In what should come as a surprise to no one, Warner Bros. has applied for a trademark in the UK for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Brian Conroy, an intellectual property solicitor from Ireland, broke the news yesterday.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a two-part stage play that serves as the official continuation of J.K. Rowling’s novels. The play itself is written by Jack Thorne, but the new story comes from the minds of Rowling, Thorne, and John Tiffany (the play’s director). The play is now in previews in London’s West End, and will officially open on July 30 at London’s Palace Theatre.
From what I hear, previews for the play have gone quite well (aside from some mishaps with live owls, now replaced by fake owls). Fans who have seen the show have gushed about the new story, which shows us Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco Malfoy in their adulthood, and what happens when they send their children off to Hogwarts.
Now back to the trademark business — does it mean that WB wants to make Harry Potter and the Cursed Child into a movie? Well, yeah, probably. I can’t see why they wouldn’t. The franchise has been reinvigorated with new mythology and a rapidly expanding canon. Pottermore readers can get sorted into the houses of a whopping TWO wizarding schools (which reminds me — I need to get my Ilvermorny sorting done). WB is bringing a trilogy of new stories from the Wizarding World to movie screens with Fantastic Beasts. Why wouldn’t they bring a Cursed Child movie to fans, too?
So knowing what we know, it’s likely that we’ll get a movie, but how soon? Intellectual property solicitor Brian Conroy says that WB will have to start using that trademark within five years after completing registration, or the trademark may be revoked. So hey, even if you miss the play, no biggie — you’ll get to see it brought to life with a lot more CGI. Maybe they’ll throw in some real owls.
The official script of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child hits bookshelves on July 31. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them arrives in theaters on November 18.