‘Harry Potter: The Exhibition’ to tour the world, starting in Philadelphia, as JK Rowling wizard franchise celebrates 25th anniversary
- The exhibition is based on the bestselling books and movies that spawned a US$25 billion franchise, and promises lots of ‘hi-tech wizardy stuff’
- Meanwhile, in New York a revised staging of the critically acclaimed play ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ will open on Broadway in November
Harry Potter, as they say in showbiz, has got legs.
Next year is the 25th anniversary of the publication of the first book in the seven-book series, a coming-of-age franchise which is now estimated to be worth in excess of US$25 billion. More than 500 million copies of the JK Rowling novels have been sold, eight films have been made, a theme park has been built, and stage plays have been mounted.
And now, a full-blown exhibition will have its world premiere at the Franklin Institute in the US city of Philadelphia early next year, officials announced on Thursday.
“Harry Potter: The Exhibition,” presented by Warner Bros Themed Entertainment, Imagine Exhibitions, and EMC Presents, will move on from Philadelphia to Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the presenters said. Exact dates have not been set yet.
“This exhibition will be unlike any other,” said Peter van Roden, senior vice-president of Warner Bros, distributor of the eight Potter movies. “The inclusion of technology, attention to detail, and integration of magical touches created by our partners at Imagine Exhibitions is truly unique.”
Larry Dubinski, president and chief executive of the institute, allowed that he was excited by the prospect of filling the museum with lots of hi-tech wizardy stuff, movie props, costumes, immersive environments and a magical beast or two.
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He called Harry Potter in all its different forms – from books to theme parks – “a sweeping phenomenon that crosses generations and delivers astonishing global appeal”.
He added that “we are thrilled” that the exhibition will begin its world tour at the institute, “putting Philadelphia in the national spotlight, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region, and providing months of sustainable tourism revenue”.
The announcement comes just a few months after the institute announced a major exhibition that will showcase 100 years of Disney – from before Mickey Mouse’s debut in Steamboat Willie (1928) to the present. That exhibition is scheduled for early 2023.
Tom Zaller, CEO of Imagine Exhibitions, an exhibition designer and marketer, called the Franklin Institute “a national leader” in presenting exhibitions like the Potter one and “a great cultural driver for Philadelphia”. It is, he said, “a perfect location for fans to experience our groundbreaking new exhibition”.
In other Harry Potter news, magic will be made on New York’s Broadway again when the play returns later this year.
The critically acclaimed Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – based on an original new story about author JK Rowling’s iconic boy wizard – has been restaged as a one-show theatrical event, expected to make its world premiere at the Lyric Theatre in New York on November 16.
The show made history as the most expensive Broadway non-musical play when it debuted in the spring of 2018 as an epic two-part event (consisting of two, nearly three-hour shows). Its co-creators, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, said they worked hard on the new version throughout lockdown and described it as “a joyous process of rediscovery”.
The time offstage, they said, “has given us a unique opportunity to look at the play with fresh eyes and we have been inspired by the entire creative team every step of the way”.
Seen by more than 4.5 million people worldwide and holding a record 60 major honours, with nine Laurence Olivier Awards and six Tony Awards (including best new play), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was already considered the longest-running two-part play in Broadway history.
“Collaborating on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been one of the great joys of my professional life,” Rowling said. “While no one would wish for what has happened over the last year, it has given Jack, John and the first-class creatives who first breathed life into the production the opportunity to revisit the play, and to find a new way to frame our story – with amazing illusions and some exquisite new staging – all the while keeping our original story intact.”
