Harry Potter flying on his Nimbus 2000 has joined Leicester Square’s collection of statues all celebrating beloved characters of movie history. Harry is now featured among others in the Scenes in the Square display, such as depictions of Laurel & Hardy, Bugs Bunny, Mary Poppins, Gene Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain, Batman, Paddington, Mr. Bean and Wonder Woman.

The new statue represents the moment from the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone where Harry played his first-ever Hogwarts Quidditch match against Slytherin. The film, which celebrates its 20th anniversary next year, fittingly held its world premiere at Leicester Square way back in 2001.

The latest addition to Scenes in the Square was unveiled early this morning at Leicester Square in a socially distanced ceremony with host Alex Zane. A Harry Potter section will also be added to the trail’s 30-minute audio tour, also hosted by Alex Zane, which serves as a handy accompaniment to the display. The audio tour, available on various streaming platforms, features movie clips, trivia and more about each movie statue represented.

Speaking about the square’s newest statue, Zane said: ‘Harry Potter has brought so much joy to fans around the world and many like me have grown up with him, so it’s fantastic that he is taking his rightful place here in Leicester Square where I was lucky enough to host the series’ final premiere. I can’t think of a more deserving addition to Scenes in the Square.’

The unveiling of the flying Harry is revealed in the run-up to another celebration of Quidditch: the upcoming book, Quidditch Through the Ages Illustrated Edition, released on hardback 6th October from Bloomsbury in the UK and Scholastic in the US. Illustrated by artist Emily Gravett, the book features new drawings complimenting the Hogwarts textbook which was published back in 2001, written by J.K. Rowling as the fictional Quidditch writer Kennilworthy Whisp, in aid of Comic Relief and now Lumos. You can learn all about this new illustrated edition via Bloomsbury’s official website or Scholastic’s official website – or take a sneak peek inside the book here.

The Scenes in the Square feature will remain in the heart of Leicester Square until at least July 2023, so there’s plenty of time to visit and immerse yourself in the echoes of movie history. Harry Potter and his Nimbus 2000 will take pride of place on the north terrace of Leicester Square outside the Cineworld Cinema. Visit the official website for more details.