Fans of Harry Potter no longer have to limit themselves to reading books and watching movies, according to dpa. Universal Studios and Warner Bros on Thursday announced the creation of a Warner "fully immersive" Harry Potter theme park called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which will open in late 2009 in Universal's Orlando Resort in Florida. According to a statement, the new environment will feature immersive rides and interactive attractions, as well as experiential shops and restaurants based on the best-selling books. The theme park will allow guests to experience such iconic locations as the village of Hogsmeade, the mysterious Forbidden Forest, and even Hogwarts castle itself. "The plans I've seen look incredibly exciting, and I don't think fans of the books or films will be disappointed," said author JK Rowling. The announcement came just prior to the release of the fifth Harry Potter film, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," which will hit theatres worldwide on July 13. The seventh and final book of the series will be released July 21. The Harry Potter book series has been translated into 65 languages with more than 325 million copies sold in over 200 countries.
