Here's an update on a potential Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie after a recent trailer online went viral.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a play co-written by Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling, and John Tiffany, explores the challenges faced by Albus Severus Potter, Harry's son, who struggles to live up to his father's legacy.
Set nineteen years after the original series, many have speculated that this story could be a strong choice for a new Harry Potter film.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Movie Speculation Explained
Rumors are swirling about a potential Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie, especially following a fan-made trailer recently released on YouTube with over 1 million views.
The unofficial trailer shows the original trio of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson reprising their roles, which is much more believable 13 years after The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 was released.
While the trailer isn't real, nor has there been any official announcement by Warner Bros. (WB), there is some validity to the idea of a Cursed Child movie though.
In 2022, there was a report that WB executives were set to "go hard" after a film adaptation of The Cursed Child which would effectively be Harry Potter 9.
However, progress on the movie adaptation appears to have stalled as WB's attention is shifting towards the reboot series for Max, currently in development with a target release of 2026.
To make matters worse, Radcliffe recently commented in response to more controversial posts by J.K. Rowling related to trans rights.
He told The Atlantic that it makes him "really sad" as he recalls herself and her work "deeply empathic:"
"It makes me really sad, ultimately because I do look at the person that I met, the times that we met, and the books that she wrote, and the world that she created, and all of that is to me so deeply empathic."
As Rowling will play a behind-the-scenes role in any upcoming live-action Harry Potter project, this lessens the odds of Radcliffe returning for a Cursed Child movie.
In addition, it was rumored that Watson would be skeptical to return to any Harry Potter project in light of Rowling's public views.
On the bright side, Grint has said he is open to coming back to the franchise "if the timing was right and everyone was kinda coming back:"
"Yeah, I think if the timing was right and everyone was kinda coming back I’d definitely revisit it. It’s a character that’s important to me. I kinda grew up and we kinda became the same person. I feel quite protective of him as well."
Will The Cursed Child Movie Be Made?
Following the April 2023 announcement that Harry Potter was being rebooted as a streaming service on Max, the chances of a Cursed Child movie anytime soon tanked.
The upcoming series is a massive undertaking, with Season 1 likely having a hefty price tag and the pressure of recreating the beloved films.
Regardless of how well the series works out, there is still a chance WB will want to get Harry Potter back in theaters after the Fantastic Beasts failed spin-off franchise.
Making a film based on The Cursed Child play could be a wise idea if the original Harry, Ron, and Hermoine were to return, that would be a safe bet for a blockbuster event.
The issue is it currently feels like a long shot with WB rebooting the franchise and the ongoing comments and controversy related to J.K. Rowling.
However, it is safe to say regardless of Rowling's involvement, fans still go crazy for Harry Potter, with the video game Hogwarts Legacy surpassing 24 million copies sold and claiming the title of the bestselling game worldwide in 2023.
Needless to say, it is hard to blame David Zaslav for viewing Harry Potter as a franchise with plenty of untapped potential. Whether any of that potential energy becomes kinetic with The Cursed Child remains to be seen.
