Warner Bros. plans to open its largest “Making of Harry Potter” Studio Tour in Shanghai in 2027, aiming to tap into the local popularity of the franchise and align with China’s efforts to boost consumer spending.
The joint venture with Chinese travel and hospitality conglomerate Jinjiang International is still awaiting regulatory approval, Warner Bros. said in a statement. Financial details were not disclosed, but the “Harry Potter” Studio Tour in Tokyo, which opened in 2023, had an estimated cost of USD 115 million.
How will ticket prices be set for the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Shanghai? What will the experience offer? And how will it differentiate itself from other major attractions like Shanghai Disneyland and Legoland?
At a media briefing on the February 12, Bei Zheng, chair of Shanghai Jinjiang Amusement Park, addressed key questions that have captured pubilc attention.
Bei Zheng revealed that the investment in the Harry Potter Studio Tour (Shanghai) project is approximately RMB 2.8 billion（about USD 383 million). The project is expected to officially break ground in the second half of this year, with a planned completion and opening in the second half of 2027, at the latest by the end of 2027.
"The Harry Potter Studio Tour (Shanghai) project is distinct from Legoland and Disneyland because the latter two are classified as theme parks, whereas the Harry Potter project is a studio tour. It essentially offers a museum-like experience, featuring movie filming sets, along with exhibitions of film props and displays of filmmaking technologies. Therefore, it is not a theme park. It should be considered as a different business model from Disney, representing a concept of differentiated competition."
Additionally, the majority of the "Harry Potter Studio Tour (Shanghai)" project will be indoors, with 90% of the visitation route taking place inside. Once the attraction opens in the second half of 2027, it will operate on a full reservation system, requiring visitors to book their visiting date and time in advance.
For ticket pricing, the project will benchmark against the already established Harry Potter Studio Tours in the UK and Japan. Currently, ticket prices for these two projects range from approximately RMB 320 and 460 (about USD 43.78 and 62.94).
