HBO has shared the first glimpse of Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid in its upcoming Harry Potter TV Series – take a look here.
A day after fans got their first look of Dominic McLaughlin as the titular wizard, Spaced actor Frost became the next star to be seen in costume, following in the footsteps of the late Robbie Coltrane who played Hagrid in all eight of the movies.
“Everyone ready? ‘ere we go!” wrote HBO Max on Instagram today (July 15), “Nick Frost has walked his first day in the big boots of Hagrid on the set of the new HBO Original Harry Potter series.”
Fans appeared to be divided by the new Hagrid, one commenting on Instagram, “This might be the best casting in a series in a WHILE” and another saying on X (Twitter), “Man no matter what, it’s just too early for me. All these actors just look like they’re cosplaying.”
One said on Instagram: “I’m recognising all the makeup and costume work with this HBO production appears a bit too polished. Like, they’re all supposed to be in a fashion shoot for HP. I don’t love it.”
Another wrote on X: “The original can’t be surpassed. The new one looks like he’s wearing a wig.”
The first season of the new TV adaptation began filming yesterday at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire, the same place the movies were shot. It’s set to premiere early next year and the show could span a decade in order to explore some plot lines in more detail than the films.
More cast members were announced yesterday, joining Frost, McLaughlin and others already confirmed including Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall.
Rory Wilmot will play Neville Longbottom, while Amos Kitson is Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey is Madam Rolando Hooch and Anton Lesser is Garrick Ollivander.
Last month, Frost told ScreenRant that he was going to be “very protective” over the children cast alongside him in the series. “Look, I’m a dad myself, so I am going to be very protective to the children, and I think that is Hagrid’s — one of the kind of baselines of his relationship with those children. He’s very protective of them, and I honestly can’t wait.”
He added at the time: “I’ve had the opportunity to go and see some sets, and they’re growing a Hagrid beard, and I’m seeing the Sorting Hat, and here are some wands. It’s absolutely amazing. Getting the chance to start to learn Francesca [Gardiner, showrunner]’s script and hanging out with [director] Mark Mylod — that’s the reason I wanted to do it in the first place — to get to retell and to be Hagrid. I get a chance to be Hagrid. It is amazing.”
Meanwhile, Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the movies, has recently returned to the role on stage as part of the Broadway production of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child.
English (US) · 