HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD recoups on Broadway

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 4/19/23 at 8:01am

The Broadway production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” has recouped its initial capitalization, Broadway News has learned.

According to a spokesperson for the production, the play made back its Broadway investment “late last year (2022).” The representative continued, “The formerly two-part play returned as a single play after the shutdown and has become one of the great post-pandemic success stories on Broadway.” 

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” will celebrate its fifth anniversary on April 22 and will begin a previously announced series of celebratory events on April 19.

The play opened in its original two-part version on April 22, 2018. Following the pandemic-induced shutdown, the play resumed as one part on Nov. 12, 2021, ahead of an official reopening on Dec. 7. The production won six 2018 Tony Awards, including Best Play.

Written by Jack Thorne and directed by John Tiffany, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is produced on Broadway by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions.

https://broadwaynews.com/2023/04/18/harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child-recoups-investment/

[willep]

Posted: 4/19/23 at 8:21am

Congrats to them!

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/19/23 at 10:48am

First production to recoup at that theater, breaking its curse (pun intended).

[binau]

Posted: 4/19/23 at 11:13am

I'm guessing this is of the original £35 million capitalisation cost and not the additional £30 million or so someone (else?) paid to evict + reconfigure the theatre? 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 4/19/23 at 11:25am

binau said: "I'm guessing this is of the original £35 million capitalisation cost and not the additional £30 million or so someone (else?) paid to evict + reconfigure the theatre?"


Wondering the same thing, I was surprised to read this recouped.

[bdn223]

Posted: 4/19/23 at 11:25am

binau said: "I'm guessing this is of the original £35 million capitalisation cost and not the additional £30 million or so someone (else?) paid to evict + reconfigure the theatre?"

Yes it would be the reported $65M capitalization, but likely does not include all of the renovation costs as I've been told a signifgant amount of those were paid for out of pocket by the ATG. I also have to assume this includes any additional investments made over the pandemic to restructure the show into a single part. The question is how much did that cost, but its clear it was worth that additional investment.

This makes it the most expensive show on Broadway to every turn a profit, and being the 2nd most expensive show in Broadway history costing nearly double what the 3rd most expensive production cost that is not small feat. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/19/23 at 11:26am

Congrats to them! Very unique experience! 

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/19/23 at 11:28am

Holy damn. Especially with the pandemic, this is a feat that is most impressive, regardless of my feelings about the show itself. (I’m not a huge Potter fan and saw the original two-parter to say I saw it)

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/19/23 at 12:04pm

bdn223 said: "binau said: "I'm guessing this is of the original £35 million capitalisation cost and not the additional £30 million or so someone (else?) paid to evict + reconfigure the theatre?"

Yes it would be the reported $65M capitalization, but likely does not include all of the renovation costs as I've been told a signifgant amount of those were paid for out of pocket by the ATG. I also have to assume this includes any additional investments made over the pandemic to restructure the show into a single part. The question is how much did that cost, but its clear it was worth that additional investment.

This makes it the most expensive show on Broadway to every turn a profit, and being the 2nd most expensive show in Broadway history costing nearly double what the 3rd most expensive production cost that is not small feat."


Well said. Notable and commendable all around.

CURSED CHILD is such a great vehicle for beautiful stagecraft, it's a shame that script got in the way

As far as I know, the only shows recoup on Broadway since theatres reopened are:

- Six

- Music Man

- Lehman Trilogy

- MJ should be close to it, or might have already recouped

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 4/19/23 at 1:16pm

Didn’t HADESTOWN recoup post-pandemic as well?

Updated On: 4/19/23 at 01:16 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/19/23 at 1:26pm

Someone in a Tree2 said: "Didn’t HADESTOWN recoup post-pandemic as well?"

it announced in November 2019

[JSquared2]

Posted: 4/19/23 at 1:58pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "As far as I know, the only shows recoup on Broadway since theatres reopened are:

- Six

- Music Man

- Lehman Trilogy

- MJ should be close to it, or might have already recouped"

 

I'm pretty sure that PLAZA SUITE recouped.

 

[Jonathan Cohen]

Posted: 12/30/23 at 6:47am

Apparently, Cursed Child had a big enough year internationally that JK Rowling got paid a $10.5M dividend. 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 12/30/23 at 1:01pm

Jonathan Cohen said: "Apparently, Cursed Child had a big enough year internationally that JK Rowling got paid a$10.5M dividend."

I'm not surprised. I just did a research project on Sonia Friedman and learned that the “underlying rights owner, licensor and their affiliates” for the Broadway production (which includes Joanne) got 31% of the profits initially and 41% "as the show moves deeper into profitability" and she's also one of the three producers, so she gets a cut of the profits that way too. I'm sure it's a similar arrangement for the other productions. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/14/theater/harry-potter-broadway.html  

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 12/30/23 at 1:46pm

I hope the check gives her a paper cut.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/13/24 at 8:27pm

Was taking a look at some recent SEC filings and found the Harry Potter tour was being capitalized at $23.5 million! Is this the most expensive budget for a tour?