E-Paper
The Boy Who Lived: Docu trailer shows Daniel Radcliffe's bond with Harry Potter stunt double who was paralysed on set
The documentary narrates the story of David Holmes, who was Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry Potter stunt double, and who was paralysed in a tragic on-set accident
The first trailer for Dan Hartley’s documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived has finally dropped. The documentary narrates the story of David Holmes, who was Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry Potter stunt double, and who was paralysed in a tragic on-set accident during the shooting ofDeathly Hallows: Part 1 in 2010. ‘The boy who lived’ was a nickname that was applied to Harry Potter.
Holmes, 42, was ateen gymnast when he started working in stunts on the Harry Potter movies. He worked in each of the movies until he met with the tragic accident. He has been using a wheelchair since then.
The trailer shows archival footage of Holmes’ gymnastic skills. It also shows him, along with other stunt performers, spending time with the cast and crew of Harry Potter.
“This terrible thing happened to Dave, but I don’t want to talk as if his life is a tragedy," Radcliffe says in the trailer. "The way his life has affected the lives of people around him means that it is the furthest thing from that imaginable.”
Holmes says that being Radcliffe's lead stunt double was "the best job in the world.” Radcliffe, on the other hand, says Holmes "seemed like a cool older brother" during the productions.
David Holmes found ‘the light in the darkest of places’
A synopsis for the documentary reads, according to PEOPLE, “As Daniel and [David's] closest stunt colleagues rally to support David and his family in their moment of need, it is David’s extraordinary spirit of resilience that becomes their greatest source of strength and inspiration.”
It adds that the film features "candid personal footage shot over the last decade, behind-the-scenes material from Holmes’ stunt work, scenes of his current life and intimate interviews with David, Daniel Radcliffe, friends, family and former crew" to share his story.
The trailer also features several other Harry Potter actors, including Tom Felton, James and Oliver Phelps, Matthew Lewis, Bonnie Wright and Rupert Grint. In the trailer, Holmes says he was "able to find the light in the darkest of places" after his accident – a famous quote by iconic Harry Potter character Albus Dunbledore.
Both Holmes and Radcliffe are executive producers on the documentary, which will premiere on HBO November 15 at 9 pm ET and will stream on Max.
