OSAKA : Japanese fans of boy
wizard Harry Potter will soon be able to explore the magical world of Hogwarts
when Universal Studios Japan expands its theme park with a half-billion dollar
investment.
The company is going to
boost the footprint of its park in Osaka, western Japan, by one fifth, with new
attraction The Wizarding World of Harry Potter slated to open in 2014, a
spokesman said Thursday.
"We will build several
attractions, including a school for wizards," he said. The company later
added a recreation of wizarding village Hogsmeade would be among the
attractions.
James and Oliver Phelps, who
played the Weasley twins in the Harry Potter movies, were greeted by dozens of
Harry Potter fans dressed as characters from JK Rowling's books at the official
announcement in Osaka.
The blockbuster series has
been a huge success in Japan, sparking long queues of costume-clad fans at
bookstores every time the Japanese translation of a new novel was released.
Cinematic releases of each
instalment have also proved wildly popular.
The Harry Potter commercial
juggernaut, with its seven books, eight films and huge merchandising operation,
has made author Rowling a millionaire many times over.
Brad Globe of Warner
Brothers, the studio behind the movie franchise, said the Universal Studios
Japan expansion was a boon for Harry buffs.
"Harry Potter continues
to captivate generations of fans around the world and we are delighted to
announce this partnership... that will allow us to bring the magic of The Wizarding
World of Harry Potter to Asia," he said.
"We think this is the
perfectly timed next step in bringing the magical world of Harry Potter to life
for even more fans."
The operator of Universal
Studios Japan, which opened in 2001, is a private firm licensed by the US
Universal group. It has attractions featuring Sesame Street, Peter Pan's
Neverland, and the Land of Oz, among others. (AFP-Relaxnews)
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