Harry Potter coming to Universal Studios Japan before Hollywood

Leah Zanolla | Posted: May 11, 2012 | Updated: Oct 19, 2014 - 9:25:27 AM

While fans of Universal Studios Hollywood will likely wait until 2016 to experience The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal has announced a $500 million expansion of their Osaka park that will bring the boy wizard to Japan. The addition of Harry Potter, scheduled to open in "late 2014," is expected to include many elements from its Orlando counterpart, including Hogwart's Castle and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Universal's commitment to a massive expansion in Japan occurs at the same time Disney is devoting an estimated $5 billion to build Shanghai Disneyland. Regarding the reason behind choosing Japan as the next location for a Harry Potter-centric land, the Los Angeles Times cites the franchise popularity in the country of over 125 million people. The Times states, "more than 80 million tickets to Potter films have been bought and about 24 million books have been sold, giving the story of the orphan boy turned world-saving magician four spots among Japan's top 10 all-time bestsellers." As for why the Japan expansion has a planned opening nearly two years before the previously announced Hollywood addition, it all comes down to space. In Hollywood, existing land needs to be repurposed to allow for the Harry Potter area, resulting in an anticipated opening of 2016.