A new, immersive Harry Potter exhibition has been announced for 2022. Despite not being thirty years old yet, the Harry Potter franchise has exploded in popularity and cultural importance. Novelist J.K. Rowling first published Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997. The books were critically acclaimed and grew a strong fanbase, which only expanded exponentially once Warner Bros. released the first film adaptation of Harry Potter in 2001. Within ten years, the franchise quickly became its own media empire, making billions of dollars between the books, films, video games, and other merchandise.
For Potterheads, the desire to visit worlds resembling those in the Potter universe has existed since 1997. Luckily, several experiences offer a step into familiar locations like Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and Gringotts Bank. Fans can visit real-life locations like Alnwick Castle, The London Zoo, and Kings Cross Station, all used as locations in the Harry Potter films. Warner Bros. studio tours in Los Angeles and London exhibit real props, costumes, and recreations of sets used in the films. Perhaps the most immersive Potter experience comes from "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter," which are dedicated parks located at Universal Studios in Florida, California, and Japan. The parks have full-scale recreations of areas like Diagon Alley and Hogsmead, where fans can order butterbeer and purchase high-quality recreations of the characters' wands in the films.
Imagine Exhibitions (via PR Newswire) has announced that they are creating a new, highly immersive Harry Potter exhibition set to debut in 2022. Imagine, which has been making high-quality exhibits for over ten years, is teaming up with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to create a never-before-seen experience exploring the world of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The exhibition will tour around the world and be scalable depending on the location and venue - ranging from 10,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet. It will show off high-quality, innovative recreations of locations from the films, plus showcasing authentic props and costumes.
Despite being over twenty years since the last Potter book was released, and nearly ten since the last film came out, interest in the Wizarding World remains high as ever. A spin-off film series, Fantastic Beasts, is still ongoing. An open-world RPG from Avalanche Studios is currently set to release in 2022. Recently, there have even been rumors that HBO is producing some kind of Potter series for its streaming platform, HBO Max.
Although J.K. Rowling has come under fire for some controversial anti-trans statements, the Harry Potter universe as a whole still seems to remain very popular. The Wizarding World continues to expand far past the initial books and films. It isn't hyperbolic to say that, as a media franchise, it is only rivaled by things like Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For Potterheads, things like Imagine's new exhibit are sure to satisfy that endless-itch for new Harry Potter experiences.
Source: PR Newswire