Much excitement, both good and bad, was showcased when the cast for the upcoming Harry Potter play was announced and floating online. Some fans were hesitant and cried foul due to the new Hermione being a black actor — Noma Dumezweni, a Laurence Olivier Award-winning actress — but most fans were supportive, including the biggest one of all: J.K. Rowling.
“I’m so excited with the choice of casting for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I can’t wait to see Jamie, Noma, and Paul bring the adult Harry, Hermione and Ron to life on stage next summer.”
But now Rowling has been joined by Emma Watson, the original Hermione, in supporting Dumezweni and the other members of the cast. Watson took to Twitter to show off her excitement:
Can't wait to see Noma Dumezweni as Hermione on stage this year. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ #harrypotterandthecursedchild #2016
— Emma Watson (@EmmaWatson) January 2, 2016
And ahead of the holidays, Watson retweeted a note regarding any deviation to the original stories — sort of a final nail against critics of the casting choice.
And Neville Longbottom was blonde. I really don't care. Good luck to her. https://t.co/0JNjK3Pe0V
— 🇺🇦Matthew Lewis🇺🇦 (@Mattdavelewis) December 21, 2015
All in all, not a bad endorsement for a play. I’m sure Dumezweni doesn’t need it at all, but you can’t go wrong when you have the blessings of all the principal people involved. Now all we need to know is what Ralph Fiennes thinks about his role as Voldemort being recast as David Lo Pan from Big Trouble In Little China. Sure to be some sparks there.
(Via Emma Watson)
