And now it is final. Putting to rest weeks of speculation Emma Watson, who is in her mid-teens now, has announced that she will play the role of Hermione Granger in the forthcoming Harry Potter movies. Rupert Grint, the inseparable friend of Harry Potter in the movies, will also continue in the role of Ron Weasley as before.

Millions of Harry Potter fans around the world were taken aback when news reports appeared in the media casting doubts about Watson’s interest to act in the future Harry Potter movies.

The 16 year old Watson said in a statement from the Warner Brothers film studio ‘I could never let Hermione go... she is my hero! I love her too much and love what playing her has meant to me.‘

Millions of young fans who cherish the Harry Potter movies based on the books of British author J.K. Rowling just cannot imagine the roles being played by any other actors. The famous trio of Daniel Radcliffe, who plays the lead role of Harry Potter, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have strikingly suited the roles which they have portrayed amazingly in the movies already released.

As the series of movies has continued, speculations are doing the rounds that the original three actors might be too old now to play the teenage wizards. Both Radcliffe (17), and Grint (18), have already moved on to play more adult stories on stage and screen.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth movie in the series, is slated for release in July this year and two more have to follow in 2008 and 2010.

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