Harry Potter & The Cursed Child Movie: Possible Cast & Everything We Know

Director Chris Columbus has stated interest in continuing the Harry Potter franchise by making a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie, but news of the new Harry Potter reboot TV show means any on-screen adaptation of the Harry Potter play probably won't follow on from the movies. Ever since the Harry Potter movie franchise's flash-forward epilogue in 2011, fans have been asking for more stories set in the Wizarding World. Their wishes were granted in the form of a two-part onstage sequel to the books, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, as well as the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

Before the announcement of the Harry Potter TV series at HBO Max, the director of the first two Harry Potter movies, Chris Columbus, openly stated that the only way the franchise could continue would be an adaptation of the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. After all, it's only natural that fans would want a glimpse into the trio's lives after the Second Wizarding War. An adaptation would most likely grab the attention of many fans who were perhaps unable to see the production live and had to be content with reading the screenplay alone. Here's everything that's known about a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie.

The Latest Harry Potter & The Cursed Child Movie News

In recent Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie news, at least one actor from the original film franchise might be willing to return. In the past, other than the question of whether the movie would be made at all, there has been the question of whether the movie would need an entirely new cast or if previous cast members would be willing to reprise their roles. Bonnie Wright has said before that she would be willing as long as other cast members returned as well, and she’s gone into more detail in a talk with Michael Rosenbaum.

Rosenbaum, an actor best known for his role as Lex Luthor in Smallville, has a podcast called Inside Of You in which he speaks with others in the industry about their own journeys and the work they’ve done. When Bonnie Wright appeared on Rosenbaum's podcast, he posed the question of a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie to her. Like many, Wright isn’t sure if the movie will be made, but she did say she would be game to participate with the idea that her role would be very small. Wright explained to Rosenbaum:

It would be pretty fun because it's really about the children. It's not about our characters, so it wouldn't be a massive role. It would really be about these kids and the new generation. It would be fun, but I have no idea if they'll do it.

 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, after all, isn’t focused on the original Harry Potter characters, but on their children. Wright, who played Ginny Weasley in the original movies, has recently spoken about not getting to show the true extent of Ginny’s character in the Harry Potter movies. Playing the character again could allow her that chance, but she’s not wrong about the focus lying on the new generation of Hogwarts students. If the movie was made, it’s likely Ginny would only appear in a handful of scenes, not unlike her presence in the original eight movies.

The most promising Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie news had been Warner Bros.' announcement that they want to expand the Wizarding World franchise. Thanks to the resounding success of the Hogwarts Legacy video game, Warner Bros. has been paying close attention to the wider Wizarding World and its potential. Development on new Harry Potter projects was kept tightly under wraps until the announcement of the television show, but with renewed interest in the world of HP, it seemed highly likely that the next addition to the franchise would've been a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie. Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels said the following (via Variety):

Take Harry Potter as an example, the Wizarding World, the fact that we are enjoying this massive success with the Hogwarts Legacy launch, 12 years after the last film came out, shows that there is so much opportunity and we're only just starting to expand that. We've got the new Harry Potter tour coming up in Tokyo in the middle of the year. Long story short, I think this one-company approach, great leadership in the individual business units, but coordinated franchise management is probably one of the biggest opportunities the company has.

As of now, a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie has not been confirmed. While J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. have both denied that a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie would ever happen, Kilar's remarks rekindled old rumors. However, the announcement of the Harry Potter reboot television show has all but killed the prospect of a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie starring the original cast of the film series.

Outside of Chris Columbus' interest in making a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie, there was only speculation regarding Warner Bros. taking on the project. Movie director Chris Columbus first mentioned his interest in making a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie during a 2021 interview (via Variety). The interview itself was for a special 20th-anniversary celebration of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Columbus stated "I would love to direct “The Cursed Child.” It’s a great play and the kids are actually the right age to play those roles. It’s a small fantasy of mine."

While it's true that the Harry Potter trio of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint may have been an appropriate age to play their adult counterparts, the entirety of this Chris Columbus fantasy hinged on whether the cast wants to return — which Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson reportedly didn't want to do with J.K. Rowling's involvement (via The Direct).

Though the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie might not be confirmed, a series reboot has been. HBO Max has confirmed that they will be rebooting the Harry Potter universe with a television series remake of J.K. Rowling's seven-book series, with an entirely new cast and each season of the upcoming show focusing on one book a piece. This inevitably makes it seem like a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie isn't happening, at least for the time being. A Cursed Child movie simply wouldn't be the same without the original cast, but with a new Harry Potter cast being made for the reboot television show, it's possible that years down the line, they would be asked to return for Harry Potter's unofficial eighth installment.

The Harry Potter & The Cursed Child Movie Has No Release Date

The announcement that HBO Max is rebooting the entire Harry Potter book series ousts the idea that a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie is next on the horizon. Bringing back Watson, Radcliffe, and Grint would've tempted fans into giving new Potter content a chance. Whether Chris Columbus could live out his fantasy by making Harry Potter and the Cursed Child or some other new content, the idea originally hinged on whether the original HP trio wanted to make a return, but Warner Bros. obviously took another route with the expansion of the Wizarding World, meaning no Harry Potter and the Cursed Child release date.

Harry Potter & The Cursed Child Movie Cast

While recasting the beloved original cast for the future of the Harry Potter franchise in a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie seemed unthinkable, the studio is doing just that for their Harry Potter television reboot. For the original movie plan, the characters are older in the play than the original golden trio actors; Harry, Ron, and Hermione are in their late 30s when the story takes place. The actors are all in their early 30s, still a bit too young to convincingly be just a stone's throw away from 40.

Out of all the Harry Potter actors, Tom Felton seemed the most likely to return without question. In an interview (via People), Felton displayed nothing but positivity about the possibility of returning to the Malfoy family after Harry Potter ended: "Any chance to be a Malfoy again would be greatly accepted." He also stated that the idea of someone else filling the role of Draco Malfoy would be hard to swallow, as he feels a bit of ownership over how he shaped the character over the course of a decade. Unfortunately for Felton, a new actor will be stepping into the shoes of Draco Malfoy for the Harry Potter reboot.

The other members of the Harry Potter cast weren't as forthcoming about the prospect of reprising their respective roles. Emma Watson has basically stated that she isn't really ready to be Hermione again, and refused a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie with J.K. Rowling's involvement, while Rupert Grint and Bonnie Wright were only willing to return if everyone else does. Matthew Lewis would've come back, but only if the storyline was worthwhile and not nostalgic for nostalgia's sake. Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, had the most surprising answer out of all the cast.

Daniel Radcliffe Won't Make A Cursed Child Movie... Yet

Daniel Radcliffe wouldn't have for a Harry Potter & The Cursed Child movie. Out of the entire cast, Radcliffe has been the most adamant about the fact that he's not ready to jump back into his titular role yet. It's understandable, given that Harry Potter's the Boy Who Lived had a slow start in terms of Daniel Radcliffe's career outside of Harry Potter and has only just begun to shed the persona as a whole. The idea was brought up to the actor during an interview (via The New York Times).

Radcliffe responded to the idea with, "I'm getting to a point where I feel like I made it out of Potter okay, and I'm really happy with where I am now,". He then went on to compare his role to that of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and Harrison Ford as Han Solo, basically saying that they were allowed at least 30 years before returning to their defining parts. Regardless, Daniel Radcliffe's famed role will be taken over by a new actor for the upcoming Harry Potter television show, introducing new generations to a completely different iteration of Harry Potter's eponymous character.

Harry Potter & The Cursed Child Story

A Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie would've had an intriguing plot to say the least. Set 19 years later after the ending of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie begins with 37-year-old parents Harry, Ron, and Hermione seeing their children off to Hogwarts at Platform 9 3/4. The play continues Harry Potter’s story through his son, Albus, following Albus Severus Potter as he uncovers secrets from his father’s past in a time-travel adventure.

On top of the original set of characters in the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie, the play also features Draco Malfoy’s son Scorpius, Hermione and Ron’s daughter Rose, as well as Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange’s surprise offspring Delphi. The time-travel aspect of the play would've made for a very engaging movie or TV series, both for loyal Potter fans and new audiences, by exploring much of the original story through a fresh lens.

What HBO's Harry Potter Reboot Means For The Cursed Child Movie

In April 2023 news broke that Warner Bros. and HBO are officially making a Harry Potter television series. With J.K. Rowling executive producing, the new Harry Potter show will be a reboot of the original Harry Potter books, with one season retelling one book a piece, making for over a decade-long commitment for the network. With WB. planning to reboot the Wizarding World and tell the original tales anew, this raises questions about a potential Cursed Child movie. Especially one that follows on directly from the original Harry Potter movies and the epilogue laid out in The Deathly Hallows Part 2.

However, rebooting the Harry Potter movies as a TV series doesn't mean Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will never make it to screens. The movie still hasn't been confirmed, and renewed interest in the Wizarding World could make a Cursed Child film more, rather than less, likely. There's also every possibility it could emerge years down the line as a show of its own if HBO's Harry Potter venture is successful. In any case, while there's not been much movement on a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie, there's still much to look forward to from the Wizarding World.