'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' stage play will be 8th chapter of saga, J.K. Rowling says

‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ stage play will be 8th chapter of saga, J.K. Rowling says

Copies of the novel "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," by author J.K. Rowling, are seen at the Amazon.com shipping facility on July 11, 2005, in Fernley, Nev.

Oct. 23, 2015 10:38 AM PT

The saga of Harry Potter will get an eighth chapter, and it will take the form of the previously announced stage production titled “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” which will tell the story of an adult Potter and his youngest son, Albus.

J.K. Rowling, the author of the “Harry Potter” series, revealed details of the new installment Friday on the Pottermore website.

“It’s official. The Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series,” the site said.

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It added that the production is in two parts, “due to the epic nature of the story; and will feature a cast of over 30 actors, to be announced later.”

The production’s official website states that the two parts are intended to be seen in order on the same day — matinee and evening performances — or on two consecutive evenings.

Rowling isn’t the author of “The Cursed Child” but is working on the production in collaboration with playwright Jack Thorne. The play is based on an original story by Rowling, Thorne and John Tiffany.

The websites revealed some of the plot details of “The Cursed Child.” The story picks up when Harry is “an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children,” according to the Pottermore site.

It follows his youngest son, Albus, who “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.”

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is expected to open in July at London’s Palace Theatre, with previews beginning in May. Tiffany, who directed the musical “Once,” will stage the production.

“Cursed Child” is being produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender’s Playground Entertainment and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions.

The Harry Potter literary saga comprises seven novels that concluded in 2007 with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

Twitter: @DavidNgLAT

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