Weasley family reunite to launch Warner Bros. Studio Tour London’s new summer feature

  • Original Weasley cast members have reunited at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, stepping back onto the iconic film sets where they first brought the beloved wizarding family to life 25 years ago
  • From The Burrow to Platform 9 ¾, the Weasley family revisited their most memorable sets and reminisced on all their filmmaking stories alongside behind-the-scenes filmmakers such as Head Propmaker, Pierre Bohanna, Makeup Artist, Amanda Knight and Art Director, Gary Tomkins
  • The family reunion comes as research reveals that Harry Potter meeting the Weasley’s on the way to Platform 9 ¾ is one of the top three favourite scenes of the film
  • The reunion celebrates the launch of the new summer feature ‘First Year at Hogwarts – Where the Filmmaking Magic Began’, marking 25 years since Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – giving fans the chance to explore Harry Potter’s first-year adventures on the authentic film sets

It feels like only yesterday since ‘the boy who lived’ made his debut on the big screen as Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone launched in cinemas.

To celebrate this anniversary, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter today hosted a magical reunion as actors Bonnie Wright, James and Oliver Phelps and Mark Williams – who played Ginny, Fred, George and Arthur Weasley, respectively – came together to revisit the enchanting film sets where the adventures came to life, 25 years ago.

Taking part in the celebration, the wizarding world’s most adored family came together to relive their time on set and surprise Studio Tour visitors.

From the very first time the world saw the Weasleys help Harry onto Platform 9 ¾, to the family’s quaint kitchen in The Burrow, the stars shared memories from filming and offered a rare glimpse into the filmmaking magic behind one of the most iconic and expansive film franchises of all time.

So successful, in fact, that Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone broke the record for the highest-opening weekend ever and was the highest grossing film of 2001- grossing an astonishing $974 million at the box office worldwide during its initial run and subsequently grossing over $1 billion.

Speaking on the reunion, Mark Williams said: “I love coming back to the wizarding world, and the new summer feature is a real delight.

“It was an enormous part of our experience filming The Harry Potter film series – to be involved with the amazing work of the design department. To be reminded of that has made my day.

Oliver Phelps added: “Being back on the set reunited with Bonnie and Mark has been absolutely superb – it’s like coming into a time warp, like no time has passed at all since we were last together.”

The family reunion at the Studio Tour is well timed, as research reveals that when asked to rank their top three favourite scenes, fans voted Harry Potter meeting the Weasleys on the way to Platform 9 ¾ on average as their third most-loved moment from the film (29%).

Taking the top spot is the iconic scene where Harry Potter receives his Hogwarts letter at Number Four Privet Drive (31%) – brought to life at the Studio Tour with hundreds of acceptance letters flying from the fireplace. Close behind in second place is Harry’s first visit to Ollivanders to receive his wand (30%), which fans can also visit at the Studio Tour as they make their way through Diagon Alley.

And it’s not just Weasleys getting back together, as a number of behind-the-scenes filmmakers also joined the magical reunion. Pierre Bohanna (Head Prop Maker), Gary Tomkins (Art Director), Nick Pelham (Storyboard Artist), Glen Gathard (Sound Designer), MinaLima (Graphic Design duo), Amanda Knight (Makeup Designer) and Rob Bliss (Concept Artist) all took part in the celebrations, reflecting on the film making legacy of the series.;

Commenting on the reunion, Gary Tomkins said: “My main role on the first film was to help create the drawings for the Hogwarts castle model that you can still see today at the Studio Tour.

“It feels fantastic to see so many of the crew and actors back on the sets we all worked on all those years ago that everyone knows and loves so much. I always love coming back here – it really keeps the magic alive and is such a great opportunity to show the close-up details of the film.

For fans’ second favourite scene of the film, the Graphics and the Props Departments joined forces to create over 17,000 wand boxes at Ollivanders Wand Shop in Diagon Alley. And Harry Potter’s first broomstick? The Props Department went through 25 different iterations of the Nimbus 2000 before settling on the final version.

Not to mention the iconic Great Hall set which took 18 whole weeks to build! Now, 25 years later fans are invited to discover the craftsmanship behind these moments first-hand at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London.

To continue the 25th anniversary celebrations, the Studio Tour is taking fans back to the very beginning, with the launch of its summer feature, ‘First Year at Hogwarts – Where the Filmmaking Magic Began’, bringing classic moments to life from Harry Potter’s first-year of adventures.

From 7th May 2026, before beginning the tour, visitors will be able to relive the moment where Harry Potter experiences the Sorting Hat. In the Great Hall, Gryffindor house banners and floating hats will hang proudly above the tables – capturing the moment first-year students toss them into the air in celebration of Neville winning Gryffindor the House Cup.  

The new feature also showcases other beloved moments, including Hermione Granger casting the Petrificus Totalus spell on Neville Longbottom in the Gryffindor common room, plus, how flying lessons and Quidditch matches were brought to life on the demonstration stage and even a brand-new Wizard’s Chess photo opportunity, featuring moving pieces.

Geoff Spooner, Senior Vice President, WBD Global Experiences EMEA, says: “This summer, we’re celebrating 25 years since Harry Potter first began his journey at Hogwarts, a story that has enchanted generations, and our new summer feature invites fans right back into the very heart of that magic.

“Reuniting Bonnie, James, Oliver, and Mark to the original authentic film sets for this milestone makes it all the more special, as they step back into those unforgettable moments and reminisce about the film that started it all.”

First Year at Hogwarts – Where the Filmmaking Magic Began’ is a brand-new special feature running from 7th May to 7th September 2026, with all new additions included in the ticket price.

The top ten favourite scenes in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone are:

  1. Hogwarts letters arrive at Privet Drive – 31%
  2. Harry gets his wand at Ollivanders – 30%
  3. Harry meets the Weasleys on the way to Platform 9 ¾ – 29%
  4. Harry and Hagrid visit Diagon Alley to get supplies – 28%
  5. Harry has his first Quidditch match – 22%
  6. We see the moving staircase for the first time – 22%
  7. The students get sorted into their Houses in the Great Hall – 21%
  8. Madame Hooch teaches the students how to fly a broom – 14%
  9. Harry, Ron and Hermione play Wizard’s Chess – 14%
  10. Harry, Ron and Hermione fight a troll in the girl’s bathroom – 13%

Published by

davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

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