Warner Bros. Studio Tour In Hollywood Returns This Month With A Huge 'Harry Potter' And DC Comics Expansion
After being shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic last year, the famous Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Hollywood is reopening on June 26. But it won't be the same studio tour you may have been on before. During their closure, Warner Bros. took the time to update the tour experience with a new "Storytelling Showcase" looking at the nearly 100-year history of the motion picture studio.
Plus, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour updates include an all-new grand finale to the tour involving huge exhibits for the Harry Potter and DC Comics film franchises.
The new Warner Bros. Studio Tour begins with the "Storytelling Showcase," which is said to examine "the breadth of the studio's film, TV and animation titles, as well as the technological innovations from its cinema chain origins in 1923 through its nearly 100-year journey to become one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world." This includes a walkthrough of an aerial view of the studio lot where fans can snap a picture with a replica of the iconic water tower (you know, where the Animaniacs live).
Fans will still be taken around the Warner Bros. studio lot to check out the familiar stops on the original tour. That includes "Stage 48: Script to Screen," the interactive sound stage that lets guests learn about the technology and methods of television production. Fans will also still be able to check out the Central Perk set from Friends and Sheldon's apartment from The Big Bang Theory. So those experiences aren't going anywhere.
And then begins the incredible-sounding new conclusion to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. In a new part of the tour called "Action and Magic Made Here," fans will walk through Batman's hidden Batcave, which includes the full vehicles of the Batmobile from Tim Burton's Batman, the Tumbler from The Dark Knight, and the Batwing from Batman v. Superman.
There will also be other DC Comics movie props and costumes on display, such as the Lasso of Hestia from Wonder Woman 1984, Joker and Harley Quinn's wardrobe from Suicide Squad, the superhero suit from Shazam!, and the Arkham Asylum gates from Batman & Robin. Those are just a few of the items on display, with others coming from Aquaman, Superman, and Zack Snyder's Justice League.
But if the magic of Harry Potter is more your speed, there's also a new section of the tour that will allow fans to immerse themselves in the world of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. There are photo opportunities in recreations of Harry's cupboard under the stairs in the Dursley's household, as well as a slew of floating Hogwarts acceptance letters flying around their fireplace. There's also a sorting ceremony where fans can pose under the famous Sorting Hat from Hogwarts, and it will even sort them into one of the four school houses. Newt Scamander's Shed of Magical Creatures will also let fans get a closer look at the many magical beasts from the Harry Potter spin-off franchise. We're assuming Eddie Redmayne himself will be there everyday, shuffling about and mumbling to himself.
Finally, the tour will conclude with a collection of props and costumes from some of the most beloved movies from Warner Bros. Pictures. In the "Celebration of Awards" season exhibit, you'll find he trombone Robert Preston played in The Music Man, the jersey worn by the late Chadwick Boseman to portray Jackie Robinson in 42, and a painstakingly detailed miniature blimp from Ridley Scott's Blade Runner.
Since this is a tourist hot spot in Hollywood, there's obviously a gift shop in the form of the Warner Bros. Studio Store. It was previously only accessible by those who went on the studio tour, but it will now be open to the general public, allowing fans to snag exclusive merchandise.
Access to the tour has also been expanded to be a little more family-friendly, as children five years and older are now allowedr. Previously, the age range didn't allow for some younger kids to embark on the tour. But now that all the Harry Potter and DC Comics features are in place, it's a little less of an exclusive adult experience.
The new Warner Bros. Studio Tour will be open on weekends between June 26 and July 11, and it will remain open on Monday, July 5 for the holiday weekend. Starting on July 15, the tour will be running five days a week, excluding Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Tickets are $69 for fans aged 11 and up and $59 for kids aged 5 to 10. For more details and advance reservations (which are required), head over to the official Warner Bros. Studio Tour website right here.