The Cornetto Trilogy Proves Nick Frost Would Be A Perfect Hagrid For HBO’s Harry Potter

HBO is starting to pick up the pace when it comes to its casting decisions for the highly anticipated Harry Potter series, which is planned to be released in late 2026 or early 2027. So far, only John Lithgow has been officially confirmed to play Albus Dumbledore, but there have also been strong rumors linking Paapa Essiedu to Severus Snape and Janet McTeer to Minerva McGonagall.

HBO is going all out with its casting decisions to bring in the biggest names in Hollywood with the most talent possible. Now, the upcoming Harry Potter television adaptation appears to have found its Rubeus Hagrid in the form of Nick Frost. While some of the other choices have been slightly more risky, Frost feels like he is the perfect embodiment of everything the Hogwarts gamekeeper is, as the classic Cornetto trilogy proves.

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The Cornetto Trilogy Showcases Nick Frost At His Best

The Cornetto trilogy is a film series that has no true connection outside of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost being the people who worked on them together. Certain jokes make appearances in both, such as eating cornetto ice creams, but that’s part of the charm for the trilogy. Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End have all been lumped together over the years, even though all three comedy movies have drastically different themes and tones. Frost takes on a lead role in all of them alongside Pegg, and he delivers memorable performances in each as the British actor highlights the range that he has as an actor.

Frost is often the funniest member of the cast in these movies, stealing the scenes with hilarious comedic timing. His characters always bring great one-liners, sarcasm, and physical comedy, as he proves that he is well-versed in this genre. But what makes Frost’s roles truly special is that there’s always a level of heart and compassion in everything he does. Even when he becomes a zombie in Shaun of the Dead, he is still seen as loveable, which isn’t easy to achieve. The fact that he can do that proves he has all the capabilities of playing the beloved Harry Potter character.

Hagrid Is One Of Harry Potter’s Most Important Characters

Hagrid might not be able to perform magic, but few characters are as magical as him in the wizarding world. He’s a one-of-a-kind person in Harry Potter as he showcases incredible levels of warmth and kindness to Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger throughout the movies. The relationship he has with Harry is particularly important and makes a major impact on the story. He’s a father figure to Harry in many ways and inadvertently gives the trio clues to solve some of the biggest plot points of the entire franchise, even if he risks his own career in doing so.

Hagrid is constantly involved in the story, which makes him such an important character. Hagrid has to seem open to everyone yet intimidating at the same time, and that’s a tricky balance to strike. The Harry Potter movies got it spot on with Hagrid, which made him one of the most popular characters in the franchise, and now HBO has the challenge of following that up.

Nick Frost Has The Right Balance For Hagrid

Casting Hagrid was always going to be tricky for HBO because the character is larger than life in terms of his size, yet he’s also very relatable in many other ways due to how caring and compassionate he is. He might look like someone who should be scary, and he does have a few moments of showcasing that side of him. Yet he needs to be approachable, and that’s a cocktail that Frost has within him. He’s proven throughout his career that he can bring characters to life that have lots of heart and kindness, even when they might appear the opposite. The Cornetto trilogy does that job nicely, as did his performance in Fighting with My Family. Seeing him portray a rough and ready wrestler made him feel intimidating, but at his core, the character was all about family and being there for his children, which is something that Hagrid can relate to in many ways.

Hagrid is also very funny, and comedy is where Frost shines brightly. It’s easy to imagine him making Hagrid’s romantic pursuit of Madame Olympe Maxime a hilarious side storyline that will give people plenty of comedic moments as an example. Following in the footsteps of Robbie Coltrane will be a tricky task, but Frost has that same charming personality that feels perfect for Hagrid. He also has a knack for being able to steal every scene he’s in while still leaving space for the actors he’s working with to have their moments. In the Cornetto trilogy, he’s part of some great ensemble casts and never feels like he’s grasping for the attention, and that should stand him well as Hagrid in HBO’s version of Harry Potter.

Harry Potter

Showrunner

Francisca Gardiner

Directors

Mark Mylod

Franchise(s)

Harry Potter

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  John Lithgow

  Albus Dumbledore