Click here to read the full article.
With Harry Potter excitement expected to reach fever pitch once more later this year with the launch of HBO’s new TV series, Warner Bros. is going big on the merch — and just in time for Christmas.
The studio has announced
that the U.K. largest Harry Potter shop will open in central London in November, weeks before the hotly-anticipated series premieres on Dec. 25.
The flagship store, which will span two floors and more than 21,000 square-feet, will be located on the main shopping area of Oxford Street and has, according to Warner Bros., taken inspiration from the Wizarding World’s own magical shopping street Diagon Alley. It is set to feature a dragon towering above Gringotts bank, a full-sized Knight Bus and also a branch of the Leaky Cauldron pub serving food and foaming Butterbeer.
“There’s no better place to create a destination that celebrates the magic, creativity and storytelling that has captivated generations of fans around the world,” said Karl Durrant, Warner Bros,’ senior vice-president of worldwide retail, in a statement, adding that the opening of the store was “a truly special milestone.”
The Oxford Street location will become the second official Harry Potter store in the U.K. after the site at King’s Cross Station, where Potter and his fellow young wizards famously catch the train to Hogwarts. But the new store will reportedly include various exclusives, including a Diagon Alley wand, a special Funko Pop and a MinaLima artwork inspired by the Knight Bus and Diagon Alley.
Alongside the official shops, there are numerous other unofficial stores selling Potter-themed merchandise scattered around London city center and other tourist hotspots. Perhaps coincidentally (or perhaps a sign of a darker wizarding power in the commercial sector), less than a day before the news of the Oxford Street store was announced, one of these unofficial stores was reported to have closed down.
