This summer, the ’90s made a brilliant comeback: a Britney Spears hit, Pokémon GO and the renewal of the Harry Potter craze.
The wizarding phenomenon has captivated millions around the world since its creation in 1997.
In the beginning, Harry Potter was simply a boy who lived in a closet and discovered his wizarding legacy. But after almost 20 years, seven books and eight accompanying movies, Harry Potter has been transformed into an icon.
The 2011 release of the last movie, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” seemed to mark the end of Harry Potter’s long lasting legacy.
Then author J. K. Rowling introduced Pottermore, the online website where the average child could be sorted into their own house and live a wizarding lifestyle.
Pottermore allowed Rowling to post new stories about our favorite characters, keeping the fantasy world alive in text.
Until it was revealed there would be a play. The age of Harry Potter began anew.
The official synopsis of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” was released on Oct. 23, 2015. The play picks up where the books left off: Harry Potter is now taking his children to Platform 9 ¾ to get on a train to Hogwarts.
Previews for “The Cursed Child” began in June of 2016 and the script was released to the public on July 31, 2016.
All this accompanies the hype of the latest Harry Potter movie, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” which will be released by Warner Brothers Studios on November 18, 2016.
“Fantastic Beasts” will not feature Harry, Ron or Hermione, but rather a whole new cast of characters, including Newt Scamander.
Scamander, a wizarding student from Hogwarts, is sent to track down magical beasts in the belly of 1920s New York without revealing his abilities to “muggles.”
Eddie Redmayne (“Les Misérables”, “The Theory of Everything”) will star as the gangly wizard, alongside other popular actors including Colin Farrell (“Horrible Bosses,” “Total Recall”) and Ezra Miller (“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”).
Until the movie is released or you are able to see “The Cursed Child”, Rowling has announced the debut of a series of stories appearing on Pottermore.
“Pottermore Presents” will be a collection of all Pottermore stories already published alongside new stories written by Rowling. Already announced are backstories on potions professor Slughorn and Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, especially focusing on McGonagall’s involvement in the Second Wizarding War.
The sale of “Pottermore Presents” will begin on September 6 of this year.
Fans of the series have had a slew of new material this summer, but it seems Rowling won’t end her Potter phase just yet. What’s next, a Marauders series maybe?