While there remains a great deal of interest in seeingHarry Potter and the Cursed Childadapted into a film, this would undermine a key element ofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. TheCursed Childscript follows Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley’s son, Albus Severus Potter, andDraco Malfoy’s son, Scorpius Malfoy, during their years at Hogwarts, along with many other familiar and new characters. Productions on the West End and Broadway have brought theHarry Potterstage play to life with dazzling effects, impressive set pieces, and memorable performances.
The popularity of the stage productions has led to speculation about the story also being translated into a film, with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and other stars potentially reprising their respective roles. Interest in such a project has further heightened following the disappointments of theFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themsequels, with no further films confirmed for thefuture of the Wizarding World franchise. As tempting as aCursed Childfilm is, it could end up doing more narrative harm than good.
Harry Potter: Every Character Who Died In Deathly Hallows - Part 2
In the final film of the franchise, Voldemort and the forces of good meet for a cataclysmic showdown that sees more casualties than ever before.
Harry Potter & The Cursed Child Sees Harry Stopping Voldemort Once Again
Voldemort Still Manages To Be A Threat After His Death
Despite some of its more inventive narrative choices,Cursed Childculminates in an overly similar fashion toDeathly Hallows, with Harry once again needing to stop Voldemort. The confrontation is more indirect inCursed Child, as it is Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange’s daughter, Delphini, that Harry must stop. Nevertheless,the end goal is the same, as Harry has to stop Delphini from successfully undoing history and bringing about Voldemort’s return.
Delphini pretends to be Delphi Diggory, the niece of Amos Diggory, prior to her true identity being revealed later on inCursed Child’s script.
Even thoughCursed Childbegins duringDeathly Hallows' epilogueand takes place years after Voldemort’s defeat, the franchise remains unable to move past the dark wizard, with the eighth installment in the series still revolving around Voldemort. Harry finally defeating Voldemort for good inDeathly Hallowsloses some of its weight if he has to do the same thing again inCursed Child, albeit in a slightly more indirect fashion. It would make anyCursed Childfilm feel too repetitive compared to its predecessor.
A Cursed Child Movie Would Highlight How Deathly Hallows Failed Voldemort’s Defeat
It Could Retroactively Weaken The Deathly Hallows
Beyond being repetitive,aCursed Childfilm could makeDeathly Hallowsfeel less triumphant.Deathly Hallowsis meant to be an epic and rewarding conclusion of theHarry Potterseries as characters from all the books and films, such as Hogwarts professors and students, Order of the Phoenix members, and various creatures unite during the Battle of Hogwarts. The harrowing journey to destroy all of Voldemort’s Horcruxes is at last completed, leading to Harry defeating Voldemort in a way that aligns well with his character.
There is no need to undermine the enduring legacy of the original series ending on screen, especially where Voldemort’s defeat is concerned.
Much of this could be lost withCursed Child’s time travel making Voldemort’s defeat feel less definitive.Deathly Hallowsis one of thebestHarry Potterbooks, andDeathly Hallows: Part 2is arguably the most thrilling of all the films, with Voldemort’s downfall being a key reason why these stories work so well. There is no need to undermine the enduring legacy of the original series ending on screen, especially where Voldemort’s defeat is concerned.
Harry Potter’s Movie Franchise Should Leave Voldemort (& The Cursed Child) Alone
Only 1 Future Story Needs To Incorporate Voldemort
Except forHBO’s upcomingHarry Pottertelevision series, the franchise would be best served by leaving Voldemort andCursed Childalone for now.Cursed Child’s greatest strengths are the impressive visual feats performed during the live stage productions rather than the story it tells. The impact of these feats will not be as impressive in a film as they are during a stage play, and the film will only highlight the story’s narrative issues, ranging from repetitive story beats to the convoluted time-travel plot.
Francesca Gardiner, who has previously worked onHis Dark MaterialsandSuccession, will serve as the showrunner and an executive producer for HBO’sHarry Potterseries.
Radcliffe and other stars who could reprise their roles in aCursed Childfilm have moved on in their careers and likely would not be interested in returning.Cursed Childis best left as a stage play and Voldemort’s defeat is best left in the satisfying way it is writtenin theDeathly Hallowsnovel. The franchise can instead focus on making the HBO reboot series a faithful adaptation able to do justice to the books in ways the movies were unable to achieve.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Cast
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 concludes the epic saga with Harry, Ron, and Hermione embarking on a perilous mission to defeat Voldemort. As their journey grows increasingly dire, Harry encounters three magical items that provide him powers to confront the dark wizard’s formidable strength.
