J.K. Rowling's Response About Hermione Changing Races in Harry Potter Sequel

What do Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger look like today? That latest casting announcement for the highly-anticipated stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has answered that. Check them out in the photo below, and you can read J.K. Rowling's response about Hermione Granger's race being changed from how she was depicted in the films.

The actors playing Harry, Hermione and Ron in 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' stage play are announced! Read more on Pottermore pottermo.re/6yda3p

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J.K. Rowling

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Monday, December 21, 2015

As you can see, they look way different from how they were depicted in the feature films. The biggest change of appearance is obviously Hermione, who was depicted as Caucasian in the film adaptations. However, as Rowling points out, Hermione's color was never specified in the novels in which the films were based:

"Rowling loves black Hermione." That's a good sign of approval. It's not really a change from the books. As she stated, canon never specified skin color.

Seeing as the films took some serious liberties with the description of Hermione Granger, as it relates to the big teeth and bushy hair described in the books, neither of which really made it to the films (asidefrom Hermione's hair in the first movie), it seems reasonable to say that Noma Dumezweni is as suited to play the role of Hermione as Emma Watson was, at least when it comes to appearance.

Set to follow the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which takes place nineteen years after Harry defeated Voldemort, the Cursed Child story is centered on Harry Potter's second and youngest son, Albus Severus Potter, who's struggling with "the weight of a family legacy he never wanted," as Harry is overworked as the Ministry. Past and present are said to "fuse ominously" for both characters, as they face the reality that "sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places."

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child begins previews June 7, 2016. Tickets are already sold out for quite a while, but if you want to book well in advanced (as in 2017), you can find them on sale at HarryPotterThePlay.com.