Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Anthony Hayward

INSANE: Stuart craig obituary | Vintage Vibes

Maggie Smith as Professor Minerva McGonagall with Hogwarts pupils in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, 2001. Craig’s first reaction on being asked to depict the Harry Potter world was: ‘How the hell are we going to do this?’
Maggie Smith as Professor Minerva McGonagall with Hogwarts pupils in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, 2001. Craig’s first reaction on being asked to depict the Harry Potter world was: ‘How the hell are we going to do this?’ Photograph: Warner Bros/Sportsphoto/Allstar

The production designer Stuart Craig, who has died aged 83 after suffering from Parkinson’s disease, played a major role in bringing the fantastical, magical world of Harry Potter to the screen. Craig’s set design skills had won him three Oscars, for Gandhi, Dangerous Liaisons and The English Patient, but creating the look of the film versions of JK Rowling’s stories about the schoolboy wizard was the crowning glory of his career.

He worked on all eight films in the series, from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 2001 to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in 2011, leading a large team of concept artists, art directors, set decorators, construction workers, painters and decorators, prop makers, plasterers and model makers.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.