Latest news with #Potter-themed
Daily Mirror
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
The Chase's Darragh Ennis shares Harry Potter quiz 'only mega-fans' can solve
The Chase star Darragh Ennis regularly shares his own quizzes online, and one recent one was designed to challenge Harry Potter fans with some fiendishly difficult questions If you reckon yourself a top-tier Harry Potter fan, then this quiz from The Chase sensation Darragh Ennis will surely test your magical mettle. Better known to fans as The Menace, the ITV quiz maestro usually spends his time thwarting hopefuls from bagging big money with his remarkable trivia talent. Offscreen, the brainy chaser flexes his quiz muscles on TikTok, challenging users to match his knowledge through themed quizzes. Recently, he conjured up a set of particularly tricky questions aimed at Harry Potter enthusiasts, as he claimed that it would be nearly "impossible" for even the biggest fans to get every question right. Darragh's latest challenge features five Potter-themed questions, cunningly crafted to escalate in difficulty as contestants progress through the quiz. He declared that "most" people won't be able to answer all five questions correctly, but conceded that true "mega-fans" might just prove their wizardry levels by acing the test. The five questions Darragh set were: What is the address of the Dursleys? At platform nine and three-quarters of what train station does Harry catch the Hogwarts Express? Who is the landlady of the Three Broomsticks pub in Hogsmeade? Who wrote the magical textbook, A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration? Which character lived on a street called Spinners End? For that first question, Darragh said won't be charmed by vague answers; he expects both the street name and house number for full marks. He also gave a slight hint that the book, A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, is one of the titles on Harry's book list for his first year at Hogwarts, so he would have picked it up while shopping for his supplies with Hagrid. Do you reckon you've worked out all five answers? If you're still puzzling over them, don't scroll any further, because we're about to reveal the solutions. Answers Darragh unveiled the following answers in his clip: No. 4 Privet Drive King's Cross station in London Madame Rosemerta Emeric Switch Professor Snape The telly favourite pointed out that nailing Emeric Switch as the answer for the book author query was particularly "tough" and gave kudos to anyone who managed to crack it. He also clarified that Professor Snape lives at an address on Spinners End when he isn't at Hogwarts, making it a very niche question. Viewers of the video didn't hesitate to boast or bemoan their quiz performance. Some bragged that the challenge was "so easy", while others confessed they were stumped by some of the more perplexing questions. One viewer commented: "I got 4/5. Who remembers the authors of random textbooks?" Another said: "Every time I reread the books, I make sure I know who wrote every one of Harry's set books, just in case they come up in trivia, and it finally did!"
The Independent
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
The spellbinding Scottish destinations that deliver the magic of Harry Potter
At the foot of Ben Nevis, amid enchanting pine forests and waterfalls bathed in silvery light, is where Harry Potter once fought a dragon. Steeply pitched Glen Nevis, which is within easy reach of lochside town Fort William, is a major stop for hikers, climbers and bikers seeking adventure in the Highlands' outdoor capital. These days, however, it's an equally popular spot for visitors with a different reason for coming. It was here, beside the thunderous 120m-high Steall Falls, that the world's most famous boy wizard once defeated a Hungarian Horntail – or 'a right nasty piece of work', as half-giant gamekeeper Hagrid put it. Yes, Harry Potter came to Glen Nevis and, ever since, the area has been one of many set-jetting stops in the West Highlands, where fans can see where the books were brought to life. There are several such magical places, and the best time to visit them? Harry Potter Day on 2 May, of course, the annual homage and celebration when all Potter fans unite. Despite years passing since the last film and book in the series, Harry Potter remains big news. HBO has announced a whopping great decade-long, seven-series adaptation of JK Rowling 's saga, with filming due to begin this autumn. Universal is also betting big on its fourth Florida theme park, Universal Epic Universe, by debuting a whole new whizz-bang, Potter-themed land: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, opening on 22 May. And the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play continues to break records and launch new productions (the latest being in Brazil and the Netherlands). So, what better way to relive the original magic than by returning to the franchise's roots to see where the Harry Potter universe was born? To start with, the aesthetic of Edinburgh is vintage Potter. The Old Town's salvo of narrow wynds, lopsided spires and wonky tolbooths is pure Gothic romance and, often, there are little glimmers of the city buried in the books' pages like clues. Cobblestoned Victoria Street, now with Potter-themed emporia, is Diagon Alley. George Heriot's School doubles as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Grave-spotting is a curious obsession in the city and Greyfriars Kirkyard is where JK Rowling wandered between stints writing her first chapters at The Elephant House café on George IV Bridge (now relocated to Victoria Street following a devastating fire). Several tombstones inspired character names in the books, so seek out those of the Potter family, Tom Riddle, McGonagall, Black, Moodie, Scrymgeour and Cruikshanks. The graveyard, the story goes, is also the inspiration behind the ghostly resting place of Harry's parents in Godric's Hollow. Best hotels in Edinburgh 2025 For those with the sort of money the author now earns from her series, The Balmoral Hotel on Princes Street is the only place to stay. The JK Rowling Suite, where the author finished the last book in 2007, is a grand apartment with owl door knocker, vintage typewriter, star-pervaded hall and turreted alcoves. For the film viewer, meanwhile, it's the countryside that forms the spectacular backdrops for many of the exterior shots of the films, and there is always a lingering sense of the rugged ferocity of the Highlands. The star turns are Glenfinnan and Loch Shiel, 16 miles west of Fort William. With low-cut hills, the landscape is the perfect foil for the 21-arch Glenfinnan Viaduct railway bridge on the West Highland Line. Whether you're a Potter obsessive or not, it's instantly recognisable as where Harry and friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger ride a steam-powered locomotive to Hogwarts in four of the movies, most memorably in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In summer, the Jacobite Steam Train lets trainspotters and Potter fans live out their fantasies by riding the rails – these days, you can rent a private compartment with full afternoon tea service. Despite or perhaps because of it having a dragon-scale monster of its own, Loch Ness never made it into the Potter universe. And yet, there is something almost as fantastic settled on the lochside: Fort Augustus Abbey, with enough stone spiral staircases, Gothic spires, arched cloisters and quadrangles to make it feel like a wizards' college. First established by Benedictine monks in 1876, it became a Hogwarts-type private boarding school and has since been turned into a series of luxury holiday apartments. To top it off, it has its own Gryffindor-type games room, an atmospheric graveyard and a giant chess board (one of these should be familiar from the climax to the first book and film). Certainly, it's the closest you'll get to falling into the pages of a Potter novel in the Highlands. Many locals find absurdity in all of this fandom, particularly so farther south around Ballachulish and Glencoe, where the hippogriff-eyed will recognise plenty of top Potter spots. There's Glen Etive and Torren Lochan (often used as a backdrop for the quidditch matches), but also Signal Rock forest and the slopes above Clachaig Inn. Filming for much of the movie series, most notably Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, took over the hillside for months. The other draw of the area – a short 23-mile drive to the southwest in Appin – is The Pierhouse, a one-of-a-kind waterfront inn close to island-topped Castle Stalker. While the hotel is a celebration of just-shucked seafood at its most memorable and the perfect west coast pitstop, the lonely keep evokes thoughts of the Hut-on-the-Rock, where Harry was introduced to Rubeus Hagrid in the opening of the first Potter novel. Ultimately, almost nowhere does magical landscapes like Scotland and long-time Edinburgh resident JK Rowling knows this. If you come to understand her stories better, either on the page or on screen, it's because you also know that Scotland is a destination riddled with soaring glens and bewitching lochs, crooked castles, turreted schools and eerie kirkyards. As you can probably now tell, Harry Potter couldn't have been conjured up anywhere else. the best hotels in Edinburgh. In Fort Augustus, stay in a one, two or three-bed self-catering apartment at The Highland Club. If you're visiting the village of Port Appin on the shores of Loch Linnhe, book The Pierhouse.
Washington Post
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Universal will build its first European theme park on a site near London
LONDON — Universal has chosen the homeland of Harry Potter to build its first theme park and resort in Europe, the entertainment company and U.K. officials announced Wednesday. The studio and theme park operator that has drawn millions to its Potter-themed wizarding worlds and other attractions said it would begin construction next year just beyond the outskirts of London.
The Hill
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hill
Universal chooses a site near London to build its first European theme park
LONDON (AP) — Universal has chosen the homeland of Harry Potter to build its first theme park and resort in Europe, the entertainment company and U.K. officials announced Wednesday. The studio and theme park operator that has drawn millions to its Potter-themed wizarding worlds and other attractions said it would begin construction next year just beyond the outskirts of London. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the park would create 28,000 jobs and would bring opportunity, growth, and 'of course, joy to Britain.' 'People said to me, 'Government will be a roller-coaster,' and I can testify to that,' Starmer said. 'I don't think this is quite what they meant.' Construction on the park planned on 476 acres (1.93 square kilometers) in a former brickyard in Bedford is expected to be completed by 2031. The town is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of London. Universal did not say what attractions it would offer at the park, but it has built rides around many of its movie franchises, including 'Minions,' 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,' 'Jurassic Park,' 'Kung Fu Panda' and 'Fast & Furious.' Universal has had a deal with Warner Bros. to create its attractions around the Harry Potter franchise that is based on the books set in Scotland. The setting is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of where Warner Bros. has a studio tour in Watford. The Universal resort, initially expected to include a 500-room hotel, will be near a major rail line and Luton Airport, which officials recently said would be expanded. Universal, a division of Comcast Corp., has five entertainment and resort complexes around the world — in Orlando, Florida; Los Angeles; Osaka, Japan; China; and Singapore.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Universal chooses a site near London to build its first European theme park
LONDON (AP) — Universal has chosen the homeland of Harry Potter to build its first theme park and resort in Europe, the entertainment company and U.K. officials announced Wednesday. The studio and theme park operator that has drawn millions to its Potter-themed wizarding worlds and other attractions said it would begin construction next year just beyond the outskirts of London. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the park would create 28,000 jobs and would bring opportunity, growth, and "of course, joy to Britain.' 'People said to me, 'Government will be a roller-coaster,' and I can testify to that,' Starmer said. 'I don't think this is quite what they meant." Construction on the park planned on 476 acres (1.93 square kilometers) in a former brickyard in Bedford is expected to be completed by 2031. The town is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of London. Universal did not say what attractions it would offer at the park, but it has built rides around many of its movie franchises, including 'Minions,' 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,' 'Jurassic Park,' 'Kung Fu Panda" and 'Fast & Furious." Universal has had a deal with Warner Bros. to create its attractions around the Harry Potter franchise that is based on the books set in Scotland. The setting is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of where Warner Bros. has a studio tour in Watford. The Universal resort, initially expected to include a 500-room hotel, will be near a major rail line and Luton Airport, which officials recently said would be expanded. Universal, a division of Comcast Corp., has five entertainment and resort complexes around the world — in Orlando, Florida; Los Angeles; Osaka, Japan; China; and Singapore.
