Author J.K. Rowling is returning to the world of Harry Potter, exclusively for the London stage. Exploring Harry’s world in the cupboard under the stairs before his days at the magical Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, J.K. said in a statement Friday that the play will “explore the previously untold story of Harry’s early years as an orphan and outcast.”
The prequel Potter play is scheduled to open in London’s West End in 2015, produced by London and New York veteran producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender. Harry Potter’s theatrical story will seek to “offer a unique insight into the heart and mind of the now legendary young wizard. A seemingly ordinary boy, but one for whom destiny has plans…”
“Over the years I have received countless approaches about turning Harry Potter into a theatrical production, but Sonia and Colin’s vision was the only one that really made sense to me, and which had the sensitivity, intensity and intimacy I thought appropriate for bringing Harry’s story to the stage,” J.K. added.
J.K. will not write the play, however, as she will co-produce the production and collaborate with a playwright.
Of course, her hands are full, as she plans to bring a Potter-inspired film to life: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, based on a Hogwarts textbook. As one of the richest people in England, J.K.’s Harry Potter novels have sold more than 450 million copies around the world and have spawned eight successful Warner Bros. movie adaptations.
