Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the eighth story in the Harry Potter universe and the only official stage show in the franchise, has enchanted audiences since it opened on West End in 2016. Fans were transported back to the wizarding world with a story following Draco Malfoy’s son Scorpius and Harry Potter’s son Albus as they went back in time and tried to change the course of history.

A film adaptation of the production has been speculated about since it hit stages worldwide. Director of the first two Potter films, Chris Columbus, has expressed interest in directing the film, though the cast is divided on whether they’d return to reprise their roles. More recently, the CEO of the newly merged Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, has commented on wanting more films in the franchise, and some may think this is the way to go. When it was proposed initially, it was anticipated to be in two parts, just like the play.

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But is a film version of the play the way to go? There are a few reasons the production should remain on stages, not screens.

Part of the Magic Is the Theatrical Effects

     Wizarding World

Those that have seen Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on stage can attest to the magic the show brings. These effects include steam coming out of a character’s ears when he eats a certain type of wizarding sweet, colored lights to show the spells being cast, and even glow-in-the-dark elements. While these could be done in an adaptation, the magic is lost in trying to figure out how they were done in the moment on stage.

There’s also the matter of the substance the effects add. Fans are divided on the play’s plot, which includes the reveal of the Dark Lord’s daughter and several alternate timelines, with many arguing it feels like fan fiction. The magic that plays out on stage due to these effects saves the production for many. It also allows them to truly enter the wizarding world in a visceral way rather than just watch it play out on a screen.

Which Version Will Be Adapted for Film?

The play was originally done in four acts, divided into two parts. Audiences would have to purchase a ticket for two days of shows, watching two acts each day, to see the entire story. While that seems a bit intense, Cursed Child has a fairly intricate story that takes time to unfold, especially with all the information revealed to Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter.

As shows began to return to stages in 2021 after the closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it was condensed into one part, with over an hour and a half of content removed. While the runtime, with intermission, was still nearly four hours, that’s quite a bit to omit.

There was also a change in the relationship between Scorpius and Albus. Rather than come across as a friendship, a romantic note is introduced. The two are a popular pairing in Harry Potter fan fiction, meaning the play is leaning into what fans want to see in the show and characters. The change does impact aspects of the plot and dialogue, though, calling into question which version would, or should, be adapted.

What Fans Actually Need Is a Proshot of Cursed Child

A proshot is the term used to describe a professional film recording of a stage show. One of the most popular is the proshot of Hamilton, the smash hit Broadway musical that follows the life of American historical figure Alexander Hamilton. This type of recording allows audiences to see the show as it would be staged in a theater, with the camera zooming in on key moments or performances.

Making a proshot doesn’t mean just filming one of the shows and making it a film. Hamilton filmed for three days to make the movie happen. Two live shows were recorded in addition to filming some musical numbers without an audience, allowing cameras to be on stage and get close-ups of different characters and moments. This allowed the production team to create a seamless film with the best versions of each musical number and scene. It would be the way for Cursed Child to handle it. While it isn’t a musical, there are still memorable dance sequences, particularly the wand dance, that would likely need several takes to get right for a proshot.

And it might already exist. In 2017, MuggleNet reported that a show on the West End had been recorded. Posters around the theater noted it was for “archive purposes,” but there’s a chance that footage from the taping could be used to create and release a proshot, especially if Warner Bros. wants the original version of the play to make it to screens.

Ultimately, there are better options for more films in the franchise. Fantastic Beasts was originally announced as five installments, meaning there are still two more that could be in development despite the problems surrounding the series.

While we wait to hear more about if the adaptation will come to fruition, let’s see which Fantastic Beasts movie is the best (so far).