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Someone read The Secret. In a Guardian reader Q&A, Nick Frost said he wrote the word “Hagrid” on a piece of paper 7,000 times in order to secure the part in the new HBO Harry Potter TV series. “Before I was cast as Hagrid, my partner suggested trying to manifest it. So last Christmas, I watched all the films back to back on the Sky Harry Potter channel, while writing out the word ‘Hagrid’ 7,000 times.” So he really is a wizard? Pity he didn’t pick a different word or phrase like “trans rights.” When asked by the Observer in June of last year about Rowling’s transphobic statements, he said “She’s allowed her opinion and I’m allowed mine, they just don’t align in any way, shape or form.” When asked if he was worried the controversy would overshadow the show, he said “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.”
Coincidentally, just as Frost is talking about his magic powers, HBO CEO Casey Bloys narrowed down the release window for the controversial new show. “We’ve been saying 2027,” told Deadline. “I would say, to narrow it down to some extent, early 2027. And now you’re going to ask, does that mean January, February, March, April, that we’re not ready to say. I’ll say early 2027.”
Other stars of the series include Paapa Essiedu as Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and John Lithgow in what he says could be his final role as Professor Dumbledore. Hans Zimmer has signed on as the composer. J.K. Rowling is serving as an executive producer.
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