2016 brought "Harry Potter" back. The year marked a return from J.K. Rowling's wizarding world in two major ways: the Warner Bros. film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and the Jack Thorne written play, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." Now Potter fans must decide: which of these works marks the better return to the world of magic?
Both "Cursed Child" and "Fantastic Beasts" were met with a generally positive reception. The film became one of the highest grossing of the year while the printed script of the play sold extremely well. Neither reached the levels that the mainline Harry Potter films and novels did, but both have enjoyed relatively equal levels of rsuccess. However, in terms of what the two stories actually offer, they differ greatly.
"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" is a spin-off to the main "Harry Potter" franchise. It focuses on Newt Scamander, a character only briefly mentioned in previous Potter-related works, and is set generations before the story of Harry Potter. The film aims to expand Rowling's wizarding world by showing the state of affairs during the reign of Grindlewald, the dark precursor to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named; introducing new magical creatures, and showing what the wizarding world of the United States is like. There is little tangible connection to the previous stories as "Fantastic Beasts" instead endeavors to set up its own series of sequels.
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" is very much connected to familiar Harry Potter elements. Billed as "the eighth story," "Cursed Child" is in many ways a continuation of the story from previous novels. Familiar faces such as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Draco Malfoy play key roles in "Cursed Child," but it's not all old. There's plenty of new blood in "Cursed Child" as the play focuses much of its attention on the new generation of witches and wizards that was introduced in the "Deathly Hallows" epilogue. It's a story that explores both the fallout of the Harry Potter stories as well as several "What if?" scenarios in a sort of all-out finale to the saga of Harry Potter.
So which one will Potter-fans prefer? With two works that are so varied in everything from focus to presentation, it's tough to give a clear consensus. It's likely that an individual should look into whichever interests them more. If you're looking to see another side of Rowling's wizarding world than "Fantastic Beasts" will offer you that. If you're more interested in what became of Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the decades following "Deathly Hallows" "Cursed Child" will likely be more your cup of tea.
As a long time Harry Potter fan I personally was more invested in "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." Seeing how adulthood has changed these beloved characters, as well as seeing what sorts of people their children have grown into really captured my attention. The contrasts between Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy and their fathers are extremely interesting and fun for those of us that know Harry and Draco so well.
Which do you prefer? Do these works stand alongside the originals? Let us know in the comments.
