‘Harry Potter’ Behind-the-Scenes Doc Offers a Glimpse at HBO Show

“There was this kind of inherent desire to be rooted in naturalism. At the core of ‘Harry Potter,’ nature is the root of magic,” said production designer Mara LePere-Schloop, explaining the show’s desire to incorporate magical realism into HBO’s version of the Wizarding World. “If we could harness those things, that’s what magic is.”

Each animal featured in the upcoming show is based on hours of research and observation of its real-life counterparts in nature.

“We are looking at the culmination of a lot of teamwork,” said Laura Sindall. She showed off prototypes of the show’s owls, which are made of metal and plastic and designed to imitate the movements of real owls. The feather team then individually inserts each feather into a net that is glued to the framework.

“It’s about 36,000 feathers per owl,” said CFX artist Sophie Rechtberger about Hogwarts’ favorite messengers and popular pets. “And we made 10 owls for this show.”

The show will also feature a new-and-improved version of Scabbers, Ron’s pet rat for a time – now created with motors inside the body to imitate organic movement.

“As you push the feet down, it actually compresses, and I can actually move this around,” demonstrated John Nolan, Creature Effects Design Supervisor. “It doesn’t feel too robotic and rigid, which I think really helps the performance of a young boy who’s probably never held an animatronic before in his life.”

In addition to running around realistically on the floor, a version of a “biting Scabbers” was also created for the show – and demonstrated by a team member who showed the rat dangling off her finger.

Other creatures include a never-before-seen toad, whose movements “have been taken directly from nature,” including the details for its eyes, tongue, and nostrils. There were also Flubberworms coated in slime and fire-crabs that blast fire through a self-contained animatronic that is operated remotely.