The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is getting bigger.
With HBO’s Harry Potter television series on the way and a brand-new cast set to reintroduce fans to Hogwarts and the Wizarding World over the course of a decade-long series, it’s clear Warner Bros. is gearing up for a full-blown relaunch of the franchise.
Now, thanks to Universal’s newly announced theme park in the UK, it looks like Harry’s home turf could also be getting a new addition—one that would outshine all the others.
Universal Studios Great Britain is now in development, with a projected opening in 2031. While no themed lands have been confirmed, rumors suggest that Harry Potter will be one of them, alongside the likes of James Bond, Minions, Jurassic World, and Paddington.
If this happens, it would mark the first time a full-scale Wizarding World land would be built in the country where the books and movies are actually set (the closest the UK currently has is the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter).
Universal already has Wizarding World areas in Florida (in both the Universal Studios resort and the new Epic Universe area), California (Universal Studios Hollywood), Japan, and Beijing. All of them are themed around the original film series, offering magical re-creations of iconic areas such as Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and Hogwarts Castle between them.
They’re beautifully done, no doubt — but they’re thousands of miles from Harry’s home country.
Related: Hermione Granger’s ‘Harry Potter’ Recasting Has Already Sparked Outrage Among Fans
Building a Harry Potter themed land in Britain would bring a different kind of magic. It could be more grounded, more atmospheric, and—depending on how the rights shake out—could possibly even be based on the upcoming HBO series instead of the films.
This would make it totally unique among its global counterparts and could mark the beginning of a larger pivot for the brand. Imagine walking through a new version of Hogwarts that doesn’t replicate the film sets, but instead reflects the tone, design, and cast of the new series—however it might end up looking when it finally hits the small screen.
With Warner Bros. and Universal both looking toward the future of the franchise, it’s not hard to imagine that the new theme park resort could be the first to plant a flag in the new version of the Wizarding World. And where better to do it than the UK?
Universal Studios Great Britain is expected to open before the HBO series ends — which means it could become the definitive real-world destination for the next generation of fans.
When Is the New Harry Potter Series Out?
The new Harry Potter TV series is expected to premiere on HBO sometime in 2026.
It stars Paapa Essiedu (Black Mirror) as Severus Snape, John Lithgow (Dexter) as Albus Dumbledore, Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz) as Rubeus Hagrid, Janet McTeer (The White Queen) as Minerva McGonagall, Luke Thallon (Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt) as Quirinus Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse (The Fast Show) as Argus Filch.
The series is written and executive-produced by showrunner Francesca Gardiner (HBO’s Succession, His Dark Materials, Killing Eve). It’s also executive-produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films. Mark Mylod (Succession, Game of Thrones, The Last of Us), also an executive producer, will direct multiple episodes.
Click here to find out everything there is to know about the new series.
Would you like to see a more authentic Harry Potter land in Universal Studios Great Britain, or one based off the new HBO TV series? Let us know in the comments down below!
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