Here’s a first look at the Hagrid animated figure in a new Harry Potter ride. Following on the heels of the incredibly successful Harry Potter film franchise, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at Universal Studios Florida has been a dream come true for Harry Potter fans around the world.

Oddly enough, although almost everything about Harry Potter and the characters that inhabit his magical world are British, none of the three Potter themed attractions can be found in the United Kingdom. Instead, Warner Bros has seen fit to build the attractions in the USA (Florida and California), as well as Japan. The three locations have some different or otherwise slight variations on their attractions, with new rides/experiences often in the works. At present it’s arguably the Japanese Wizarding World of Harry Potter that has the most unique features, however, offering guests the chance to see Hogwarts’ Black Lake as well as live owls - two attractions not available at either of the other Wizarding World locations.

That’s all about to change with the latest addition to Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World experience. A press release from Universal Orlando details the park’s newest attraction, called Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. The immersive roller coaster experience allows Potter fans to join everyone’s favorite giant turned Hogwarts groundskeeper on a journey through the Forbidden Forest. Perhaps best of all, the attraction features a life-like, animated rendering of Hagrid, based on actor Robbie Coltrane. Check out the video below for a glimpse of the magic:

According to Universal’s press release, the new attraction – which opens June 13, 2019 – will allow guests to accompany Hagrid on magical motorbikes as he struggles to contain his beloved Blast-Ended Skrewts - the bizarre (and often noisy) creatures that appear in the fourth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - on a journey that goes through the infamous Forbidden Forest. For whatever reason, the creatures were never featured in any of the Harry Potter films, making Orlando’s Wizarding World the first time that the public has been able to see them in action. Aside from the Skrewts, the animated Hagrid figure appears to be a stunning recreation of Coltrane’s character. Coltrane was heavily involved with the creation of the animatronic, which involved having his mouth scanned in order to create Hagrid’s teeth, recording lines from a custom script, and having 24 different body movements and expressions mimicked. In addition to Coltrane’s involvement, the animatronic Hagrid’s face was hand sculpted by technicians, his clothing was designed by the same team responsible for his onscreen wardrobe, and his 7-foot, 6-inch height matches that of his onscreen persona.

This latest addition to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter certainly sounds like a good one, allowing fans to get a unique taste of one of the IP’s most beloved characters. With Disney about to launch its Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attraction at the end of this month, the timing is good on Warner’s part, ensuring that fans of both Star Wars and Harry Potter will have a tough decision to make this summer if they only have the time (or the funds) to visit one world famous theme park attraction.

More: Harry Potter: 15 Things You Never Knew About Hagrid

Source: Universal Orlando

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