Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on the Way

Nineteen years after the release of the first book in the Harry Potter series in 1997, the script of the play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" will be released next summer. This book is actually based on a two-part play of the same name, which is set to premiere on August 10 next year at the "West End" theater in London. The story of this play begins nineteen years after the conclusion of the book "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows": Harry has entered adulthood, works at the "Ministry of Magic," and has three children. The play addresses the challenges of Harry's adulthood and the past that continues to haunt him and his family—especially his youngest son, Albus. Although all seven books in the Harry Potter series have been adapted into films, this is the first time a play has been written based on this popular character. "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" is based on a story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany (the director of the play), and Jack Thorne, and is written by Mr. Thorne; therefore, while it deals with the adventures of Harry Potter, it cannot be considered a novel penned by Ms. Rowling. However, since it has been nine years since the release of the last novel in the Harry Potter series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," it seems that the new book has rekindled the enthusiasm of fans of this young wizard worldwide. To date, over 450 million copies of the Harry Potter books have been sold worldwide, generating over £4.4 billion in revenue for the author and publisher. The date of August 10, or July 31, was apparently chosen for the release of this book and the play's premiere because this date is marked as Harry Potter's birthday in Rowling's books. Ticket sales for this play began in early October of this year, and only after 8 hours, 175,000 tickets were sold. The price of tickets for this work now reaches £3,000 in the black market. A few months after the release of this initial version—which will be published in limited quantities—the original and final version of this play will also be released. "Scholastic," the publisher of this book, has announced that this decision was made to allow the playwrights to make changes to the text during multiple performances if necessary. Jamie Parker, a British theater actor and singer, will play the role of Harry Potter in this play. Previously, the play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" drew significant attention following the casting of a black actress named Noma Dumezweni to play the role of Hermione, Harry's friend and one of the smartest students at Hogwarts. This casting and its surrounding controversies sparked extensive debate about racial stereotypes in cinema and media across various media and social networks. Ms. Rowling herself was among those who defended this casting, stating that nowhere in the book does it say that Hermione is white.