Facility recreating environments from Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts films will be built on former site of one of Tokyo’s oldest theme parks.

Tokyo theme park Toshimaen opened more than 90 years ago, but nowadays it simply doesn’t have the star power to compete with local rivals Tokyo Disneyland and Sanrio Puroland, nor the engineering clout to build the thrill rides and haunted houses that draw people to Fuji-Q Highland. So at the end of the month, Toshimaen will be shutting down, but an announcement today tells us that the site’s next role will include housing a large-scale, and permanent, Harry Potter facility.

In keeping with rumors from earlier in the year, Warner Bros. will be building what it’s calling the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo — The Making of Harry Potter. Inside the complex, visitors can see exhibitions of actual costumes and props used in making the magical academia film franchise, and also marvel at recreated sets from key scenes. While the basic blueprint is similar to that of London’s The Making of Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, the Tokyo version will also cover not only the original Harry Potter series but also its ongoing Fantastic Beasts spin-off.

▼ Speaking of fantastic beasts, there’ll be fantasy creature statuary greeting visitors outside the entrance.

While the facility won’t be using all of Toshimaen’s land, it’ll be roughly 30,000 square meters (322,917 square feet) in size, with both indoor “soundstage” and outdoor “backlot” areas. Planners estimate you’ll need about a half day to see everything they have to offer, and with the facility’s site just 15 minutes by train from downtown Tokyo’s Ikebukuro Station, a visit to Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo — The Making of Harry Potter should be very easy to slot into your Tokyo travel timetable.

Oh, and in order to ensure that what you’re seeing are the movies’ art, artifacts, and environments, and not the back of a bunch of other tourists’ heads, the Studio Tour Tokyo will be following the Ghibli Museum’s example by capping daily admission to avoid overcrowding. No details regarding pricing have been announced, but the developers say the facility will open in the first half of 2023.

Source, images: PR Times
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