UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT — With “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” heading to Blu-ray and DVD on April 15 from Warner Home Video and the final film heading to theaters this summer, Harry Potter fans can live the magic year-round in the new Universal Studios Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter (see video below). Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is the main attraction in this new section of the Islands of Adventure park, where fans explore Hogwarts Academy on foot and then take off in a new ride. There are also a pair of rollercoasters – Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogriff – and shops and a restaurant straight from the hit movies and J.K. Rowlings bestsellers.
3DHollywood.net partner John Gaudiosi of GamerLive.TV recently had an exclusive interview with Thierry Coup, Senior Vice President of Universal Creative, in which Thierry talks about why the Potter attraction designers opted to create “physical 3D” elements instead of simulated 3D, and how video games – including the Harry Potter games from Electronic Arts – influence the wizards who build today’s modern theme park marvels.
JG: In today’s 3D world — including rides like King Kong 360 3D (at Universal Studios Hollywood) — can you talk about your decision to not go the 3D route?
TC: 3D is great and of course we considered it. But in the end we decided it would be a more convincing experience if we could create physical 3D rather than media 3D. With a ride, we have the opportunity to use physical sets to create distant sightlines, like the windows of Hogwarts castle. For in-your-face moments, we have physical effects like real smoke, wind and heat that gives you an immersive sensory experience. In the end, we feel these tools enabled us to far exceed what we could have done with conventional 3D media.
JG: Does this technology you created for this ride support 3D for future attractions?
TC: Maybe. But for reasons mentioned above, we wanted to take advantage of the powerful physical tricks that ride designers have up their sleeves. They’re incredibly effective and allow our guests to become part of the most exhilarating entertainment ever created.
JG: Can you talk about how today’s video game generation of guests influences your team when creating new experiences like this?
TC: We know that video gamers want ride experiences that are more realistic and get them closer to the action. When we designed Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, we decided to film the actors from the Harry Potter films in order to bring the characters to life in the most realistic way. We’ve also designed a completely new ride system to put guests right in the middle of the excitement and chaos of Harry Potter’s life. The result is an experience beyond virtual reality which is the ultimate dream for video gamers.
JG: There have been Harry Potter games for each film. Can you talk about how this attraction has a unique way of going beyond those immersive interactive experiences?
TC: Rather than focusing on one story from a book or movie, we wanted to take the most thrilling moments from all the books and films and weave them into an unforgettable ride. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey also provides the sheer exhilaration of flying with Harry over Hogwarts – an experience that you can’t get from a video game. You feel the wind in your face as you dive down toward a bridge; you feel the heat as a dragon breathes fire on you. The simulation is so physical that your mind actually believes you’re being chased by Dementors and your soul is being sucked out of you. With a video game, it’s your imagination that makes it enjoyable. With this ride, it’s the physicality that makes you believe that it’s real.
JG: How did you work with the filmmakers on this project to have this adventure stand on its own?
TC: The ride stands on its own because we worked with J. K. Rowling to create a great story. Then, we collaborated with the cast and crew from the Harry Potter films to shoot our scenes at the same studio where they shot the movies. The filmmakers were very welcoming to us and showed us how to create the magnificent flying scenes. And we had the advantage of using the film’s art directors, Stuart Craig and Alan Gilmore, to establish the rich, creative look of the films for our ride.
<Click arrow on screen below to see 90-second behind-the-scenes video tour of Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction.>