http://www.calcuttanews.net/story/241825
'Harry Potter' theme park in the works
Calcutta News.Net
Sunday 15th April, 2007 (IANS)
Universal Studios Florida is close to putting the final touches on
a deal to set up a Harry Potter World theme park on an unused
portion of Orlando amusement park.
As early as 2005, Walt Disney Co. reportedly wanted to create a
'Harry Potter' theme park in Singapore with rides based on the
Harry Potter stories. At that time, the company was said to be in
negotiations with J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers to acquire theme
park rights, but the project never came to fruition, reports
www.hollywood.tv.
Now it turns out that Universal is negotiating with Warner, and
while they both agree to the idea of a 'Harry Potter' theme park in
principle, the terms of the deal are still being hammered
out.
The books and movies together have generated all sorts of video
games and merchandise but never the idea of a theme park.
The six 'Potter' books published to date have collectively sold
more than 325 million copies and have been translated into 63
languages.
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows', the final instalment of the
seven-volume series, is set to hit bookstore shelves July 21.
Warner Bros turned the first four books into highly popular films
that earned an estimated $4 billion in total worldwide ticket
sales.
The fifth film, 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix', will
be seen in theatres July 13.
Another one reporting.
