Following our first look at Dominic McLaughlin as the Boy Wizard, HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series has just shared a first look—via SFFGazette.com—at Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, How to Train Your Dragon) as Rubeus Hagrid.
The late Robbie Coltrane played the character in the big screen franchise that ran from 2001 to 2011, and this interpretation doesn't seem all that different. Frost is roughly the same age as his predecessor was in that first movie—a little older, in fact—but looks a bit more youthful in the role.
So far, this adaptation of Harry Potter doesn't look all that different from the movies, aside from a change in actors. That might be off-putting for longtime fans, but is unlikely to bother the new, younger audience Warner Bros. Discovery hopes to introduce to this Wizarding World.
Hagrid is Hogwarts' gamekeeper and later became the Care of Magical Creatures Professor. He lives in a hut on the school grounds and was expelled from Hogwarts in his third year after being framed for opening the Chamber of Secrets.
Hagrid loves magical creatures, often keeping dangerous ones like dragons and Blast-Ended Skrewts. He's fiercely loyal to Dumbledore, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, acting as a protector and friend. His wand, broken after his expulsion, is hidden in a pink umbrella.
"While I'm really aware of what went before me in terms of Robbie's amazing performance, I'm never going to try and be Robbie," Frost said earlier this year. "I'm going to try and do something, not 'different,' I think you have to be respectful to the subject matter, but within that, there's scope for minutia."
"I think the beauty of being able to do a book a season means I get to explore that a lot more, and I can't wait," he continued. "He's funny! I want it to be funny and cheeky and scared and protective and childlike. That's what I'm planning on doing."
You can take a closer look at the new Harry Potter show's take on Hagrid in the Instagram post below.
Dominic McLaughlin has been cast in the role of Harry Potter, with Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. Joining them will be Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, and Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley.
Harry Potter's adult cast includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.
Joining them will be Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge.
The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling and will feature an exciting and talented cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have adored for over 25 years.
The series is written and executive-produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.
Harry Potter premieres on HBO in 2027.