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The studio ignored London mayor Boris Johnson’s plea to site the Wizarding World of Harry Potter over here rather than Florida. Johnson has called for the public to write to Warner Bros, petitioning for a second theme park to be built in London.
Mayor Johnson says it would be “utterly mad” to leave it to Americans “to make money from a great British invention”.
“I appeal to the children of this country and to their Potter-fiend parents to write to Warner Bros and Universal, and perhaps, even, to the great JK herself” Johnson has written in his weekly Daily Telegraph newspaper column.
It sounds as if Mayor Johnson left it too late anyway. He wrote to Warner Bros 18 months ago, well after the studio’s discussions with Universal Studios theme parks were underway. The mayor’s spokesman says Florida made Warner an offer London could not match.
Presumably, Warner Bros also shuddered at the labyrinthine planning permissions you would need to build a theme park in London. The studio wanted to build a theme park in Hillingdon, west London back in the 90s but the plan never came to anything.
Johnson makes the point that JK Rowling is no flash in the pan. Harry Potter is going to be with us for generations. After all, JK Rowling’s books have sold about 400 million copies compared with 250 million for Asterix and 160 million for Tintin. Fellow children’s authors Enid Blyton and Beatrix Potter have sold about 100 million and 60 million respectively.
However, it seems to have escaped everybody’s notice that Warner Bros is already planning a £100 million ($144 million) Harry Potter tour at Leavesden Studios, the north London studio where it has shot the movies. Up to 5,000 visitors a day will inspect costumes and tour Hogwarts’ standing sets. The Harry Potter studio tour is still another couple of years away though. Warner, which is buying the studio outright, plans to build new soundstages and production offices, turning Leavesden its European production base.
I can see that not everybody would want to get on the Hogwarts Express to Watford from platform 9¾ at London Euston. Most people only travel north of Watford by mistake. If London is to host a Harry Potter exhibition, then why not house it at the London Film Museum, situated on London’s South Bank? The museum – housed in the old Saatchi Gallery, and City Hall before that — certainly feels Hogwartsian enough with its panelled walls. And it’s exhibited Harry Potter costumes in the past.
Perhaps Mayor Johnson might be better off lobbying a British company that still owns its own IP to create a London theme park. Eon still controls the rights to James Bond, and — apart from a single 007 roller-coaster in America – doesn’t seem to have done anything much when it comes to theme parks. Or how about a BBC Doctor Who theme park, or even BSkyB and Terry Pratchett?
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Blah blah blah. Cry cry cry they should of pulled you head out of your pint and thought of that before we did. I could go on about a British oil leak and how Americans are working on
stoping it, so why shouldn’t we have the world of Harry potter. Chances are we would do a better job.
“I could go on about a British oil leak and how Americans are working on stopping it, so why shouldn’t we have the world of Harry potter.”
Fascinating argumentation, cud only made by an american. america is not the centre of the world and you have more problems than oil leak.
Could only be made by an American? As someone who didn’t grow up in America but live there now, I can confidently say that I’ve heard these very same types of arguments used worldwide.
Anyway, isn’t America England’s runaway child?
I’m afraid that London really can’t compete with Florida in this. The costs are prohibitive, and the regulations, like you said, are overly complicated. There would have to be some sort of drastic action taken to make London attractive to something of that scale, or move it north of Watford and give people someplace to go on purpose.
Why not combine all those British franchises in one park called: Britain-Land. You can have 007′s Danger Zone, Discworld’s Magical Mayhem, and Dr. Who’s Adventures Across Space & Time. You can have remote controlled Daleks roaming the park picking up trash screaming “Exterminate litter!”.
i love your idea for Britain Land. Would be great to do this Las Vegas! Throw in the Beatles and Twiggy too!
I think you missed the point. The idea would not be instead of…it would be aswell as.
Americans are great at big theme parks and Vegas lookalikes…but as for anything that celebrates the liteary qualities of English speaking writers…not too good. I dont see “Scott Fitzgerald world!” in Orlando.
Sadly Warner are just looking at the dollar and not about JK Rowling being anything else but a mealticket…they just do not care….get on the gravy train…lets have Hot Hogwarts and mayo!
That is because Scott Fitzgerald world would be boring as hell.
Why not combine all those British franchises in one park called: Britain-Land. You can have 007’s Danger Zone, Discworld’s Magical Mayhem, and Dr. Who’s Adventures Across Space & Time. You can have remote controlled Daleks roaming the park picking up trash screaming “Exterminate litter!”.
Why does this not already exist? I need it in my life.
I love your idea Furious. The mayor of London should get on this idea instead.
1 word comrade: weather
You want an open air theme park in the ideal spot for it to be open all year and make money. Orlando is sunny and 75 degrees all year. London is cloudy and 45 degrees all year. Millions of people already go to Orlando thinking theme park. No one goes to London for theme parks. I’d say WB and Universal made the right choice.
I’ve lived in London for 16 years. I think you’re exagerating how good the weather is here.
Seriously, is this the same Boris Johnson who was known as the colorful, political-incorrect journalist? I thought him being mayor was going to lead to – at least – four years of gaffe-prone hilarity. Outlandish PR stunts going horribly wrong. Drunken fistfights with reporters. etc. etc.
Instead, we get sobriety and tepid whinging like this. Somewhere, the old Boris must be shaking his head ruefully.
Besides, why would an American company want to open up a multimillion dollar theme park in another country? And Orlando is arguably the #1 tourist destination in the world. This is just a case of a guy trying to make a name for himself in the press.
I am exhilarated that you mention Enid Blyton. Well, I am glad to inform you that I have published a book on Enid Blyton, titled, the Famous Five: A Personal Anecdotage (www.bbotw.com).
Stephen Isabirye
Its all about money.
Warner are not interested in Harry Potter as a work of literature. To them the only thing JK Rowling writes well is their paychecks.
I am surprised that as the Bible is the best read book that they dont open up Christworld and have rides on donkeys, self igniting bushes and a virtual crucification.
Harry Potter is British!!!!!!!
Boris Johnson is right. We must try to get something in the UK about the most read author since Dickens. Its a crime that British kids will have to go to Orlando to see such a National creation. Shame on you.
Quite right.
Orlando is a big circus. London is a cultural metropolis. We should be proud of what JK Rowling has done. We need to celebrate her genius.
Go on Boris its better than the Olympics.
Seriously???? The guy thinks anyone who goes to theme parks will travel to London and not the sunny, warm, family friendly theme park capital of the world?
If London wants a theme park based on British creations, it has plenty of material to choose from – Peter Pan, Alice In Wonderland, Narnia, Middle Earth, even the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine. It has no reason to whine about America getting the Potter park. Let the Brits fork over the cash to build a fantasyland of their own. They’ve a rich history of British fantasy literature and terrific real estate to build on. I wish them luck.
Gee, If it weren’t for America we wouldn’t have any Harry Potter movies! But this English man wants Universal/Warners to cough up millions of dollars to build a Harry Potter world in the U.K.? Listen, Bubba, if you want a Harry Potter world so badly then pay for it yourself. America owes YOU nothing. If it was a-okay with Ms. Rowlings to build it in Florida then there is no beef. Got it? Good.
Nobody really gets it do they? America is NOT the center of the world! You have 2 Disneylands and more than enough other theme parks. London would have been the perfect place for a Harry Potter park. Come on, it’s London! Most of Harry Potter takes place in England. London is a central point in the story. That city would have fit perfectly because it fits into the Harry Potter cliche. There are enough tourists that come to London. And many of those go to the Harry Potter places like platform 9 3/4. Now tell me. Who wouldn’t want to go to a Harry Potter park.
Once again American egoism and pride have resulted in a bad business decision.
@ A.B.: Your argument is seriously flawed. This is not American egoism, but naked greed by a British author who has amazing iron clad control over her works.
If J.K. thought she could make more money having a theme park for her characters in London, she would have dug in her heels for the ol’ town. You can’t have that theme park functioning without her intellectual property.
That is the sad truth.
Ummm… last time I checked… Warner Bros. (last time I checked, still an American company in Time Warner) further made that world with no disrespect to the very talented British author who created the world. Now if a BRITISH FILM STUDIO had made it into a film hit, by all means. That argument is ridiculous.
I just find it hilarious that ANYONE could possibly compare London to Florida. Or the US in general. There are more people in NYC on any given day than there are in all of London. But, anyway, that’s besides the point. This is about money, convenience and marketing. This is not meant to be a slight on England in anyway. England may have made HP but America made it BIG. America is ALL about merchandising and basically squeezing a big ticket dry. If something comes out and makes a decent showing, it’s never long before you have the merchandise out and EVERYWHERE. HP is a big deal and WB saw the money in it. They know that everyone involved is willing to shell out the big bucks to OVER sell this ride business. I’ve already seen several commercials (on different channels) advertising the ride and heck, I wanna go.
The fact that Brits think HP is their right may actually be the problem. WB wants to sell this ride to the world and the Londoners may very well see that as a secondary goal.
Blah, this was long and convoluted so I’ll end by saying I love London – been there several times – but I’d rather cough up the grand to go down to FL than across the ocean.
Get over it already. No offense, but we’re not talking Charles Dickens here.
This argument is completely relative to money and fanbase. If it were a Dr. Who park being built, we wouldn’t hear a THING about it. It really shouldn’t be that hard to understand. A theme park in Florida will without the slightest doubt make a much larger profit than one in London.
Follow the money guys…
I hate how all the American’s keep telling us it’s the weather. It doesnt rain every moment of the day in London like you seem to think!
And some of you saying we can’t have an open air theme park, it’s as if you think we don’t have theme parks which we do, open all year round!!!
Here’s the thing. The Harry Potter area in the US is literally a small island in the Islands of Adventure park (1/6th of the park). It is not a whole theme park. London can build their own theme park about Harry Potter, but look at the recent Hard Rock Park/Freestyle Music Park…failed…
I don’t think the mayor has been to the potter area since it is only soft open, so I would like to know how he can be so judgmental and demanding. I thought that the potter fans were supposed to be all about the love and taking care of one another. It appears Mr. Mayor, talks a lot.
There are parks in the United Kingdom as well, and this series has been around for a while. Help the world understand why these parks did not approach WB and JKR? One cannot blame Universal Orlando, as they are merely the theme park that got to WB and JKR first.
The mayor could work on reducing crime or lowering taxes, or creating more tourism by working with the local tourism, not running his mouth.
Harry Potter LAND? Who are they kidding. Visit the park…it’s a small small part of Islands of Adventure…and two of the three rides are re-works of the old rides that were already there.
It’s the smallest of the little islands at IOA and is by far much too small for all they hype. Good for 3 hours, tops.
LOL, wow, such hilarity to read from some of you Brits! Many of your comments are proof positive of the inferiority complex Europeans feel with America. Lets contemplate; they hate us because…we’re arrogant? (nope, we just love life and live it free) we lack culture? (nope, TONS of worldwide AMERICAN culture being used this minute) we think we own the world? (ummm, well, we kinda do, no?) We don’t care about other nations (pot, meet kettle)
Look, the argument is superfluous at best that “its a british book, by a british writer, with british actors, thereby WE (the brits) deserve, demand, and want this franchise in England. Well, a few problems Euros…1) An AMERICAN company OWNS the marketing and merchandising rights to HP. If this was SUCH a nationalist issue among you proud brits, a BRITISH company should have OUT BID WB for the franchise. No one stepped up, yep, thats national pride for ya.
2) You should have had a national “lets preserve HP and his british roots day” and asked all the lands grand citizens to pitch in, and save this work of literary genius (*cough *cough*) for national security from American aggression (LOL)
3) The books, and films, have national representation from almost EVERY other country BUT the good ol’ USA! Really? the most influential country on earth? The ENTERTAINMENT capital of the world? Purposeful? most likely, but JK didn’t seem to mind that its AMERICA once again to the rescue, and that has made her RICH.
Her fortune is AMERICAN made (largest book sales, merchandise sales, exposure, ect. ect.) but you don’t want Americans to be in the film for the preservation of authenticity? (LOL) as a juxtaposition, I guess Christian Bale playing that AMERICAN BATMAN blows that ignorant, and tepid opinion to all hell.
You sold out, we bought, lump it, and stop whining like you europeans always do when you don’t get your way. Man, I think its high time for isolationism to restate in America!
Get off your soapbox! You seem to have a bigger chip on your shoulder than most Brits. Actually as a Brit I love a lot about America and visit all the time but would never posts anything so xenophobic . Who makes the money from a crass theme park doesn’t really matter it just dumbs it down – a plastic fantastic theme park leaving a true legacy(!) for future generations… The magic of Harry Potter is in the writing and for your mind to escape in the books.
YOU SHOULD TOTALLY BUILD A DOCTOR WHO THEME PARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THAT WOULD BE AMAZING!!!!!
Everyone CALM DOWN! America is great, Britain is great too. The reason WB chose America is because they have the rights to the movies and are interested in Money, and one in America will make more money then one in Britain. Sheesh
You guys all seem to be missing one major point. There COULD be a Wizarding World in London in years to come. But, there would have to be a Universal Studios London first.