Coming to the adoring hands of muggles near you, UK publisher Bloomsbury have announced a revamped addition to the Harry Potter franchise, luring a new generation of readers into the wizarding world with eye candy by re-releasing all seven Potter books as “fully illustrated” versions. The reason being, of course, is because you can’t say you’ve truly milked a franchise for all its life until you finally add “Illustrated Editions” to the daunting list of seven books, eight movies, Stephen Fry-helmed audio books, one theme park, Emma Watson’s found fame, two accompanying texts, a spinoff in the works, obscure merch and postage stamps.
According to Hypable, the illustrated versions of the series will begin their release with Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone in September 2015, a date so obscenely far a way that unveiling the two previews yesterday is a cruel punishment like no other on Potter fans everywhere, perhaps matched only by the pure nausea associated with Rowling’s horrific “20 Years Later” epilogue in Deathly Hallows. The illustrated editions of all seven books will be released annually from September 2015 (cc: aforementioned milking it).
In an interview with The Guardian, the artist bestowed with the task of imagining Rowling’s world in images Jim Kay said he was “extremely excited” by the challenge, but added, “I am also mindful of the huge responsibility this represents. I want to make sure I do the best job I possibly can.”
Bloomsbury have released the following two teasers of the illustrations, ft. a bb harry and a menacing Hogwarts, seen below.
Via Hypable.
