Hogwarts has its charms, but Harry Potter is ready to celebrate his retirement from battling Voldemort in a more Muggle-friendly destination.
Florida.
With the final chapter in the teen wizard saga fast approaching, J.K. Rowling announced Thursday that she has signed a deal with Universal Orlando Resort to build a massive Potter-based amusement park.
The author gave her blessing to the project, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment, the studio behind the hit Potter flicks, and Universal Orlando, NBC Universal's theme park division.
"The plans I've seen look incredibly exciting, and I don't think fans of the books or films will be disappointed," says Rowling in a statement.
"Over the years we've received thousands of letters from fans around the world wishing they could visit Hogwarts and the wonderful locations described in each of J.K. Rowling's beloved stories," says Warner Bros. chairman and CEO Barry Meyer. "Working with Universal Orlando Resort, we are confident that we'll be able to provide Harry Potter fans with an incredible experience that upholds the richness of J.K. Rowling's books and delivers on the authentic detail portrayed in our films."
Dubbed a "theme park within a theme park," the 20-acre tract will be situated in Universal's Islands of Adventure—the companion theme park to Universal Studios that focuses on literary characters—and will feature key spots from the books and movies, including Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hogsmeade Village and the Forbidden Forest. (What, no Azkaban? Nothing says tourist attraction like a few Dementors.)
"It's a complete world," Universal Orlando spokeswoman Cindy Gordon tells E! Online. "People will get to see some of their favorite locations from the books. They'll be able to walk around at their own leisure to shop and ride in the attractions. Everything you can imagine you could do from reading the books and seeing the movies you will be able to do. That includes, for instance, sampling some butterbeer."
While the rep conceded that the Universal folks have yet to figure out what butterbeer tastes like, their goal is to be as faithful as possible to Rowling's adventures and her diehard fans. There are 325 million Potter books in print in 65 languages, and the film franchise is closing in on $3.5 billion at the box office.
"We can't think of a more iconic character," Gordon continues. "There's an endless amount of story material for us to pull from to create our storylines and attractions and bring them to life in a way that's authentic."
The rep called Wizarding World a "seventh land," meaning it will be "representative of the entire saga, books one through seven" and complement the other six "islands" in the park, which includes areas based on Jurassic Park, Marvel superheroes and Dr. Seuss characters.
To beat out Disney and other theme park purveyors, Universal Orlando and Warner Bros. tapped Stuart Craig, the Academy Award-winning production designer on the Potter films, to oversee Wizarding World's design process. Craig's job is to make sure that every detail of the shops, restaurants, backdrops and attractions lived up to Rowling's exacting standards.
According to Gordon, Hogwarts will anchor the Wizarding World, akin to the Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella castles overlooking Disney's various parks.
"It's kind of a striking figure that you'll be able to see from the highway," she says.
But Gordon was mum when it came to elaborating on what rides and interactive attractions might inhabit Wizarding World.
May we suggest a Quidditch coaster or the Goblet of Fire maze?
Wizarding World is slated to break ground this summer and open its doors in late 2009.
In the meantime, Potter fans are counting down the days to the latest cinematic adventure, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which hits theaters on July 11 (two days earlier than originally announced), and Rowling's final entry in the epic book series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, to be released July 21.