The actors portraying Harry Potter and Hagrid in HBO’s upcoming series were seen filming for the first time in London on Monday.
Eleven-year-old Dominic McLaughlin donned the iconic look of the young wizard, sporting a collared sweater, coat, jeans, and a backpack. Naturally, he completed the costume with Harry’s signature round glasses.
Nick Frost, 53, became Rubeus Hagrid, dressed in a long khaki coat layered over several sets of clothing and corduroy trousers. He was also sporting Hagrid's signature long hair and curly beard.
The pair seemed to be shooting the scene from the first book and movie where Hagrid accompanies Harry to the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley, just after rescuing him from the home of his aunt and uncle on his 11th birthday to take him to Hogwarts.
The first season of HBO's adaptation will reportedly be based on the plot of J.K. Rowling's inaugural book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and the 2001 movie adaptation. In July, when production started in the UK, HBO posted a picture of McLaughlin in complete Harry Potter attire. Daniel Radcliffe originally portrayed Harry in the film series from 2001 to 2011.
Other cast members who have been confirmed are Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, to name a few.
On Tuesday, HBO unveiled the actors portraying the remaining members of the Weasley family: Tristan Harland as Fred Weasley, Gabriel Harland as George Weasley, Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley, and Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley.
In an exclusive interview with BBC News, McLaughlin described his first time wearing Harry's shoes. "A little surreal, I mean, because I was such a massive 'Harry Potter' fan when I was growing up," he said. "And then the dream role, obviously, so I'm delighted to be able to be doing it."
J.K. Rowling, aged 60, is acting as an executive producer for the show, which has been the subject of some controversy given her opinions regarding the transgender population. She has publicly complimented the scripts for episodes one and two in June and stated that she had "worked closely with the extremely talented writers."
HBO CEO Casey Bloys has played down the claims that the series will be "secretly infused" with Rowling's anti-transgender sentiments.
The "Harry Potter" series will be launched on HBO Max in 2027.
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