Many considered 2011 to mark the end of the Harry Potter fandom. But that didn’t mean the end of Harry Potter — since then, the wizarding world has expanded both in fan works and official content. Out of everything this year has in store for Potterheads (fans of Harry Potter), here are the top 11 things to look forward to in 2016, listed in chronological order.
1. Severus Snape and the Marauders — March 1, 2016
Severus Snape and the Marauders is the second Harry Potter fan film from Justin Zagri. The first is The Greater Good, a short film of the duel between Albus, Aberforth, and Grindelwald that led to Ariana Dumbledore’s death (watch it here). Snape and the Marauders centers on the eponymous characters, in addition to Lily Evans, after they graduate from Hogwarts and enter the First Wizarding War. The cast looks like how I imagine each of the characters, especially Peter Pettigrew and Severus Snape. The film will be posted on Broad Strokes’ YouTube channel.
More info about the project: Tumblr Facebook
2. More Pottermore updates — 2016
2016 has already brought the return of the Sorting quiz on Pottermore.com, and information on wizarding schools around the world. On her Twitter, author J.K. Rowling has hinted at Sorting quizzes for the other wizarding schools and a Patronus quiz. More information about the Harry Potter universe will undoubtedly be added throughout the year.
More info the updates: Pottermore official site
3. Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hollywood — April 7, 2016
Californian fans of Harry Potter are finally getting their own version of Universal Studio’s Wizarding World. The amusement park will include a replica of Hogwarts and the shops of Hogsmeade, as well as the rides Flight of the Hippogriff and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.
More info about the park: Universal Studios
4. The Gathering Storm — Spring/Summer 2016
The Gathering Storm follows Marauders’ Era characters in their sixth year of Hogwarts and the dramas only briefly explored throughout the Harry Potter series, such as Sirius running away from home to stay with the Potters, Snape’s worst memory, and the worsening war. Many of the actors and crew who created the film are from Emerson College in Boston (represent!). No release date has been established, but it is likely to premiere this spring or summer on YouTube.
More info about the project: Tumblr Facebook Indiegogo
5. GeekyCon — July 29-31, 2016
GeekyCon, formerly known as LeakyCon, is an annual convention which began in 2009 for fans of Harry Potter and has since expanded to include many more fandoms (such as Marvel, Doctor Who, Disney). I attended LeakyCon in 2012 and it was a life-changing experience, well worth the cost and travel to be immersed in a community of fellow Harry Potter fans. The convention features Wizard Rock performances, fandom-related panels, celebrity appearances, cosplay, and vendors. This year’s GeekyCon will take place in Orlando, Florida, and incorporate the midnight release of The Cursed Child script book into the celebration.
More info about GeekyCon: official convention site
6. The Cursed Child play premiere — July 30, 2016
The Cursed Child is a play which follows the next generation of Hogwarts students. Though only some details have been released as to the plot and characters, Harry Potter and his eleven-year-old son, Albus Severus Potter, will be featured. The play, which will be shown at the Palace Theatre in London, England, takes place right where the last Harry Potter book left off in King’s Cross station. Those who can’t travel to London in that time can join me in hoping the production will come to the United States and other countries.
More info about The Cursed Child: Harry Potter the play site
7. The Cursed Child script book — July 31, 2016
Nine years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was published, a print version of The Cursed Child will hit bookstores. This means more fan theories, late-night release parties, and Harry Potter-themed hangouts with friends. If you are in the area this summer, South Hadley’s own Odyssey Bookshop will be hosting a midnight release party!
8. Other Harry Potter gatherings — present – December 2016
Quidditch matches are taking place across the Unites States and the world. This year’s Quidditch World Cup will be hosted in Frankfurt, Germany on July 23-24. Between US Quidditch events announced so far from February 20 through the end of March 2016, fourteen states will have at least one Quidditch tournament.
The fifth annual Chestnut Hill College Harry Potter Conference will take place on Saturday, October 22 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The conference has academic panels, Quidditch, and Harry Potter-inspired vendors.
College of Wizardry is an annual LARP (live-action role play) where participants take part in an immersive Harry Potter-themed weekend. CoW takes place in a Polish castle purchased specifically for the conference, with two dates in April, two dates in November. If you’re studying abroad in Poland or a bordering country this spring or fall, it would be worth the journey.
More info about each of the events: Quidditch Harry Potter Conference College of Wizardry
9. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition — Fall 2016
The illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was published in October 2015 featuring beautiful art by British artist Jim Kay. Each Harry Potter book will be published in the new illustrated format over the course of seven years (one per year). You will be able to preorder copies on Scholastic and Amazon later in 2016.
More info about the illustrated books: Buzzfeed
10. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — November 18, 2016
Set 70 years before the Harry Potter series, the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them follows magizoologist Newt Scamander as he wrangles escaped magical creatures in New York City. The planned trilogy is written by J.K. Rowling herself. Much like The Cursed Child, the film will bring early Thursday and late-night premieres and premiere parties. Fighting for tickets at South Hadley’s tiny Tower Theaters will be intense, so be sure to follow presale news later this year.
More info about the film: IMDb
11. New fan content from the Second Wave of Harry Potter — 2016
The Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts will bring a surge of Harry Potter fan fiction, fan art, fan film, and Etsy products. Love for Harry Potter will return to college campuses in full force, much like Fawkes the phoenix rising from the ashes. New fans will join in the worldwide phenomenon, old fans will remember what they loved about the original series, and those who never left Hogwarts will be there to welcome fans home. To quote A Very Potter Musical, “I think we’re going back.”