It’s a big weekend for Harry Potter fans.
Nearly ten years since the final book J.K. Rowling wrote for the franchise, a new installment, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” drops at midnight Sunday. The timing is fitting — it’s Potter’s birthday, and Rowling’s.
But the book is not a novel, and it’s not written by Rowling. Instead, it’s the script of the play of the same name, currently running in London. Rowling’s hand isn’t totally absent from it, though — playwrights Jack Thorne and John Tiffany collaborated with her for the story.
The plot picks up where the epilogue of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” left off, 19 years after Voldemort’s defeat. Potter now has three children and works at the Ministry of Magic.
Based on preorder sales, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” could become the top selling book of 2016 for both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. But the real fun will be had in physical bookstores around the country, many of which are hosting parties at midnight. (Scholastic has created a website where you can enter your zip code to find a party near you.)
The book comes at a time of renewed interest in Potter and his adventures.
This fall, Warner Bros. (which, like CNN, is owned by Time Warner) is releasing “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” a film based on Rowling’s hit 2001 book, about the magical creatures in the world of Harry Potter. It’ll star Eddie Redmayne and Colin Farrell.
Grab your wizard hats and brooms because you’re in for a ride tonight.