The Harry Potter film studios will open to the public this Saturday (March 31, 2012), BBC News reports today. Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire will open its doors, meaning that fans of the globally-successful film franchise will be able to view sets from the films that they have enjoyed watching over the years. Some iconic sets will be included in the studio tour, including The Great Hall and the lavish office that belonged to Professor Dumbledore.
The tour will cost 83 pounds for a family of four and some criticism has already been levelled at the tour organisers with regards to the price of some of the items in the gift shop. The organisers, however, have said that the gift shop stock is "incredibly good quality." Some of the items on sale include a reproduction of Emma Watson's ball gown, which will set customers back 241 pounds; a Firebolt Broomstick, priced at 249 pounds and a set of Professor Dumbledore's robes, at a hefty 495 pounds. The managing director of Warner Bros, UK has said "Like everything, there's the high end that is incredibly good quality. And it's expensive to make, and it's expensive to sell." He add that 25 per cent of the merchandise in the shop is under 10 pounds, describing it as "eminently affordable" for most of the families choosing to visit the studio.
Elsewhere, new Harry Potter e-books have gone on-sale, minus the encryption that usually prevents users from moving them between devices. Encryption is an industry standard used by the likes of Amazon, who dominate the e-book market. The Press Association has reported that books purchased from Jk Rowling's new company Pottermore can be downloaded in a variety of formats "including one not protected by DRM (Digital Rights Management)."