Warner Bros. Studio Tour Celebrates First Anniversary

by · March 31, 2013

It has been exactly a year since Warner Bros. welcomed its legions of fans over the threshold of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. Since the star-studded grand opening last March, the tour has won over the hearts of fans and critics alike with its all-access insight into bringing this iconic story to life. It’s only fitting, then, that the studio tour should celebrate in style, and MuggleNet was on hand to witness the many treats on offer.

The first treat of the day was the 1st Year Anniversary badges being handed out to every visitor. Then, one lucky person from each group was offered limited-edition prizes at the start of the tour while everyone else was promised more prizes and surprises as they made their way through, speaking with the incredibly knowledgeable Interactors. However, the taster that piqued our interest was the offer to visit Hagrid’s hut (invisibility cloak optional). As we arrived, we were treated to the very special appearance of the true Potter trio: Hedwig, Pigwidgeon, and Crookshanks.

We were also fortunate enough to have a quick word with the brilliant Julie Tottman, animal trainer on all eight of the Potter films, which is featured in the video below.

After these exciting tidbits, we were once again allowed to enjoy the wonders of the tour at our leisure before diving headfirst into the gift shop. For any Quidditch players out there, it is worth noting that the tour has released a whole range of sports merchandise, including Quaffles and Bludgers as well as House-branded kits.

So one year on and the studio tour is as fantastic as ever. After celebrating its millionth ticket sale at the end of the last year, you would be forgiven for thinking things may have slowed down. However, neither of us in attendance today had seen the place quite so busy despite having five previous visits between us. This is further proof that the magic of Potter will live on for many years to come.

 

 

Full Transcript with Julie Tottman, Sunday, March 31, 2013

Transcribed by Marissa Osman

Claire Furner: You worked on all of the films?

Julie Tottman: All of the films, yes. [I] absolutely loved every minute of it.

Claire: One thing that really intrigued me is that you said owls are really stupid, or they're not as smart as we think they are. I'm like, "That seems ridiculous."

Julie: Yeah, everybody seems to think [of] the wise owl and it totally is not true. I don't know if you've heard me say this before, but what we would teach an owl in four months, we could teach a [unintelligible] or a raven in two weeks.

Claire: Wow!

Julie: So that gives you an idea [of] just how slow it is.

[Both laugh]

Claire: What was your favorite pet you worked with?

Julie: I think Crackerjack, who we're going to meet in a moment. [He] played Crookshanks. And the Fang dogs are my passion, actually. Most of them are rescues, so it was just lovely getting them and seeing them in quite a state and then [getting] them healthy, and confident, and filming with them.

Claire: Saving lives through Potter. Is there anything you're working on at the moment?

Julie: I'm doing a lot of commercials at the moment. I'm just about to do a [television series] called Mr. Sloane with Dobermans. We've got some possible animals on Tarzan [that are] going to be out at the end of the year. Many commercials; we're really busy doing commercials. Crackerjack - who plays Crookshanks - has just done a little film called Hello Carter so look out for that.

Claire: How did you get into animal training and working on films?

Julie: When I first left school, I was a dog hairdresser because I've always wanted to work with animals. I couldn't be a vet, really. And then an ex-boyfriend's father was an art director in film, he asked me if I would take a few animals along to a film he was doing, and I absolutely loved it.

Claire: Film often works that way. Someone knew someone. [laughs]

Julie: Yeah! And then I did the Dalmatian films over at Shepperton, and that's when we were called into Warner Bros. to see if we wanted to take on Harry Potter. It's a bit [unintelligible], really. [There are] so many animals.

Claire: If you have one highlight from the whole of your Harry Potter experience, what would it be?

Julie: I honestly would say rescuing the animals.

 

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