Friday when I came out from seeing "The Batman" at the Vue theater in Princes Quay with a friend, we walked past a crowd of people gathered around a sight very similar to this in Queen Victoria Square (This picture is not my own however). All sort of crowded, some making a massive line up to a series of tall wands from the Harry Potter series with tips that would periodically light up. The projection of purple advertisement on the building the backdrop to a strangely popular photo op that tourists seemed to be coming in troves to see, and sometimes even dressed the part.
My friend and I however, walked on. Not only did we not understand what the massive line led to and not have the desire to stand out on a cold night to find out, but assuming it was all it turned out to be, the attraction just felt like it fell short entirely. The wands as could be seen easily during the day and the light affects just felt like someone stuck a £5 LED in them and called it a day. Unless there was more upon standing around waiting, it felt like an art installation advertisement such as this, funded by a massive company such as Warner Brothers just could have done so much better. Maybe my bar is set way too high, having watched video after video of advertisement projects at places such as The World Fair, but it felt like something a local theatre could have made or a school for a prom entrance. I wish that it could have been accompanied by perhaps a small indoor display of actual wands and props from the movie to really appeal to fans more than influencers, but alas. Now headed towards a week in Stoke, Reading and Birmingham however, they'll likely continue to pull crowds.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has fallen far from grace over the years between JK Rowling's active transphobia on Twitter and Johnny Depp's controversial recasting in this newest film, and attempts like this are not going to go far in pulling old fans like myself back into the splendor. The magic has faded for me it seems.
If any of you had the chance to interact with the exhibit in it's full wonder, please do comment below and let us know, tell us what you thought of it.
Stay tuned for news on the next big things to come into town, and I hope you'll stay in one of our properties when they do.
Dakota Morrill
- Padoo Homes
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