Seven years after it first lit up the stage, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is celebrating its Broadway anniversary with a brand-new trailer — and it’s diving headfirst into the franchise’s boldest, most debated chapter. The video shows off what the producers call the “most astonishing theatrical magic ever seen on stage.” But more than just a showcase of live spectacle — and believe us, there is a lot of spectacle to this show, it’s mindblowing — it puts a spotlight on The Cursed Child’s central story: a time-traveling, father-son drama that has divided the Potter fandom since day one. The official synopsis can be found below:
It’s time to believe in magic again. When Harry Potter’s head-strong son Albus befriends the son of his fiercest rival, Draco Malfoy, it sparks an unbelievable new journey for them all—with the power to change the past and future forever. Prepare for a mind-blowing race through time, spectacular spells, and an epic battle, all brought to life with the most astonishing theatrical magic ever seen on stage.
Directed by John Tiffany and written by Jack Thorne, based on an original story co-conceived with JK Rowling, the play has continued to evolve since its debut at the West End in London, and features a wonderful score by Imogen Heap too.
Why Is ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ Controversial?
While its production value has been nearly universally praised, The Cursed Child has long been a lightning rod among fans for its plot choices — including its depiction of time travel, character developments, and a much-debated alternate reality in which Voldemort’s daughter reigns supreme.
The story picks up 19 years after the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and focuses primarily on the next generation — specifically Albus Severus Potter, Harry’s youngest son with the silly name. Albus heads to Hogwarts for his first year, and on the Hogwarts Express, he befriends Scorpius Malfoy, the shy and kind-hearted son of Draco Malfoy. The two boys are sorted into Slytherin, which further distances Albus from Harry and sets the tone for their strained relationship.
When Albus overhears Amos Diggory (Cedric’s father) asking Harry to use a Time-Turner to save Cedric’s life, Albus becomes fixated on righting what he sees as one of his father’s failings. He and Scorpius steal the device with help from Delphi, a mysterious young woman claiming to be Amos’s niece. The boys use the Time-Turner to go back to the Triwizard Tournament to stop Cedric from dying. However, their changes to the past have drastic and unintended consequences, creating alternate timelines, and all hell breaks loose.
Tickets for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child are now available at the Lyric Theatre in New York City.
via Collider