Latest news with #Hagrid
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
HBO's ‘Harry Potter' Studio Builds a School for Child Actors to Attend During Filming Over the Next 8 to 10 Years
Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, which will be the production home for HBO's 'Harry Potter' television series, is building a temporary school so that the show's dozens of young actors can keep up with their studies amid filming, the BBC reports. HBO announced July 15 that 'Harry Potter' had officially begun production. Per the BBC, Three Rivers District Council is permitting the studio to 'use a series of portable buildings as a school facility for the next decade. The proposed classrooms have been designed to be used by up to 600 pupils during peak periods, when large crowd scenes are shot, but will typically serve about 150 students. It will operate on weekdays between 5:30am and 8:30pm so young actors can fit in their actual studies between night shoots, reshoots and location filming.' More from Variety HBO Max Scores Record Emmy Nominations Haul Fueled by 'The Penguin,' 'The White Lotus,' 'The Last of Us' and 'Hacks' 'Harry Potter': Nick Frost Transforms Into Hagrid in New Look at HBO Series 'Harry Potter' First Look: The New Boy Wizard Debuts as HBO Series Begins Filming, Sets 2027 Release Date While the planning documents did not cite 'Harry Potter' by name, they did note the schools would be used for a 'significant new TV series which will base itself at the studio for the next 8–10 years.' The BBC added: 'The school infrastructure will be in place for a maximum period of 10 years.' Variety reached out to HBO for further comment. HBO's casting search for 'Harry Potter' included 32,000 children auditions for the lead roles following an open casting call. The young actors who will need to keep up with schooling during production include Dominic McLaughlin (Harry Potter), Alastair Stout (Ron Weasley), Arabella Stanton (Hermione Granger), Lox Pratt (Draco Malfoy), Alessia Leoni (Parvati Patil), Leo Earley (Seamus Finnigan), Rory Wilmot (Neville Longbottom) and Amos Kitson (Dudley Dursley), among others. The 'Harry Potter' series will debut on HBO and HBO Max in 2027. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch Solve the daily Crossword
Hype Malaysia
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
Movie Tea: Nick Frost Gears Up To Be HBO's Hagrid; Joseph & Vanessa Winter To Create New 'Amityville' Movie
There's nothing like the classics – but why not remake them for a new generation who never got to experience the original? From everyone's favourite prophesied wizard, to the tale of a haunted house that shocked a nation – here's the lowdown on two upcoming movies that will send you down memory lane! First Look At New Hagrid In HBO 'Harry Potter' Series If you're in the ballpark of being 20 to 40 years old, you probably remember having the 'Harry Potter' franchise being a part of your childhood. Be it the novels or the beloved cinematic adaptation, it goes without saying that you have come across the Wizarding World in some shape or form, including the upcoming HBO series, the news of which has swept the world. HBO is now working on introducing the story of The Boy Who Lived and his friends to the next generation. For that reason, the premium television series is hard at work when it comes to looking for the next crew to bring these characters to life and, recently, news has spread that the company has just found its Hagrid in the form of Nick Frost! You can even see him in costume with the official Instagram post below! That's right! The decorated actor and popular comedian will be portraying everyone's favourite half-giant! For those who are unaware or in need of a refresher, Hagrid is the loveable gatekeeper to Hogwarts and the first to welcome Harry into the world of magic. He is also the first to explain Harry's ancestry, divulging the central fact that he is a wizard, beginning a deep, almost parental-like bond between the two. Moving forward, Nick Frost will be taking care of this version of the Chosen One in the form of Dominic McLaughlin. Of course, he will be joining other fresh faces such as Arabella Stanton (Hermione Granger), Alastair Stout (Ron Weasley), John Lithgow (Albus Dumbledore), Janet McTeer (Minerva McGonagall), and many more. Being the second adaptation to stem from the same franchise, with the first one being extremely popular, Frost has some massive shoes to fill, both literally and figuratively, as he will be stepping in for the late Robbie Coltrane. However, with his acting chops and his big-man-big-heart attitude, we can easily see him rise up to the challenge and be the gatekeeper we know and love! You'll be able to catch him and the rest of the magical crew when the series premieres in 2027. Joseph & Vanessa Winter Teaming Up To Create New Amityville Movie In a movie market that is filled with cheap jump scare movies, it pays to be innovative. When it comes to films, people are always looking for the next movie that will shake up the status quo, or at least challenge it, and that is sure to usher in a new era of movies. It's one thing to be a trendsetter, but when you inject a fresh idea into the world of cinema that catches fire, the audience will almost never forget you! That is the case of Joseph and Vanessa Winter, a married writer-director duo behind the SXSW found footage horror movie 'Deadstream'. Following this genre-defining film receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews from both critics and moviegoers alike, the couple are once again working together on a brand new project. The only difference is that they will be revisiting old yet familiar territory with an iconic IP – the 'Amityville Horror' franchise! In a way… Though you may be familiar with the film franchise that dominated the late 70s, as well as the 1977 bestseller novel by Jay Anson, this upcoming movie will have no relation to the previous entries that we are all familiar with. How is that? First, we must explain what the original franchise looked like. With that being said, we can expect a retelling of Ronald DeFeo Jr., the mass murderer who killed his father, mother, two brothers, and two sisters in the infamous house. A year after the crime, George and Kathy Lutz moved into the home along with their three children – all unaware of its dark past. Shortly thereafter, the family reported unsettling paranormal phenomena, such as unexplained noises, cold spots, foul odours, and sightings of strange apparitions. After only 28 days, the family left the house because they could no longer put up with the purported paranormal activity. The key difference in this move is that, according to Deadline's report, neither the DeFeo nor the Lutz story will be a factor in their interpretation of 'Amityville Horror'. This is not only a bold move to break away from a major continuity, but also offers a refreshing look at the infamous Amityville house itself. Of course, with that news, everyone is now intrigued about what's in store for us – but the plot of this new story is buried under lock and key, and a tight one at that! What we do know is that, aside from the Winter couple writing and directing the movie, Raphael Margules & J.D. Lifshitz will produce for BoulderLight, alongside Adam Hendricks & Greg Gilreath for Divide/Conquer. If that hasn't clued you in yet, this movie will be a joint venture with BoulderLight Pictures as well as Divide/Conquer, two emerging horror heavy-hitters that were responsible for 'Barbarian' and 'Heart Eyes', respectively. Being masters of the found footage genre, as proven by their work in 'Deadstream', we're absolutely curious to see how this reimagining of an iconic horror piece can be brought back for a modern audience. With production scheduled for Q4 of 2025, we'll keep you posted on whatever comes next for this exciting yet horrifying revisit. Source: Deadline, Variety
Metro
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Harry Potter fans have major complaint about TV series that they want abolished
Harry Potter fans have been left furious by the rumoured number of episodes in the first season of the HBO TV reboot. Earlier this week, filming for the ambitious seven-season show kicked off at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire. The newly cast Harry Potter, Dominic McLaughlin, was pictured in the iconic Hogwarts outfit, with the look completed with a lightning scar. This came before fans got their first glimpse at Nick Frost as Hagrid, although not all were totally happy with the new casting choice. However, following the reveal that season 1 of the HBO series is only meant to have six episodes, fans have called for the show to be 'abolished' altogether. According to a production insider, the first two seasons of Harry Potter will be filmed back to back. Both seasons are believed to only have six episodes, with further seasons potentially expanding to eight, Redanian Intelligence claim. The first season is said to be filming from now until May 2026, with season 2 being planned to start at the same time next year from July 2026 to May 2027. Commenting online, @Nljigakulive wrote: '6 episodes???? Isn't the whole point of this to flesh out everything the books cut? Is that enough time.' @voxpaucorum said: 'Six episodes? This seems like way too little to cover a single book unless the seasons cover multiple episodes which would be insane.' @adamagb also commented: 'Six episodes, they better be 1 hour long.' @NicholasLightTV added: 'So sick of this 6 episode season… Miss the days where we had 20+ episode seasons of Smallville and had something to look forward to weekly for months, even with filler.' Meanwhile, @brwninh4 argued: 'Only 12 episodes??? please cancel the show and do it again.' @SpencisKnight similarly said: 'ONLY 6 EPISODES?!?! Crazy. I thought at least 8 but ok guess it makes sense cause 1 & 2 are the shortest books so the later seasons will be longer. 'Also how the hell does 6 episodes take them filming season 1 until spring of next year.' Finally, @Jay_MK_Marvel wrote: 'You're telling me all this for 6 episodes for the first 2 seasons? Give us more.' While many fans have shared their frustrations over how long it is taking to film the series, one reason behind the delays could be because of child labour laws. According to the same source, the first episode is also said to end with the young students and Hagrid approaching the castle of Hogwarts on a boat for the first time, to give context to how the season might be paced and structured. More Trending Another piece of information they revealed is that Voldemort is already cast and will appear in several episodes, but HBO has no plans of announcing who they are casting until the season airs. HBO has confirmed to Metro that the series will debut in 2027 on HBO and HBO Max where it's available. View More » Harry Potter will come out on HBO in 2027. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: The first look at the new Harry Potter confirmed my worst fears MORE: Full list of Harry Potter TV series cast members so far as production begins MORE: Harry Potter star admits he's already considering leaving TV reboot after one season
Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
First look at Nick Frost as Hagrid in Harry Potter HBO TV series
Filming is under way on the Harry Potter TV series and today the first picture has been released of the British actor and comedian Nick Frost as the beloved groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid. Frost, best known for Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, undertakes the role originally played by Robbie Coltrane in the Harry Potter film franchise. Having sold more than 600 million copies worldwide, Harry Potter is the bestselling book franchise and spawned an eight-movie series that grossed almost $8 billion at the global box office. But with almost 15 years since the last film starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint was released, the magical world of the original stories is about to arrive on our screens again in the shape of an ambitious HBO streaming series set to run across a decade. All seven books will be adapted at a budget reported to be greater than House of the Dragon's $200 million per series, so Potter fans are likely to be in for a treat when the new series is finally released. Here's everything we know so far about the programme. What is the new Harry Potter series about? The new series is described as a faithful adaptation of the original seven books that make up the Harry Potter series. Each season will bring Harry Potter and his magical adventures to a new audience. Has the show started shooting? Yes. HBO announced that production began on the series on 14 July 2025. When is Harry Potter released? The show is being made at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden near Watford. It's the same place where the original film series was made between 2001 and 2011, concluding with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2. The first season of the new Harry Potter series is expected to hit our screens sometime in 2027, although no official date has yet been given. How can I watch in the UK/US? In both the UK and the US, the series will be released exclusively on HBO Max's streaming platform. Max is yet to launch in the UK, but is expected in 2026. It will be available as a new standalone streaming platform, but also as part of Sky packages for satellite customers used to seeing HBO shows on the channels like Sky Atlantic, Sky Max and Sky Comedy. • John Lithgow on the Dumbledore backlash: 'I wonder how JK Rowling copes' Which books are being adapted? Early reports had each season of the series focusing on one book in the Harry Potter series, which consists of seven novels. The books in the Harry Potter series are: • Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997) • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998) • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999) • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000) • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003) • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005) • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007) How many seasons are there? It was originally expected that each season would tackle one book, but the chief of HBO, Casey Bloys, said the project could run for 'ten consecutive years'. The later books are more expansive, particularly the final novel, Deathly Hallows, which was split into two parts for the film adaptation. Is JK Rowling involved? Yes, the author of the original books will serve as executive producer on the show. At a press conference, Bloys mentioned that Rowling was 'very, very involved in the process of selecting the writer and the director'. He has also disregarded comments about Rowling's off-screen reputation. 'That's a very online conversation, very nuanced and complicated, and not something we're going to get into,' he said. 'Our priority is what's on screen. Obviously, the Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive and about love and self-acceptance.' Who is behind the show? Francesca Gardiner, who previously worked on Succession and Killing Eve, was chosen to be the showrunner after producing a pilot script and being interviewed by Rowling. Mark Mylod, best known for his work on Succession, Game of Thrones and The Last of Us, will direct multiple episodes of the wizarding drama as well as serve as executive producer. Are the original cast involved? It is unclear whether some or any of the original cast will return for the series. 'It seems to me that they are wanting to make a fresh series,' Daniel Radcliffe, who originally played the wizarding star, told Entertainment Tonight in 2023, 'which it feels like it'd be distracting to have old, haggard Harry also entering from stage left.' Who is in the cast? The Scottish actor Dominic McLaughlin will take on the titular role — at 11 years old, he's the same age as Daniel Radcliffe when he first brought Harry Potter to life in 2001. Arabella Stanton, also 11, will play Hermione Granger and has previously starred in the West End production of Matilda the Musical. Completing the trio, Ron Weasley will be played by Alastair Stout, whose only acting credit thus far is a brief appearance in a Jersey Royal potatoes advert. John Lithgow has been cast as Albus Dumbledore, having recently appeared in the papal thriller Conclave and as Roald Dahl in Giant in the West End. Janet McTeer, the 63-year-old Oscar-nominated actress, will play Professor Minerva McGonagall, originally played by Maggie Smith. The actor and comedian Nick Frost, best known for his leading roles in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, undertakes the role of the beloved groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid, the role originally taken by Robbie Coltrane. First brought to life by Alan Rickman, the misanthropic potions professor Severus Snape will be played by Paapa Essiedu, whose career has spanned Shakespearean theatre to the contemporary hit series I May Destroy You. Luke Thallon, best known for his stage work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, will portray Quirinus Quirrell, Hogwarts' skittish but sinister Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. The comedian and presenter Paul Whitehouse will play the bad-tempered caretaker Argus Filch. Katherine Parkinson, whose comedy performances in The IT Crowd earned her two Baftas, will play Ron's protective mother, Molly Weasley. The franchise's infamous blond-haired Slytherin, Draco Malfoy, will be portrayed by Lox Pratt, who will star in the forthcoming BBC drama Lord of the Flies adaptation. Johnny Flynn, who starred as David Bowie in the hit musical drama Stardust, takes on the role of Draco's arrogant father, Lucius. The emerging child actors Leo Earley, Alessia Leoni and Sienna Moosah will play Hogwarts students Seamus Finnigan, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, respectively. Harry's cruel guardians, Petunia and Vernon Dursley, will be portrayed by Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby. Powley rose to fame on CBBC's spy series MI High, and has since taken on roles including Princess Margaret and Claire Clairmont, stepsister of novelist Mary Shelley. Rigby is best known for his leading role as Eric Morecambe in the 2011 drama Eric and Ernie. Bertie Carvel, whose credits have spanned Miss Trunchbull in Matilda the Musical to Tony Blair in The Crown, will play the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge. It has also been announced that Rory Wilmot will play Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson will be Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey plays Madam Rolanda Hooch and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander. Who is rumoured to be joining the cast? One key character who remains to be cast is the Dark Lord himself, Voldermort, played by Ralph Fiennes in the original film series. Names rumoured for the role include Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy, House of the Dragon 's Rhys Ifans (who played Xenophilius Lovegood in the Deathly Hallows: Part 1), Oscar-winner Christian Bale and former Doctor Who lead and House of the Dragon actor Matt Smith.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Nick Frost takes on Hagrid role in HBO's Harry Potter series, fans react as first look unveiled
The makers of HBO's Harry Potter series unveiled a first look of the adored gamekeeper, Hagrid, which will be played by none other than Nick Frost, a well-known actor and comedian. Looks of Harry Potter and Hagrid unveiled, Hagrid is the first member of the mystical world that Harry and the readers encounter in the books. Hagrid explains Harry his story and his ancestry while introducing him to the world of magic. In Harry's third year at Hogwarts, he becomes a professor of Care For Magical the series, Hagrid serves as Harry's protector. The main cast include Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermoine Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The remaining cast members include John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Bertie Carvel, Anton Lesser, Paul Whitehouse, Johnny Flynn, and Bel Powley. Francesca Gardiner is the creator of the series, as well as its writer and showrunner. The series, which is directed by Mark Mylod, will make its premiere in 2027. Also Read: Harry Potter reboot: Bertie Carvel opens up on his role as Cornelius Fudge Harry Potter fans reacts as Nick Frost unveiled as Hagrid Releasing the first look of Hagrid, HBO Max wrote on its Instagram handle, 'Everyone ready? 'ere we go!' 'Nick Frost has walked his first day in the big boots of Hagrid on the set of the new HBO Original Harry Potter series,' it added. Meanwhile, several fans of Harry Potter reacted to Frost's look as Hagrid. 'Great choice,' one fan wrote. 'I love Nick Frost and he's a great choice for this role. But… the wig and beard look very unnatural. Makeup artists needs a bit more work on this. It's a bit cosplaylike,' a second person commented ''Welcome, Harry, tô Diagon Alley!' We have our Hagrid and he looks AMAZING!' one more chimed in. The show's first season, which is anticipated to run until the spring of 2026, started filming Monday at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the United Kingdom.
