Harry Potter legend confirms return to franchise 14 years after final film
Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise, is returning as his iconic character in the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Felton, 37, is set to join the cast at New York's Lyric Theatre beginning November 11 for a strictly limited 19-week engagement.
The casting marks the first time a major film star from the original Harry Potter series has portrayed their character in a professional stage production of The Cursed Child, the hit play based on J.K. Rowling's books.
'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, because when I begin performances in 'Cursed Child' this fall, I'll also be the exact age Draco is in the play.'
'It's surreal to be stepping back into his shoes — and of course his iconic platinum blond hair — and I am thrilled to be able to see his story through and to share it with the greatest fan community in the world,' he added.
'I look forward to joining this incredible company and being a part of the Broadway community.' More Trending
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the highest-grossing non-musical play in Broadway history,selling more than 10million tickets worldwide since its premiere in London in 2016.
Set 19 years after the final book, The Cursed Child follows Harry Potter's son, Albus, as he struggles with the weight of his family's legacy – and forms an unexpected bond with Draco Malfoy's son, Scorpius.
Felton will portray Draco as an older man grappling with fatherhood and his complicated past.
It also has productions running currently in London, New York, Hamburg, and Tokyo.
This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.
If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
For more stories like this, check our entertainment page.
Follow Metro.co.uk Entertainment on Twitter and Facebook for the latest celeb and entertainment updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
MORE: Former Harry Potter child star's dad issues warning after fans admit 'concerns'
MORE: Nick Frost makes strong vow about Harry Potter TV series after backlash
MORE: Doctor Who legend favourite to play Lucius Malfoy in controversial Harry Potter series
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Renée Elise Goldsberry talks new album, whether 'Hamilton' return is an option and EGOT aspirations
Renée Elise Goldsberry is most inspired by artists bold enough to take a career leap, even when there's no guarantee of a safe landing. Over the years, Goldsberry spent her celebrated career surrounded by fearless risk-takers. Now, the Tony and Grammy winner, best known for her breakout role in the Broadway musical ' Hamilton,' is taking a bold move of her own. She's stepping into the spotlight as a solo artist: Her debut album, 'Who I Really Am,' was released Friday. 'I'm surrounded by friends that do really crazy, brave, 'I could fail miserably' things,' said Goldsberry, whose role as Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton won her a Tony in 2016 for best featured actress in a musical. In that same year, she earned a Grammy for best musical theater album. 'They jump off cliffs, they start to fly, we get to see it and it's so inspiring that you put out an album,' she said. Goldsberry has made her presence felt in other Broadway projects including 'Rent' and 'The Color Purple.' She's had standout work on 'Girls5Eva' and 'The Good Wife ' and was on the daytime soap 'One Life to Live.' With 'Who I Really Am,' Goldsberry is carving her own musical path. The album is a 13-track project filled with soul, funk, blues and gospel vibes featuring a reimagined version of her iconic 'Hamilton' song 'Satisfied,' which was originally penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda. In a recent interview, Goldsberry talks to The Associated Press about finding her identity through the album, whether returning to 'Hamilton' is an option and aspirations for an EGOT, a term for the rare person who's won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award during their career. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. ___ AP: You wrote 11 songs on the album. While creating this project, what did you discover more about yourself? GOLDSBERRY: I need to give myself license to be more than one thing. I think that's always been the case with recorded music for me. I've been writing since I was a kid. The challenge for me has always been feeling like you have to be extremely specific about a box when you're a recording artist. It has to all sound like one mood, one vibe. I had to give myself permission to not try to fit into a box that exists, or even a box that's specific. I gave myself license to express myself in all the ways it naturally comes out. AP: You started the album process in 2020. What was your initial thoughts on re-recording 'Satisfied'? GOLDSBERRY: Somebody said to me 'You could probably get a record deal and do an album if you re-record 'Satisfied.'' I said 'Absolutely no.' I'm absolutely not doing that. It already exists. It's perfect. The show is perfect. AP: What shifted your thinking? GOLDSBERRY: In the process of recording all the music, we rented a studio in Nashville. It's where Dolly Parton recorded 'Jolene.' It felt like all this history was there. We had all these great musicians there. We booked the studio for a week or two and we finished early, and they were going to let everybody go home. And I was like 'We might as well record this version of 'Satisfied' that I do in my concert, because we're sitting here.' And these cats are amazing. We started playing. They started playing, and our minds exploded. The control booth. Our brains exploded. It was so good. Then I started singing it. I said to us 'This belongs.' AP: Your 'Girls5Eva' co-star Sara Bareilles wrote the song 'Smiling.' How was it reuniting with her? GOLDSBERRY: I think she is one of the greatest singer-songwriters that has ever existed and might ever exist. I had the privilege of being in a concert with her. I opened for her at the Hollywood Bowl a couple of months ago. She was doing something new. I love artists and I'm one of them in this moment. But I love artists that do new things that might not work, bravely. She had orchestrated all of her music. She had a huge symphony orchestrated show. All the music that she had written. AP: What happened next? GOLDSBERRY: We got to see her jump off a cliff for the first time. It was one of the greatest things I ever saw in my life. I could start crying right now. It was so great. It's so brave. I'm surrounded by people like that, and it's so inspiring. They're all doing crazy things. All of them. Leslie Odom Jr. decided to go back to 'Hamilton.' Like that's insane. AP: Would you ever return to 'Hamilton'? GOLDSBERRY: That's what Leslie taught us: Never say never. AP: You're halfway to EGOT status. Is that something you feel like it's achievable? GOLDSBERRY: I'm not going to lie, I've thought of different ways I could slip in the back door, you know what I mean? Like I have a documentary called 'Satisfied' (which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year) about the journey in my life when I was part of the original company of 'Hamilton' and also trying to raise my young family. We were like, 'What original song can we put in this movie to contend for slipping in the Oscar category. ... It's possible. But I'm less interested in the results of a journey than the journey itself.
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Tom Cruise enters Guinness Book of Records for 'death-defying' stunt
Tom Cruise has once again raised the bar for action stunts, this time by setting a new Guinness World Record for the most burning parachute jumps by an individual. The Mission: Impossible star performed 16 such death-defying leaps during filming of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the eighth chapter in the high-octane franchise. Guinness World Records made the announcement on Thursday, praising Cruise's dedication to authenticity and fearlessness. 'Tom doesn't just play action heroes – he is an action hero!' said Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records. 'His absolute focus on pushing the boundaries of what a leading man can do is unmatched. It's an honour to recognise his utter fearlessness with this new title.' In the film's dramatic climax, Cruise's character Ethan Hunt faces off against his nemesis Gabriel, portrayed by Esai Morales, high in the skies. The scene culminates with Hunt jumping from a burning plane. After deploying his parachute, the fabric ignites and disintegrates, forcing him to cut away the charred chute and deploy a backup. Cruise, who is a licensed skydiver, executed the stunt 16 times. Each jump involved leaping out of a helicopter while strapped to a parachute soaked in fuel and set ablaze. According to Guinness, no other actor or stunt performer has come close to matching that number of fiery parachute drops. Cruise is certainly willing to push the limit. At one point during filming, director Christopher McQuarrie shared a terrifying moment when he feared Cruise had passed out while filming a death-defying stunt on the wing of a plane. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'There was a moment – more than one moment – where Tom had pushed himself to the point that he was so physically exhausted he couldn't get back up off the wing,' he revealed during a Rendezvous event at Cannes Film Festival, attended by Metro. More Trending 'He was lying on the wing of the plane, his arms are hanging over the front of the wing. We could not tell if he was conscious or not,' he continued. 'We also knew that unless Tom did this [gestures], it was expressly agreed he was not in trouble and we could not cut – you can't do this when you're unconscious, so we're waiting to see if there's any indication Tom is okay, and we're waiting to see this sign and Tom is laying on the wing of the plane.' Whether you like Cruise and his attention-grabbing stunts or not, it's easy to agree that this World Record is well-earned. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Mission: Impossible suffers crushing box office defeat to hit Disney remake MORE: Top Gun producer reveals status of highly anticipated Tom Cruise sequel MORE: It's been 20 years since Tom Cruise jumped on Oprah's sofa and it's still just as bizarre
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Jessie J reveals hidden pain after biopsy procedure following cancer diagnosis
Jessie J has given an update to fans after revealing she was diagnosed with 'early breast cancer' a few months ago. The 37-year-old singer is best known for hits including Price Tag, Domino and Bang Bang, as well as appearing on The Voice UK, The Voice Australia and The Voice Kids UK. However, Jessie – real name Jessica Ellen Cornish – has given an update after being diagnosed with cancer. She shared a video on her page of herself performing at the London jazz club Ronnie Scott's. The caption revealed that she was struggling not to overshare while performing and had just undergone five surgeries. 'I had 5 breast biopsies the night before this show, I was in some discomfort but so hyped to do it and I didn't want to cancel. The more I watch this show back I can see my brain working in complete over drive trying not to blurt it all out = 😂🧟♀️🥴 'Laughing and making jokes in hard times 🤝🏻 me She then joked about her comments in the video and added: 'And I am in-fact under your bed.' In the video, the star was her usual upbeat self, despite what was going on in her private life. She joked that she was uncomfortable because she drank a Joe and the Juice. 'Anyone here from Joe & The Juice?' she asked. 'On my first album, Who You Are, I know a lot of people called it Who Are You, which completely changed the meaning. Who are you? Where have you been? Pet peeve – people asking me, 'Where have you been?' Where the f**k have you been?' She later said: 'Being truthful in who you are – not your mates or your family or everyone else, but like what you love and who you are. What makes you special. That's all I wanna focus on.' She then referenced her boobs as she said: 'And my huge, perfect t**s. You know what I mean?' Announcing the news of her diagnosis on Instagram, Jessie explained she received the health news just before the release of her song No Secrets in April. 'Before No Secrets came out, I was diagnosed with early breast cancer,' she explained. 'I'm highlighting the word early. Cancer sucks in any form but I'm holding on to the word early.' More Trending She added that she had been 'in and out of tests' and dispute debating whether to tell people about her diagnosis, she decided to be open. 'I just wanted to be open and share it because selfishly, I do not talk about it enough,' she went on. 'I'm not processing it because I'm working so hard. I also know how much sharing in the past has helped me with other people giving me their love and support, and also their own stories. 'I'm an open book. It breaks my heart that so many people are going through so much. Similar and worse.' She then turned to humour as she said: 'I'm getting to keep my nipples … that's good. It's a very dramatic way to get a boob job!' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: TV presenter, 74, shocked as he's diagnosed with skin cancer live on-air MORE: Like Jessie J, I was told I had early breast cancer MORE: Jessie J 'going to disappear for a bit' after being diagnosed with breast cancer
