ghastly battle scene, I would do it to the point where it would make you feel physically ill. That's my job. It's somebody else's job to then put that on film in a way that services the story they're telling. I always aim... just go for the most real finish you can possibly do.

Full Transcript with Jason Isaacs and Evanna Lynch, Saturday, March 11, 2017

Transcribed by Katy Cartee Haile, Heather Kinser, and Meg Scott

Charlotte Molton: Hi, guys! I'm Charlotte from MuggleNet.

Evanna Lynch: Hello!

Jason Isaacs: Hello, Charlotte from MuggleNet! Hello, Muggles, Nets.

Charlotte: When you heard the Forbidden Forest expansion was happening, what was your initial thought?

Jason: "Can I get in for free?" That's my first...

[Evanna laughs]

Jason: "Will I get a ticket?" And look, here we are. So that's pretty great. My thought was always, "I hope they do it well," because they've done everything else so brilliantly here. "I hope it's as convincing and mystical and mysterious as the sets were," and it is. The same but bigger, actually.

Charlotte: If you had to undertake detention in the Forbidden Forest, which other character would you want as your companion?

Evanna: Ooh. Hagrid, obviously. Gosh, yeah, Hagrid can take anything.

Jason: Oh, nice. Well, yeah, Hagrid is your mate. He's not my mate, is he?

Evanna: And he can put me on his shoulders, run along... yeah, it'd be easy.

Jason: I'd take Narcissa along. It's quite romantic anyway, isn't it? Forest in the middle of the night, might get lucky.

[Evanna laughs]

Charlotte: Which creature in the Forbidden Forest do you find most enthralling?

Jason: Well, there are various creatures that people who come to visit here will meet. I've just always had a soft spot for Aragog. I think Aragog is magnificent. Always felt like [he] had a personality. I never saw [him] in the Forest in the film; I saw [him] in the creatures workshop, which is a big white fluorescent lit building, and I still felt [he] was following me around the room.

Evanna: Yeah.

Jason: And that [he] had a personality there, and [he's] even better here.

Evanna: I love the centaurs. I like their spaceyness and, "Mars is bright tonight," all that. That was fun. Firenze, I suppose? Because he had a foot in both worlds. Feet in both worlds? His four feet? [laughs] Yeah, I always... I loved when the centaurs would show up.

Charlotte: Would you have followed the spiders if you were Ron and Harry?

Evanna: A hundred percent no. Although, with your dead sister on the line, possibly. I don't know.

Jason: There's a reason it's called the Forbidden Forest. As soon as you introduce the word "forbidden," that's the only place you want to go; it's the only place you want the characters in the book and the films to go. And so I hope that I'd have gone in there because as soon as I hear something is not allowed, it's the... I can think about nothing else other than doing it.

Evanna: I wouldn't have done it out of pure curiosity. If I just saw a line of spiders going somewhere, I'm like, "Go to your weird place; that's fine." But...

Jason: But also, you're immortal at 12. You just think nothing can ever happen that's bad to you. It's impossible to believe that it could come to an end, I think.

Evanna: I must have been a very cautious 12-year-old. [laughs] I just don't think I have that... but if it was someone I loved, their life on the line...

Jason: Right.

Evanna: ... yeah, definitely. I don't mind spiders. I just don't like the unknown.

Jason: No, it's the unknown. Who knows what's in there?

Evanna: Exactly.

Jason: That's why it's forbidden.

Charlotte: If your Patronus wasn't an animal but a person, either real or fictional, who would it be?

Evanna: Oh, that's a personal question.

Jason: If I can't have Bruce Lee...

[Evanna laughs]

Jason: ... I'd have my wife. My wife is fierce. She can take care of any situation.

Evanna: Who would I have?

Jason: Plus, if I didn't say it was her, who knows what price there'd be?

Evanna: I know I've had arguments about this before. I would have Michael Jackson. He's the light of my life.

Jason: Fair enough.

Evanna: No need to talk. [laughs] Go on.

Charlotte: If you could take any one prop from the set and have it come to life and work in reality, what would it be?

Jason: Oh, wow.

Evanna: Any one prop.

Jason: Well, I would have gone with a broom, but I've seen the boys sit on a broom and it doesn't look comfy. I'd like a mandrake, a bit of a panacea for everything.

Evanna: Pensieve.

Jason: Pensieve!

Evanna: Definitely. Because we were just saying how our memories... they go away. They seep away.

Jason: Yeah.

Evanna: There are so many days on set I would love to relive. Or like, what was I feeling, or what were the little things that people did that I forget? And it'd just be so cool, yeah, to have all that and dive into it.

Jason: I guess elves don't count as props.

[Evanna laughs]

Jason: I wouldn't mind having Dobby back. There's a lot of housework I wasn't planning on. I don't really think of him as a creature with his own sensibilities. [He's] there to serve me. So that's a prop.

Charlotte: Would you rather fly on Buckbeak or fly on a broom?

Evanna: Buckbeak. Definitely Buckbeak.

Jason: Oh, yeah. Buckbeak. Broom is not built for gentlemen's nether regions.

Evanna: [laughs] Although, Buckbeak, you have less control. He kind of just takes you.

Jason: Well, you might have. But I'd break his spirit. Take an ear, take one of his ears and then... or just jab your finger in his eye. It's an old Malfoy trick for breaking lots of spirits.

Evanna: Your Malfoy is showing. [laughs]

Jason: You'd get feathers all over your pants, though, because I got feathers on my arms this morning. He does shed.

Charlotte: If you could have played a different character for one scene, who would you have played, and which scene?

Jason: Oh, wow.

Evanna: Oh, good. Which scene and what to do... same lines, I suppose.

[Evanna and Jason laugh]

Evanna: What could I change?

Jason: Wow. I'd be Katie and snog Daniel.

Evanna: I would play Dobby and give you a kick.

Jason: Oh, thanks so much!

Evanna: [laughs] Just because you're so mean to him.

Jason: I'd like to play Ken... I would play Gilderoy and try [to] catch all the pixies.

Evanna: Oh, yeah.

Jason: I thought he was hilarious, the way he was trying to be... the hubris of him pretending to be this great wizard and being unable to control the pixies.

Evanna: Yeah. Oh, you would be good at that.

Jason: What about being Ralph and making everybody stand at the ready for three weeks, marching around that courtyard while we watched him give a master class in acting?

Evanna: [laughs] Yeah.

Charlotte: Which of the creatures from any of the films scares you the most, if you had to meet them in real life??

Evanna: Oh.

Jason: Oh, easy. Mermaids.

Evanna: Yeah.

Jason: The mermaids were very, very creepy indeed, and looked creepy even when I saw them in parts; severed heads sitting in the creature workshop just sitting on a stand there. They're just... you don't want to catch their eye.

Evanna: I think the Dementors for me just... again, that not knowing what is under there just sounds so grizzly, and you're not sure: Are they spirits? Are they creatures? Were they human?