CHAMBER OF SECRETS – Behind the Scenes

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Filming: 18 November 2001 – 26 July 2002
Budget: $ 100 Million

Behind the Scenes

  • Rupert’s favourite scene to film: The Slug Scene
  • The slug slime had different flavours: chocolate, lemon, orange, peppermint. Rupert could put two at a time in his mouth and revealed that they tasted quite nice.
  • Hugh Grant was originally cast as Gilderoy Lockhart but was forced to withdraw at the last moment because of scheduling conflicts. Alan Cummings was also considered.
  • Rupert enjoyed filming the flying car scenes and compared it to being on a theme park ride.
  • Rupert hated shooting the Spider scenes due to his arachnophobia. Chris Columbus said it was the funniest scene to shoot because Rupert’s acting was pure comedy and Chris could not keep a straight face.
  • Rupert revealed that there was an attempt to film a scene with a baby tarantula crawling up his leg. They had to cut that scene, however, as Rupert was too arachnophobic to make it through the scene.
  • Rupert revealed in 2010 that he is still not able to watch the spider scenes.
  • Fourteen Ford Anglias were destroyed to create the scene where Harry and Ron crash into the Whomping Willow.
  • The Devil’s Snare is animatronic, and the scene was shot in reverse.
  • The script originally said that Hermione would hug Harry and Ron in the final scene. As the then 11-year-old Emma Watson was embarrassed about having to hug the boys in front of the entire cast, Chris Columbus allowed her to change the scene so that Hermione just hugs Harry, then starts to hug Ron but the two get embarrassed and resolve to only shake hands. Watson also stated in a recent interview that she kept letting Daniel Radcliffe go too quickly, so the film was “frozen” for a few seconds to make the hug look like it lasted longer than it actually did.
  • Richard Harris died a few weeks before the film’s release.
  • Rupert and Dan had a “giggle hour” each day on set, particularly after lunch, where it was quite hard to film without either of them starting to laugh.

    • Filming Locations

  • Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK (Courtyard during the boys’ arrival at Hogwarts)
  • Duke Humfrey’s Library, Bodleian Library, Broad Street, Oxford, UK (Hogwarts library)
  • Divinity School, Bodleian Library, Broad Street, Oxford, UK (Hospital wing)
  • Durham Castle, Durham, County Durham, UK (Classroom scenes)
  • Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, UK (studio shots)
  • Glen Coe, Scotland, UK (background scenery for Quidditch match)
  • Glenfinnan Viaduct, Fort William, Scotland, UK (background for Flying Car sequence, deleted scene: Harry talking to Hedwig on a hill)
  • Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, UK (corridor near Myrtle’s bathroom)
  • King’s Cross Station, King’s Cross, London, UK (Platform 9/10)
  • Leavesden Studios, Leavesden, Hertfordshire, England, UK (studio shots)
  • Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, stairway and interior)
  • St. Pancras Station, St. Pancras, London, UK (King’s Cross Station exterior)