Any day with fresh Harry Potter [1] news is a good day to be alive. Fans can soon follow the spiders to the new Forbidden Forest attraction [2] at Harry Potter Studio Tour London, and members of the movie cast reunited to bless the world with a sneak peek of the expansion.
Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), and James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) came together in stunning photos [3] of the Forbidden Forest showing what it will hold, including a life-size Buckbeak and a giant (and slightly terrifying) Acromantula, Aragog. The Forest is also filled with 19 enormous trees (each with a diameter of over 12 feet) that fans can walk through.
"It's so exciting to step in to the Forbidden Forest again," Evanna said. "Production Designer Stuart Craig has perfectly recreated the mysterious and sometimes menacing atmosphere we all felt during filming in the 'off-limits' location. Being inside the forest surrounded by magical creatures always felt like a safe place for my character, Luna, so it's amazing to be back."
Mark your calendars and book your trip to London ASAP; the attraction officially opens on March 31, and entrance is included in the general admission ticket of the tour.
Warner Bros. says that visitors "will come face-to-face with Aragog, the Acromantula. Emerging from his dark lair, the enormous spider will appear before visitors along with spiderlings from his family."
"Created by Nick Dudman, Creature and Make-Up Effects Designer, with help from Production Designer Stuart Craig, Aragog had a leg span of over 18 feet and was even able to crawl out of a hole and deliver dialogue in Harry Potter [5] and the Chamber of Secrets," it said.
One of Rubeus Hagrid's original costumes will be on display "to welcome visitors through the Hogwarts Gates deep into the forest."
Warner Bros. said that visitors will encounter "a full-size model of Buckbeak, which is new to the tour, and have the opportunity to bow to the majestic creature."
"Each feather had to be individually inserted and glued by the Creature Effects team who were busy adding feathers right up until the final moment Buckbeak was needed on set for Harry Potter [6] and the Prisoner of Azkaban."
"Visitors will even be able to control the weather using the same techniques created by filmmakers," the studio said.
Stuart Craig, production designer on all eight Harry Potter [7] films, said in a press release that "The Forbidden Forest is full of mysterious, fascinating and sometimes threatening forces. It represents the great unknown compared to the comfort and safety of Hogwarts and the Gryffindor Common Room which makes it so interesting and important to the development of the story."
