Is a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie coming?

Okay, before we get into this story, we need to qualify that it is a rumor with a capital ‘R.’ Are we solid on that? Good.

Harry Potter. Eight years after the conclusion of the original movie series and 12 years after the end of the books, the franchise is still frighteningly popular, with author J.K. Rowling having turned into a social media star and the Fantastic Beasts movies still packing fans into theaters. And then there’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the stage play that picks up with Harry, Ron and Hermione years after the end of the original story, exploring how Harry’s son Albus and Draco Malfoy’s son Scorpius fare at Hogwarts. Despite some divisive reviews from fans, the play has been an absolute smash hit both on the West End in London and on Broadway in New York.

Only the last Fantastic Beasts movie, The Crimes of Grindelwald, didn’t do so hot. It’s in this context that We Got This Covered reports that Warner Bros. wants to adapt Cursed Child as a movie, and that it wants Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint to reprise their roles from the movie series.

Once again, this isn’t a sure thing, although We Got This Covered does have a history of breaking stories that turn out to be true. For instance, it reported that Ewan McGregor was going to return to play Obi-Wan Kenobi months before it was confirmed last month. It also reported that Marvel has making a She-Hulk TV series months before Disney made that official at its D23 Expo. The website claims that the same source who passed along that information also gave them the scoop on the Cursed Child movie.

If this does turn out to be true, it’s not like it would come as a shock. Of course Warner Bros. would be interested in adapting a tremendously successful stage play based on a story close to the hearts of millions of fans cast with actors fondly remembered from the original movie series. Studios like money and this is a good way to make some.

Still, it sounds like a big undertaking. I won’t pretend to understand the intricacies of making a movie based on a new play that’s still making money on the stage, but have you noticed that it doesn’t happen very often? Cats came out in 1981, and they’re only making a movie now. Phantom of the Opera was a hugely popular musical back in the day, and it took nearly 20 years to reach the screen. Where the Wicked movie? Where’s the Hamilton movie? Warner Bros. would have to overcome that issue, plus the difficulty of getting back the original stars. It’s a tall order.

Plus, would the response be positive? Again, Cursed Child is hit on stage, but the fans are divided, to put it kindly. That probably wouldn’t matter to a studio like Warner Bros., particularly because Cursed Child has two parts, which means they could make two movies. But I’ll bet the internet discourse would be…interesting.

Speaking of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, it was the star of the massive “Welcome Back to Hogwarts” event in Times Square last night, where many of the screens in the square displayed ads for the play:

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 05: General view during “Harry Potter And The Cursed Child” Times Square Takeover at Times Square on September 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child) NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 05: General view during “Harry Potter And The Cursed Child” Times Square Takeover at Times Square on September 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images for Harry Potter And The Cursed Child)

“We are very proud that J.K. Rowling chose to tell her eighth story on stage,” said Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender, the producers of the show. “Just as she created a generation of lifelong readers with the Harry Potter book series, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is now doing the same for theatre, with over half of our audiences worldwide being first time theatre-goers of all ages.” This story still has lots of pull.

What do you all think? Is a Cursed Child movie something you’d like to see? With or without the original cast members?

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h/t Syfy Wire