'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' Script Being Released in Book Form After Play

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the highly awaited sequel to J.K. Rowling's saga about the boy wizard, will be hitting London's famed West End this year, and fans will see what has happened to the most famous Hogwarts alum. Now, there's good news for those who can't afford to go to London: the Cursed Child script will be released in book form on Harry's birthday!

The Atlantic reports that the boy wizard, now a magical government worker with three children, will return to its first home, book form, next summer, on July 31^st, barely the day after the play premieres in the London stage -- and a date that's special to all fans of the saga, as it not only marks Harry's birthday but also that of book author, Rowling.

Shortly after the play's world premiere, the script will be available as an eBook, on Pottermore, as well as print. Scholastic has confirmed that the script book will be available in the U.S. and Canada right after midnight of July 31, 2016, on what would be Harry's 36^th birthday if he were not, well, fictional. The UK's printed version will be published by Little, Brown Book Group.

We’re thrilled to confirm Jamie Parker, Noma Dumezweni & Paul Thornley will play Harry, Hermione & Ron #CursedChild pic.twitter.com/s1rsDbrXMO

— Harry Potter Play (@HPPlayLDN) December 21, 2015

For even more content, there's a bit of a slippery slope: there will in fact be two versions of the play's script. The first one, released on July 31, is being called the "special rehearsal edition" and it includes the script as it is when rehearsals begin; after the play's preview period, there will be a few changes that will be published at a later date as the "definitive collector's edition."

"Theatre previews allow the creative team the chance to rehearse and explore scenes further before a production's official opening night," reads the official statement on Pottermore. "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opens for previews several weeks before its official first performance on Saturday 30 July and the Special Rehearsal Edition of the script book will later be replaced by a Definitive Collector's Edition."

It's a big year for Potterheads all over the world: a new film based on Rowling's magical world, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, is set to premiere in November!