"Harry Potter" fanatics were no doubt dipping into the butterbeer this weekend after author J.K. Rowling announced that a new, Potter-centric story called "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" would be heading for the London stage next year. But amid all the celebration over the continuing saga of The Boy Who Lived, one detail seems to have slipped through the cracks: the story is not a prequel.

Despite Rowling's initial announcement of "Cursed Child" including that disclaimer (her exact words: "it is not a prequel"), media outlets rushing to cover the news nevertheless repeatedly -- and erroneously -- dubbed the play a prequel. The reports were so numerous that Rowling took to Twitter once again to clarify that point, but it was to no avail, as the news cycle ran with that descriptor ad nausea.


As the weekend wore on, Rowling went from annoyed to angry to amused, finally just openly mocking those who kept insisting the play was a prequel. Her Twitter feed is full of tongue-in-cheek back-and-forth exchanges with fans, and is worth perusing for its biting humor. (We've embedded some of our favorites at the end of this story.)

In the midst of the author's annoyance, however, she did clarify a few behind-the-scenes details about "Cursed Child," one of which is that she did not write the script, but collaborated on the project with playwright Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany. And for diehard Potterheads, there was one more important bit of intel: "The story of #CursedChild should be considered canon," Rowling wrote.

Rowling also directed interested theatergoers to a website, HarryPotterThePlayLondon.com, where they could get up-to-date info on "Cursed Child." And just in case anyone is still wondering if the play is a prequel, Rowling has uploaded to Twitter a handy, fan-made disclaimer that should answer that question once and for all. (Spoiler alert: It's (still) not a prequel.)


[via: J.K. Rowling]

Photo credit: HarryPotterThePlayLondon.com