Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Confirmed as Direct Sequel to the Books

Holy heck, y’all. The official banner art, first details, and synopsis for the upcoming “eighth story” play in the Harry Potter legacy: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child have finally surfaced. Between J.K. Rowling’s comments on how the story’s coming together and the (surprisingly manageable) ticket prices, this might completely justify a trip overseas, no?

According to a press release sent to Hypable, the full synopsis is as follows:

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.

There’s some great coming-of-age goodness in there, don’t you think? It can’t be easy growing up in the shadow of “the boy who lived,” so this story focusing on the relationship between a father and his son is absolutely intriguing.

Also according to the press release, the play is benefitting Rowling’s charity, Lumos, which works to ensure orphans find proper homes and families.

The decision to have this story be a play was one that was met with more than a few “Huh?”s, and Rowling totally gets it. She said:

The story only exists because the right group of people came together with a brilliant idea about how to present Harry Potter on stage. I’m confident that when audiences see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child they will understand why we chose to tell this story in this way.

Now my imagination’s totally running. What do you think this play’s going to look like? What makes it so well suited for the stage?

You’ll be able to find out next year, when previews start in June. Ticket prices seem to be fairly reasonable, but still. Start saving now, folks!

Check out the full report over on Hypable. Are you ready for some Harry Potter goodness?

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