Tom Felton says that Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling’s controversial views played no role in his recent decision to reprise his Draco Malfoy character on Broadway in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

“It’s amazing, I think we all thought that the fandom flame might be doused over the years, but clearly it’s not,” Felton told Variety on the red carpet at the Tony Awards on Sunday.

When asked if remarks by Rowling, who co-wrote the story that creator Jack Thorne spun into the new play, played any role in his decision to step back into Malfoy’s shoes, Felton responded, “No, I can’t say it does, I’m not really that attuned to it.”

The English actor, 37, continued, “If anything, I remind myself I’ve been lucky to travel the world, and I’ve not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter, and she’s responsible for that, so I’m incredibly grateful.”

Numerous actors from the expansive film franchise built on Rowling’s book series have criticized the author’s views considered anti-trans by critics. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Katie Leung, Bonnie Wright, Eddie Redmayne, and more have called Rowling out for making moves like opposing hate-crime laws in the U.K. designed to protect trans individuals from harassment and abuse.

But he does have company in former Potter stars like Warwick Davis (“I don’t tend to read the news”) and new Potter series star John Lithgow (“Why is this a factor at all?”) in sidestepping the ongoing controversy surrounding Rowling.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.‘s free daily newsletter

Felton’s casting in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was announced earlier this month. The Tony-award winning play returns to Hogwarts 19 years after the events of the last book in the series — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — and follows the new alliances and antagonisms between the children of Potter generation.

He will take over for Aaron Bartz in a 19-week limited engagement at the Lyric Theatre in New York City from Nov. 11 to March 22. 

“It’s such a huge part of my childhood,” Felton said of his casting at the time. “It’s like me going back to high school.”

Wu-Tang Clan are making their long-awaited return to video games.

The iconic hip-hop collective that introduced the world to visionaries like RZA, Method Man, and Ghostface Killah are known for songs like “Protect Ya Neck,” albums like Wu-Tang Forever, films like Wu: The Story of the Wu-Tang Clan, and, recently, the two-season Hulu drama series Wu-Tang: An American Saga. The group also ventured into the world of video games with 1999’s Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style.

Now they’re back with Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver, the central project in Ghostface Killah’s Angel of Dust franchise. The first trailer for the co-op action RPG game dropped at Summer Game Fest 2025 in Los Angeles on Friday, as well as during their Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber farewell tour, which kicked off on June 6 in Baltimore.

The trailer for Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver features a mural of 10 members of the hip-hop collective, with a voiceover ominously commanding, “find RZA,” “find Cappadonna” and “find Raekwon” before asking, “Where is the Wu-Tang Clan?”

The brief snippet of gameplay shown in the trailer depicts a hero decked out in skinny jeans and sneakers wielding a large hammer against faceless baddies wearing stylized jingasa hats. “The Wu-Tang Clan must pass on their fantastical powers to a new generation of warriors to save their home of Shaolin,” notes a press release breaking down the game.

Players are asked to recruit their friends to fight the minions of the titular evil entity, the Deceiver. But it’s not all fighting; players can customize their movement styles and costumes by collecting jewels and gear. Most excitingly for the Wu-Tang fans, the soundtrack features a collection of their classic songs woven together with new material from producer Just Blaze.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly‘s free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

The release of the game is set to coincide with the premiere of Angel of Dust, a new horror film directed by RZA and produced by Ghostface Killah.

“Creating Angel of Dust has been an incredible journey,” Ghostface Killah said in the announcement. “Bringing the story to life through film was just the beginning. Now, with the development of the video game, we are immersing fans even deeper into this supernatural thriller universe. It’s about blending music, storytelling, and interactive experience. I can’t wait for fans to step into the darkness and discover what lies beneath.”

Alongside Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver, Summer Games Fest saw the announcement of a whole host of exciting new video game titles. The ninth chapter in the Resident Evil saga was officially given the title Resident Evil Requiem, and is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on Feb. 27, 2026. A new strategy game from the world of Game of Thrones called Game of Thrones: War for Westeros is also on its way to PC via Steam in 2026.

There’s no set release date for Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver, which will eventually be playable on consoles and PC.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to attend so many Hollywood events over my past two decades as a journalist: the Emmys, the Grammys, the Oscars, the SAG Awards… But this Sunday, I’ll be attending my first Tony Awards. That’s right, I (and my suit jacket bought in 2010 for my first red carpet as a PEOPLE reporter) am finally going to EGOT. Catch my video interviews from the red carpet on EW and PEOPLE. Just know that — as a Houston kid who saw The Will Rogers Follies on Broadway in 1991 and then performed it for everyone who entered our home (including the bug man) — the entire time I’ll be thinking, “I can’t believe my life right now.” —Patrick Gomez, Editor-in-Chief

P.S. If you want to receive the Must List in your inbox, sign up for our  “Entertainment Weekly and Awardist” newsletters. You’ll receive all three each week — the trifecta of entertainment news.

“Phineas and Ferb”

Whatcha dooooin’? Watching the long-awaited Disney Channel revival of our favorite inventive stepbrothers, of course! Phineas (voiced by Vincent Martella) and Ferb (David Errigo Jr.) are back for brand-new summer shenanigans. A giant whoopee cushion, an angry sea monster, their perpetually annoyed older sister Candace (Ashley Tisdale) — nothing rattles our heroes. Meanwhile, the inept villain Dr. Doofenshmirtz (Dan Povenmire) is nearly undone by an oven repairman’s ridiculously long appointment window. With new songs and the same rapid-fire humor, this show is poised to take over the entire Tri-State area (and beyond). —Kristen Baldwin, TV Critic

Phineas and Ferb revived by Disney for 40 new episodes

“Ginny & Georgia”

Season 3 of the Netflix drama starts just after Georgia (Brianne Howey) is arrested for murder at her wedding to the mayor, and only gets wilder from there. Ginny (Antonia Gentry) and Austin (Diesel La Torraca), separated for the first time, may lose their mother… and each other. —Yolanda Machado, Staff Editor

Ginny & Georgia bosses discuss that shocking season 3 ending

“The Life of Chuck”

Tom Hiddleston stars as Charles “Chuck” Krantz, an accountant who loves to dance. But Neon’s latest sci-fi fantasy is more than it seems, with a unique narrative structure and a twist that just might have you crying in the theater by the end. —Ashley Boucher, Senior TV Editor

“Sick and Dirty”

From the 1930s through the 1960s, film production codes forbade “any inference” of LGBTQ+ lives. Still, many found ways to inject queer-coded themes into movies. Michael Koresky’s riveting and insightful new book, Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness, celebrates the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community and reframes early pieces of queer cinema. —Maureen Lee Lenker, Senior Writer

Jools Lebron, content creator

Divas! Quoted on stage by Beyoncé herself, the Chicago-based TikTok queen of “demure” was once a cashier posting GRWM videos. Now the social media star documents her life, from a new home to new wigs, and more. Very mindful, indeed. —Yolanda Machado, Staff Editor