J.K. Rowling says she's working on a Harry Potter prequel... for the stage

(Image credit: (Facebook.com/HarryPotterMovie))

last updated 8 January 2015

Great news, Muggles.

Your favorite wizard from Hogwarts is coming back. Only this time he won't be at Hogwarts. And he might not even be a wizard — at least not yet.

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Plot details are scant, but the story will reportedly concern's Harry's early life as a misfit before he went on to become a celebrated, evil-vanquishing poster child for the magic world.

What was it like to be the boy in the cupboard under the stairs? This brand new play, which will be developed for the UK theatre, will explore the previously untold story of Harry's early years as an orphan and outcast. Featuring some of our favorite characters from the Harry Potter books, this new work will offer a unique insight into the heart and mind of the now legendary young wizard. A seemingly ordinary boy, but one for whom Destiny has plans... [JKRowling.com]

Rowling is listed as a co-producer, and will be working closely with award-winning producers Sonia Friedman (who worked on The Book of Mormon) and Colin Callender (whose company produced Lucky Guy by the late Nora Ephron, which went on to become the highest grossing Broadway play in history).

A writer and director have yet to be chosen, according to the Associated Press, and no opening date has been set. According to USA Today, Rowling said she had received "many stage pitches" starring Harry and his pals, but Friedman and Callendar's vision "was the only one that really made sense to me, and which had the sensitivity, intensity, and intimacy I thought appropriate for bringing Harry's story to the stage."

Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.