SCENES IN THE SQUARE: Daniel Radcliffe Immortalised As Harry Potter As Bronze Quidditch Statue Lands In London’s Leicester Square
Bronze statue of Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter has joined long-term ‘Scenes in the Square’ statue trail, honouring his place in movie history
Statue depicts the character playing Quidditch, in a film scene from ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’
Harry Potter joins other icons of the last 100 years of movie history, Laurel & Hardy, Bugs Bunny, Mary Poppins, Singin’ in the Rain, Batman, Paddington, Mr. Bean and Wonder Woman
Unveiling took place this morning, hosted by Alex Zane, at London’s Leicester Square’s north terrace
A statue of Harry Potter has been unveiled in Leicester Square today, joining an illustrious trail of timeless movie characters from the past 100 years in London’s home of film.
Harry Potter, played by Daniel Radcliffe, was unveiled early this morning by TV personality Alex Zane, known for presenting at red carpet premieres in the square for many years including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 premiere.
The statue depicts Potter flying on his Nimbus 2000 in his debut Quidditch match – a thrilling encounter between Gryffindor and Slytherin from the first movie, ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. 2021 will mark the 20th anniversary of this film, which had its World premiere in 2001 in Leicester Square.
Taking pride of place on the north terrace of Leicester Square outside Cineworld Cinema, Harry Potter is the ninth addition to ‘Scenes in the Square’, a free to visit film sculpture trail by Heart of London Business Alliance celebrating the square’s long and rich cinema history.
He joins eight other timeless icons and classic movie scenes from the past 100 years, which were unveiled in late February and recently granted longer term residency by Westminster Council to remain in Leicester Square until at least July 2023, and organisers hope for many years to come. Gracing the buildings, benches and flower beds of the historic square, visitors can also encounter Laurel & Hardy, Bugs Bunny, Gene Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Mr. Bean, Paddington and iconic DC Super-Heroes Batman and Wonder Woman.
The unveiling of the Harry Potter statue, which took place in a socially distanced ceremony, comes just ahead of the release on October 6th of Quidditch Through the Ages Illustrated Edition from publisher, Bloomsbury in the UK and Scholastic in the US. First published over 15 years ago in aid of Comic Relief and Lumos, and written by J.K. Rowling as esteemed fictional Quidditch writer Kennilworthy Whisp, the book contains all you will ever need to know about the history, the rules – and the breaking of the rules – of the noble sport of Quidditch. Now, this much-loved companion to the Harry Potter books has been gloriously reimagined in a large illustrated colour gift edition by the innovative and award-winning illustrator Emily Gravett.
Alex Zane, TV Presenter and host of the event, says “Harry Potter has brought so much joy to fans around the world and many like me have grown up with him, so it’s fantastic that he is taking his rightful place here in Leicester Square where I was lucky enough to host the series’ final premiere. I can’t think of a more deserving addition to Scenes in the Square.”
Ros Morgan, Chief Executive at Heart of London Business Alliance, says “When we launched Scenes in the Square in February of this year, we said there would be more to come, and I’m thrilled our next statue could be one as iconic and magical as this.
Harry Potter is hugely important to literature, theatre and, of course, to film. In a trail that celebrates cinema, it’s wonderful to have a character that has been so important to the UK film industry included, and one with as great British acting talent as Daniel Radcliffe.
We know there are fans of Harry Potter of all ages all around the World and we look forward to welcoming them to the West End, and Leicester Square, whenever that will be.”
Finn Bruce, aged 10, says “I love Harry Potter and have been posing for photos pretending to play Quidditch with the statue all morning! I love coming into London and I’m happy Harry is here now too!”
Yousef Ibrahim, aged 30, says, “I grew up with Harry Potter and the books, films and now stage show have been a really important part of my life, which I think is the case for a lot of my generation. It’s great to see this immortalised in a statue now, especially in Leicester Square where the films first premiered.”
A Harry Potter section has been added to the trail’s audio tour, also hosted by Alex Zane and packed with movie clips, on most podcast platforms, giving visitors a thirty-minute walking tour packed with trivia and humour.
Harry Potter is part of ‘Scenes in the Square’, an interactive film trail in London’s Leicester Square. For the latest information, visit: https://www.leicestersquare.
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