Home Media Magazine has released a new interview with Warner Home Video EVP and GM, Jeff Baker, who discusses the very limited release of the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection. He calls the set a “homage to the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise” and revealed that there will only be 63,000 copies of the collection released worldwide, with 30-35,000 of those being released in the US.  The collection hits stores September 7th in the US and September 10th in the United Kingdom. Of the number of copies he says:

“It was very difficult [to arrive at that number] because we didn’t have a comp to this,” Baker said. “We’ve never, as a company — and I don’t think any other studio has — released something quite like this. So there really was no precedent for what the demand might be. In order to make an event out of it and to make it special for people to want to step up and buy it and commit to the type of investment that was required, we felt that it didn’t make sense just to make some ungodly number and sell it forever,” he added. “We wanted to make it a special one-time purchase opportunity.”

Baker also revealed that Warner Bros. plans to release a “less robust, more cost-effective version” once the larger collection sells out.  He also discussed putting the content together for the set

“Over the years, we have specifically aggregated and accumulated some footage that we’ve never released that’s part of the individual film releases, knowing that our plan and intention was to ultimately release it one day in a huge comprehensive box,” Baker said. Designed with hidden compartments, drawers and souvenirs — such as artwork, a Hogwarts map, catalogs of props and posters, a locket and more — the set makes for a “really special, unique keepsake,” he added.

Finally, he noted that, while the price-tag for the set is hefty (at $499.99,) it will be a prized collection and investment piece for major fans.

“There is a high-end market for a franchise like this,” he said. “I can’t say that every film would elicit that kind of response, where people are paying hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars. That’s still a lot of money to spend in a marketplace where you can buy a DVD at Walmart for $5. Clearly it’s for somebody who likes the whole notion of the complete repository of everything that ever existed on ‘Harry Potter’ — that, frankly, is ever going to be released on ‘Harry Potter,’ as far as I’m concerned,” Baker continued. “This is the definitive collection with everything in it. This is about as good as it’s going to get.”