Latest news with #StudioTour
RTÉ News
23-05-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Tourism Ireland begins sales trip to Asia
Tourism Ireland and eight tourism companies from Ireland are taking part in a sales trip to Asia. They will visit Beijing and Shanghai in China and Seoul in South Korea during the eight day trip. The schedule includes five B2B events in the three cities, with the participating companies from Ireland engaging in over 1,000 commercial meetings with Chinese and South Korean travel professionals. "Our sales blitz to Beijing, Shanghai and Seoul provides an excellent platform to highlight the many things to see and do, and all that is new and exciting, on a holiday in Ireland in 2025," said Aisling McDermott, Tourism Ireland's Head of Global Partnerships. "It's a great opportunity for our tourism partners from Ireland to inform and influence the Chinese and South Korean travel professionals they meet about what the island has to offer and, importantly, to encourage them to include the destination in their future programmes and recommend it to their clients," she added. Tourism businesses joining Tourism Ireland's sales blitz to Asia include the Game of Thrones Studio Tour, GroupMeals, Irish Brand Homes, Kildare Village, Rachel Sunshine International Ltd, Stena Line, Titanic Belfast and Zatino Travel.
North Wales Live
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
Giant animatronic dragon from Harry Potter roams London streets
A colossal dragon, familiar to Harry Potter fans from a popular film in the series, caused quite a stir in London today as it roared its way through the city streets. The 25-foot-long animatronic beast was seen 'trapped' in a box, journeying past renowned landmarks such as Westminster Bridge and King's Cross Station, en route to Warner Bros. Studio in London. This dramatic display was part of the celebrations for the launch of 'Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions', a new exhibit at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, marking the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. Weighing in at a hefty 1.3 tonnes, the Hungarian Horntail recreates the memorable scene from the much-loved film where Harry faces off against the daunting dragon during the first task of the 'Triwizard Tournament'. The lifelike creature, designed by Harry Potter filmmaker and animatronic designer Joe Scott, boasts moving head, mouth and eyes, along with sound effects. Constructed over 750 hours, this masterpiece features a 3D printed head, 25kg of fibreglass, and 119 individually attached spikes. Its jaws are fitted with 38 resin teeth, meticulously designed to replicate the film's terrifying appearance in detail. Scott consulted original drawings, CGI drafts, and scans of the actual film prop to inform his design strategy. Reflecting on the project, he commented: "Revisiting the creation of the Hungarian Horntail 20 years on from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has been magical." He continued: "Creating the dragons for the Triwizard Tournament was no mean feat, with engineers, animatronics, designers and the special effects teams all working together to bring them to life. "It's fantastic to see the craftsmanship that went into this on display at the new feature - inspiring visitors with the magic of our filmmaking secrets." 'The Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions' exhibit is set to run from 15 May to 8 September 2025 at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter. Fans will be able to step behind the scenes of the iconic Triwizard Tournament, discovering how the thrilling magical challenges were realised. The Studio Tour's latest summer feature offers guests a chance to step onto the all-new Backlot Stage to delve into the Secrets of Special Effects. This dedicated indoor area features a digital screen, tiered seating and live demonstrations that unveil how filmmakers conjured the magic. Key attractions include a reimagined arrival of the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students, complete with costumes and choreography. Visitors can also learn about the techniques used to depict Harry holding his breath underwater during the second task. Geoff Spooner, senior vice president at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, expressed: "We're excited to launch our brand-new summer feature, Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions, where visitors can learn behind-the-scenes secrets of the fourth Harry Potter film. "To celebrate and bring the magic of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London to the streets of the capital, we recreated the iconic moment of the escaped Hungarian Horntail dragon 20 years on from 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire."
Japan Times
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Calling all Potterheads: ‘The Goblet of Fire' comes to Tokyo
'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' turns 20 this year (yes, millennials, we're that old), and to celebrate with a good dose of nostalgia, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo is staging its first-ever special exhibition based on the movie from April 18 through Sept. 8. Following a successful run at the sister Studio Tour in London, the Tokyo event located a few steps from Toshimaen Station starts with the Great Hall of Hogwarts, where a familiar sight beckons: the Goblet of Fire, blue flames turning red and spewing pieces of parchment with the names of chosen champions. There's the age line drawn by school headmaster Dumbledore to prevent underage students from entering the Triwizard Tournament, and dummies of the mischievous Weasley twins, white-haired and sprawled on the floor after having tried to fool the barrier with an aging potion. For Harry Potter fans, it's all just like the movie, but this limited-time event adds never-before-seen content to an already impressive collection, including the enchanted water taps of the prefects' bathroom, as well as props and behind-the-scenes footage of underwater scenes in Hogwarts' lake. Visitors can also get up close and personal with a 3-meter-wide replica of Tom Riddle's gravestone, and the meticulously detailed model of Hogwarts Castle at the end of the tour has been turned into a backdrop for projection mapping, culminating in a dazzling reenactment of the dragon chase from the eponymous movie. Diagon Alley is remade at the "Goblet of Fire" exhibition, giving visitors the chance to peek into some of the iconic shops of the Harry Potter series. | GENDEL GENTO Of course, everything that has made the general exhibition great since its opening in 2023 is still there, including many of the real costumes worn by actors during filming. But this is no mere museum. There are a myriad of interactive activities: Insert yourself into one of the school's animated paintings as a moving staircase pivots overhead; join spectators in the first movie's quidditch match and see your reaction shots seamlessly edited together into the actual scenes; or attend a Defense Against the Dark Arts class and fend off a dastardly Death Eater. You can also fly around film locations on a broomstick, but should you want the photos and video of your flight, that'd be 5,000 galleons — I mean, yen. All of the texts and videos accompanying the exhibition items have English translations, but explanations and activity instructions from staff (friendly and expressive though they are) are given in Japanese. The "Goblet of Fire" exhibition turns Hogwarts Castle into a projection mapping backdrop to portray scenes from the same movie. | GENDEL GENTO The tour is especially successful in making visitors feel like they're stepping into the locations and even specific scenes from the series. Take the Ministry of Magic set, which is exclusive to the Tokyo exhibition. As you walk into the imposing atrium as Harry did in the fifth movie (the film's soundtrack playing in the background), it's hard not to be transported into that very scene. The centerpiece of this area is what stays seared into your brain: the Magic Is Might monument, with its mass of nonmagical 'muggles' being crushed under the weight of Voldemort's magical fascism, carved with unsettling detail. Such large-scale sets abound. There's Platform 93⁄4, where you can board the Hogwarts Express after taking the obligatory photo pushing a luggage cart through a brick wall. Then wander the Forbidden Forest and meet Aragog and his spider children, or take a stroll along Diagon Alley and peek into iconic shops like Ollivander's. In all, it takes 3 to 4 hours to go through everything the expanded exhibit has to offer, and if you feel like snacking after all this walking around, popular classics include Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (they do mean every flavor, so beware the ear wax ones!); chocolate frogs (look inside the package for a collectible card featuring a famous character); and butterbeer, the non-alcoholic refreshment of choice of the budding witch or wizard. If you prefer something more filling, new limited-time meals include two premium burgers based on Hogwarts' rival schools Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, with Instagrammable blue and red buns, respectively. With food offerings ranging from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 per item, the victuals at the exhibition aren't cheap. | WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR TOKYO — THE MAKING OF HARRY POTTER When you're done, the exit takes you through the largest Harry Potter store in the world, selling every imaginable merch you might desire. It'll cost you, though: Get your very own Hogwarts robes for ¥13,000, which you can personalize at no extra cost. Add the magic wand of your favorite character for about ¥4,500. Aforementioned snacks and meals are around ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 a pop. Admission alone is ¥7,000 for adults, but ¥5,000 evening tickets are available until June. All in all, there's much to like about the tour, except maybe the assault on your wallet. The abundance of activities ensures that even those who are not hardcore Harry Potter fans can enjoy themselves. And the grand scale and attention to detail is likely to impress — just make sure to withdraw some galleons at Gringotts before coming.
