A new Harry Potter interactive experience promises to bring magic to life like never before. Based on author J.K. Rowling's beloved fantasy novel series, the Harry Potter films opened up the world of the books to brand new audiences. The first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, introduced audiences to Daniel Radcliffe's eponymous wizard and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy back in 2001. The success of the first Harry Potter film led to seven more, the most recent of which was released in 2011.
Following the conclusion of the main Harry Potter films, however, the franchise has lived on in other forms. A spinoff property, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, was released in 2016, in addition to a play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Further demonstrating the love of the world of Harry Potter, a recent 20th anniversary special on HBO Max proved popular with fans, reuniting the franchise's three major stars, Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, as well as a host of other actors who worked on the films. A variety of Harry Potter experiences now also exist, including Warner Bros. Studio Tour in the UK and Universal Orlando's own experience in the U.S.
Soon, a brand new Harry Potter experience will be available to U.S. residents. After a successful run in the U.K., Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience will be available to experience this fall in Leesburg, Virginia, in addition to returning to Chesire. The interactive experience includes a nighttime walk through a recreation of the Forbidden Forest, with various iconic fantastic beasts, scenes, and characters to admire along the way. Promotional images for the experience tease several of the attractions, including a hippogriff and Ron Weesley's flying blue car. Check out some images of the experience below:
The Forbidden Forest exists on the outskirts of the Hogwarts grounds and features prominently in most Harry Potter movies, boasting an array of magical (and scary) creatures, making it a prime location to be turned into an interactive experience. Although the main Harry Potter film series concluded more than 10 years ago, love for the franchise clearly persists to this day. Despite the Fantastic Beasts films largely failing to capture the same passionate audience, the real-world Harry Potter experiences remain popular, and the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience appears to be a worthy addition.
Although the new interactive experience is new to the U.S., it's already proven popular with fans in the U.K. If Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience does well during it's inaugural American run, it's possible that additional locations will be established, giving fans from other areas of the country a chance to experience the attraction as well. While the future of the Harry Potter movie franchise remains unclear, those looking to experience the world of the films for themselves now have an array of exciting, real-world options.