“Harry Potter” star Imelda Staunton reprises role as Dolores Umbridge for 'extreme' new scenes in Universal experience
Staunton filmed new scenes for Universal Epic Universe's stunning new theme park ride, after previously saying she wouldn't return to the "Harry Potter" series.
After previously expressing doubt that she'd ever return to the Harry Potter franchise, Oscar-nominated actress and The Crown star Imelda Staunton will reprise her role as Dolores Umbridge in Universal Epic Universe's new Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic attraction inspired by the film series.
Over 14 years following Staunton's final Harry Potter film performance in 2010's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1, an official franchise YouTube video confirms that Staunton returned to film new scenes as the villainous character, who takes center stage in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry ride that takes guests through the British Ministry of Magic for Umbridge's trial. Visitors to the Universal Orlando Resort's next theme park (set to open in 2025) enter through the organization's grand atrium (as seen in the Harry Potter movies) ahead of the trial, until things go awry when, naturally, Umbridge attempts to escape and wreak havoc on her captors.
"You'll explore plenty of never before seen locations, like the Ministry of Archives and the Department of Magical Creatures," Hope Glomski, Universal Global Themed Entertainment said in the clip below, also confirming that film series characters like Corban Yaxley, Walden Macnair, the Carrow family, and Kingsley Shacklebolt will return in scenes for the ride alongside a new house elf character named Higgledy.
Warner Bros/courtesy Everett Collection; Harry Potter/Youtube
Daniel Radcliffe, Imelda Staunton, and Emma Watson in 'Harry Potter' ; Staunton in Ministry of Magic ride at Universal Epic UniverseLater in the video, Assistant Director Anisha Vyas Burgos called Staunton's performance "absolutely brilliant," while footage preview footage showed the 68-year-old actress filming her scenes in front of a large green screen. "She got to take Umbridge to the extreme," Burgos continued.
In a 2019 interview with Hello! magazine, Staunton said she "didn't think" she'd return to the Harry Potter franchise after her two-film stint, which began with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in 2007. She told the outlet, however, that she still enjoys scaring fans in public when they recognize her as the nefarious former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
"Of course I can scare people. I don't get a lot of kids coming up to me actually. It's the grown up kids — you want to say you are 35 — but they grew up with it," Staunton said. "Harry Potter doesn't stop, does it?"
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to a representative for Staunton for comment.
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Staunton's return to the Harry Potter film series comes after EW exclusively reported that fellow franchise star Eddie Redmayne, who previously starred in three Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them films, would reprise his role as Newt Scamander inside the new Epic Universe land as well.
The new Harry Potter land will fuse the timelines from the eight main Harry Potter films with the three Fantastic Beasts movies, with the respective stories unifying on a huge plot of land spanning 1920s Paris and 1990s London. Universal visitors will be able to move between both worlds using the Métro Floo transportation network, giving fans a chance to experience the Floo Network for themselves.
While Redmayne and Staunton are confirmed to return, other characters like Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) have yet to be formally announced as part of the project — though images of each actor appeared in Universal Epic Universe's latest press release advertising the Harry Potter land. (EW has reached out to representatives for the stars.)
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic opens with Epic Universe sometime in 2025. Watch Staunton reprise her role as Umbridge in the video above.
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