The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is beginning to take shape. Set to open in the Spring of 2010, the Orlando attraction based off the popular books and movies, will take people on a journey into the fictional world first created by J.K. Rowling.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will sit in Universal’s Islands of Adventure, covering 20 acres of land. The attraction will include details from the books as well as remain “completely faithful to the visual landscape of the film,” according to Mark Woodbury, President of Universal Creative.
“Initially we took what people could only imagine through the literature, and turned those stories place and characters into an amazing world only seen on the silver screen. Now we’re taking what was created in those books and films and transforming it into a real place where people can touch, taste and experience Harry’s world,” says Alan Gilmore, the art director for both The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the Harry Potter films.
Hogsmeade Village and Hogwarts Castle are recreated in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and include locations featured in the books and the movies, such as Zonkos Joke Shop, Honeyduke’s Sweet Shop, Olivander’s Wand Shop and Dervish and Banges. The Three Broomsticks will be a restaurant serving traditional British food as well as pumpkin juice and butterbeer.
Rides will include the Dragon Challenge (inspired by the first task of the Tri Wizard Tournament in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), two high speed rollercoasters, and the Flight of the Hippogriff, a family rollercoaster.
Inside Hogwarts Castle will be Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which will further bring the Harry Potter experience alive.
A featurette on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter can be found on the Blu-ray and 2-Disc Special Edition Versions of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince DVD. Some of the features the sneak peek include interviews with stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, as well as glimpses into the rides Flight of the Hippogriff, Dragon Challenge and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
The Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling has been translated into 67 languages, and more than 400 million books have been sold world wide. The Harry Potter movie series, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, have grossed more than $5.3 billion worldwide, making the Harry Potter series the largest-grossing film franchise.
