Creating a beast: The making of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic at Epic Universe | Exclusive interview
In this exclusive interview, we discover the alchemy behind The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic at Epic Universe.
At the new Universal Epic Universe theme park, visitors can step into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Orlando’s third area devoted to the popular series of books and movies about “the boy who lived.” This time, artists not only materialized Harry’s wondrous world, but also that of the “Fantastic Beasts” prequel series.
In the interview below, Scott Verble, executive producer of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, spoke with Attractions Magazine about recruiting Imelda Staunton and Eddie Redmayne to reprise their “Potter” roles as Dolores Umbridge and Newt Scamander, respectively; innovating technology for the land’s signature ride; and hidden magic fans can be on the lookout for.
This is Universal Orlando’s third area devoted to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, whereas the other worlds of Epic Universe represent the first chapter of their respective stories at the resort. How did the existing Wizarding World areas inform how you approached The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic?
With two other installments of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, we had a lot of great insight into not just why, but how, guests enjoy our existing Wizarding destinations here at Universal Orlando Resort.
When designing this next chapter, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, we were able to use that knowledge to deliver experiences that felt right at home within the canon while also giving guests something novel. The Ministry of Magic lives alongside and complements our existing attractions, while Place Cachée, in the heart of Magical Paris, contrasts in style [but] still feels familiar and authentic to the Wizarding World.
Every time I learn something new about Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, I cannot believe we get to ride this. Specifically, Imelda Staunton returning as Umbridge is a mic-drop. How was Umbridge decided upon as the villain for this attraction, and what was the process like of recruiting Staunton to return to the role?
Dolores Umbridge as a villain is truly loathed by so much of the “Harry Potter” fandom. Framing the attraction around her capture and trial — after the events of the seventh book — creates the opportunity for not only our guests, but for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to see one of the most infamous witches in the entire Wizarding World be brought to justice.
When we approached Imelda about reprising her role and pitched her on the story and scope of the attraction, she was immediately on board. Imelda was truly incredible to work with and we are so excited to have her bring all of Dolores’ iconic, delightfully evil personality to the attraction.
As a reporter, it’s challenging but fun to try to describe Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry because its ride system is so different from other rides. You can’t just say, “Oh, it’s like a version of [insert ride here],” because it truly isn’t like any other ride. What were some of the challenges involved with developing something that didn’t conform to theme park norms?
Developing anything prototypical comes with a myriad of challenges, whether that’s a new ride system, special effect, or entire attraction. Across our whole team, we have quite literally hundreds of years of experience in creating things that have never been done before. The biggest challenges often lie in figuring out the “how.” We know what we wanted the guest experience to be, but figuring out how to deliver that experience can be particularly challenging.
What technology can support this story? What techniques can we use and adapt? What techniques do we need to create? It’s an iterative process involving people and teams from every trade and background.
“Le Cirque Arcanus” brings a high-production-value stage show to this new iteration of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Was there any overlap with this show and West End/Broadway’s “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” whether through creative talent behind the scenes or inspiration for effects?
Both “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and “Le Cirque Arcanus” are incredible live performances that bring the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts” franchises to life in new and innovative ways, but the story and content of the shows really demanded different types of effects and executions. I don’t want to give too much away for either experience because not knowing what to expect is part of the magic.
Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne (again, mic drop!) returns as Newt Scamander in new footage filmed for “Le Cirque Arcanus.” How did the creative team approach integrating Newt into the show, and what did Redmayne’s involvement look like?
Eddie’s portrayal of Newt in the “Fantastic Beasts” movies has so much passion and heart, and we knew that we wanted “Le Cirque Arcanus” to resonate with the guests on those same points.
Eddie brought an authentic “Newtness” to the show that was only possible with his involvement. The story was already so true to the heart and soul of the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise, but Eddie reprising his role and dawning Newt’s iconic blue coat, combined with all of the magic and surprises of the circus, cements this show as a must-see for any Wizarding World fan.
I love how all the Wizarding World attractions at Universal parks integrate familiar “Harry Potter” music in a new medium. How did your team curate the music selections for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic from the 11 films across the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts” series? Do you have a favorite music moment fans can listen for?
We have been fortunate enough to work directly with composer, conductor, and orchestrator Bill Ross on the music across all of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. Having such a large catalogue of music to select from, spanning the entire filmography, meant that we could really dive into the weeds and select or even rearrange pieces from the films to suit the emotional needs of the various attractions and neighborhoods of Place Cachée.
My personal favorite is the Phoenix Arch. When the guests walk into the world, they are greeted by a “tone poem” (and a killer view) that weaves together themes from both the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts” franchises. Wizarding World superfans with a keen ear may even catch some foreshadowing for various events that they can experience within the world.
Photo by @bioreconstruct
Place Cachée exists in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” but is more in the background of that movie as compared to the way Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley’s shops and eateries are prominently showcased in the “Harry Potter” films. Can you speak on the process of diving deeper into the mythology of Place Cachée?
While Place Cachée may not be as prominent throughout the books or films as Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, it gave us a completely different take on the wizarding world that we couldn’t wait to dive into. Paris is such an iconic and beautiful city on its own, but the wizarding twists and character that were integrated into the quintessential Parisian architecture creates an environment that we knew would be an incredible guest experience and would complement our existing Wizarding World offerings at Universal Orlando Resort.
We heard Stuart Craig, production designer for the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts” films, was involved in the creation of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley at the other Universal parks. Was he involved in any capacity for Epic Universe’s Wizarding World, and if so, what did his experience on the films bring to the project?
Stuart Craig and members of his team from the films have been involved in all of the Wizarding World projects at Universal Destinations and Experiences. Their involvement brings a direct connection to the visual language and style of the films that guests and audiences around the world know and love. It’s a really great and collaborative effort to figure out how to adapt sets that may have been designed for a specific shot and flesh them out to a reality that works for a 360-degree immersive environment.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter areas are known for their acute attention to detail. For witches and wizards taking their time to explore the many alleyways of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, are there any particular details that might go overlooked they can be on the lookout for?
One of my favorite parts of working with the Wizarding World franchise is the history of intense attention to detail and delivering that again for our guests at Epic Universe. When walking around Place Cachée, be sure to pay attention to the sculptural and painted details around the world. The longer you look, the more magical creatures and other Wizarding World details you’ll find hiding in plain sight.
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