When the young cast of the new Harry Potter TV series begin filming this summer, there will be one familiar face they can turn to for advice.
Not Daniel Radcliffe or Emma Watson or Rupert Grint, the former child stars who played wizarding heroes Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in the original film franchise.
Instead it will be Tom Felton, who played Potter’s arch-enemy: the villainous, peroxide-blond Draco Malfoy.
I am told the 37-year-old has endeared himself to Warner Bros – the parent company of HBO which is producing the new series – and more importantly to Harry Potter creator JK Rowling.
While his co-stars have publicly distanced themselves from the author for her gender-critical campaigning – including her support for the recent Supreme Court ruling that trans women are not legally women – Felton has refused to criticise her. And now – 14 years since the release of the eighth and final film – his loyalty seems to have paid off.
‘Everyone knows that Tom has Jo’s blessing,’ a source told me.
‘While others turned their backs on her, he treated her with dignity even if he disagreed with her.
‘And now it seems he will be the one original cast member who will be involved with the new production.’
Actor Tom Felton has Harry Potter creator JK Rowling’s ‘blessing’, according to a source
Felton is still in touch with his former co-stars via a designated WhatsApp group
The 37-year-old has endeared himself to Warner Bros and is set to undertake work behind the scenes during this summer’s filming of the HBO series
Fans hope a grown-up Felton will return to the new series as Draco’s villainous father Lucius, who was played by Jason Isaacs in the original franchise. While I’m told that this is unlikely, showrunners want to use him in other ways.
‘The producers want to keep the television series separate from the original movies,’ my insider added.
‘Tom has expressed an interest in visiting the set and meeting with the actor playing Draco, and Warner is keen to make it happen. There has even been talk of getting him involved in creating behind-the-scenes content for HBO which could form part of a documentary about the making of the TV show.’
It is quite a feat by Felton, who is also known for his roles in the West End and in Hollywood franchise Planet Of The Apes. He remains close to Radcliffe, Watson and Grint, and has previously told me they still keep in touch via a WhatsApp group.
But, unlike his co-stars, he has refused to be drawn into the debate about Rowling’s views on the trans community.
Pressed on his views in 2022, he appeared to stand by the author, saying: ‘No one has single-handedly done more for bringing joy to so many different generations and walks of life.
‘I’m constantly reminded of her positive work in [the literary] field and as a person. I’ve only had a handful of meetings with her but she has always been lovely. So I’m very grateful for that.’
Rowling’s relationship with the original cast deteriorated in 2020 after she published a 4,000-word essay on her website, writing that women should be defined by their biological sex and not their gender identity.
Some hoped Felton would play Lucius Malfoy in the upcoming show, with Jason Isaacs taking the role of Draco’s father in the original franchise
Rowling’s rift with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint was sparked by the author’s outspoken views on trans issues
Daniel Radcliffe responded with his own statement, released through LGBTQ charity The Trevor Project, saying that ‘transgender women are women’.
The now 35-year-old reignited the row in an interview with US magazine The Atlantic last May, when he said that Rowling’s views ‘are not the views of everybody associated with the Potter franchise’.
He added that he and Rowling have not spoken since the controversy erupted, saying: ‘It makes me really sad, ultimately, because I do look at the person that I met, the times that we met, and the books that she wrote, and the world that she created, and all of that is to me so deeply empathic.’
Emma Watson, 35, also spoke out after Rowling’s initial comments, posting on X: ‘Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are.’
Rupert Grint, 36, also waded into the row, telling The Times in 2022: ‘I liken JK Rowling to an auntie. I don’t necessarily agree with everything my auntie says, but she’s still my auntie.’
That same year, Rowling was notably absent from the franchise’s 20th anniversary reunion, which aired on HBO, amid rumours the rift was to blame.
And it certainly doesn’t seem to be healing. Just last month, Rowling appeared to take a swipe at the three former child stars when she replied to a tweet asking: ‘What actor/actress instantly ruins a movie for you?’
Without missing a beat, she wrote: ‘Three guesses.
‘Sorry, but that was irresistible.’
Now, despite their two-decade connection with the franchise, I can reveal that the trio have been ‘kept in the dark’ about the new TV project. So much so that they weren’t even informed that a remake was in the works.
And, to add insult to injury, they will only learn which three young actors will be playing Harry, Ron and Hermione when HBO officially announces them in the coming months.
‘It’s heartbreaking for the three of them,’ one insider told me. ‘Their childhoods were devoted to creating Harry Potter and it held such a special place in all their lives.
‘But now as the world looks forward to seeing the stories on screen again, they are a mere afterthought, with no involvement in the new series. Instead they face the prospect of being completely replaced in the minds of future generations of Harry Potter fans.’
Those fears are well-founded according to another industry source, who has been working on the new series ahead of filming this summer at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire.
Rowling will serve as an executive producer, with HBO saying she has been ‘very involved’ in the series to ensure it is a ‘faithful adaptation’ of her seven books.
Indeed, my source says Rowling is ‘relishing the opportunity’ to breathe new life into the books – and banish the memory of the original stars who she believes have thrown her under the bus.
The source added: ‘Jo adores the magical world she created and can’t wait to bring it to life again with young, fresh talent.
‘This is her chance to move on from all the vitriol she has endured at the hands of those she made famous and start again with a new set of faces.
‘In many ways, it is her ultimate revenge for their betrayal.’
Not, however, for Tom Felton. Earlier this month, Warner Bros invited him to open a new Harry Potter experience in Chicago on an all-expenses-paid trip.
Standing inside a recreation of Ollivander’s Wand Shop, he said he was ‘very excited’ to see the new series – which will star US actor John Lithgow and comedian Nick Frost.
Pressed further on whether he would like to return, he said: ‘I’m not opposed to that at all. Any chance to be part of the Wizarding World is a good one.’
But, with a cheeky smile, he added: ‘I’ll definitely be sneaking into a background shot as an extra.’
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