Harry Potter Prequel Coming! ...To the Stage. In the U.K.

You just can't keep a good story down!

Coming just off the heals of the announcement that J.K. Rowling will be penning a series of movies based on her book Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them - which had only a peripheral connection to the Harry Potter universe - we are now happy to report that J.K. is indeed, OFFICIALLY, revisiting Harry's story itself!!!

Both Rowling and Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe have stated that a sequel is not likely, seemingly shooting down any hopes of more material for us Potterheads to gobble up. But NOW, perhaps the next best thing seems to be coming to fruition -- a PREQUEL!

But before you get too excited, it will not be a movie. Instead, Rowling is developing a STAGE PLAY based on Harry's early years as an orphan living underneath the Dursleys' stairs. Rowling won't be writing it herself, but she will be co-producing along with theatre vets Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender. It has not yet been announced who WILL be writing the play, but Rowling will no doubt be supervising things closely. The play is expected to open in the U.K. sometime next year; fingers crossed that it's enough of a hit to cross the Pond and hit the stages in the U.S. too!
 

Personally, I have always been curious about Harry's years preceeding his fateful visit from Hagrid and that very special letter on his 11th birthday... I mean, here's a kid who grew up with some of the worst people imaginable, enduring verbal (and possibly physical) abuse and neglect from his frigid aunt, her douchebag husband, and their even douchebaggier son. One wonders how Harry even managed to turn out pretty well considering all the torment. Most kids would probably end up being either serial killers or painfully shy shut-ins. It will be interesting to see how Harry was able to maintain a swell attitude being raised by a-holes and knowing literally nothing else. This is also appropriate material for a stage play, seeing as how your various spells and charms (and ogres) might be kinda hard to replicate in a live theatre setting.

Stay tuned as more news develops! Merry Christmas, Potterheads!

(Photo via WENN)

- Katie Marzullo, YH Staff Editor

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