Rupert Grint to return to 'Harry Potter'?
What's the story
Rupert Grint, the actor who portrayed Ron Weasley in all eight Harry Potter films, will return to the stage as his iconic character in Broadway's Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The 38-year-old actor will perform at New York City's Lyric Theatre from February 2 to May 30, 2027. This marks a significant milestone as Grint is only the second original film cast member to join this Tony Award-winning play after Tom Felton's successful run as Draco Malfoy.
Actor's statement
'There is something so full-circle and so special...'
Grint said in a statement, "Ron Weasley has been a part of me since I was 11 years old and I can't wait to meet him again in this stage of life."
"There is something so full-circle and so special about stepping back into Ron's shoes now when we are both fathers; it is somehow both very familiar...and completely new."
Career progression
'He is continuing a journey he began as a child'
Producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender said, "Rupert is not simply revisiting a role from his past."
"He is continuing a journey he began as a child and carrying it forward with all the life and experience he has gained since filming concluded."
They added that Grint's return bridges the story audiences first fell in love with and the themes of family, legacy, and time in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Stage history
Grint has previously worked on Broadway
While this will be Grint's first time playing Ron on stage, it won't be his debut on Broadway.
He made his Broadway debut in 2014's It's Only a Play, alongside Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.
A year earlier, he had debuted on the West End opposite Ben Whishaw in Jez Butterworth's Mojo.
Play's success
About 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been a global sensation since its world premiere in London in July 2016.
The play, written by Jack Thorne based on an original story by JK Rowling, Thorne, and director John Tiffany, has sold over 14 million tickets worldwide and won 60 major awards, including nine Laurence Olivier Awards and six Tony Awards.
It is currently the third longest-running play in Broadway history.