“Wait till my father hears about this!”
More than a decade after he last sneered across the Hogwarts corridors, Tom Felton is stepping back into the magical shoes of Draco Malfoy — this time on stage.
The announcement comes on the heels of mounting criticism surrounding the casting choices in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series, particularly accusations of so-called diversity hires.
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Felton, 37, will make his long-awaited Broadway debut by reprising his iconic role in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the hit theatrical sequel to J.K. Rowling’s beloved book series. The actor, who portrayed Malfoy in all eight Harry Potter films from 2001 to 2011, will join the cast at New York’s Lyric Theatre beginning November 11 for a 19-week run.
“Being a part of the Harry Potter films has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Felton said in a statement. “Joining this production will be a full-circle moment for me.”
Felton becomes the first original film cast member to return to his role on stage, in what producers are calling a “cultural moment charged with nostalgia, evolution, and emotion.”
The Plot
Copies of the book of the play of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child parts One and Two are displayed at a bookstore in London, Britain July 31, 2016. REUTERS/Neil Hall
Set 19 years after the final events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Cursed Child follows Harry Potter, now a Ministry of Magic employee, as he and Ginny send their son, Albus Severus, off to Hogwarts. Draco returns as a father, with the play exploring the complex friendship between his son, Scorpius, and Albus, as they struggle with the weight of their family legacies.
Since his Time at Hogwarts
Felton has built a diverse acting career, appearing in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, TV dramas like Murder in the First and The Flash, and most recently on London’s West End in 2:22 A Ghost Story. He also returned for HBO’s 20th anniversary special Return to Hogwarts alongside Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson.
As Felton prepares to step onto the Broadway stage, excitement is mounting among longtime fans of the wizarding world, a world that continues to grow. The new HBO series adaptation of Rowling’s original books set to begin filming later this summer.
