TOKYO -- A park themed on the Harry Potter film franchise is expected to open in Tokyo on the premises of a 94-year-old amusement park Toshimaen, a source close to the matter said Monday.

Seibu Holdings Inc., the operator of Toshimaen, is considering closing the park in stages and is in talks with Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., founder of the franchise based on a series of fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling, the source said.

Most of the Toshimaen premises are to be purchased by the Tokyo metropolitan government to build a park that can be used as an evacuation site in natural disasters, while Warner is expected to buy the remainder of the property, the source said, adding that a formal decision could be made as early as this spring.

Toshimaen, operated by Seibu Holdings' wholly owned unit, opened in 1926 and is one of the biggest amusement parks in the Tokyo metropolitan area, equipped with roller coasters and other attractions as well as swimming pools and a hot spring spa.