There has not been a new book in
the franchise for a few years now, and the most recent movie set in that
franchise’s magical universe, released in 2018, was not quite so well-received.
Even the star of the franchise’s original author has dimmed with some fans on
account of some controversy or other. But the fact remains that “Harry Potter”
was a big part in the life of many from the mid-1990s to the late 2000s, and
there is still plenty of nostalgia generated by it thanks to theme park areas,
studio tours where the films were made, and even stores like the one opening in
the Big Apple.
Entertainment Weekly has an inside scoop on a new flagship store
for “Harry Potter” in New York that will be open for business this coming June.
Said store is under the auspices of Warner Bros. Retail Destinations, meaning
it will carry official merchandise related to the “Harry Potter” books and
films, as well as the miscellaneous media about the Wizarding World, many of
which were penned by original author J.K. Rowling. Its location near the
Flatiron Building at 935 Broadway will ensure that it is close to the center of
prime shopping destinations in Manhattan.
As WB Retail Destinations VP and
General Manager Karl Durrant puts it, the opening of the flagship Potter store
serves as a breath of magic to a community that has long been sapped of
enthusiasm by the COVID pandemic. Thus, the store will enchant customers and
visitors to no less than 15 themed areas occupying a total of 21,000 square
feet across three floors. They will be filled to the brim with “Harry Potter”
merchandise, some of them exclusives to the store even, with props and items
lovingly copied as depicted in the WB movies.
That is the major selling point
according to Durrant: that the merch props are replicated from the studio props
used in the 11 “Harry Potter” films from Warner Brothers. "Thanks to this
collaboration, we're bringing authentic props that come directly from the films
and also authentic recreations,” he says, name-dropping Harry’s wand and
broomstick, the Hogwarts-use Golden Snitch, and even Tom Riddle’s diary. Also
to be found in the flagship store are VR experiences and a store-within-a-store
for designers MinaLima, who worked on the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts”
movies. Some of these items might be available on HarryPotter.com, but most
others can only be bought in-store when the “Harry Potter” flagship opens June
3.
Image from NY Daily News
0 comments:
Post a Comment