Detailed 'Azkaban' set report
March 15, 2004 at 9:31 AM ET
Geri
The Leaky Cauldron
In January we reported that The Leaky Cauldron
had interviewed the cast while visiting the set of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. They have now posted Part 2 in which they give a detailed description of the clocktower and hospital, as well as some small touches that director Alfonso Cuarón has added to the film.
If we were to put the outside world away and dive into the land of Harry Potter, this was the place to begin. With one step onto the worn stone floor (which is actually made of plaster, but hey, who cares?); one look at the vegetation draped lazily over walls; one eyeful of the gnarled trees twining around stone, one gander at the crooked, bonsai-like tree that bears lumpy, three-apple-high pears which are in turn scattered wil-nil all over the enclosure, and it was done - we were there.
The clocktower: That fountain, the centerpiece of the courtyard, has a very special touch to it that even a Harry Potter fan might miss. Director Alfonso Cuaron has added any number of small oddities to the set that pay tribute to his Mexican heritage: one of them is the shrunken head that hangs from the rearview mirror of the Knight Bus and provides comedy; another is this fountain, which is guarded by several eagles who appear to be eating snakes.
The hospital: The chandeliers, brass, aged stone and stained glass - all of which are in abundance in this small space - were all created and tempered by in-house artists. The pill bottles are full and items all around the room bear Hogwartsian names like Rose Lozenge and the Brown Low Health Filter (which is presumably for water). A cabinet marked "Potions: Keep locked" was in fact locked.
Read the full report. More to follow shortly, promises TLC.