A trailer for road trip film Braking for Whales has given the world a glimpse at Draco Malfoy kissing Taylor Swift’s brother.
The upcoming dark comedy stars Harry Potter alum Tom Felton as Brandon, a closeted gay man who is on a road trip with his sex addict sister in order to honour their dead mother’s final wish – to have her ashes interred in the body of the whale.
Tom Felton plays a repressed gay man in Braking for Whales
While the pair are both dealing with grief in their own ways, Brandon is also clearly in deep denial about his sexuality – shouting: “I’m not going to say it again, I’m not gay. I’m not gay!”
Inevitably, there’s a few bumps along the way, and one of those bumps comes in the form of JT, a hunk played by Austin Swift – who is the actual, real-life brother of Taylor Swift.
Despite his repeated insistence that he’s not gay, the trailer gives a glimpse of Brandon – spoiler alert – locking lips with JT after meeting him at a bar.
In an interview with long-serving Harry Potter fansite The Leaky Couldron, director Sean McEwen teased the climactic moment of “self-realisation” for the character.
He said: “Everything that occurs there was written to be eviscerating and surprising and emotional – and Tom not only brought it but he made it his own and then some.
“The scene culminates with a heartbreaking moment of self realisation in the restroom and I think Tom’s performance stands up with the greats. It left the entire crew that evening awestruck.”
Harry Potter fans were thrilled, naturally
Harry Potter fans were delighted to see Felton getting a gay kiss scene at long last – with shippers having long speculated about the sexuality of the arguably queer-coded villain Draco Malfoy.
Responding to the Braking for Whales trailer, one fan on YouTube quipped: “good to see malfoy has taken a new direction in life and i like it….”
Another added: “Tom Felton plays a gay guy….. my prayers have been answered.”
In an interview with AOL last year, Felton revealed that he was well aware of the Potter fans’ clamour for a gay romance, quipping: “I’ve seen some pictures. Some alarming ones.”