Nick Frost has been cast as Rubeus Hagrid in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series, with the 53-year-old actor sharing his excitement on Instagram; however later disabled the comment section.
The Shaun Of The Dead star posted a selfie holding a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, writing: “You’re a wizard, Harry!!!”
Fans quickly praised the casting decision on social media, with many calling it “inspired” and “perfect”.
One fan commented: “Nick Frost as Hagrid is going to be great! He has a very lovable and funny demeanour.”
In his Instagram post, Frost also paid tribute to the late Robbie Coltrane, who portrayed Hagrid in all eight Harry Potter films before his death in 2022.
“Thank you for trusting me with such a loyal, gentle and courageous half-giant like Rubeus Hagrid,” Frost wrote.
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He added a heartfelt promise to his predecessor: “Robbie, I promise I won’t let you down.”
The role of the beloved Hogwarts groundskeeper is one of several key characters announced for the much-anticipated series, which is set to begin filming this summer.
However, Frost’s announcement was not well-received by all fans, with many reportedly expressing concern about his decision to participate in a show co-produced by JK Rowling.
The Harry Potter author has become a divisive figure in recent years due to her repeated comments about the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender people.
Last week, Rowling raised further controversy when she referred to International Asexual Day as “International Fake Oppression Day” on X.
The backlash appears to be focused on Rowling’s involvement rather than Frost’s casting itself.
In response to the negative reactions, Frost has now disabled comments on his Instagram announcement post, which had already garnered more than 1,400 comments.
This follows a similar pattern to what happened with John Lithgow, who faced comparable criticism when he was announced as Albus Dumbledore in the project.
HuffPost UK reported that while comments were disabled on Frost’s original post, some fans continued to discuss his casting elsewhere on his account.
HBO has previously defended Rowling’s involvement in the TV adaptation of her books.
“JK Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement,” a spokesperson told Variety.
The series will feature John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as McGonagall, and Paapa Essiedu as Snape.
Luke Thallon will play Professor Quirrell whilst comedian Paul Whitehouse will portray Argus Filch.
