Rupert Grint is set to return to the role of Ron Weasley in the Broadway adaptation of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, nearly two decades after the last film in the franchise was released. The 38-year-old actor will appear in the production for a 17-week run at the Lyric Theatre in New York City, from February 2 to May 30 next year.
Return to a defining role
Grint rose to fame in 2001 after starring in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as the loyal and accident-prone red-headed wizard. He played the character in all eight films, based on the novels by JK Rowling, alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.
In a statement, Grint said: "Ron Weasley has been a part of me since I was 11 years old, and I can't wait to meet him again in this stage of life. There is something so full-circle and so special about stepping back into Ron's shoes now when we are both fathers; it is somehow both very familiar and completely new."
Mixed reaction from fans
Grint follows former co-star Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the films and is currently appearing in the Broadway show until January 30. Producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender said in a joint statement: "We, along with all the wizarding world fans around the globe, watched Rupert grow up through his portrayal of Ron while preserving the qualities at the very heart of the character – his humour, his bravery, and of course, that unmistakably cheeky grin – like an invisible thread woven throughout the years."
The announcement has drawn a mixed response from fans. Some expressed disappointment, while others defended Grint, with one commenter writing: "Rupert can be a trans ally AND be an actor at the same time. Welcome back, Mr. Weasley, you're brilliant!"
Context of the response
The reaction comes in the context of criticism directed at Harry Potter author JK Rowling over her views on gender politics. Rowling has denied being transphobic and previously said she respects "every trans person's right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them". She has also said she believes biological sex is immutable and has been critical of self-declared gender identity, calling it "quasi-religious" and "anti-science".
