Warner Bros. Studio Tour London Announces Mandrakes and Magical Creatures Feature

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Today, April 20, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London announced a fantastic new feature, being called Mandrakes and Magical Creatures. For the first time ever, fans will be able to step inside Professor Sprout’s Herbology greenhouse and interact with mandrakes – and they might even catch a glimpse of some Venomous Tentacula.

Brand-new for 2022, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is opening the glass doors of Professor Sprout’s greenhouse for the very first time. The greenhouse is a fan-favourite set from the Harry Potter film series, where students were taught their Herbology lessons with Professor Pomona Sprout. Built by the original Harry Potter filmmakers, the greenhouse is home to many exotic and magical plants. Just like a Hogwarts student, visitors to the Studio Tour will be able to step into the greenhouse and stop to pull out a potted [m]andrake as part of an interactive display.

 

 

Even more magical? The Herbology greenhouse will be a permanent addition to the Studio Tour – joining locations such as the Forbidden Forest and Gringotts – when it opens on July 1. Additionally, the Studio Tour notes that fans can expect a greeting from the Hogwarts Frog Choir.

As part of the feature, visitors will be welcomed into the Great Hall to the Frog Choir scene as seen in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, featuring the costume of [the] conductor of the choir, Professor Flitwick, as worn by Warwick Davis.

Frogs aren’t the only creatures involved either. Some creatures of the more magical variety will be showcased too.

Keen-eyed fans should be on the lookout for their favourite magical creatures as they explore the Studio Tour, as Cornish [p]ixies, Dumbledore’s beloved Fawkes and the animatronic Monster Book of Monsters can be spotted during their visit. In addition, fans of filmmaking will learn how Thestrals and [m]andrakes were brought to life using a mixture of scale models and CGI in the Creatures Workshop.

The Studio Tour has also slipped in that the backlot is getting some new additions, and that includes a fan-favorite residence.

In addition to the exciting addition of Professor Sprout’s greenhouse, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London will be expanding the exterior sets in their backlot with new additions including the fountain from the Hogwarts courtyard and a 1:3 scale-version [sic] of the Weasleys’ Burrow.

Looking to purchase your tickets for a visit to the Studio Tour? You’ll want to note that the Mandrakes and Magical Creatures feature won’t be permanent, but many of its components will be.

Professor Sprout’s greenhouse, the courtyard fountain and the exterior of the Weasleys’ Burrow will be permanent additions to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. The Mandrakes and Magical Creatures feature will run from 1st July [to] 12th September 2022.

Are you excited for Mandrakes and Magical Creatures? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Press Release
STEP INTO PROFESSOR SPROUT’S GREENHOUSE AS PART OF A BRAND-NEW FEATURE COMING TO WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR LONDON

Brand-new for 2022, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is opening the glass doors of Professor Sprout’s greenhouse for the very first time. The greenhouse is a fan-favourite set from the Harry Potter film series, where students were taught their Herbology lessons with Professor Pomona Sprout. Built by the original Harry Potter filmmakers, the greenhouse is home to many exotic and magical plants. Just like a Hogwarts student, visitors to the Studio Tour will be able to step into the greenhouse and stop to pull out a potted [m]andrake as part of an interactive display.

Based on the scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, visitors will recognise the Venomous Tentacula hanging from the ceiling as they walk through the greenhouse. During filming, various techniques were used to achieve the movement of the magical plants. The sinuous grasping movement of the Tentacula’s tendrils was computer-generated; however, the movement of the [m]andrakes was achieved using animatronic controllers hidden beneath the table.

The greenhouse is a permanent addition to the Studio Tour and will open as part of a brand-new feature, Mandrakes and Magical Creatures, which will open on 1st July 2022. As part of the feature, visitors will be welcomed into the Great Hall to the Frog Choir scene as seen in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, featuring the costume of [the] conductor of the choir, Professor Flitwick, as worn by Warwick Davis.

Keen-eyed fans should be on the lookout for their favourite magical creatures as they explore the Studio Tour, as Cornish [p]ixies, Dumbledore’s beloved Fawkes and the animatronic Monster Book of Monsters can be spotted during their visit. In addition, fans of filmmaking will learn how Thestrals and [m]andrakes were brought to life using a mixture of scale models and CGI in the Creatures Workshop.

In addition to the exciting addition of Professor Sprout’s greenhouse, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London will be expanding the exterior sets in their backlot with new additions including the fountain from the Hogwarts courtyard and a 1:3 scale-version [sic] of the Weasleys’ Burrow.

The scale-model [sic] of [t]he Burrow is an exciting addition to the Studio Tour’s backlot area, as film-making [sic] fans will learn the camera trickery behind the external scenes of the family home, seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. During production, [t]he Burrow took filmmakers 14 weeks to build but only six minutes to burn down in the iconic scene where the Death Eaters set the home ablaze.

Professor Sprout’s greenhouse, the courtyard fountain and the exterior of the Weasleys’ Burrow will be permanent additions to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. The Mandrakes and Magical Creatures feature will run from 1st July [to] 12th September 2022.

 

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Mary W.

I am a Slytherin, a lifelong fan of Harry Potter, and a member of MuggleNet staff since 2014. In my Muggle life, I am passionate about human rights, and I love to travel around the world and meet new people.