Harry Potter is going Hollywood with a new theme park based at
Universal Studios that will feature a Hogwarts castle as its centrepiece
alongside rollercoasters and other rides.
NBCUniversal and film studio Warner Bros on Dec. 6 unveiled "The
Wizarding World of Harry Potter," which will be built at the Universal
Studios Hollywood site with attractions that are similar to the
money-spinning Potter theme park opened in June 2010 at Universal's
resort in Orlando, Florida.
The new theme park could take 3-4 years to construct and is likely to
cost several hundred million dollars but will create more than 1,000
jobs and is expected to boost tourism to the Los Angeles area, officials
said.
The two companies -- Universal runs the theme parks and Warner Bros.
owns the rights to the "Harry Potter" movies -- also said the "Wizarding
World" in Florida would be expanded.
Toasting Tuesday's announcement with mugs of "Butterbeer", officials
said the Hollywood park will be centred around a huge Hogwarts castle
and feature rides and other attractions based on the adventures of the
popular British boy wizard and his friends who use sorcery to battle
evil.
Author J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" book series have sold some 450
million copies worldwide and the eight movies from the Warner Bros.
studios have taken more than $7.7 billion at global box-offices, making
the films the largest-grossing franchise in history.
With its "Dragon's Challenge" rollercoaster and life-size model of
the Hogwarts Express train, the 20-acre "Wizarding World" park in
Orlando has proved a huge success with fans. It drew more than 7 million
visitors in its first year and boosted NBCUniversal's theme park
revenue by 33 percent to $1.5 billion for the first nine months of 2011,
according to company results.
Officials did not say how many of the Florida rides would make their
way to the Hollywood park, nor did they say if any new rides were
envisaged. But they did say the new attraction would be created with the
same commitment to authenticity with the books and movies as the one in
Florida.
Warner Bros. chairman Barry Meyer called Tuesday's announcement
"probably the best holiday gift we could give to the legions of Harry
Potter fans worldwide."
"Everyone involved with these projects is committed to continuing the
enchantment of J.K. Rowling's masterful books as they were brought to
life on screen in our eight films and dedicated to extending the magic
of the experience for generations of fans to come," Meyer said.
The expansion of the Potter franchise follows Walt Disney's Co's
announcement in September of a theme park based on the 2009 film
"Avatar" -- the highest-grossing single movie in history.
Work on the "Avatar" park is due to begin in 2013 in a section of
Disney World in Orlando, with plans for other locations in the future.
Sincerely,
The-Girl-Who-Lived
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