To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the third opus of the magical saga, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour of London invites you to leave the world of Muggles and immerse yourself in the emblematic settings of the film from May 1 to September 4, 2024. The divination room, the Magicobus, the Defense Against the Dark Arts course, and even the bedroom Harry in the Leaky Cauldron, the exhibition immerses you in this film, considered a fan favorite. For the occasion, we reveal three filming secrets that you may not have known. Watch in the video at the top of this article!
Genuine laughter during Defense Against the Dark Arts class
It’s a scene that has left its mark on more than one Potterhead. During the first lesson with new teacher Remus Lupin, the students are confronted with Boggarts, magical creatures taking the form of their greatest fears. The objective: to conquer his fears using the Riddikulus spell.
Neville Longbottom, the clumsiest student, goes first. His greatest fear, Potions Professor Severus Snape, comes out of the cupboard. Once the spell is cast, Snape finds himself dressed in Neville’s grandmother’s clothes. What is not said is that this costume was a surprise for the young actors, who exploded with laughter when they saw the actor, always very serious, dressed as a grandmother. This spontaneous laughter was kept in the final scene.
A tower of 511 cups of tea
Another filming secret is hidden in Professor Trelawney’s divination room. A tower of 511 antique cups and saucers has been erected. The decorators visited numerous markets, auctions and specialist dealers to find all the teacups needed for the classroom, including the one used by Harry, made in Japan in the 19th century, now on display at the Studio Tour.
When designing the sets, production designer Stephenie McMillan and production designer Stuart Craig took inspiration from the traditional tea rooms of India and the Middle East. The room was draped in rich red fabric and decorated with velvet poufs, numerous patterned rugs and oriental-style lanterns, creating a classroom in which the eccentric Professor Trelawney would feel at home.
The Magicobus, not so magical
He startled us with his dangerous driving. The Magicobus, this famous purple double-decker bus, is also present in the exhibition. But filming with such a tall bus was not easy. In fact, two buses were used to film these scenes. The first, which rolled through the streets of London, had to be dismantled using a huge crane to pass under the bridges. The top would be removed, the bus would pass, and then the roof would be put back on. To shoot the scenes inside the bus, a replica was built in the studios. It came to life and moved to imitate the sensation of a moving bus.
During production, the filmmakers created this fast-paced journey using some of cinema’s oldest techniques, filming the bus at normal speed while the cars around it drove at a snail’s pace. The footage was then sped up to give the impression that the Magicobus was traveling at breakneck speed.