As we get closer and closer to the premiere of HBO’s new Harry Potter reboot, longtime followers of the franchise now have something to tide them over until it debuts this December. While it might be completely different from the Wizarding World, it does feature one of the franchise’s most recognizable (and beloved) villains in the lead, only this time he’s the hero, facing off against corrupt authorities and powerful figures in an alternate universe where genetic enhancement has become commonplace.
Action and Sci-Fi Collide in Tom Felton’s Forgotten Thriller
Tom Felton in ‘Altered’Well Go USA
Hitting theaters on Nov. 21, 2025, Altered takes place in an alternate present where people with genetic modifications have effectively become the superior class. Those without are considered the outcasts of society, but there is one man who’s determined to fight back against an oppressive system: Tom Felton.
Best known for playing Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, Felton stars in Altered as Leon, an outcast who becomes involved in a rebellion against those who benefit from the genetic divide. Donning an Iron Man-style exosuit, he joins forces with Chloe (Elizaveta Bugulova) and Mira (Aggy K. Adams) to take on powerful forces determined to maintain the status quo.
Clocking in at just 87 minutes, Altered is a brisk sci-fi thriller that has shades of Blade Runner peppered throughout. It’s not nearly as visually stunning as the Ridley Scott classic, but you can definitely draw parallels between the two thanks to their dystopian settings and social commentary. However, where Harrison Ford’s movie is regarded as a classic, Felton’s forgotten dud wasn’t as lucky.
Scoring just 10% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 12% from viewers, Altered has been called everything from “one of the worst movies ever” to “pretty damn good” for a low-budget sci-fi movie. Interestingly, the film did make an appearance on HBO Max’s global Top 10 a couple of weeks ago, getting as high as sixth place. For viewers in the United States, you can check out Altered absolutely free this week when it lands on its new streaming home.
‘Altered’Arrives on Free Streaming
Aside from being available on HBO Max in select international markets, Altered is also available to stream in the United States with a subscription to Prime Video. All that will change this week, though, when the movie makes its way onto free streaming.
Per Tubi, Felton’s sci-fi thriller flop is set to arrive on the free streaming platform beginning Tuesday, Oct. 6. That means it won’t cost you a dime to take a chance on Altered and see for yourself if it’s really as bad as people say it is. If anything, it does have some decent action, so that’s something, at least.
Next up for Felton is the historical action adventure movie, As Deep as the Grave, which is currently in post-production. Based on a true story, the Harry Potter icon stars in the new flick as Earl H. Morris, husband to Ann Axtel Morris (Abigail Lawrie), who became North America’s first female archeologist in the 1920s. No release date has been set, but it should be noted that the film also features an AI recreation of the late Val Kilmer.
Birthdate
September 22, 1987
Birthplace
Kensington, London, England, UK
Birthname
Thomas Andrew Felton