Arts

INTERVIEW Q&A with Neville Longbottom

Matthew Lewis, who portrayed Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter series; Eddie Newquist, president of Branded Entertainment and Exhibitgroup/Giltspur; and Paul Fontaine, Vice President of Education of the Boston Museum of Science, discussed the Harry Potter exhibition at a roundtable discussion with The Tech.

TT: How long did it take for the Exhibition to come together?

Newquist: From conception to finish, the project took around three years.

TT: How is the exhibit different from the one that was in Chicago?

Newquist: The two exhibits are identical, but some artifacts could be different because some may be needed for the filming of the last movie.

TT: What message is the museum trying to send to kids by hosting the Harry Potter Exhibition?

Fontaine: Innovation, imagination, and creativity. People who come for the Harry Potter experience will hopefully take a look at the rest of the museum as well.

TT: What are your favorite parts of the exhibition?

Lewis: The mandrakes. When you watch the film, it’s one thing, but actually pulling it is another.

Newquist: The Great Hall.

Fontaine: Buckbeak. Each of its thousand feathers were put in by hand!

TT: What part of the exhibition was the hardest to build?

Fontaine: The Great Hall was the hardest because a part of the roof of the museum had to be blown out in order to fit in the stained-glass windows.