Movies, Fun & Gossip

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child: Great Launch Event

Attention, Muggles! It’s about time you found out what became of Harry, Hermione and Weasley more than a decade after the last book from J.K. Rowlings’ famous magical novel series, “Harry Potter,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was released in 2007.

Alohomora!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” will finally be opening for regular showing at the London’s Palace Theatre on July 30. It will be a play— that’s right! J.K. Rowling was reported saying how the theater is the most appropriate medium to present the next sequel to the well-loved series. Rumors of talks going on between J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. though will likely turn this newest installment into another full length blockbuster film in the next few years.

The play comes in two parts, compelling theatre attendees to buy two full tickets which, according to celebrity news wires, are now each being sold in the secondary markets by as much as £2,000 each! With the successful special, exclusive runs of the play in June and a five-star critic rating, tickets to all screening are already sold out. Earlier this week, it was announced that more tickets will be put on sale come August 7 for playdates running throughout December 2017.

Copies of the script will also be released on midnight of July 30. In New York and elsewhere, Harry Potter-themed parties will be thrown all over, free and with fees, many are being sponsored by booksellers, including Barnes and Noble. Muggles dressed up as wizards are expected to flock as copies of the rehearsal script for the play are set to be released. A revised version of the same is expected to be released in a few months’ time.

Already, bookstores carrying the new title, even CNN, is calling the two-part play the most pre-ordered book of 2016, surpassing pre-orders recorded in 2007 for no other than the “Deathly Hallows”. J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany co-authored this eight installment, set 19 years after the setting of “Deathly Hallows”. In this sequel, Harry Potter is already married, with three school-aged children and was described as an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic.

The paperback, silver screen and theatre success of Harry Potter

The first time Harry ever held his magic wand and spoke, “Lumos!” an entirely different world of magic, enchantment and wizardry captured the hearts and minds of Muggles all over the world.

The creation of an unsuspecting, hesitant novelist, J.K. Rowling, the Harry Potter franchise has come a long way since the first novel, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” became an instant hit among bookworms. The filming of the series further captured the imagination of the public, catapulting the series to worldwide fame, allowing the series, both print and film, to surpass world records in sales.

Prior to the current eighth installment, the previous seven-part novel continues to rake in sales in over 450 million copies sold. The full series has been turned into 8 films which reportedly earned £4.4 billion in ticket sales worldwide.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” which has opened in three locations — Universal Orlando, and in Universal Studios in Japan and Hollywood further secures top dollar for the franchise. With the early success of the eighth installment and the scheduled theatre runs, Harry Potter will continue to rule the world of entertainment.

Apparecium!

Naturally, given the new setting and the new medium for the play, celebrity news has named the professional stage actors who are set to take the place of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. Jamie Parker will play the role of Harry Potter, while Paul Thornley is cast as Ron Weasley. Noma Dumezweni, a dark-skinned actress set to play the role of Hermione Granger, has become the subject of many muggle discussions as fans grew accustomed to the features of Emma Watson in character.

Sam Clemmet will play the role of this installment’s central character, Albus Severus Potter. Al is the second child of Harry Potter and wife, Ginevra Weasley-Potter. He has two siblings, James, older than he by two years, and Lily, younger than he by two years. Albus is the one who most closely resembles Harry.

Sam has partaken in several theater plays that include “Lord of the Flies” and “Wendy and Peter Pan”. He has also made a number of on-screen appearances that include, “The Musketeers”, “Survivor” and “Diary of a Snob”.