ORLANDO, Fla. – Beginning next week, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will once again take a darker side as the “Dark Side At Hogwarts Castle” show returns.
The theme park said Wednesday that the experience will run nightly beginning Sept. 18 in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade.
The show first debuted in 2019 and was an instant hit among Harry Potter fans.
Special effects and lightning illuminate Hogwarts Castle as sinister creatures and villains, like mountain trolls, dementors, death eaters, spiders and even the dark wizard, Lord Voldemort, cast their shadows and spells.
Guests will get a chance to take part in the new show by summoning their inner strength and bravery to face the dark arts and produce a Patronus spell. The charm is said to be one of the most famous, and difficult, defenses against the dark evils.
Watch the show below.
As darkness falls across the Wizarding World, guests will come face-to-face with Death Eaters, the devoted followers of Lord Voldemort, as they walk through the streets of Hogsmeade. Ominous green light and fog will permeate the Hogsmeade village, Universal leaders said.
“Darks Arts at Hogwarts Castle” will run nightly with showtimes from dusk until park close.
The brand new behind-the-scenes exhibition will use the latest innovations in immersive design and technology. It will celebrate the films and stories of Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, and the expanded Wizarding World, including Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, through beautifully crafted environments that honor the iconic moments, characters, settings, and beasts as seen in the films and stories. Visitors will get an up-close look at authentic props and original costumes from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films and have the opportunity to engage with innovative, awe-inspiring, and magical environments and installations in ways never before experienced in a touring exhibition. Harry Potter: The Exhibition introduces a unique comprehensive touring experience that will enchant both new and devoted Wizarding World fans.
“This exhibition will be unlike any other Wizarding World touring exhibition. The inclusion of technology, attention to detail and integration of magical touches created by our partners at Imagine Exhibitions is truly unique,” said Peter van Roden, Senior Vice President of Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment. “We are elated to be launching the world tour at the Franklin Institute and for fans to be able to have another way to experience the Wizarding World.”
“We are very excited to be launching the world tour of the all-new Harry Potter: The Exhibition in Philadelphia at The Franklin Institute in early 2022,” said Tom Zaller, CEO of Imagine Exhibitions. “The Franklin Institute is a trusted partner of ours, a national leader for world-renowned exhibitions, a great cultural driver for Philadelphia, and a perfect location for fans to experience our groundbreaking new exhibition.”
“The Wizarding World is a sweeping phenomenon that crosses generations and delivers astonishing global appeal,” said Larry Dubinski, President and CEO of The Franklin Institute. “We are thrilled that Harry Potter: The Exhibition will make its world tour debut in 2022 at The Franklin Institute, putting Philadelphia in the national spotlight, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region and providing months of sustainable tourism revenue.”
About Wizarding World In the years since Harry Potter was whisked from King’s Cross Station onto Platform nine and three quarters, his incredible adventures have left a unique and lasting mark on popular culture. Eight BlockbusterHarry Potter films have brought the magical stories to life and today, the Wizarding World is recognised as one of the world’s best-loved franchises.
Representing a vast interconnected universe, it also includes two epic Fantastic Beasts films, (the third releasing in 2022), Harry Potter The Cursed Child – the multi-award-winning stage-play, state-of-the-art video and mobile games from Portkey Games, innovative consumer products, thrilling live entertainment (including four theme park lands) and insightful exhibitions.
This expanding portfolio of Warner Bros. owned Wizarding World experiences also includes Harry Potter New York – a brand new flagship store, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo, and the Platform 9 3⁄4 retail shops.
The Wizarding World continues to evolve to provide Harry Potter fans with fresh and exciting ways to engage. For the worldwide fan community, and for generations to come, it welcomes everyone in to explore and discover the magic for themselves.
About Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment (WBTE), part of WarnerMedia Global Brands and Experiences, is a worldwide leader in the creation, development and licensing of location-based entertainment, live events, exhibits and theme park experiences based on WarnerMedia’s iconic characters, stories, and brands. WBTE is home to the groundbreaking global locations of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, WB Movie World Australia, and countless other experiences inspired by DC, Looney Tunes, Scooby, Game of Thrones, Friends and more. With best-in-class partners, WBTE allows fans around the world to physically immerse themselves inside their favorite brands and franchises.
About Imagine Exhibitions A world leader in narrative-driven, immersive theatrical design, Imagine Exhibitions, Inc., creates sophisticated, high quality experiences for museums, brands, venues, and integrated resorts across the globe. From ideation to operation, Imagine’s team of industry pioneers draws upon decades of success in the fields of immersive design, awareness, and entertainment to consistently create and implement memorable and thought-provoking environments. The company’s custom experiences deliver focused messaging and serve to increase attendance wherever they are presented. Imagine Exhibitions, Inc., a global pioneer in traveling entertainment responsible for many internationally recognized exhibitions such as Titanic: The Exhibition, The Hunger Games: The Exhibition, Angry Birds: The Art Science Behind a Global Phenomenon, Jurassic World: The Exhibition, and Downton Abbey: The Exhibition.
Imagine Exhibitions is currently presenting more than 40 unique exhibitions in museums, science centers, aquariums, integrated resorts, and non-traditional venues worldwide. The Company also continues to design, open, and operate its own venues, along with creating and implementing permanent and semi-permanent museum, brand, and entertainment properties.
About EMC Presents EMC Presents is a partnership between CTS Eventim, one of the leading international providers of ticketing services and live entertainment, and award-winning tour promoter and producer Michael Cohl, creating one of the strongest global networks of promoters and venues. The partnership provides a comprehensive worldwide live entertainment platform, creating extraordinary shows and experiences, from concept creation to production and promotion. Michael Cohl’s career spans over 45 years as a Producer and Promoter for iconic entertainers, having worked with the world’s most recognized artists including Barbra Streisand, Oprah Winfrey, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, U2, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and many more. Michael’s strategies are credited with revolutionizing the touring industry worldwide. Besides his storied history in the music industry, Cohl has promoted multiple successful exhibitions including the original King Tut exhibit, “John Lennon: The New York City Years”, Bodies: The Exhibition, Jurassic World: The Exhibition, and Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains. Cohl, previously the chairman of Live Nation, was inducted into the Canadian Rock n Roll/Music Hall of Fame and has received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. Among his many other awards, Cohl has also been honored with an Emmy, the Billboard Legend of Live Award, the TJ Martell Foundation Man of the Year Award, a Peabody Award, and a JUNO Award for Special Achievement.
About The Franklin Institute Located in the heart of Philadelphia, The Franklin Institute is a renowned and innovative leader in the field of science and technology learning, as well as a dynamic center of activity. As Pennsylvania’s most visited museum, it is dedicated to creating a passion for learning about science by offering access to hands-on science education. For more information, visit www.fi.edu.
In recent months, Rowling has come under fire for her controversial opinions about trans people.
Because of her transphobic comments and actions, many users voiced their anger over the potential new spin-off, with many saying Rowling shouldn’t be on the receiving end of any further “Harry Potter”-related royalties.
Overall, though, users were upset at the idea of Rowling making more money off the series — despite the fact that she likely is continuing to receive royalties from existing “Harry Potter”-related movies, parks, and merchandise.
Numerous users called out the post for being transphobic, pointing out that trans men can menstruate, as can gender non-conforming and non-binary people.
They also pointed out that it erased the lived experiences of women who don’t menstruate, which can be the result of things like menopause or health conditions like endometriosis.
If you ask pretty much any fan of the Harry Potter books and movies what their number one dream is, it would probably be to visit Hogwarts. Number two? Ride a broomstick, preferably in the Quidditch Cup. And though there have been attempts at channeling the magic of those fictional experiences in the real world, not many have come close… Until now, at the Harry Potter Store in New York, which is adding two stunningly immersive Virtual Reality experiences, as of today.
After an extremely long delay due to — what else — COVID, the flagship Wizarding World store officially opened in New York on June 3, 2021. With two packed floors filled with authentic movie props, exclusive goodies, chances to take pictures in Hagrid’s giant shoes or taste some authentic, fizzy Butterbeer, the Harry Potter New York store is a paradise for fans of the franchise, albeit one that demands a hefty tax on your wallet if you want to walk away with all the exclusive merch.
What Harry Potter Store New York wasn’t, up until now, was something that you could really spend more than an hour or two browsing in. Granted, that’s already a pretty nice amount of time for something that is essentially a museum/gift shop, with a small cafe stuck on the side (for the Butterbeer and Butterbeer ice cream, naturally). These two new VR experiences will turn your visit from a casual shopping experience into a full day extravaganza.
And having walked through both of them, I’m here to say: it’s worth the time.
Like I mentioned earlier, there are a number of ways of experiencing Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, even the London streets Harry Potter traipsed around in with his friends and enemies, from the Studio Tour in the UK, to Universal Studios around the world, to pop-ups organized by fans and even unofficial bars (there’s used to a really good one in Toronto, RIP, The Lockhart). The Universal Studios experience in particular is incredibly immersive, with meticulous set design filled with Easter eggs and buildings that make you feel like you’re walking through the sets in the movie.
But being in a theme park with thousands of other guests, waiting a queue line to watch the movie actors entertain you with footage recorded years ago, is not exactly the same as living in the world of the films. Don’t get me wrong: I’ve been to the dual Wizarding World areas in Universal Studios Florida so many times, my blood is basically half pumpkin juice. Still, as magical as it is, there’s something that pulls you out of the fiction, from the Florida weather, to the massive crowds.
The two VR experiences at the Harry Potter Store New York (created by interactive software company Wevr for WarnerMedia) take things to another level. And I dare say that particularly for hardcore fans of the movies, there are parts that might come close to feeling like a religious experience, so visceral is the world you’re plunged into.
The recommended first experience (and I’d tend to agree) is called “Wizards Take Flight.” Located on the basement level of the store right past the fancy jewelry and next to a truly magical stationary shop, you’re whisked past a small area devoted to info about Quidditch, the sport created for the Wizarding World, and into what is outfitted to look like a locker room for a Quidditch team. There’s even a locker filled with used Quidditch gear for some guy named “Harry.”
Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros
There, an actor excitedly informs you that you’re going to get to do some broomstick training, and that you should put relatively innocuous VR sensors on your hands. You also choose your avatar, based on your Hogwarts house (of course), and four different variations of sex and skin color, though they’re all vague enough that they should cover pretty much any gender and heritage. Probably.
After a quick introduction in how to use wands — basically, put your hand behind your back, then throw it forward, and shout a spell — you’re taken into a dark, airy room with six broomsticks arranged in a circle. This part is easily the least magical section of the whole thing, and is surprisingly under-themed for Wizarding World experiences, which tend to be as immersive as possible. Also of note: the whole room and all the rigs are completely sanitized between each group who plays through the experience, which is also not magical, but is necessary when we’re still in the middle of a pandemic.
Okay, back to the walkthrough. After sitting down on the “broomstick,” you place the VR goggles on your head. One quick calibration later, and suddenly you’re seeing the pre-selected avatars of you and your fellow Hogwarts students sitting on brooms. And that’s when you start flying.
Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros
Look, I get that this is all brain tricks, but with a bit of wind from a fan in front of you, the “broom” lifting slightly off the ground, and good sound and excellently rendered CG graphics, your practice session flying over Hogwarts and the surrounding grounds feels like the real thing. You can’t really die or crash — if you run into a building, the rig mildly shakes and then you fly off in another direction, or if you knock into the ground you get right back up again — but by leaning to the right or left, as well as pushing or pulling the broom, it truly feels like you’re flying in the air over the same environs as seen in the movie.
There’s a part of me that wishes this was the whole experience, so thrilling was it to have free rein to soar around the Hogwarts grounds and explore. You’ll occasionally see your fellow flyers (I think, unless those were random CG models), but the whole environment feels so massive that they’re more often specks in the distance.
That’s when Dobby shows up. The apologetic house elf explains that you need to go help Hagrid, so you’re off to London to chase down some Death Eaters. The rest of the experience is a blast — sometimes literally — as you fly over the cityscape at night using your wand to stupefy Voldemort’s minions. Lightning crashes, you’re pelted with extremely light rain, and yes, you can still steer as you fly, though the path Hagrid is taking on his flying motorcycle mostly dictates where you’re headed. To that end, I missed the free play of the beginning a bit once this section started, though zooming over the Thames, and later, around the Quidditch pitch is still a lot of fun.
The reason it’s smart to do “Wizards Take Flight” first, and probably important at this point to mention they’re both separate tickets at $34 each for the 7-10 minute experiences, is that “Chaos at Hogwarts” is so far beyond even the delightful broomstick simulator. The skills you learn in the former, from using your wand, to orienting yourself in the digital world, will come in handy in the shockingly realistic journey through the Wizarding World’s premiere institute of learning.
Head up to the second floor of the Harry Potter Store in the real world, check in, and you’re climbing the stairs one additional level to King’s Cross Station. The outside is filled with more Easter eggs, from a Niffler that steals things off the departures board, to how occasionally the “A”s will turn into Deathly Hallows symbols. Once you’re ready to “board,” though, you’ll be brought into a gear room that is themed around seats at a train station.
Photo: Courtesy Warner Bros.
The gear itself is more intense for “Chaos at Hogwarts,” including the hand and head gear from the prior experience, as well as feet gear and a whole backpack attachment. Again, you enter a decidedly unmagical room, and this time are asked to stand on a number you’ve been assigned. After another tech check, this time a blueprint wireframe of King’s Cross Station, you see your pre-chosen avatars next to you (you choose a new Avatar each time, so if you want to be Slytherin in one and Hufflepuff in the other: live your dream). You walk forward, grip a real handle that seems to be connected to virtual luggage, and run through the wall to reach Platform 9 3/4, home of the Hogwarts Express.
So there you are, standing on the train platform, maybe you turn your head and see the train leave, maybe you see the other avatars (they’re basically like something out of Ready Player One, but with slightly more rendered LEGO person hands), but it’s not clear what you do next. That’s when Dobby asks you to come around the corner.
Reader, I was so confused. Come around the corner? Walk forward? But we’re on a small platform in a room on the third floor of a store off Madison Square park… Right? There’s no “around the corner.” I know this all sounds silly, but the way your brain tricks you into creating a new three dimensional space in the pre-existing, real space you’re actually existing in is immediately mind-warping.
Photo: Courtesy Warner Bros.
Thankfully, they ease you into it, as Dobby explains he needs to get a special suitcase to Hogwarts. Fans will know that it’s Newt Scamander’s suitcase from the Fantastic Beasts movies, and it’s no big spoiler that it’s full of creatures who go wild. But first, Dobby transports you to a boat to Hogwarts, and then to Hogwarts itself.
Here’s where you grab your wands, another disorienting moment as you pick up a real wand in virtual space. In “Chaos at Hogwarts” you can use nearly any spell in the Harry Potter books, at any time. Stupefy, Wingardium Leviosa… You can even use Avada Kedavra, a death curse, which causes your wand to smoke and shake in your hand. Some of those spells play into the story, or are prompts from Dobby, but little moments like when myself and my party were in a dark area of the school and figured out we could use Lumos, the lighting spell, were revelations.
(And as a little note, you can also play around with these various spells in “Wizards Take Flight,” too, though I was mostly focused on stupefying Death Eaters in that experience.)
The true stand-out of the experience though — and there are many — is when you enter the central area of the school, with it’s nearly infinite moving paintings, and constantly shifting staircases. As you stand on one, intellectually you know that the real platform below you is mildly shaking, and you’re not going anywhere. It doesn’t matter. It feels like a staircase is shifting from one side of the room to another. And the sheer scale of it makes it feel like you are in there in Hogwarts at that moment. For real.
I won’t spoil all the surprises in “Chaos at Hogwarts,” but I will say that thanks to the amount of walking you do, carefully crossing over wet stones, riding elevators with ghosts, and battling everything from pixies to a massive extremely realistic dragon, I would pay double the money for a tape of everyone stumbling around the room in the real world. It’s wild the tricks your brain can pull on you, with some clever sound and the right external cues.
It also helps if you’re with a group you know and trust… I ran through “Chaos at Hogwarts” once with a group of strangers, and we were all hesitant and clearly keeping our social distance. The second time I traversed Hogwarts with people I knew, and the interaction made everything so much better, as we talked to each other in real life while our avatars were in the virtual world. It even helped us unlock a different part of the experience… Suffice to say, whether you work together to stop the dragon from running amok, or don’t, things go in very different directions.
That’s one of the joys, too, particularly with “Chaos at Hogwarts.” While many sections are pre-dictated, or will eventually reach their conclusion whether you participate or not, others can be changed and tweaked simply by using the wrong spell at the wrong time. It’s the sort of experience that demands multiple visits, just to figure out all the secrets and Easter eggs in the experience.
(One particularly weird one I was told, but did not try: stick your head in the dragon at the end if you manage to subdue him, as some intrepid designer actually rendered the dragon’s insides.)
Ultimately, it’s understandable that not everyone will want to shell out $68 for two VR experiences, or want to spend an entire day of their New York vacation inside a store. However, like a good theme park ride, even with the short-ish running time, this is fulfilling experience that you’ll want to do again — and again. And for diehards, it’s the chance to live out a life-long dream, and finally go to Hogwarts, or fly on a broomstick. It really is that immersive, and that good — the pictures and video currently online don’t do justice to actually “living” it.
A cafe in Scotland’s capital Edinburgh, where author J.K. Rowling wrote some of the Harry Potter books, has been damaged in a fire.
The Elephant House in Edinburgh suffered smoke and water damage after a blaze broke out at the patisserie next door on Tuesday.
More than 60 firefighters and 12 fire engines were deployed to tackle the blaze. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said one of its crew members was taken to hospital as a precaution and later released.
Images showed the cafe with its front windows gone, a ruined interior and debris lying outside.
Owner David Taylor told the BBC he was “devastated” by the extensive damage to his business. He said the cafe would likely be closed for months for repairs.
The Elephant House is a regular stop for Harry Potter fans and long bore a sign declaring itself as the “birthplace” of the fictional young wizard.
Rowling has disputed that, saying she began writing the magical stories before she moved to Edinburgh. But she confirmed she frequented the cafe while penning some of the seven-book series.
The Patisserie Valerie, where Tuesday’s fire started, also was heavily damaged. Firefighters remained at the scene in Edinburgh’s Old Town with the street closed off into Wednesday.
Daniel Radcliffe is open to taking on other roles for a hypothetical “Harry Potter” reboot.
While appearing on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Radcliffe and his current costars from the TBS series “Miracle Workers” all revealed who they’d play in a “Harry Potter” reboot when asked by the podcast’s host, Josh Horowitz.
“I would probably want to go with like, Sirius [Black] or [Remus] Lupin,” Radcliffe said. “Those were always the two characters that I was like, ‘They’re great.'”
Sirius Black and Remus Lupin’s roles were played by Gary Oldman and David Thewlis, respectively, in the beloved films based on controversial author J.K. Rowling‘s book series.
Though talks of a “Harry Potter” reboot would make fans happy, it’s unlikely to happen anytime soon. HBO Max and Warner Bros. told the New York Post in a statement Tuesday that “there are no ‘Harry Potter’ series in development at the studio or on the streaming platform.”
Sheboygan, Wis. — British actor Tom Felton, known for his portrayal of Draco Malfoy in the “Harry Potter” movies, collapsed while playing a celebrity golf exhibition Thursday at the Ryder Cup.
Ryder Cup organizers said only that Felton experienced “a medical incident” at Whistling Straits and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. They provided no other information.
Felton was on the 18th hole when he went down. He was helped to his feet, placed on a stretcher and driven away in a golf cart. He turned 34 on Wednesday.
Felton was representing Europe in the celebrity match, which is held the day before the U.S. and Europe start the Ryder Cup.
He has appeared in a number of movies, most notably eight films in the “Harry Potter” series.
While debating heretics, early Christians used the Greek term “hypostasis” – meaning “substance” and “subsistence” – to help define their belief in the Incarnation of Jesus as one person, yet with divine and human natures.
This “hypostatic union” is not the kind of subject a comedian typically raises on a TV talk show while chatting about mortality with a Hollywood legend. Then again, Norm Macdonald – who died on Sept. 14 after a secret nine-year fight with cancer – wasn’t a typical funny man. He openly identified as a Christian, while making it clear that he didn’t consider himself a very good one.
During an episode of “Norm Macdonald Has a Show,” the former “Saturday Night Live” star asked Jane Fonda – who at one point briefly embraced evangelical Christianity – this question: “Are you a religious person?”
“I have faith,” said Fonda. The host quickly asked, “In Jesus Christ?” Hesitating, Fonda called herself “a work in progress,” saying she accepted “the historical Jesus.”
Macdonald responded: “But do you believe in the hypostatic Jesus?”
When Fonda said “no,” he added, “So, you’re not a Christian. But you believe, you believe in something.”
Raised vaguely Protestant in Canada, Macdonald didn’t discuss the brand-name specifics of his faith even as he wrestled with his own demons, such as habitual gambling. Yet he could be stunningly specific when addressing criticisms of Christian beliefs. As a judge on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” he quietly shot down a contestant who trashed the Bible before praising the Harry Potter series.
“I think if you’re going to take on an entire religion, you should maybe know what you’re talking about,” said Macdonald. “J.K. Rowling is a Christian, and J.K. Rowling famously said that if you’re familiar with the scriptures, you could easily guess the ending of her book.”
The result was a public persona laced with paradoxes – an edgy, courageous comic who often seemed unconcerned if his work pleased the public or his employers. Nevertheless, superstars such as David Letterman, Jerry Seinfeld, Bob Newhart and others hailed him as a deadpan comic genius, and mourned his passing at the age of 61.
“I am absolutely devastated about Norm Macdonald,” tweeted Conan O’Brien, who once clashed with network leaders about how often he could feature Macdonald as a guest. “Norm had the most unique comedic voice I have ever encountered, and he was so relentlessly and uncompromisingly funny. I will never laugh that hard again.”
In a tribute entitled “Norm Macdonald – Dostoyevsky in Front of a Red Brick Wall,” Ricochet editor Jon Gabriel offered this summary: “The smartest comedians portray themselves as the dumbest; Norm Macdonald was the best at this sleight of hand. He graduated high school at 14, read Russian literature in his downtime and had long philosophical discussions with clergy. … Macdonald was a student of human nature first, comedy second.”
During his decade with cancer, Macdonald – as a talk-show host and guest – frequently discussed death and dying and the Big Issues looming in the background.
During one such encounter, talk-show giant Larry King turned the tables and asked Macdonald to, once and for all, address years of media chatter about his “religious views.”
“I’m a Christian,” Macdonald replied. “It’s not stylish to say that now.”
King pushed on: “Are you devout? … You believe in the Lord?”
“Yes, I do,” Macdonald said.
Unaware that he was interviewing a man with cancer, King asked: “You think that you’re going somewhere when (life) ends?”
“Well, I don’t BELIEVE it,” Macdonald replied, saying the word “believe” in a way that added verbal quotation marks.
“What people don’t understand about faith is that you have to CHOOSE. You know what I mean? They think that you believe it – but you have to choose.”
When King said that he simply could not believe, because of the presence of evil in the world, the comedian quipped: “It sounds like you have a God-shaped hole in your heart.”
Macdonald was even more concise in a tweet posted on Oct. 17, 2017 – the date of annual “Reformation Day” celebrations observed, alongside All Hallows’ Eve, by Lutherans and some other Protestants.
“Scripture. Faith. Grace. Christ, Glory of God,” wrote Macdonald. “Smart man says nothing is a miracle. I say everything is.”
Terry Mattingly leads GetReligion.org and lives in Oak Ridge. He is a senior fellow at the Overby Center at the University of Mississippi.
Well, did it? Well yes, and no. It’s understandable that films add their own twists here and there, or interpret something differently as compared to how we imagined it. There is obviously more action than what we read, for instance Harry doesn’t fly around with the dragon, thrashing around the castle as shown in the film, but we don’t mind that.
It’s also fair that every scene cannot make it to the film. Yet, as in the case of the Harry Potter films, significant plotlines or characters that were intrinsic to the development and progression of the story were omitted.
The first two films Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber Of Secrets were more or less faithful to the books, perhaps because the novels were less complex at the time. Yet, Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban the pivotal point of the series, which was arguably one of the best books, set high expectations for the film. Alfonso Cuarón directed the film, and while he brought stylistic changes, there was change in the content as well. The turbulent relationship between Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), which is one of the crucial points of the series, was hardly addressed in the third film. In the book, the two had fought over the fact that Hermione’s cat had almost eaten Scabbers (who was actually Peter Pettigrew, the man who betrayed Harry’s parents). Yet, in the film, there’s just one dialogue about it and that ends there.
The trio’s friendship was particularly fractured in the third book, and they feel a twinge of shame when Hagrid tells them ‘I thought you valued your friendship more than broomsticks and rats, that’s all.” That was the beauty of the books, they weren’t just about unraveling the backstory of Voldemort, bringing him and the Death Eaters down, while an irresponsible government turned their backs on them. It was also the development of the trio’s relationships with each other, as well as the people around them.
Ron and Hermione’s fights were also a stepping stone to their budding romance in the later books. The third film, with all the lead performances and special effects of the hippogriffs, missed out on the key elements of the teenage angst, as well as the Marauders backstory, which is probably one of the biggest missed opportunities in the film. In the book, where Sirius meets Harry and Lupin in the Shrieking Shack, the two of them narrate the entire story of their friendship with their father, the need for the Shrieking Shack, as well as the Marauders Map. The film shows none of this.
Ron’s character suffers injustice in the later films, as he’s reduced to a handful of comic lines on the side. Ron is one of the most human characters in the series, with his feelings of insecurity and anger at being the hero’s best friend. He has always been shunted to the side, in front of his over-achieving brothers.Yet, in the film, none of this is addressed. He slowly peters out, and even the depth of his feelings with Hermione doesn’t receive much attention. It becomes a waste of Rupert Grint.
One of the cue scenes in the seventh book, is when he breaks down as he realises Hermione is being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange. Unfortunately, we don’t see that intensity. Their relationship, fraught with much tension and angst, gets just a birds-eye view in the later films. So, forgive us for not quite feeling the chemistry when their much-awaited kiss happens in the seventh film.
Well, it’s still a better treatment than what Harry and Ginny’s relationship received in the films. Ginny Weasley is a spunky, fierce and sharp woman by the fifth book, who even leads the DA when Harry is not there. Yet in the films, she appears demure and docile with a dialogue here and there, even bending down to tie Harry’s shoelaces. There’s no spotlight on Harry and Ginny’s relationship in the film franchise, another fatal weakness. Understandably Rowling herself brought forth their relationship in a burst in the sixth book, but it still deserves some storyline.
The fourth film directed by Mike Newell, Goblet Of Fire, obliterates key elements such as the presence of Winky, the House Elf, who plays a crucial role in serving the Crouch family and knows many of the dark secrets. Barty Crouch Sr fires Winky in the books, and she starts working in the Hogwarts kitchens with Dobby, much to her dismay. Hermione’s furious at the treatment of Winky and begins SPEW (Society or Promotion for Elfish Welfare), which was a fun aspect of her personality that could have been incorporated in the films. Yet, there’s no SPEW, or Winky in the film at all. There is the glaring absence of Ludo Bagman, who is said to have ties to Lord Voldemort. Rita Skeeter, the gossipy journalist, is an animagus, which is another key revelation in the book but never makes it to the film. As a matter of opinion, Hermione coming to the Yule Ball and sobbing when Ron fights with her, seems honestly absurd for her character.
A fight between the two of them, as shown in the book, would have been much more interesting to see. The Triwizard Torunament’s third task misses the elements of Boggarts and Skrewts, and the film brought in its own spook and elements—impressive, but we did miss the original chills too. Barty Crouch Jr’s fate after confessing the murders, also remains a mystery in the film. In the book, the dementor sucks his soul out, leaving him as a vegetable, which means that he cannot confess in front of the Wizengamot. In the film, we don’t hear anything about him.
Tom Felton as Malfoy, as admirable and snarky as he is, is only seen in flashes. We only get glimpses and snatches of the turmoil inside him in the sixth film, as he struggles within himself. Otherwise, he’s just there as the arch-nemesis, watching from the sidelines.
Order Of The Phoenix, the fifth book, the lengthiest in the series was probably the most difficult to adapt as it had explanation of the prophecy, the beginning of Dumbledore’s Army (DA) and the fiercely-hated Dolores Umbridge. Ironically, while the film did manage to do justice to these elements, key storylines such as Harry being banned from Quidditch—the sport that he lived for, and how the Gryffindor team would have to win without him, were not in the film. Ron’s confidence issues, Ginny taking the lead, none of this was incorporated in the film. Yet, the most jarring part about Order Of The Phoenix, is the missing scene with Kreacher. In the book, Harry has a vision about Sirius being tortured at the Department Of Mysteries. He uses Floo powder to travel to see if he is still at Grimmauld Place. Kreacher lies and says he isn’t home. This scene of Kreacher does not feature in the film, and he has no role in Sirius’s fate.
The heartbreaking moments of St Mungo’s hospital that give insight into Neville Longbottom’s character don’t make it to the film either. In the book, Neville visits his parents in the hospital as they’ve been tortured into insanity by Barty Crouch Jr and the Lestranges. It’s a poignant moment, with regard to Neville’s personality. Even Dumbledore’s explanation of the prophecy, which is connected to Neville, is cut short in the film. The absence of these elements takes away from the essence of characters, because the book readers would have imagined something entirely differently.
The sixth film, Half-Blood Prince, as hard-hitting as the cinematography was, seemed to have departed from the book and the makers left out many details as they pleased. In the book, Lupin is hesitant about returning Nympadora Tonks’s love owing to the fact that he’s a werewolf, but in the film, they’re a couple from the beginning itself. As mentioned earlier, Ginny becoming this silent muse was rather discomforting.
There were thrilling action scenes, to be sure, but they didn’t seem to add up. The Burrow doesn’t burn down in the book as it does in the film, a sequence that seems pointless because the house is intact in the seventh film. The flashbacks with Tom Riddle and his backstory with Morfin Gaunt, Bob Ogden, Marvolo Gaunt are cut down, which is a big missed opportunity as it just skims the surface of Voldemort’s story behind his thirst for power, domination and demand for pure race. You don’t even get an explanation of Snape’s reason to choose the name Half-Blood Prince, in the film. Harry and Ginny’s sudden romance is phoned in randomly, without much discussion or development.
The seventh book, The Deathly Hallows was the climax of the series and showed the final realization of Snape’s truth, the Battle Of Hogwarts, the desperation of the Horcrux hunt. Harry, Ron and Hermione are exhausted, burnt out, and tempers are on the rise. Part One of the film did its best to incorporate all these emotions, probably did more justice than the second film. Harry and Hermione’s dance after Ron leaves, might have been interpreted differently by readers, but it wasn’t a jarring change. In fact, it added some sweetness to their friendship.
Dobby’s death was as heartbreaking as it was in the book, and Ron finally killing the horcrux was satisfying, as it was a sign of him breaking through all the fears that had bogged him down. Yet, Wormtail’s death, which was more chilling in the book, plays out differently in the film. Wormtail shows some mercy to Ron and Harry in the cellar. However, the hand that Voldemort crafted for him, strangles him to death. In the film, Dobby stuns Wormtail and he just becomes a comedic noise and falls down. It pales in comparison to the death that he actually receives.
In the second part, perhaps the most disappointing aspect was the final duel between Voldemort and Harry. It’s a flashy take on the real fight than what happens in the book, as the two even abandon wands and start punching each other (groan). Harry’s line, “Let’s end this the way we began, Tom,” doesn’t quite make sense in the film because that’s not how it all began. Of course, Bellatrix Lestrange bursting into confetti thanks to Molly Weasley’s death spell, looked rather absurd, and took away from Molly’s character, who had just lost a son, Fred in the battle.
And perhaps, something the fans have never forgiven the films for: The absence of Peeves, the Poltergeist. There could have been so much humourous scenes and comic relief created with him.
The books are layered, complex and delve into the darker zones of human psyche at points. It’s not just about good vs evil, the characters have numerous shades of greys and are far more nuanced than the films have given credit for. Well, the Harry Potter universe is expanding. Let’s see what the next films bring, even if they’re not the adaptations of the original books we grew up with.
Potterheads can practically taste the Butterbeer already.
Author J.K. Rowling’s groundbreaking “Harry Potter” franchise has chosen a new home for its flagship store in New York City, Warner Bros. has announced. Opening this June, the three-story Flatiron space boasts over 20,00 square feet of shopping, activities and opportunities to make magic happen (particularly, the vanishing toy budget trick).
Guests can peruse 15 distinct areas of Harry Potter New York, including a large-scale statue of Fawkes the Phoenix that lords over the entrance — an NYC exclusive that was handcrafted by a team of custom propmakers, who prepared a number of one-of-a-kind features throughout the store.
For those witches and warlocks who need to book it back to the Wizarding World, the New York store is also home to a London phone box where they can be transported back to the Ministry of Magic headquarters. Muggles, on the other hand, are invited to snap a few photos and be on their way. Wand engraving, House robe embroidery and other personalized sacraments of sorcery will also be available.
This giant Fawkes the Phoenix statue is exclusive to the New York store.
Flying broomsticks wouldn’t be allowed inside, so they’ve installed a number of virtual reality stations to give visitors the experience of flying without the liability, as well as an up-close look at the enchanting Hogwarts campus.
Butterbeer is a staple beverage of Diagon Alley.REUTERS
Peckish visitors can also refuel on signature snacks usually found only at Diagon Alley, such as Honeydukes’ Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans and the magician’s staple brew, Butterbeer.
Bona fide fans may be most intrigued by the store’s collection of graphic artifacts from the book series, including a showcase of Daily Prophet covers, issues of the Quibbler and Harry’s acceptance letter into Hogwarts. All told, more than 1,000 Wizarding World props will be on display, many of which were used in the films.
The House of MinaLima features a showcase of graphic artifacts from the “Harry Potter” series, such issues of the Quibbler and Harry’s acceptance letter into Hogwarts.Warner Bros.
In the interest of safety during a lingering pandemic, customers will be asked to observe a queue, which they can enter by using their smartphones to scan a QR code that saves their place in line.
Harry Potter New York opens June 3 at 935 Broadway. In the meantime, shoppers can take a peek at what’s in store on their website.
Visitors will have the opportunity to scan a QR code at the store’s entrance to be notified when they are allowed to enter.Warner Bros.
