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After Announcing a New Cast, ‘Harry Potter’ Is Being Edited To Be Much Shorter

Harry Potter looks up while wearing the Sorting Hat in the Hogwarts Great Hall in 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'
Credit: Warner Bros.

We’re about to lose 40 minutes of one Harry Potter installment come November.

Though it’s been 17 years since the last Harry Potter book was published, the wizarding world shows no signs of slowing down. Beyond the eight Harry Potter films, we’ve seen a spinoff cinematic series (though that seems to have fizzled out) and multiple Wizarding World of Harry Potter lands at Universal theme parks worldwide.

Harry Potter

Credit: Warner Bros.

What started at Universal Orlando Resort has now expanded to Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Japan, and Universal Studios Beijing. Each park offers recreations of Hogwarts Castle and the village of Hogsmeade. Orlando also includes Diagon Alley, Gringotts Bank, and soon, the Ministry of Magic.

Additionally, fans can look forward to a new audiobook reboot of the series on Audible and an HBO TV reboot. The original cast—Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and others—won’t return. Instead, new actors will step into the roles of Harry, Hermione, and Ron ahead of the show’s 2026 debut.

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley

Credit: Warner Bros.

Until then, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child remains a way to enjoy the wizarding world. Written by Jack Thorne and based on a story by Thorne, J.K. Rowling, and John Tiffany, the play takes place 19 years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, exploring themes of fatherhood, time travel, and the lasting effects of dark magic.

The play premiered in London’s West End in 2016 to critical acclaim for its inventive staging and emotional narrative. Since then, however, it’s undergone several revisions. In London, it continues to run in two parts, with a total runtime of 5 hours and 15 minutes, including an intermission. When it reopened in New York post-COVID in 2021, the production was shortened to 3 hours and 30 minutes.

The cast of 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' recoiling from a flame

Credit: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Earlier this year, the touring production—which centers on Albus Severus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy, sons of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy—was trimmed to 2 hours and 50 minutes. Now, the Broadway version will be similarly reduced, starting November 12, 2024.

Producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender shared in a statement via Playbill that the play’s original creative team, including John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, oversaw the cuts. While the changes shave off 40 minutes, they promise the play will still feature “all the magical storytelling, emotion, and spectacle currently seen on stage at the Lyric.”

New cast members will also join the production on November 12, including Matthew James Thomas as Harry Potter, Sarah Killough as Ginny Potter, Alex Serino as Albus Potter, Rachel Christopher as Hermione Granger, Ayanna Nicole Thomas as Rose Granger-Weasley, and Kristen Martin as Delphi Diggory.

The cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child with hands extended

Credit: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Despite this, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has continued to perform well in terms of ticket sales, though fan reactions remain mixed. The play has received widespread praise for its technical effects, but some fans feel that characters like Harry and Hermione seem out of character. A key plot twist has also been criticized for resembling fan fiction.

As Movie Web put it, “Instead of feeling like a brand-new story, or an addition to the already existing wizarding world, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child almost comes across more as an excuse to revisit Harry’s years at Hogwarts.”

There have been rumors that Warner Bros. once considered adapting the play into a film. With the original cast now approaching the ages of their characters in the story, it wouldn’t be a far-fetched idea. However, given the cast’s current relationship with Rowling, an on-screen reunion seems unlikely.

'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' poster

Credit: Warner Bros.

In recent years, the author’s outspoken views on transgender issues have sparked backlash. The author has been criticized for comments many consider transphobic, and her stance has alienated huge parts of the fanbase, as well as actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, who have all publicly distanced themselves from her views. Rowling has stated she will not forgive them for this, deepening the rift between her and key figures associated with the franchise.

Have you ever seen Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?

About Chloe James

Chloë is a theme park addict and self-proclaimed novelty hunter. She's obsessed with all things Star Wars, loves roller coasters (but hates Pixar Pal-A-Round), and lives for Disney's next Muppets project.

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