'Harry Potter' store to open in NYC this summer

Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Warner Bros. said the first official Harry Potter flagship store is set to open in New York City this summer.

The 20-000-square-foot shop will sell merchandise inspired by the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts books and films. It will be located next to the iconic Flatiron building at 935 Broadway in Manhattan.

Thus far, stores that sell wares found in J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World can only be found in theme parks, studio tours and traveling exhibitions.

"This will be the largest dedicated Harry Potter store in the world and will become a must-visit fan destination where Harry Potter enthusiasts can engage with interactive experiences and numerous photo opportunities as they step into the magic," Sarah Roots, senior vice president of worldwide tours and retail for Warner Bros., said in a news release. "We are very excited to be opening in New York. It's the ideal city in which to launch with so many dedicated Wizarding World fans, a cutting-edge retail environment and a community that embraces innovative experiences."

The 2016 fantasy film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them -- a prequel to the Harry Potter stories -- takes place in 1920s New York.

The play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has also been playing on Broadway since 2018.

BBC One also announced this week that it is working with Warner Bros. and London's Natural History Museum on a 1-hour television special called Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History.

Stephen Fry is hosting the program.

"Footage from the BBC Natural History Unit's extensive treasure trove of archive content, alongside spellbinding scenes from the Fantastic Beasts films will show how closely real world animals, mythological creatures and Wizarding World beasts are intertwined," a network news release said.