“I imagine Emma smiling at me would make me break character.”
—Tom Felton, MTV Interview, July 2025
There's something inherently magical—no pun intended—about seeing a character return to form after a decade away. But it's even rarer when the actor doing the returning admits, quite publicly, that seeing one of their original co-stars in the audience might actually throw them off. That's the case with Tom Felton, now 37, who's dusted off the platinum-blond hair to once again play Draco Malfoy—not on film, but on stage, in the long-running Broadway juggernaut Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Felton, who carried the role of Draco through all eight Harry Potter films, is now the first actor from the original cast to take that character into adulthood live on stage. It's a clever casting decision, both from a marketing standpoint and an emotional one. Warner Bros. and Broadway producers know full well the nostalgic pull of these characters, especially as the HBO Max Harry Potter TV reboot is slowly brewing in development.
But for Felton, this isn't just a corporate victory lap. It's a personal one. And his response during a recent MTV interview made that clear. When asked which of his co-stars he wouldn't want in the audience, he said—with a smile—Emma Watson.
“I think any of the Potter lot would probably throw me off. I imagine Emma smiling at me would make me break character.”
It's a line tailor-made for social media buzz, yes—but it also speaks to the real friendships forged over that decade-long franchise. This isn't PR fluff. Felton and Watson's connection, subtle as it may be, has long fueled fan speculation and backstage lore. The comment comes off as more than a soundbite—it feels like the kind of raw honesty you only get when actors genuinely care about their work and the people who helped shape it.
Malfoy on Broadway, And the Max Streaming Agenda
Let's put this in industry context. The Cursed Child, since its premiere in London's West End in 2016, has been a complex beast: wildly popular, expensive to mount, and narratively divisive. The show was streamlined into a one-part format for Broadway in 2021, and while the pandemic-era closures bruised box office numbers, the production roared back by 2023—bolstered by younger audiences who never got to see their Hogwarts heroes live.
Felton stepping into the adult Draco role doesn't just add legitimacy to The Cursed Child; it blurs the line between canonical nostalgia and live event theater. It's a soft power move by Warner Bros. Discovery as they continue consolidating their IP across platforms. With the original films streaming on Max—and the upcoming series slowly inching toward pre-production (as of mid-2025, no casting confirmed)—Felton's return couldn't be better timed.
Cast Reactions and Canon Continuity
Felton admitted he couldn't tell his former castmates ahead of time. “I was sworn to secrecy,” he told MTV. But once the news broke, the texts poured in. According to Felton, Return to Hogwarts castmate Matthew Lewis (a.k.a. Neville Longbottom) “took the mickey the most” about him being “too old for it now.” That self-deprecating tone is part of the charm—and likely part of what's made this announcement resonate more than a studio press release ever could.
Interestingly, Lewis himself has expressed interest in joining the HBO Max reboot in some adult capacity—so don't be surprised if the dominoes keep falling. If Felton's performance is well-received (early Broadway crowd reactions have been enthusiastic, though no formal reviews at press time), it may serve as proof of concept: Yes, the OG cast can return in aged-up roles—and audiences will show up.
Emma Watson, Still the Emotional Core
Let's talk about the Emma of it all. Watson and Felton's flirtations, documented over the years, were never exploitative or overhyped. If anything, they've been curiously restrained, especially given how easy it would've been for tabloids to cash in. Felton's candid remark about her smile breaking his character reveals what fans always suspected: these bonds weren't just for press junkets. They were, and still are, the soul of the Harry Potter universe.
And that's why this moment works. It's not about reviving a franchise. It's about giving fans a window into what it actually felt like to grow up as part of that cinematic family. Felton's Broadway performance, even if we never see it adapted to screen, is a reminder that some roles never really leave you—and that some reunions might be worth the wait.
As for Watson? No confirmation yet on whether she'll attend a performance. But if and when she does, you can bet we'll see it all over social media—and maybe, just maybe, a crack in Draco's cold façade.
The Real Question: Would a Cursed Child Movie Work?
The natural next step, of course, is the whisper (or perhaps scream) for a Cursed Child film. The appetite is there. The cast has aged into the parts. And Warner Bros., still recovering from the Fantastic Beasts fallout, needs a crowd-pleaser.
But translating stage magic into cinema isn't simple. The original two-part Cursed Child was designed for intimate theatrical illusions—trick staging, in-camera sleights, and rapid-fire pacing that wouldn't hold up under the camera's lens. A film adaptation would need serious rewrites, not to mention tonal grounding. The script as-is leans heavy into fan-fiction territory, with time-travel, alternate timelines, and emotional beats that need finesse.
Still… the box office math adds up. And if Felton's performance gains traction, expect the drumbeat to get louder.
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