Scholastic estimated Wednesday morning that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts 1 and 2 sold more than two million copies in North American in its first two days of sales. The script book, by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne, is the eighth Potter book and was officially released nationwide at 12:01 a.m. on July 31.
“Eager fans of all ages gathered at midnight parties in bookstores and libraries to get their copies of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, bringing communities together to celebrate the magic of reading and the power of great storytelling,” said Ellie Berger, president of Scholastic Trade. “It’s an incredible start and all the signs are indicating continued strong sales.”
Scholastic had an announced first printing of 4.5 million copies for the book. Prior to release, Barnes & Noble said that Cursed Child drew the highest number of pre-orders since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2007. Amazon also reported huge pre-orders and the book hit #1 at the online retailer shortly after its release. Books-A-Million noted that Cursed was also its most pre-order book since Hallows and that the Saturday night parties were the most attended event in BAM’s history.
PW’s review called it “a welcome substitution” for those who can't see the theatrical production. And while some fans expressed disappointment in the story, the New York Times called it “electric and nonstop…a compelling, stay-up-all-night read.”
