Tom Felton to Reprise Role as Draco on Broadway

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For the very first time, an actor from the initial Harry Potter movie series is set to appear in the ensemble of the Harry Potter Broadway play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Actor Tom Felton, famously known for portraying Harry’s main antagonist Draco Malfoy across all eight Harry Potter movies, will once again step into the shoes of Draco (as an adult character) in the stage adaptation of The Cursed Child, set to premiere this fall.

In an interview on Today, Felton expressed excitement about his Broadway debut, saying “It feels like a surreal experience…I can’t help but feel like I must be dreaming. I left that character behind 16 years ago, and now I get the opportunity to slip back into those shoes once more, this time as a father in a fresh tale.

Title “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is an authorized extension of the Harry Potter narrative, unfolding 19 years post the incidents narrated in J.K. Rowling’s last Harry Potter book. The play primarily focuses on the offspring of the original characters as they navigate their way through Hogwarts School, with the older characters reprising their roles as adults.

In a fresh and unique twist from the ‘Harry Potter’ movies I cherished, Felton shared with Today that this play stands alone. The story unfolds 19 years after the events we’re familiar with, and here’s the intriguing part – we, as actors, are now playing the parents. Although it feels like returning to an old role for me, it also means venturing into uncharted waters. I knew him well as a child, but not so much as an adult. That’s the exciting conundrum awaiting me in this role.

The play, jointly penned by Rowling, debuted on London’s West End in 2016. It made its Broadway premiere in 2018. Originally presented as a two-part production requiring separate tickets, the American version has since been adapted into a single extended performance that spans approximately 3 hours. The original two-part format continues to be staged in England.

On November 11, Felton becomes a part of the Broadway cast for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. He’ll be performing in the play until March 22, 2026. For details on tickets, visit the show’s official website.

80s Movies That Got Bad Reviews That Are Actually Good

Top Gun (1986)

Top Gun – A 1986 Blockbuster That Launched Tom Cruise’s Stardom

In 1986, the film that captivated audiences worldwide, propelling Tom Cruise to megastardom, and the most exhilarating movie about a man embarking on a teaching career – not widely acclaimed by critics then. Despite garnering more positive reviews in retrospect, Top Gun still holds a “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Initially, critics dismissed it as all style and no substance. Today, however, it is celebrated as an iconic ’80s movie, a staple of cable television, and a brilliant representation of the spirit in Reagan-era America.

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 58
Jason Lives was a trailblazer, as it was a decade ahead of the iconic movie Scream. It cleverly acknowledged and poked fun at the stereotypes found in slasher films. Characters engage with the audience through the camera, and they comment on how people in horror movies tend to make poor decisions that lead to their demise. Most of the Friday the 13th films are so poorly produced that they’re inadvertently comical. However, Tom McLoughlin’s script for Jason Lives is genuinely witty.
Despite its comedic elements, the film remains terrifying. Unlike most Friday films that take place at or near an old summer camp, Jason Lives introduced numerous young campers, significantly increasing the tension when Jason’s rampage commences. The mayhem unleashed by Jason is unprecedented; he splits one character in half and throws another into a tree so forcefully that it leaves an imprint of a smiley face on the bark. C.J. Graham delivers a chilling performance as Jason, his mechanical movements giving him a truly alien-like quality, much like a zombie Terminator.

Outland (1981)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating – 55 (A western in space with strong influences from “Alien”)

In the years following “Alien”, director Peter Hyams introduced this space-western that bore a striking resemblance to its sci-fi precursor in every scene, as if they were stories set in two corners of the same fictional universe dominated by faceless, profit-maximizing corporations disregarding human lives. While Hyams skillfully weaved western motifs such as the new marshal arriving at a corrupt frontier town, he also tackled contemporary themes (for 1981 standards). The film was filled with surveillance cameras, intercepted communications, and an overwhelming presence of computer screens, creating an atmosphere of paranoia and technology overreach. To top it off, Frances Sternhagen played a doctor so grumpy she made Bones McCoy seem like Patch Adams. What’s not to appreciate?

Big Business (1988)

Title Score: 52

This initial directorial venture by Jim Abrams, known for his collaborative work on “Airplane!” and “Police Squad”, presents a delightfully outrageous comedy. Two sets of twins (portrayed by Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin) experience a switch at birth and grow up unaware of each other’s existence in separate lives. Their paths cross for the first time at a New York City hotel.

The narrative follows what is famously known as an “idiot plot” – a term coined by Roger Ebert to describe a film story that could be easily resolved if characters communicated or showed awareness for even a moment. However, in this case, the simplicity of the plot is overshadowed by its intricate complexity, complete with numerous mistaken identities, making it surprisingly intelligent. Tomlin and Midler appear to revel in their dual roles, embracing the opportunity to deliver over-the-top performances.

Spaceballs (1987)

In a different phrasing:

The Rotten Tomatoes rating for Spaceballs was 52. This film, filled with humor like Dark Helmet’s exclamation “F—! Even in the future nothing works!” and the frequent use of characters named A—hole, managed to secure a PG rating. This is likely why my cautious parents allowed me to watch it at a young age, and it quickly became my favorite movie as a child. While Star Wars is excellent, Spaceballs, with its adult humor and jokes about bottoms, was even more appealing to kids (including myself). However, 1980s film critics did not share this sentiment. Regardless of the criticism, I firmly believe that Spaceballs is a fantastic movie. Keep trying, critics, but you won’t change my mind on this one.

Crimes of Passion (1984)

Initially met with criticism upon its theater debut, this provocative erotic thriller has since gained popularity due to a devoted cult following and its addition to the Criterion Channel. Despite being an unexpected pick for the prestigious streaming service, it’s a worthy choice thanks to Ken Russell’s bold direction and intense performances from Kathleen Turner and Anthony Perkins. The plot is best experienced without prior knowledge; just dive in prepared for a steamy viewing experience.

Road House (1989)

Title Rating: 44 (Rotten Tomatoes)

Initially, the original “Road House” film was widely ridiculed by critics. However, in retrospect…well, it’s still a laughing stock, but an extraordinary one! The allure of “Road House” is so immense that it has amassed a dedicated fanbase who can’t resist revisiting the Double Deuce bar and its chaotic patrons time and again. The film’s director, Rowdy Harrington, aimed to create a visually stunning, over-the-top production, blending elements of a cartoon with a modern Western narrative. This unique blend filled a gap in popular culture left by the absence of this genre and its stories about lone heroes taming a wild frontier. But these influences only scratch the surface of “Road House”‘s bizarre appeal. For instance, I can’t recall many Westerns featuring frontier heroes who are universally recognized and skilled in self-surgery—a talent that Patrick Swayze’s character, Dalton, possesses. This peculiar charm is part of what makes “Road House” so captivating.

Ishtar (1987)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 40

In the ’80s, one of Hollywood’s biggest bombs was a comedy film that attempted to mimic the style of Crosby-Hope “Road” movies. However, this production was burdened by excessive expectations due to its problematic and costly creation, where director Elaine May, producer/star Warren Beatty, and star Dustin Hoffman frequently clashed. Critics covering the troubled production of “Ishtar” may not have seen where the film’s substantial budget went, but that doesn’t necessarily matter if you weren’t one of its investors. What truly counts is the fantastic comedic partnership between Beatty and Hoffman, portraying two bumbling songwriters who find themselves in the midst of a covert conflict over Middle Eastern control.

The movie “Ishtar,” which was released in the ’80s, was one of Hollywood’s significant flops. It aimed to replicate the essence of Crosby-Hope “Road” films but faced high expectations because of its complex and expensive production process, during which director Elaine May, star Warren Beatty, and co-star Dustin Hoffman often disagreed. Although critics may not have been able to pinpoint where the film’s substantial budget was spent, this isn’t a concern for those who weren’t investors in “Ishtar.” What truly matters is the superb comedic collaboration between Beatty and Hoffman, as they portrayed two inept songwriters who unwittingly got involved in a conflict over Middle Eastern control.

Dune (1984)

Despite being a costly and notorious flop initially, with director David Lynch expressing disapproval towards the final product (he even withdrew his name from certain scenes he didn’t like), Dune stands out as one of the most uniquely bizarre big-budget blockbusters to emerge from Hollywood. More peculiar, more unpredictable, and more otherworldly than the recent (and undeniably superior) Denis Villeneuve adaptations, Lynch’s Dune is a rare science fiction film that truly captures an alien feel; as if it was produced by a space creature just tipsy enough on spice to think, “You bet I can make a movie! Absolutely! This is the way!

A View to a Kill (1985)

Title Score: 36

For decades, the final Bond film featuring Roger Moore was often criticized as the worst in the series. Some of these criticisms seem ageist to me, implying that men in their late 50s can’t be attracted to Grace Jones. Come on! Was Roger Moore too old to play the world’s top secret agent at 57? Perhaps, if A View to a Kill was meant to portray realistic international espionage. But it wasn’t; by this point in the series, Bond bore little resemblance to real-life spies, being more like Danger Mouse.

Duran Duran provides an excellent theme song, and every scene featuring Christopher Walken as Zorin and Jones as his henchwoman May Day is a small gem. Even at this stage of his life, Moore appears to be enjoying himself immensely while saving the world and baking quiches for charming young women. Moore was ideal for this Bond role, embodying a lighthearted adventure about a globetrotting action-loving grandfather. Unlike most Bond films that cater to boys’ fantasies, A View to a Kill feels like an older man’s dream, and it’s a rather appealing one. That might be why I enjoy it more each time I watch it.

Family Business (1989)

As a movie connoisseur, I found myself intrigued by the unconventional casting of Sean Connery, Dustin Hoffman, and Matthew Broderick in “Family Business.” Despite my reservations, this film proved to be an engaging family crime drama. The director, Sidney Lumet, masterfully captures the nuances of New York City life, a skill that some cinephiles may have previously deemed him lacking due to his supposedly understated visual style.

However, in “Family Business,” I admire how Lumet utilizes the camera – take for instance the lengthy shots during the Irish wake where mourners sing “Danny Boy.” The long takes through the crowds effectively portray the relationships among the characters without relying on dialogue, instead using body language and spatial placement to convey their emotional connections.

Lumet’s approach is not flashy by design; his films focus on ordinary people – low-level criminals, street cops, lawyers. He saw these individuals as they truly were and told their stories authentically, without glamorizing or sensationalizing them.

Conan the Destroyer (1984)

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 29%
Despite its poor critical and audience reception, the sequel to Conan, titled Conan the Destroyer, is better than it’s given credit for. The reason for this may be that fans of the dark, violent original were not prepared for a sequel that had a tone similar to a lively Marvel comic book adaptation. However, when judged on its own merits, I believe Conan the Destroyer delivers satisfactorily. The action sequences are well-executed, the fantasy elements are entertaining (the story was conceived by longtime Conan comic book writers Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas), and the humor is genuinely amusing. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of a drunken character stands out as particularly impressive. It’s hard to believe that Conan the Destroyer deserves the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score among the 12 films in this list.

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2025-06-05 18:26