'Draco is back' - Harry Potter star Tom Felton to reprise role on stage

Tom Felton is to reprise his role as the villainous Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter stage show on Broadway.

It marks the first time that a star of the Harry Potter movies has joined the spin-off stage production, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

The hit play - which serves as an epilogue to the famous wizard's story, following on from the end of the book series - opened in London's West End in 2016 before transferring to New York two years later.

Felton said: "It's surreal to be stepping back into his shoes - and of course his iconic platinum blond hair - and I am thrilled to be able to see his story through and to share it with the greatest fan community in the world."

The English actor featured opposite Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson on screen in the film franchise from 2001 to 2011.

Now 37, he will become the first member of the cast to join the stage show, which takes place 19 years after the end of the original story, with Harry, Ron and Hermione, as well as Draco, all sending their own children to Hogwarts.

"Being a part of the Harry Potter films has been one of the greatest honours of my life," Felton said in a statement.

"Joining this production will be a full-circle moment for me, because when I begin performances in Cursed Child this fall, I'll also be the exact age Draco is in the play."

He added: "I look forward to joining this incredible company and being a part of the Broadway community."

He also posted a teaser video on Instagram, in which he dons Draco's blonde wig and black robes and reaches for his wooden wand before menacingly asking: "Scared, Potter?" A caption then says: "Draco is back."

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the highest-grossing non-musical play in Broadway history, and has sold more than 10 million tickets worldwide since its premiere in London in 2016.

It currently has productions running in London, New York, Hamburg and Tokyo.

The producers of Broadway production, Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender, said in a joint statement they could not wait to see Felton perform "once again with the same depth, gravity, and humanity he has always brought to Draco".

"It's not lost on us that this is a cultural moment charged with nostalgia, evolution, and emotion," they added.

"Tom's return to Hogwarts bridges generations of fans and breathes new life into a beloved story. We're beyond thrilled to welcome Tom back 'home' but also into a new family: our Broadway company."

Tickets will go on general sale on 12 June, with a presale starting two days earlier.

Last week, HBO has announced the young actors who will play the lead trio in its TV series adaption of JK Rowling's fantasy book series.