"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," a play that was co-written by "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling, was once thought to be a prequel about Harry's life before he discovered he was a wizard, but it is actually a sequel. The play, set to premiere on London's West End in 2016, will take place 19 years after the final book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" is being marketed as "the eighth story" and will explore Harry's life as an adult and his life as an Auror at the Ministry of Magic.
"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," the official synopsis reads. "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."
The play will take place in two parts due to the "epic nature of the story" and was co-written along with Rowling by playwright Jack Thorne and will be directed by John Tiffany, according to the New York Times. Audiences can choose to either watch both parts in a single day or on two separate occasions.
"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," Rowling says.
Tickets for the West End production go on sale on Wednesday, Oct. 28 on a first-come-first-served basis, according to the official website. Tickets will be open to the general public on Friday, Oct. 30.
