Warner Bros. has had a presence in the Leavesden Studios in the United Kingdom since 2000, using it to film the Harry Potter franchise as well as parts of "The Dark Knight" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Now, as Harry Potter is about to hit theaters with the first installment of the epic finale, Warner Bros. has purchased the studio, and have new plans to take advantage of the deal.

The move will make Warner Bros. the only studio currently to have a permanent facility in the United Kingdom, with the studio promising to invest $161 million in the location. The film industry in the United Kingdom is booming, with many movies now looking at Great Britain for on-location shooting and to take advantage of tax breaks offered for filming in the country. Among the perks of filming in the United Kingdom is that the film can also be classed as a British film, opening the door to additional recognition when it comes to awards.

According to Warner's chief executive Barry Meyer, the purchase demonstrates the studio's commitment to, and confidence in, the skills and creativity of the U.K. film industry.

The studio is expecting 2010 to be a good year for the U.K. filming industry, with $1.5 billion being spent in the first nine months of the year. Elstree Studios, where Star Wars was filmed, has even been forced to turn away business demonstrating just how much of a revival is taking place.

In addition to utilizing the studio space for more production, Warner also plans to create a Harry potter museum which will open in Spring 2012. The museum is set to include sets, costumes and make-up artifacts that were featured in the movies. Many of these elements already are on display at the private Warner Bros. museum at its studio in Los Angeles. However, unlike Universal Studios, Warner Bros. is stressing that this will not be a theme park.

It is going to be a large attraction where people can see where all the Harry Potter films were produced," Meyer said. "There wont be any other place in the world where you can see actual sets and see actual place of filming, but it is not going to be theme park - it is going to be an exhibit.

Daniel Radcliffe, who once again reprises his role as the infamous wizard who lived in "The Deathly Hallows, Part 1," has also expressed his support of the announcement.

It is an amazing resource in this country for tens of thousands of incredibly talented writers and producers, filmmakers and actors," he said. "Warner Bros. has done a huge amount to release that talent into the world.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1" opens in theaters on Nov. 19.