The Harry Potter universe is getting a real-world twist. According to a report published in the BBC, Warner Bros. Studio in Watford, northwest of London, is building a dedicated on-set school to accommodate the young cast of HBO’s upcoming “Harry Potter” TV reboot.
While the original movie trio, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, balanced a mix of tutoring and mainstream schooling, the new generation of actors will attend classes steps away from the set.
Aidan Monaghan / HBOThe Times reports that the school is expected to accommodate around 150 children during large filming scenes and will operate weekdays between 5:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m., allowing for flexible learning hours to accommodate filming schedules.
A Portable Hogwarts Classroom
Unlike the majestic Hogwarts featured in the films, the on-set school will be more modest in scale. The Times report claims that, approved by the Three Rivers District Council, the facility will utilize portable buildings for the next 10 years to meet the production’s needs.
Per the BBC, Three Rivers District Council is permitting the studio to “use a series of portable buildings as a school facility for the next decade.”
Though the school can legally accommodate up to 600 students, it will primarily serve the cast, child extras, and crew family members, with the majority of enrollment expected to hover around 150.
The planning application is partially retrospective, suggesting that parts of the school are already in place as filming quietly ramps up.
A New Era of Harry Potter on HBO
Photograph by Aidan Monaghan/HBOWarner Bros. confirmed the school is being built for a “significant new TV series, which will be based at the studio for the next eight to ten years.” That series, of course, is the much-anticipated HBO adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books. With casting underway and more than 30,000 children auditioning for lead roles, production is already in motion.
How the Original Stars Balanced Fame & School
(Photo by YUICHI YAMAZAKI/AFP via Getty Images)The move to build an on-set school reflects lessons learned from the original film franchise.
Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter, once attended three private schools in London. Following the success of the first film, he struggled to return to a regular classroom. He achieved strong GCSEs and AS levels but didn’t pursue A-levels or university.
“I figured university is something you do to find out what you want to do, and I knew what I wanted to do, and I was already doing it,” he said in 2012.
Stephen Lovekin/Getty ImagesEmma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, blended tutoring with traditional schooling, earning eight A* and two A grades at GCSE, three A-level As, a degree from Brown University, and is now completing a DPhil in creative writing at Oxford.
Radcliffe once joked about her academic success: “Emma’s grades made mine look pretty shabby. Emma is seriously academic.”
Rupert Grint, who portrayed Ron Weasley, attended Richard Hale School in Hertford before leaving at 16 to focus on acting full-time.
All three actors received one-on-one tutoring on set for about 15 hours a week, highlighting the unique educational demands placed on child stars.
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Harry Potter Reboot Takes Unexpected Step for Child Actors