Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden
Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden (formerly known as Leavesden Film Studios; colloquially Leavesden Studios or simply Leavesden), is a film and media complex owned by Warner Bros.. The studios and backlot sit on the site of the former Rolls-Royce factory at Leavesden Aerodrome, which was an important centre of aircraft production during World War II. It is situated in south west Hertfordshire approximately 18 miles (29 km) northwest of central London, in Abbots Langley.
Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, is one of only a few places in the U.K. where large scale productions can be made. The studios contain approximately 500,000 sq ft (50,000 m2) of flexible space which includes stage space, production office space and support buildings, along with an extensive 80-acre (320,000 m2) backlot which offers a 180 degree uninterrupted horizon, favourable for exterior sets.
Contents |
[edit] Recent history
The 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye was the first film to be filmed at Leavesden. The site was acquired as the series' traditional home, Pinewood, was fully booked with other productions. The production gutted the factory and turned it into a studio. This process is shown on the 2006 DVD's special features.
One of the more noticeable outdoor sets constructed at Leavesden is a row of 10 houses (5 per side) along a street which was created as "Privet Drive" for the Harry Potter film series. As of Feb 2012, this set is still visible on the Google Maps aerial view of the area.
On 21 March 2010, there was a fire on the Hogwarts set for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 at Leavesden Studios;Not much of the set was badly burnt.[1]
In 2010, Warner Bros. announced their intention to purchase the studio as a permanent European base, the first studio to do so since Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1940s.[2]
In November 2010, Warner Bros. completed its purchase of Leavesden Studios, and announced plans to invest more than £100m on the site that they frequently occupied. The studios will make Warner Bros. the only Hollywood film studio with a permanent base in the UK. They also plan to create a permanent exhibition to the Harry Potter series in turn creating 300 jobs. A full scale refurbishment and re-build is currently underway and the production facilities are due to reopen to film and television work in 2012.[3][4]
[edit] Productions
Films that have made use of the facilities include:[5]
- GoldenEye (1995)
- Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Sleepy Hollow (1999)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
- The Dark Knight (2008)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
- Sherlock Holmes (2009)
- Inception (2010)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011)
- Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
The studios have also been used for various music videos and television commercials, most notably support for the video for Jamiroquai's Deeper Underground.
[edit] Studio tour
[edit] The Making of Harry Potter
A studio tour, The Making of Harry Potter, is set to open in the refurbished facilities to the public on March 31, 2012. The tour includes major set pieces salvaged from the studios and backlot, as well as props and costumes used throughout the film series. You also get to learn about the animatronics and Special Effects that brought Harry Potter to life. There is a cafe and gift shop on site. Tickets have been available for purchase since 13 October 2011.
Some of the sets available to walk though are:
- The Great Hall
- Professor Dumbledore's office
- Diagon Alley
- The Ministry of magic
- Gryffindor Common Room and Boys Dorm
- Hagrid's Hut
- Hogwarts Bridge
- Snape's Lair
AND MANY MANY MORE
The props you see on the tour INCLUDE:
- The characters' broomsticks like Harry's Firebolt
- The sword of Gryffindor
- Hagrid's Motorbike
- The Sorting Hat
- Buckbeak, Aragog, Fawkes and the Basilisk
AND MANY MANY MORE
[edit] References
- ^ "Fire on Harry Potter Set". National Ledger. March 22, 2010. http://www.nationalledger.com/ledgerpop/article_272630954.shtml. Retrieved Mar 24, 2010.
- ^ Jaafar, Ali (2010-01-27). "Warner to buy Leavesden Studios". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014349.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&ref=ssp.
- ^ Sabbagh, Dan; Sweney, Mark (9 November 2010). "Warner Bros buys Harry Potter studios in £100m boost for UK films". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/nov/09/warner-bros-leavesden-studios.
- ^ Press Releases- Newsroom - Time Warner
- ^ the studiotour.com - Productions shot at the studio
[edit] Links
Coordinates: 51°41′36″N 0°25′11″W / 51.69333°N 0.41972°W
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
