Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Wins Big At The Tonys!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child production

For the past year, magic has been brewing on Broadway when Harry Potter and the Cursed Child jumped the pond from the West End in London to the Big Apple. Fans and theatre lovers have been flocking to the The Lyric Theatre in New York to see the eighth story of J.K. Rowling's saga come to life. At the 72nd Annual Tony Awards on June 10th, 2018, the play conjured the coveted theatrical trophy with six wins out of ten nominations, including Best Play!

Potterheads Rejoice: 8th Harry Potter Book is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, written by Jack Thorne and based on the story by Thorne, John Tiffany, and J.K. Rowling, will be released as “the eighth book” of the phenomenal series. Potterheads rejoice!

Set nineteen years after we last saw Mr. Potter and his wife sending their children off to Hogwarts, the Boy Who Lived is now an "an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.“ His youngest son Albus is mentioned as a major focus of the new play, which will explore the child's own struggles with his father's legacy and the "darkness that comes from unexpected place"

The play is set to run on the London West End, beginning July 30th.

A Special Rehearsal Edition of the script book will be released first.

Print and digital editions will publish simultaneously after the play’s world premiere this summer, and will comprise of the version of the play script at the time of the play’s preview performances.

After the production finalizes the script during the rehearsal period, the Special Rehearsal Edition of the script book will later be replaced by a Definitive Collector’s Edition.

The book(s), which will be formatted as the script used for the play, will be released July 31st both in publication and digitally. This date also happens to be Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling’s birthday. The cover of the book is not yet known.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the Official Eighth Book

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a play in the works for London's West End, has been officially confirmed as a sequel. And, more importantly: the Eighth Story of the Harry Potter saga. The news was revealed on J.K. Rowling's twitter and Pottermore.

"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," the author described the stage production.

The two-part play was written by Jack Thorne and directed by Olivier and Tony-award winner John Tiffany. The play not only has the stamp of approval by Rowling herself, but she collaborated on the story as well. Details about the play now include a 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.

Further of what we know about the production is that it will be "of an epic nature", featuring a cast of over 30 actors - the parts of which will be announced at a later time.

With any huge announcement about the wizarding world comes anticipation, curiosity, and of course, expectations.

While it is very exciting that the eighth book will be making its magical debut next year, some questions have risen for the series by its most adoring fans.

The play picks up from where Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows left fans wanting more. At Platform Nine and Three Quarters, the golden trio sent their children to Hogwarts for their own schooling in the magical arts. Though this tale will specifically center around Harry and his son Albus, no fan forgets the last words of the seven-book arc: All is well. Another conflict is brewing for the Potter clan.

It's difficult to not bring to attention with a hyper-critical outlook that "the eighth book" is indeed a play - one that will specifically play to London audiences and any fans around the world who attend the first run. When the books and movies were released, they were international affairs - fans standing in lines at book stores and movie theaters to have their own experiences with the stories. We can only imagine that the play will be a huge success and sometime down the line, the play will be go down the international route in the future. For the time being, will the eighth book feel like an exclusive experience rather than a collective one?

More details for the production will undoubtedly be released over the next few months. Who will take the reigns from Daniel Radcliffe to play Harry Potter? Will the story take place at or around Hogwarts? Will Deatheaters be at the heart of the Potter's new troubles?

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child comes to London's West End in summer 2016. Tickets will go on sale 11am GMT on Wednesday, October 26th on a first-come first-served basis for all who have registered for priority booking. Friday, October 30th, at 11 am GMT tickets will be available to the general public.