Harry Potter series unveils Nick Frost’s Hagrid for first time after fan outrage

Production just started for HBO’s Harry Potter TV series and fans already have their first glimpse at Nick Frost as Hagrid.

Filming for the ambitious seven-season show kicked off at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden, UK, earlier this week.

The newly cast boy wizard, Dominic McLaughlin, shared a photo in the iconic Hogwarts outfit, with the look completed with a lightning scar and round spectacles as he ushered in the start of production.

Now, another onset picture has shown the 53-year-old actor, who is portraying the friendly half-giant gameskeeper, completely transformed.

Much like the late Robbie Coltrane, who previously played Rubeus Hagrid in the TV series, the photo of Frost shows him with a magnificent mane of brown hair, a rugged beard, an oversized brown coat and a button-up.

Fans are already sharing their thoughts on the look, although not all of them are glowing.

‘This 100% looks like something created via AI but it’s apparently real, what a time to be alive,’ Chris Evangelista wrote on X.

‘It’s like… missing something… Where is the whimsy…’ libby questioned.

‘What is the point of a remake where all of the aesthetic choices remain exactly the same?’ officialcnud asked.

‘Nick looks great as Hagrid and I’m sure he will deliver an excellent performance. Not sure it will be enough though,’ Joe Bishop added, reflecting on how recently the movies came out.

‘I love Nick Frost, and everyone loves Hagrid. But this ain’t it,’ popcorn watchers echoed.

The new adaptation from Francesca Gardiner also stars Alistair Stout and Arabella Stanton as Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger – although we are yet to see the golden trio dressed as their characters.

Based on JK Rowling’s bestselling children’s novel, the adult cast features John Lithgow as Professor Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Katherine Parkinson as Mrs Weasley – to name a few.

Yesterday, Sherlock star Louise Brealey and Anton Lesser were confirmed to be playing Madam Hooch and Ollivander.

The first season aims to finish filming in 2026, with a release window in 2027, shortly followed by the second.

This adaptation has come under controversy due to Rowling’s public views on the transgender community, which has prompted LGBTQ+ groups and allies to boycott the series which is executive produced by her.

Frost, who recently starred opposite trans star Jordan Gray in sitcom Transcation, has spoken about his decision to join the cast after he was forced to shut off the comments on his Instagram.

In an interview with Observer magazine, he reflected: ‘She’s allowed her opinion and I’m allowed mine, they just don’t align in any way, shape or form,’ the Shaun of the Dead star said.

Then asked whether it would blow over after overshadowing the discourse on the new series, he added: ‘But maybe it shouldn’t blow over? We shouldn’t just hope it will go away, because it makes it easier. Maybe we should educate ourselves.’

Elsewhere, Frost spoke about following in Coltrane’s footsteps.

‘You get cast because you’re going to bring something to that. While I’m really aware of what went before me in terms of Robbie [Coltrane]’s amazing performance, I’m never going to try and be Robbie.

‘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,’ he told Collider.

He saw Hagrid as a ‘lovely, lost, violent, funny, warm child’ and plans to play him ‘funny and cheeky and scared and protective and childlike’.

Harry Potter will come out on HBO in 2027.

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