Warner Bros. Entertainment and the Universal Orlando Resort will open a theme park in Florida based on the “Harry Potter” novels in late 2009.
The park, called the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, will feature rides, shops and attractions from the books that follow the adventures of the teenage wizard, the companies said today in a statement. The village of Hogsmeade, the mysterious Forbidden Forest and Hogwarts castle will be recreated.
“The plans I’ve seen look incredibly exciting, and I don’t think fans of the books or films will be disappointed,” Potter author J.K. Rowling said in the statement.
The books have been translated into 65 languages, with more than 325 million copies sold worldwide.
The seventh and final installment, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” will be published July 21.
Four “Harry Potter” films, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, have grossed more than $3.5 billion at the box office worldwide.
