Cast revealed for Harry Potter spin-off

A scene from the original Harry Potter movie franchise, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child has cast its lead actors.

The stage show - a spin-off from the popular novels and movie series - will debut at the Palace Theatre in the heart of London in summer 2016 with Jamie Parker playing Harry, Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Granger and Paul Thornley taking the role of Ron Weasley, the Daily Mail reports.

In the movies Harry, Hermione and Ron were played by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.

Director and co-writer John Tiffany previously insisted the trio won't be involved in the play.

He said: "I would be very surprised if any of the original cast were to feature because the last thing they would want to do is go back to something they did 10 years ago.

"We've been working with actors since the beginning of this year, but the characters are the stars of this - so I don't think we'll be saying a hot Hollywood actor will be playing Harry Potter."

Meanwhile, producer Sonia Friedman said the casting was a collective decision involving author JK Rowling, director John, playwright Jack Thorne, producer Colin Callender and herself.

She explained: "We were all involved with all the key casting decisions."

Discussing the two-part play, which Rowling sees as the eighth instalment in the franchise, she previously revealed it will follow Harry's second son Albus, 19 years after the last book.

- Bang! Showbiz