The Broadway audience made their thoughts and feelings abundantly clear when actor Tom Felton appeared for the first time in the stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, reprising his iconic role as Draco Malfoy from the original films.
This popular stage play finds Draco many years later, after the events of J..K. Rowling's The Deathly Hallows, and he's a far more layered and sympathetic character, evolving from the antagonistic rival fans remember from the earlier Potter books.
In the Cursed Child, Draco has mostly moved on from his rivalry with Harry and is instead portrayed as a man grappling day-to-day with the Malfoy's dark legacy as Voldemort supporters.
These days, Draco is striving to make better choices and show a better path for his son, Scorpius.
Scorpius, in turn, develops an unexpected and heartfelt friendship with Albus Severus Potter, Harry’s son, a bond that surprises and perplexes both families in ways fans never anticipated.
Of course, most of the attention right now is on the upcoming Harry Potter television remake for HBO Max. Francesca Gardiner (His Dark Materials), is the showrunner of the upcoming reboot and also wrote the pilot.
Newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, and Arabella Stanton will step into the legendary roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, respectively.
They'll be joined by an impressive supporting cast: John Lithgow will portray Albus Dumbledore, Essiedu as Snape, Janet McTeer will play Professor McGonagall, Nick Frost joins as Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as Filch.
"Adventure runs in the family. When Harry Potter’s head-strong son Albus befriends the son of his fiercest rival, Draco Malfoy, it sparks an unbelievable new journey for them all—with the power to change the past and future forever. Prepare for a mind-blowing race through time, spectacular spells, and an epic battle, all brought to life with the most astonishing theatrical magic ever seen on stage."
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son, Albus, must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: Sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.
The playscript for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was originally released as a "special rehearsal edition" alongside the opening of Jack Thorne’s play in London’s West End in summer 2016. Based on an original story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne, the play opened to rapturous reviews from theatergoers and critics alike, while the official playscript became an immediate global bestseller.