Production is officially underway on HBO’s forthcoming Harry Potter series and the studio has released a first-look image of actor Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, which has caused some debate among fans.
The 53-year-old will play the friendly groundskeeper alongside newcomer Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, who was also pictured in costume this week while filming at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden.
Fans were left divided over Frost’s transformation, with some declaring they were “loving” the actor in the iconic role, while others said his costume looked like “cosplaying”.
“I’m so sorry this already looks like a parody show,” one person wrote on X/Twitter. “Who exactly asked for this?” another fan questioned. Referring to the original Hagrid actor, Robbie Coltrane, another said: “Love Nick Frost, but no chance of out-Hagrid-ing Hagrid.”
The TV adaptation of the famous franchise, which is expected to debut in 2027, confirmed by HBO Max in 2023, aims to be a “faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer JK Rowling”.
The series is expected to run for a decade, with each season based on one of the seven Rowling books. The books follow the story of 11-year-old Harry Potter as he learns of his acceptance to Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry, and his attempts to defeat the evil Lord Voldemort.
In May last year, HBO announced that after nearly 30,000 auditions for the three lead roles, McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout had been cast as Harry, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
Casting for most of the leading characters has been announced in the last few months. Paapa Essiedu is playing potions professor Severus Snape, Janet McTeer is acting as deputy Hogwarts headmistress and Gryffindor House head Minerva McGonagall, and Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
The actors have faced criticism from some fans calling for a boycott of the series due to Rowling’s views on transgender people which many consider transphobic.
However, Frost, known for Shaun of the Dead, made clear in an interview that his opinions “don’t align in any way, shape or form” with those of the franchise creator.
Last month, Rowling, 59, delivered her early verdict on the series in a post on X.
“I read the first two episodes of the forthcoming HBO Harry Potter series and they are SO, SO, SO GOOD!” the author said.
In response, a user asked the author: “So you are not doing the writing for this show?” to which, the author clarified: “No, but I’ve worked closely with the extremely talented writers.”
Rubeus Hagrid was previously played by Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane in the Harry Potter franchise, who died from multiple organ failure in 2022, aged 72, after starring in all eight films as the beloved half-giant.
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