The four-year agreement, which marks the third property licensed by the LEGO Company, gives the company the right to produce and sell construction toys based on the popular Harry Potter series that has cast a spell over children everywhere.

The licensing agreement gives the LEGO Company exclusive rights to produce construction toys based on the first two Harry Potter movies. ``Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,'' Warner Bros. Pictures' adaptation of the first in the best-selling series of Harry Potter books, to be directed by Chris Columbus (``Home Alone,'' ``Mrs. Doubtfire''), will hit theaters throughout North America in November 2001.

The first sets in the new LEGO line will allow kids ages six to 12 to bring to life the Harry Potter storyline and its characters. The 2001 toy line, which will include nine sets based on the ``Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' movie, is slated to be on store shelves prior to the film's release.

``We're delighted to have the opportunity to partner with Warner Bros. Consumer Products,'' said Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, President and CEO of the LEGO Company. ``The fantasy world of Harry Potter mirrors the values of our products and is a natural expansion of our imaginative worlds. In the Harry Potter universe, everything is possible, and you never know what is going to happen next. This is exactly what happens when kids play with LEGO products; the only limit is their imagination,'' Kristiansen continued.

``Harry Potter has captured the imagination of kids of all ages, and we are committed to bringing Harry and his magical world to life through creative products that will be an extension of the books and the upcoming film,'' said Dan Romanelli, President, Warner Bros. Worldwide Consumer Products. ``The imagination of childhood is often brought to life with LEGO products, and we are confident that the magic of Harry Potter will sparkle with the creativity of this industry leader.''

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter book series has been published in 115 countries and in 28 languages with more than 30 million books in circulation worldwide - over 18.4 million in the U.S. alone. The three Harry Potter books have rocketed up and stayed on top of national best-seller lists. The fourth book in a planned series of seven, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, came out Saturday, July 8.

Warner Bros. Worldwide Consumer Products gained licensing and merchandising rights for the Harry Potter series as part of an overall deal when Warner Bros. Pictures signed with author J.K. Rowling. The deal includes development of two films based on the first two books in the series.

[Posted 7/11/2000]