Warner Bros.
Nick Frost, best known for his collaborations with director Edgar Wright and actor Simon Pegg on films such as Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and At World’s End, has signed on to play Hagrid in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series. Hagrid is the beloved groundkeeper at Hogwarts and serves as something of a mentor to Harry.
Frost is now the fourth actor to be cast in the Harry Potter series, joining Jon Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall.
HBO’s Harry Potter series, reportedly being designed with the hope of it running for a decade, is gearing up to begin production, likely in the summer, ahead of its planned 2026 release.
“HBO declined to comment. ‘We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation,’ the network said in a statement. ‘As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.’” [via Deadline]
It should be noted that, despite HBO’s refusal to confirm any casting, Lithgow has been on-record saying he’s signed on to play Dumbledore. HBO is likely still in the process of casting its leading trio of kid characters, the titular Harry Potter, Hermoine Granger, and Ron Weasley, who will probably be played by unknown actors.
In the beloved film franchise, Dumbledore was portrayed by Richard Harris (in the first two films) and Michael Gambon Snape was played by Alan Rickman, McGonagall was played by Maggie Smith, and Hagrid was played by Robbie Coltrane, all of whom have since passed away.
In addition to his work with Wright and Pegg — whom he used to be flatmates with prior to their fame and have written multiple films together — on the “Cornetto Trilogy”, Frost is known for her work on projects such as Spaced, Attack the Block, Paul, Snow White and the Huntsman, Fighting with My Family, Doctor Who, How to Train Your Dragon, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and more.
Content shared from brobible.com.