I know I'm late to the party, but I JUST watched 2016's Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway, and I liked it!
That said, even though people have wanted a film adaptation for a while, the story has stayed stuck on the stage, with the only future Harry Potter content looking to be the upcoming HBO show.
However, I think this story needs to leave the stage and make its way to the big screen, and I have a few reasons why.
The Play Moves Very Quickly, And I Think A Movie Could Make Things Clearer
I actually read the script for The Cursed Child years ago, and I hated it. I think it's because it didn't read like the books that make up the Harry Potter movies.
But, seeing a play is different from reading a play. While some scripts make for great stories all by themselves, I truly had to see this one in person to fully understand what was going on.
That said, even watching it was a bit confusing, as it moves so fast. I think a movie version could help this issue, though.
For example, in the beginning of the play, our hero, Albus (Harry's son) goes to Hogwarts for multiple years, and the play has characters leaping and tossing suitcases to give the impression that time is passing. This was confusing at first. However, a movie could just say, “Year 1 at Hogwarts.” “Year 2,” and people would immediately get it. So, the story would likely just be easier to follow if it was a film.
The Original Cast As Adults Would Be Amazing
Tom Felton will be playing Draco Malfoy again, but this time for the Broadway show, and I think that's pretty cool.
However, you know what would be even cooler? If ALL of the original cast returned for a movie adaptation, as half of the story deals with Harry, Draco, and Hermione working for the Ministry of Magic, while their kids attend Hogwarts.
I can already imagine the internet exploding if we heard that they were all coming back. Unfortunately, Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall is a major character in the play, you see) couldn't return, since she passed away, but the other living cast members could, and it would be great.
Plus, it would be really meta if they all came back, because their post-Potter careers have taken them to unique places, so it really would feel like a reunion among friends.
The Story Feels Necessary If You're A Harry Potter Fan, And More People Can See A Movie Than A Play
Lastly, one thing I realized while watching the play was that it truly does feel vital if you're a Harry Potter fan.
Unfortunately, a lot of people can't make it to Broadway, so this is a crucial story arc that a lot of HP fans might be missing out on, which sucks. Sure, they could just read the script, but as I mentioned earlier, the script is kind of confusing (plus, the magic looks SO COOL when you see it in person).
In fact, the magic in this play is so awesome that I want to see some of it on the big screen. Because time travel is so important to this story (the time travel in The Prisoner of Azakaban to be specific), I'd love to see it connect back to clips from the third film.
The last reason why I think this would be a better movie than play is because more people could see it, and it could connect back to moments from the earlier HP films.
What do you think? Have you seen the play? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
