Last week, Warner Bros. were kind enough to send us a copy of the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection. In the seven days I was lucky enough to be able to hold on to the box set, I had plenty of time to properly examine every single nook and cranny of it. Despite the fairly lofty price (around £180 in the UK and $350 in the US depending on where you look), I have no doubt that it is a truly essential purchase for any fan of the franchise and the content included within definitely justifies the price tag. We’ll get to the films and special features a little later this week, but for now, I wanted to share with you my thoughts on the set itself and all the fantastic collectibles contained within.
As you can see from the photos below, the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection unfolds in just a few simple stages and contains several drawers. Most of these contain the films in individual book-like boxes with all the relevant discs. A bonus disc with various special features is also hidden somewhere in the set, but I won’t spoil that for you (however, it’s not really all that hard to hunt down). In the various other drawers, you have a label collection, a catalogue of artefacts, a massive blueprint of Hogwarts and a fabric map which can actually be ironed and then hung up if you so choose. The Horcrux Locket from ‘Noble Collection’ is a great quality replica and very authentic looking. It seems like an odd choice of prop to include (would most fans not have preferred a wand or something a little more iconic?) but is very nice, as are Stuart Craig’s sketch prints and the stunning pieces of concept art. The small scroll contains the codes for the UltraViolet copies of the film and a numbered 8” x 10” certificate of authenticity is a very nice touch for collectors.
It’s clear that Warner Bros. put a lot of thought into what they would include in the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection and have made sure that fans of the franchise would be very happy with such a pricey purchase. As someone who LOVED J.K. Rowling’s novels and enjoyed each of the film adaptations, I was personally very impressed by the quality of the box set and the pieces of memorabilia it contains. The maps in particular are superb, while the various pieces of artwork are all great to look at - if anything, it's a shame that there isn't even more of this type of thing included.
FINAL VERDICT: While it would have been nice to see a few more props included with the set, the various pieces of artwork and rare collectibles are more than enough to keep even the most hardcore of Potter fans happy. If you have a big enough bookcase, then the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection is a stunning set to show off to your friends and fans would be foolish to miss out on picking it up while they have the chance!
The most successful film franchise in history will be available from 10th September in a limited-edition collectible box set. The most comprehensive Harry Potter movie collection yet, the set will include all eight films, exclusive never-before-seen content and must-have memorabilia for the most devoted Harry Potter fan. The Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection is a limited edition set containing over 37 hours of special features, including all previously released special features for all eight Harry Potter films. Also included are nearly four hours of exciting, never-before-seen bonus features that offer fans an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the Harry Potter franchise. Wizards and witches everywhere will enjoy the all-new documentaries like "Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 7: Story," in which J.K. Rowling sits down with the series’ screenwriter Steve Kloves and discusses the process of translating the books to the big screen. "Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 8: Growing Up" incorporates new and vintage interviews with the cast to understand what it was like growing up on the set of the world-famous films, and ends with Daniel Radcliffe’s emotionally charged farewell speech to the cast and crew.
Eight pieces of movie memorabilia, designed exclusively for the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection by the graphic designers from the films, give fans a unique chance to bring the artistic details of the world of Harry Potter into their own home. High-quality concept art prints and a colorful fabric map of Hogwarts and the areas surrounding it are perfect for framing. The hard-bound “Harry Potter Catalogue of Artefacts” and the artistic “Label Collection” offer fans a broad look at the intricate details of each film prop. Also included are a blueprint poster of Hogwarts castle, sketch prints from the production designer, a Horcrux locket prop replica and a certificate of authenticity. In addition to the theatrical release of all eight films, the collection also includes the extended versions of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; and the 3D versions of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows –- Parts 1 and 2. Beautifully packaged in a stunning gift box measuring 12-3/4” x 10-9/16” x 11-1/4” and weighing 19 lbs, the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection is the largest collection ever released by Warner Bros.