Harry Potter set and prop designers admit surprise

9 hours ago

Holly Nicholsin Watford

News image — Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released nearly 25 years ago

Warner Bros A shot from one of the early Harry Potter films, showing Hermione Granger sitting by Harry Potter and Percy Weasley. Harry looks at the camera directly from side on while Percy speaks to them both, wearing a black cap. Hermione has a fringe and brown shoulder length hair, Harry has a short bowl hair cut and wears school uniform, as does Percy who has reddish wavy short hair. — Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released nearly 25 years ago

A prop designer on all eight Harry Potter films said he had initially expected the job to last for just six months.

Buckinghamshire-based Pierre Bohanna has been reflecting on nearly 25 years that have passed since Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released, and the "amazing life experience" it has offered him.

Art director Gary Tomkins is also from Buckinghamshire and was part of the team that produced the initial concept art and blueprints to build sets for all eight films.

He admitted he was "not sure whether it would be a success or not" when he first started work at the studios in Leavesden, Watford.

All characters and elements © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Pierre Bohanna stands facing the camera in the Great Hall set at Leavesden Studios. He is shown from the chest up, wearing a blue shirt and a dark sleeveless vest. Behind him are the tall stone walls of the Great Hall, with carved details, sculpted figures, and wall-mounted torches glowing with warm light above long wooden tables and film props. — Pierre Bohanna was head prop maker for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Bohanna, 57, told the BBC he had not read the Harry Potter books before being asked to join the production crew.

His favourite props to design were the broomsticks, which he described as some of the most "technically challenging pieces in terms of structure and aesthetic".

He also admitted some of the first wands were just "sticks" they found in "bushes around the studios".

"I've always loved that wands are not just about magic, they're about taste and style," he said.

Pierre Bohanna Black‑and‑white photo of Pierre Bohanna seated on a stool in a workshop, holding a handcrafted wand, created for the Harry Potter films. — Bohanna explained some of the original designs for wands were just "sticks"

Tomkins, 63, recalls working on designs for the Weasley family home, The Burrow, which he described as having a "real kind of eccentric character to it".

A quarter of a century later, his work is displayed at the Warner Bros Studio Tour in Watford.

He explained: "We were so delighted the studio tour was built and showcases all the fantastic sets, props and costumes that we created for the films."

The pair said they were excited to see how the upcoming HBO Harry Potter TV series would re-imagine the stories.

Lily-May Symonds/BBC Gary Tomkins stands in front of the Burrow set at the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Watford, with a rustic kitchen table, hanging lamps, and mannequin costumes visible behind them. Gary is wearing a navy blue jacket and white shirt. He has black glasses and grey hair. — Gary Tomkins was involved in designing the kitchen and the exterior of the Weasley family's home

Bohanna described how the "baton" had been passed and said he was looking forward to being a viewer this time.

The first season of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is due to be released in December on HBO Max and a second season has been confirmed.

Bohanna wished the new cast and crew good luck and said they had "such a great story to work with".

He added: "If they are going to expand, it can only get better with delving deeper into each story."

Tomkins said that although his heart was still in the original movies, he was "very excited" to see how the new series would interpret the designs and "continue the legacy for a whole new generation".