Fan Phenomena: Harry Potter

Valerie Estelle Frankel

• Publisher: Intellect Books
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781789380705
• eBook ISBN: 9781789380712
• Topic: Ciencias sociales
• Subtopic: Arte general

Nineteen years later . . .

Even as a new generation embraces the Harry Potter novels for the first time,  J.K. Rowling's world is expanding with Fantastic Beasts, Cursed Child and Pottermore. There are new mobile games, new toys and, of course, the theme parks. Meanwhile, Quidditch and the Harry Potter Alliance stretch from college to college, inspiring each generation. Fans have adapted the series into roleplaying games, parodies, musicals, films, dances, art and published fiction like Tommy Taylor or Carry On. They are also scrambling Potter with new franchises: Game of Thrones, Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, Hamilton. What else is this new generation discovering about loving Potter? Which are the best conventions, the best fanfiction and wizard rock? And, how has Potter aged and what does it still have to teach us? Fan Phenomena: Harry Potter offers Potter fans a taste of the best the fandom has to offer.

Part 1

Real World

Chapter 01

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Bringing the Books to Life

Erin Pyne

On 18 June 2010, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (WWoHP) opened to 40,000 fans waiting at the gate! The Wizarding World became THE destination for fans to immerse themselves in the Potterverse. For millions of readers, entering Universal’s Islands of Adventure realm was like walking into their own imaginations. J. K. Rowling’s world came to life, complete with the sights, sounds, smells, textures and tastes of the real world of Harry Potter.

Figure 1: The theme park invitation (2014).

Rumours and speculations

When the WWoHP was announced, Universal teased information, and rumours of the new realm spread through the Internet with fans speculating on the different rides, attractions and merchandise. Fan-created websites dedicated message boards to discussing the reports and rumours of the upcoming Harry Potter theme park. People imagined the Wizarding World to be a dream come to life, as close as they could get to really entering the Wizarding World. Universal’s Wizarding World (WW) website held contests, teased artwork and had fans fill out questionnaires. I loved reading the rumours, ideas and hopes on the discussion boards, but of course I was not allowed to say anything. I walked through the construction site of Hogsmeade Village, watching how all the details from the designs and scripts were integrated to create a world as authentic to the vision of J. K. Rowling as possible.

In September 2009, Tom Felton announced the opening date (spring 2010) during a live webcast and the first details of Hogwarts Castle and other rides were released. I was able to have dinner with Tom and he described being blown away by the park, which was still under construction. A funny detail about this announcement is that the marketing team had built a full set of the Gryffindor common room for the webcast. Tom Felton walked in and looked very uncomfortable and said he didn’t belong there! (He is a Slytherin after all!)

By February, fans watching the WW website were treated to the menu for the Three Broomsticks and showcased some of the merchandise for sale.

As the opening day approached in May, thousands of fans had already pre-booked vacation packages, and Universal kept up the media blitz with videos of the movie stars touring Hogsmeade. Daniel Radcliffe, Tom Felton, Warwick Davis, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Matthew Lewis, Robbie Coltrane and Oliver and James Phelps all walked the parks before the opening, drinking butterbeer and exploring the castle. Emma’s wand even chose her in Ollivander’s! J. K. Rowling herself came to visit and walked through Hogsmeade and Hogwarts – the places of her imagination, come to life.

Figure 2: Erin Pyne with Tom Felton (2010).

Grand openings

Universal is known for its extravagant grand openings, but the WWoHP was the most exceptional in the history of the company. Elaborate invitations went out, complete with a magic wand. As guests gathered in front of Hogwarts Castle, a full-scale Knight Bus drove out from beyond the castle and dropped off most of the movie actors. Soon after, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint drove up in the Weasley’s Flying Ford Anglia! Daniel counted down from three, the crowd shouted, ‘Lumos Maxima’, and composer John Williams conducted the Orlando Symphony Orchestra in a live performance of the Harry Potter score as fireworks burst over Hogwarts Castle and stunning projection mapping lit up the building.

The WWoHP at Universal’s Islands of Adventure (Orlando), featuring Hogsmeade Village, Hogwarts Castle and a Hippogriff ride in the Forbidden Forest, opened to amazing reviews. From the first bars of the theme song as everyone entered the gate, to the live smoke from the Hogwarts Express, fans were immersed in the world, able to buy candy in Honeydukes, sip butterbeer and pumpkin juice, mail letters at the Owl Post, grab dinner at the Three Broomsticks, wander into the forest and find Hagrid’s hut. It was just like the movie set except that everything was touchable for a fully immersive experience. The thrilling ride in the castle, a mixture of digital and physical effects while riding on top of a giant robotic arm, transported guests into many of Harry’s most iconic adventures, with Daniel Radcliffe and other stars filming new scenes for the ride. Even the hour-long queue line was mitigated by talking paintings, featuring the Hogwarts founders, a new Dumbledore scene and a realistic Sorting Hat animatronic singing a new song written by Jo Rowling herself!

Next came the expansion with Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley and the Hogwarts Express at the main Universal Orlando park. Millions of Harry Potter fans flocked to experience the magic of Ollivander’s, where the wand chooses the wizard; ride the magical Hogwarts Express; race through Gringotts Bank, facing Voldemort himself; and, of course, go shopping for all the wizard stuff in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. The success was so great, Universal quickly made plans to build more! In December 2011, Universal announced a planned Wizarding World in Los Angeles; in May 2012, they announced one in Osaka; and then the Universal Beijing WWoHP in 2015. Wizards have taken over the world! Is it weird that there are four Hogwarts Castles? Nah! The real one is still in Scotland.

And it isn’t over yet! Universal continues its expansion of the Wizarding World with new rides and new realms. Universal Studios Japan created an amazing section of the evening parade featuring a Quidditch pitch float and a Great Hall float with projection-mapped Death Eaters attacking from the skies and wizard performers defending with sparking wands! Fans continue to speculate what new wonderful worlds they will soon be able to step into.

Every year from 2014 to 2017, Universal hosted the ‘Celebration of Harry Potter’, featuring movie stars, film creators and film-prop exhibitions where fans could meet the actors, artists and designers involved in the films and the theme park. This event also allowed fans to dress in full costumes (called cosplay) minus masks. Normally only wizard robes are permitted, but during the Celebration, fans could fully cosplay as their favourite characters! Every year I dressed differently, and it was always a surprise to see who would be featured. One year, the actual wand makers from the films came to demonstrate their craft. The graphic designers, Mina and Lima, took time meeting every guest and signing posters and artwork. Amid a backdrop of displayed film costumes, the costume designer of the films complimented fans on their cosplay and posed for pictures with them. Each year, the energy in the air was charged with positivity from fans all over the world who gathered for the massive three-day event, which was spread across the two theme parks.

Fandom celebrations

In response to the original theme park announcement, Harry Potter-convention organizers quickly determined that Orlando would be the next location! The Infinitus 2010 symposium was held at the Universal Studios Resort specifically to celebrate the opening. In mid-July, the fandom gathered: this time, in addition to discussion forums, wizard rock and field Quidditch, attendees would experience the magic of the Wizarding World together. At a private party in Hogsmeade for attendees, called ‘Night of a Thousand Wizards’, the fandom was seen in full wizard robes and elaborate costumes, taking photos with the Hogwarts Express and walking through the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. Rides and shops were open all night, and the fans got special permission to come in costume. It was the first such event for fans.

As everyone awaited the 11 p.m. start, Snape, Lucius and Voldemort got their dance on, and other characters staged duels in the auditorium. It became clear that the fans could make the entertainment all on their own. While many braved the heat in white shirts and school ties, every imaginable full-on costume appeared, from original characters to perfect Mad-Eyes and Umbridges. Berni Farrant attended the event in a full handmade Hedwig costume featuring thousands of feathers. A Muggle-music dance party was held in front of the Three Broomsticks and the wizards danced and sang at the top of their lungs, ‘Don’t Stop Believing!’ The theme park catered with treacle tarts, cauldron cakes, peanut-butter-strawberry ice cream and other snacks from the novels. With about 1700 fans finally showing up and rocking late into the night, it was unforgettable.

Figure 3: Erin Pyne and Rowan Pyne with the Hogwarts Express (2010).

The Wizarding World brought other Harry Potter fandom events to Orlando, including the LeakyCon and Ascendio symposiums, wizard rock shows and the International Quidditch World Cup, featuring dozens of college Quidditch teams from around the world. Universal hosted private night-time cosplay events in the park, and fans created special events and meetups to celebrate special days such as Harry’s birthday and the 1st of September send-off of the Hogwarts Express to Hogwarts.

The 1st of September 2017 marked the year it would be ‘nineteen years later’, when Harry and his friends would send their own children off on the Hogwarts Express. This fan-created event featured people gathering in costumes and counting down the moment when the train would depart at 11 o’clock in the morning. It was an honour (and a full-circle journey) to be there with my own son, who dressed as Harry, and to ride the train to Hogwarts together. Later that evening, MuggleNet hosted a party in Diagon Alley (‘Mugglenet Live – Nineteen Years Later’), featuring eight stars from the film, including Chris Rankin (Percy Weasley), Christian Coulson (Tom Riddle), Luke Youngblood (Lee Jordan) and Sean Biggerstaff (Oliver Wood). Ryan Turner (Hugo Weasley) was also there, as well as the big star of the night, Arthur Bowen, who played Albus Severus Potter. The actors hosted discussion panels and took questions from the fans before Diagon Alley opened for the private event. Guests with certain passes were also able to meet and get pictures with the actors.

The Leaky Cauldron catered the event, offering buffet-style food throughout Diagon Alley and unlimited butterbeer! The Gringotts Bank ride and the Hogwarts Express were open with no queues, and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees performed fun jazzy numbers, including ‘A Cauldron Full of Hot Strong Love’, ‘You Charmed the Heart Right Out of Me’ and ‘You Stole My Cauldron but You Can’t Have My Heart’ – all songs written by J. K. Rowling. My personal favourite of these is ‘Beat Back Those Bludgers Boys and Chuck that Quaffle Here’. WADA – the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts – also performed incredible puppet performances of stories from The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Rowling, 2008), including ‘The Fountain of Fair Fortune’ and ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’.

Worried that you have missed out on Wizarding World fan events? There are so many more on the horizon!

Every wizard is a hero: A fan’s experience in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

A huge team at Universal Creative and designers from the Potter films (2001–11), including Stuart Craig and Alan Gilmore, helped design and create the look and feel of the park. Even the films’ costume designer, Jany Temime, was involved in the design...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• PART 1: REAL WORLD
• PART 2 : VIRTUAL WORLD
• PART 3: CRITICAL WORLD
• PART 4: FICTIONAL WORLD
• Contributor Details
• Image Credits