London locals were advised to keep their wands handy as a 25 foot-long Hungarian Horntail dragon made a pit stop at Kings Cross Station today. Onlookers were left spellbound as the ‘captured’ dragon made a rare appearance outside of its usual home at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, roaring and wrestling against its chains.
Locals lined up at the eye-catching display to get up close and personal with the iconic creature, which fans will recognise from Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire.
The huge animatronic dragon, which weighs 1.3 tonnes, brings to life the fan favourite, nail-biting scene where the Hungarian Horntail dragon breaks free of its chains during the first task of The Triwizard Tournament to chase after Harry Potter.
It was created to mark the launch of the new Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions feature at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London running from 15th May to 8th September 2025. The feature celebrates the 20th anniversary of the cinematic release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and invites visitors to go behind-the-scenes of the Triwizard Tournament to discover how filmmakers created the iconic competition we see and love on-screen.
Harry Potter filmmaker and Animatronic Designer, Joe Scott, designed the dragon which visited London, replicating the creature in the film, complete with moving head, mouth and eyes and sound effects.
The skilled recreation of the famous dragon was carefully crafted over 750 hours, using materials that included 40 metres of fiberglass. The team first created a series of detailed sketches and CGI mock-ups, before Sculptors, Carpenters and Scenic Artists meticulously built the dragon’s head, which was 3D printed using a scan of the original Hungarian Horntail from the film.
A total of 119 spikes were individually applied to garnish the dragon’s head and tail, taking 265 painstaking hours, whilst 38 razor-sharp teeth were 3D printed in resin to create bite in the creature’s animatronic mouth.
As part of the new summer feature at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, for the first-time ever, fans can explore the Backlot Stage, showcasing the Secrets of Special Effects. This new, dedicated indoor space, offers visitors the opportunity to discover how filmmakers brought the action-packed scenes from the Triwizard Tournament to life.
Comprising a digital screen, a stage and tiered seating, it promises to uncover secrets that not even the most knowledgeable Muggle will know. From creating the Hungarian Horntail dragon to understanding how Harry Potter held his breath for so long underwater, all will be revealed as part of the feature. Visitors can also witness a mesmerising demonstration reminiscent of the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students’ arrival at Hogwarts.
Geoff Spooner, Senior Vice President at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London says, “We’re excited to launch our brand-new summer feature, Triwizard Tournament – Making of Champions, where visitors can learn behind-the-scenes secrets of the fourth Harry Potter film. To celebrate, we wanted to bring the magic of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London to the capital recreating the iconic moment of the escaped Hungarian Horntail dragon 20 years on from ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’.”
