Production designer Stuart Craig died this September after a long journey with Parkinson’s. We remember Stuart Craig for his many contributions to the film world, but especially for his work on the Harry Potter films.
Famously saying “how the hell are we going to do this?” after reading the source material, he set about building a visual identity for the film series that morphed and expanded throughout the 8 films. Most iconic are the sets he created for the Ministry of Magic, Malfoy Manor, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Diagon Alley, the last two of which he went on to replicate for Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park. It’s important to note he collaborated in all these projects with set decorator Stephenie McMillan, with whom he partnered on projects on 16 films, and for nearly 30 years, sharing the Oscar with him for The English Patient. She also had a hand in developing the Wizarding World, before passing away in 2013 from ovarian cancer.
One of the most impressive aspects of production designer Stuart Craig’s work on the 8 HP films was the way he was able to keep a consistent visual identity while working with multiple directors and cinematographers. He also had to alter existing sets and environments based on new information, as new books introduced expanded elements in places he had already designed for former films.
He used lots of inspiration for his Harry Potter designs.
For The Ministry of Magic, Craig drew from Victorian architecture and the tiles of London underground stations. The 16th century hall of Christ Church at Oxford University was essential to not only the Ministry, but also Hogwarts School. Hogwarts was also modeled variously after Durham Cathedral, Alnwick Castle, and George Heriot’s School.
For Dickensian aesthetic and whimsical architecture of Diagon Alley, Craig referred to locations as diverse as medieval shopping streets of The Shambles in York, Cecil Court and Goodwin’s Court in London, and Leadenhall Market, which was actually used as a filming location for exterior shots around the Leaky Cauldron for the first Harry Potter film.
Here’s a wonderful video about the set design in Harry Potter you might enjoy called “Building the Magic”:
You can hear all about his career in film in this interview I did with Stuart Craig, which was a delight from start to finish and a personal highlight of my experience interviewing film folk!:
There’s also this wonderful interview on the Motion Picture Association website, The Credits (where I LOVE to interview folks from new movies) – it’s before my time writing for the site (2016) – he chats about Fantastic Beasts. You can read it HERE.
Of course, remembering Stuart Craig means remembering some of the other wonderful, classic, beloved films on which he made vital contributions, and those include many beyond the movies that gleaned him an Academy Award.
Craig was nominated for 11 Oscars, winning three, for 1982’s Gandhi, 1988’s Dangerous Liaisons, and 1996’s The English Patient. He was nominated in Art Direction for The Elephant Man (lost to All That Jazz), The Mission (lost to Out of Africa…ok, fair…), Chaplin, and Harry Potter films Philosopher’s Stone, Goblet of Fire, Deathly Hallows One and Two, and for Best Production Design for Fantastic Beasts. He fared better in terms of wins for Harry Potter at the BAFTAs, where he won for both Goblet of Fire and Fantastic Beasts.
Some of the less awarded films he worked on that are watched to this day and much beloved include The Secret Garden (1993), Notting Hill (1999) both as production designer, and A Bridge Too Far and Superman as art director.
He passed away at 83 and left his wife Patricia Stangroom, whom he married in 1965, and their kids and grandchildren. Having spent over an hour chatting with him, I found him to be humble, brilliant, self-deprecating, and incredibly kind and polite. He’s part of the reason I fell so in love with interviewing and amplifying below the line artists, because he was so full of inspiration, wonderful stories, and passion for his craft.
He will be missed, but his work lives on in films from his amazing career.
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There are only four remaining images hand-signed by Stuart Craig at ArtInsights. Snap them up for the love of his work and the love of Harry Potter. 10% of the sale goes to the Transgender Law Center, which you can read about HERE.
CLICK ON EACH IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION or TO BUY!
Escape On the Dragon by Stuart Craig, signed by the artist:
The Twins Depart, by Stuart Craig, signed by the artist:
Harry’s Trial by Stuart Craig, signed by the artist:
Creating Hogsmeade by Stuart Craig, signed by the artist:
