Viktor Krum, Seamus Finnigan, Arthur Weasley… Why do the actors playing these Harry Potter characters all end up in Bourg-en-Bresse? This weekend, Mark Williams, Ron’s dad in the hit saga, is expected in the Les 3 Reliques store in Ain. The event was sold out within hours. Slots have even been added so that everyone can have their picture taken with the actor.
“People come from Paris, Nord-Pas-de-Calais or even Switzerland,” comments Flavio Oliveira, one of the shop owners. The 3 Relics, which organizes the signings. “It’s exceptional because it’s in Bourg-en-Bresse”, agrees the co-founder of the place. But how did they convince Mark Williams to move to Ain?
When it opened a year and a half ago, this shop bet on becoming “the biggest in France” in the Harry Potter universe. And since then, the two enthusiasts have given themselves the means. “We have 230 m2 dedicated to the saga which allows us to have a lot of products compared to others, they comment. In addition, the store is fully decorated so that the experience is complete for customers. And above all, we bet on the organization of unique events. »
Before the arrival of Ron’s father, fans of the bespectacled wizard were able to meet Seamus Finnigan, played by Devon Murray, and Viktor Krum, played by Stanislav Ianevski in the fourth installment of the saga, in the only specialized store in the department.
Make the event something special
The magic recipe for bringing in these international players? “A lot of research” to find the number of an agent in charge of twenty actors. “Then we had to prove to him that our shop was worth it,” recalls Flavio. Some get taken off the list. The first two events confirmed the “credibility” of the places. “Stanislav Ianevski told us that he was impressed by the universe and above all, by the number of people who came to see him. Same thing for Devon Murray, proudly launches the 26-year-old entrepreneur. According to their feedback, we are in second place, after an Italian store, in terms of attendance. »
For him, this success is also explained by the extraordinary nature of the event. “We set ourselves two meetings of such a scale per year so that the community does not get used to seeing actors in Bourg-en-Bresse every week, confides the entrepreneur. And then, being the only shop in Ain and being in a small town, it’s less difficult to federate. When a personality comes, there is only that. In Lyon, for example, it would have been less crazy because the expectations are not the same and the information might have gone unnoticed. »
Who will be the next star of the saga to come?
Thus, the two owners, originally from the capital of Gaul, do not “regret” having embarked on the adventure in Bourg-en-Bresse. Even if they are targeting a “niche” audience, they remain confident for the future. “Whether you’re a fan or not, everyone knows Harry Potter. Even today, more than twenty years after the release of the first book, it is the best-selling toy license in the world. We see as many 40-year-old mothers as 5-year-old children or collectors. Harry Potter is something that will remain, like Disney, inscribed in time and generations”, assures Flavio.
And to keep this enthusiasm alive, the managers have plenty of projects in store. In particular, the next star who will pass through the town to meet the fans. And it might just be a woman this time…