‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ play to open in London in 2016

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,� the new play about the world’s most popular boy wizard, is set to open in London in 2016, author J.K. Rowling revealed via Twitter on Friday. The “Harry Potter� stage play had been previously revealed in 2013, but this is the first time that a title and opening have been announced.

“I don’t want to say too much more, because I don’t want to spoil what I know will be a real treat for fans,� Rowling wrote on her official Twitter account. “However, I can say that it is not a prequel!� She later described the play as an “untold part of Harry’s story.�

Rowling said the production is a collaboration between writer Jack Thorne, director John Tiffany and herself. Sonia Friedman, the veteran London and Broadway producer, is also working on the play.

Thorne is a British playwright whose works include the recent stage adaptation of the vampire novel “Let the Right One In.�

Also co-producing the play is Playground Entertainment, the production company of former HBO executive Colin Callender. His involvement in the play wasn’t announced by Rowling, but by a spokeswoman for Playground after the author’s tweets.

“Cursed Child� is scheduled to open at the Palace Theatre in London during the summer of 2016, with tickets set to go on sale this fall. The official website for the venue said the production will “explore the backstory leading up to Harry’s parents untimely death at the hands of Lord Voldemort.�

Rowling is the author of seven “Harry Potter� novels, starting with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,� which was published in the U.S. in 1998. There have been eight movies adapted from the books.

“To answer one inevitable (and reasonable!) question -- why isn’t #CursedChild a new novel?� the author tweeted on Friday. “I am confident that when audiences see the play... they will agree that it was the only proper medium for the story.�

She added: “I’ve had countless offers to extend Harry’s story over the years, but Jack, John and Sonia Friedman are a dream team!�

The lucrative Harry Potter franchise is also expanding with a new spinoff movie project, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,� inspired by Rowling’s book of the same title. Recent Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne has joined the cast of the movie.

No casting has been announced for the “Cursed Child� play in London.

Twitter: @DavidNgLAT