Manuel Harlan/harrypottertheplay.com

You wouldn’t think a play in book form would be the most-anticipated novel of the year, and yet here we are. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts 1 & 2, the printed script of the West End play, debuts at midnight Sunday and the world is going nuts.




Barnes & Noble said the eighth book in the story of Harry Potter is already the book retailer’s most pre-ordered book since, well, the seventh book, which originally sold over 8-million copies in 24 hours in the US. It’s also on the top bestseller list on Amazon. The upcoming release is being celebrated at more than five-thousand bookstores and libraries Saturday night, with midnight release parties featuring costume contests, wizard rock bands, magic shows, and lots of butterbeer.


The Cursed Child novel is a direct script-to-book adaptation of the two-part stage drama, which picks up 19 years after the original books ended. The play had its gala opening Saturday at London’s Palace Theatre. Producers aren’t releasing ticket sales figures yet, but it likely doesn’t matter. According to CBS, the play is already a hit. The show is sold out through December 2017 and another 250,000 tickets go on sale next month.



Cursed Child isn’t the only reason Potter fans are going nuts this weekend. They’re getting ready for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first spinoff film in the Potterverse saga, as well as a year of equally fantastic content in 2017 to celebrate the series’ 20th anniversary in the US.

It also happens to be Harry Potter’s birthday. When Potter was 11 years old on July 31, he got the invitation to join Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He also shares his special day with his creator, Rowling. Freeform is celebrating with a weekend-long marathon of all seven Harry Potter films (because of course they are).

How are you celebrating Potter Weekend? Let us know in the comments!