It’s easy to assume that the studios have always been used for filming, but it might surprise you to know that the land has seen many different incarnations. From an aircraft manufacturing site to a Rolls-Royce plant and a private runway, Leavesden has seen it all, and was only transformed into film studios in the 1990s, following a James Bond production being completed there. Little did the studios know what was coming.
Having been acquired for use, the studios were locked into the Harry Potter universe from September 2000 and saw every film being made there. From Harry’s first tentative steps into the Great Hall of Hogwarts through to the final scenes where he waves his children off on Platform 9 ¾, the Leavesden studios were home to every magical moment and Warner Bros. decided that the fans needed to be able to share in the joy.
Buying the studios in 2010, Warner Bros. formulated a plan to open up the sets to the public, upon completion of the final film and 2012 saw the doors open to an incredible reception. With original costumes on display, green-screen interactive activities to try and all the favourite film sets almost within touching distance, fans were finally given a behind the scenes glimpse at a world they had come to think of as their second home.
As the infographic demonstrates, the Tour has continued to delight visitors over the past seven years, thanks to a constantly evolving roster of exhibits and new sets being opened. The Forbidden Forest and Gringotts Wizarding Bank sets have proved particularly popular in recent years.
You can see the infographic right here on this site, and if you’re thinking about taking a trip to the studios, find out more by visiting https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/our-history.
Did You Know?
- The set for the Great Hall is vast and had to comfortably seat 400 children.
- HRH the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry visited the studios in 2013.
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour has now received more than 40,000 Trip Advisor reviews.
