Book excerpt: An insider’s look at how artists and creature designers brought Thestrals, Grindylows, Acromantula, dragons, and more to cinematic life. From centaurs to merpeople and horn-tailed dragons, magical creatures and terrifying beasts are key characters in the Harry Potter films. Harry Potter Film Vault: Volume 1: Forest, Lake, and Sky Creatures features illustrations and behind-the-scenes photography that give fans an in-depth look at the development and creation of the magnificent creatures seen throughout the movies. The Film Vault compiles the filmmaking secrets and visionary artistry behind the Harry Potter films into a series of twelve deluxe collectible volumes. Intricately designed and packed with gorgeous concept art and unit photography from the Warner Bros. archive, each volume in the series gives fans striking insights about bringing the Wizarding World to the big screen. Praise for the Harry Potter Film Vault series “A detailed, behind-the-scenes look at creating some aspect of the wizarding world for the films.” —The Leaky Cauldron “These are great! They’re gorgeous, and because they break down the different aspects of the films into twelve volumes, they may have more detail than some of the other compendiums out there . . . these might just be my new favorite Potter film books.” —MuggleNet “[A] super cool behind the scenes series of the Harry Potter films . . . Twelve volumes that take the viewer on distinct adventures that unveil various aspects of the beloved movies.” —Apartment Therapy “You’re going to want to collect them all.” —Wizards and Whatnot