Since the film series ended back in 2011 with the release of The Deathly Hallows Part 2, fans have been clamoring for more Harry Potter. While a prequel film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, has nabbed a stellar cast including Eddie Redmayne and Colin Farrell for its November 18, 2016 release, this may not mollify those wanting new stories focused on Potter himself. Well, those fans will finally get their wish thanks to a long-in-the-works new play based on an original story by J.K. Rowling herself.
Originally thought to be another prequel, it has been revealed via the Pottermore website that the play, entitled Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, will take place 19 years after Deathly Hallows ends. Specifically, the plot will focus on Potter and his youngest son, Albus. Here’s the official synopsis:
“It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.”
What’s more, the play will be presented in two parts, meaning getting the whole story will be a two-evening affair. If you’d rather experience it all at once, however, some showings will feature Part I during the matinee and Pat II in the evening.
Rowling created the story alongside John Tiffany (Tony-winning director of Once) and Jack Thorne; the former serves as director for the production while the latter wrote the script. Taking place at London’s Palace Theater, previews are set to being in June, with tickets going on sale October 30th. Tickets priced at $15.40 per part (£10) will be available via lottery, with the full $77 (£50) price coming into effect after those are sold out. The play(s) will officially open on July 30th.
