Harry Potter Ends with 'Cursed Child', But Play's Run Extended

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the play that recently opened in London, has been presented by its author, JK Rowling, as a continuation of the saga that began with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Unfortunately for fans, Rowling has said with no uncertainty that the Cursed Child's eighth installment on the story will be the last; after the close of the play, there will be no more new Harry Potter stories.

The play concerns the adventures of a grown-up Harry Potter, now an employee of the Ministry of Magic, and his son, now a student at Hogwarts just as his father once was, as they battle evil forces. The play is presented in two parts and runs, in total, for more than five hours. Its two parts are designed to be seen by viewers on consecutive nights or in back-to-back performances on weekend days.

Rowling says that although Harry's story will end with Cursed Child, she has implied that the stories of other characters in his universe will probably continue. In fact, a spin-off book, Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them, is due for release in November.

In other good news for fans, producers of the Cursed Child play recently announced that the show will go on in London at least through December 10 of next year instead of closing early in the year as previously planned.