Warner Bros. Entertainment has filed a trademark for J.K Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," which lead to speculations that the play would be hitting the big screen soon. Rowling, on the other hand, announced that she did not want the play to be turned into a movie.
According to The Telegraph, Warner Bros. Entertainment submitted the trademark request for "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" on July 8. The request did not only include film rights, but also included rights for merchandising. However, Rowling remains tight-lipped about any further news regarding "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," only teasing fans via Pottermore that the play may cross over the Atlantics.
Wall Street Journal reported that Rowling still retains control on all of her materials, and is even making more moves to tighten her grip for copyright; however, she did sign a long-term deal with Warner Bros. Entertainment, which gave her the authority to write any upcoming movies. She is also closely involved with merchandising decisions, so in order for Warner Bros. to execute the rumors of turning the play into a film and distributing merchandises, Rowling would have to grant them permission and turn over a big part of her rights.
Rowling replied to a fan tweet back in February insisting that "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" would remain a play.
You heard wrong, I'm afraid. #CursedChild is a play. #FantasticBeasts will be 3 movies, though! https://t.co/7tvw4rolcR
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) February 29, 2016
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Entertainment has not commented on the rumor as of yet. "Harry Potter and The Cursed Child" will run exclusively from July 30 at the Palace Theatre in London.
