
Felton returns as Draco in 'Harry Potter' despite Rowling's controversies
What's the story
Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the eight Harry Potter films, will return to the Wizarding World on Broadway. He will be taking on his iconic role in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at New York's Lyric Theatre from November 11, 2025. This marks the unprecedented moment that an original Harry Potter cast member has joined the stage adaptation of Cursed Child.
Author's impact
Felton on Rowling's controversy
At the 2025 Tony Awards on Sunday, when asked if the ongoing controversy surrounding author J.K. Rowling affected his willingness to come back to the franchise, Felton said it didn't change how he saw Harry Potter. He added, "I can't say it does." Felton also opened up about the global impact of the franchise. He said nothing had brought people together more than Harry Potter in his experience. "And she's responsible for that, so I'm incredibly grateful."
Live performance
'It took 9 months...to shoot a film,' Felton on 'HP'
Felton expressed his excitement about the live performance aspect of the show. He said, "The most exciting part is to do it live. It took nine months, more or less, to shoot a film, and this is all compact." "This is all reimagined into a very loving, new type of story. And I get to be a dad, which is really fun."
Stage preparation
The difference between film and stage magic
Felton is already preparing for his stage role by learning how live magic will differ from the effects used in films. He revealed that, unlike the films, which had heavily relied on green screens and post-production effects, everything in the stage production happens live. "They said, 'Well, you're going to have to because there's so many physical tricks.' In the films, we used a lot of green screen a lot of effects happened afterwards."
Broadway debut
Felton's limited run will end next year
Felton's limited run on Broadway will start on November 11 and last for 19 weeks, ending March 22, 2026. Earlier in the evening, he told PEOPLE that his old schoolmate Daniel Radcliffe has been supporting him through this transition. "My old school chum Potter [Radcliffe] has done quite a bit of Broadway, so he's holding my hand and certainly helping me through all the things that are hard to learn."