Harry Potter villain Tom Felton said he “misses” the character that made him famous as he joined his former co-stars at a new theme park attraction inspired by the boy wizard’s adventures.
A host of Hollywood A-listers including Steven Spielberg, Billy Bob Thornton and Thandie Newton attended Universal Studios in Los Angeles for the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Tom, who starred as Draco Malfoy in the film series, was joined by Warwick Davis, Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood, and the Weasley twins James and Oliver Phelps on the red carpet.
Tom Felton at the premiere of Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince in New York (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
Surrey-born Tom said the “Potter flame is burning brighter than ever” and admitted he will probably always be associated with villainous characters.
He said: “It makes people a little bit cautious when they approach me. That works to my favour.
“I miss him (Draco Malfoy) greatly. I certainly enjoy the darker side of characters.
“Equally I just enjoy playing someone who isn’t like me.”
Legendary composer John Williams conducts the LA Philharmonic below Hogwarts castle pic.twitter.com/yLQkmEljBX
— David Mercer (@DavidMercerPA) April 6, 2016
Warwick, who played Professor Flitwick, said the enduring popularity of JK Rowling’s books and the films is “the idea that magic exists”.
He said: “I think JK Rowling created something that resonates with a great deal of people. Millions of fans throughout the world.
“She created characters that we can relate to. She created a world that is beyond our reach as muggles, but we all like to think there’s a little bit of magic just beyond our reach.”
Hogwarts Castle at Universal Studios Hollywood (David Sprague/Universal Studios Hollywood)
Harry Potter fans can explore Hogwarts castle at the new attraction and don Quidditch-inspired 3D goggles on the ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.
They can also choose their own wands at Ollivanders, get kitted out at Gladrags Wizardwear and drink Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks Tavern.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens to the public on Thursday but online tickets for the opening day have already sold out.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here