Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Will Be Released This Summer

Posted on February 10, 2016

Scholastic announced that it will publish a script book of the upcoming play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I & II. J.K. Rowling created the story and Jack Throne wrote the play based on it. The play will premiere in London this summer on July 30th and the book will be released on July 31st. Scholastic is releasing a Special Rehearsal Edition of the play, which is officially the eighth story in the Harry Potter books.

The play is set after the end of the last book. Harry Potter is married and the father of three school-age children. He works long, exhausting hours at the Ministry of Magic. He finds that his past won't stay buried. Scholastic describes the story this way: "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."

This edition of the play is the script used to go into previews before the opening of the play. After the previews, it's possible that the script will have changes or be expanded, depending on how it plays in front of a live audience. This edition will only be available for a limited time. Scholastic will eventually issue a Definitive Collector’s Edition that will reflect the final script. Die hard fans will want to pick up copies of both, no doubt.

J.K. Rowling has written her first screenplay, an adaptation of her book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The film stars Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander. It hits theaters in November, 2016.

The book already has a listing and is up for pre-order on Amazon.com.