Londoners were treated to a stunning scene straight out of the wizarding world as a colossal inflatable Harry Potter character drifted across the skyline.
Aunt Marge, who Harry famously inflates in one of the opening scenes of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, floated past the iconic Tower Bridge in a striking capital stunt this week.
The inflatable topped 6.5m and breathtakingly brought to life a fan-favourite scene where Harry unintentionally casts an Inflating Charm on his aunt, leading her to ‘blow up’ like a balloon and float away into the evening sky.
And in fact, a fifth of British people (20%) state this is their favourite scene from the 2004 film.
Many are surprised to learn that CGI wasn’t used to inflate Pam Ferris - the actress who played Aunt Marge - but was created entirely by hand thanks to the craftsmanship and skill of the film’s Special Effects Team at the request of director, Alfonso Cuarón.
The stunt marked the launch of the new Return to Azkaban feature at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter – which runs between 1st May-4th September 2024.
The feature celebrates the 20th anniversary of the cinematic release of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and includes brand new sets including the Divination classroom and a section of Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Laura Sinclair-Lazell, Head of Show Experience at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, said “We’re so excited to be recreating the moment of inflating Aunt Marge from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, to celebrate the launch of our brand-new feature, Return to Azkaban.
“Many fans are surprised to learn this popular scene wasn’t created using CGI in the films but in fact was created by our incredibly skilled filmmakers.”
The skilled recreation of the famous Aunt Marge scene was carefully crafted over 264 hours by a dedicated team of 16 people, including expert designers curating a series of detailed sketches and CGI mock ups - using film stills as inspiration - artists meticulously moulding and painting her head and hair, and seamstresses creating bespoke fabric patterns and materials to closely match her outfit as seen on screen.
Weighing a staggering 95kgs with a circumference spanning 11.7m, it took 40m3 of air to inflate her.
46 hours were spent during the initial design and sketch process, while a further 18 hours were spent painting her head and hair, and 32 hours stitching and sewing her clothes.
Visitors to the new Return to Azkaban feature will be treated to surprises such as being regaled by the Hogwarts Frog Choir when entering the Great Hall, the Divination classroom - where Harry, Ron and Hermione attend their first lesson with Professor Trelawney – a new section of the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom set, The Monster Book of Monsters rampage in Harry’s bedroom at the Leaky Cauldron and a full cross-section of the Knight Bus.
Sinclair-Lazell added: “We’re thrilled that visitors can now come to the Studio Tour and learn more of the behind-the-scenes magic from the third film in the Harry Potter series.”
Return to Azkaban is a special feature running from 1st May – 4th September and all new additions are included in the ticket price.
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