Pierre Bohanna and the Magical Props of the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts” Films

Whether it’s for cosplay or if it’s just something to add to your collection, having a replica of a Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts character’s wand is an awesome thing to have for fans all over the world. There are many replica designers who can nail the elegant shell design on Queenie Goldstein’s wand, but nobody can truly capture the magic of one of a witch or wizard’s most important tools like Pierre Bohanna.

Bohanna is the head prop maker for the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, and as we found when we visited the Prop Department on the Crimes of Grindelwald film set last year, his work is a sight to behold. Recently, Bohanna talked with the Yorkshire Post about his experience creating the incredible props. While on a press tour for the release of the Crimes of Grindlewald DVD, Bohanna expressed that he had no idea how big the Harry Potter films would become:

It was in June 2000 that I got asked to be involved with the film. They were a big thing, but not on the scale that they are now…we were totally ignorant of what was to come. The expectation was that there was a good likelihood of making a second film but that was about it.

Bohanna went on to explain what some of the challenges were in creating the characters’ wands:

In Harry Potter, the wands are possessed by one character and have ended up as they are because of the choices and tastes of each character. So at the beginning of the film, you go to talk to the major creatives about it and and what their image of the character is.

The process of creating an original wand is quite thorough, with a lot of people involved from start to finish. Read more about Bohanna’s production routine in the rest of the interview.

Which character in the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films owns the wand that you like best? Let us know what you think in the comments.