Daniel Radcliffe and his former “Harry Potter” stunt double, David Holmes, are teaming up for a new HBO documentary called “David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived.” The documentary will shed light on Holmes’ life and his tragic accident that left him paralyzed while working on the set of the “Harry Potter” franchise.
Holmes, a prodigious teenage gymnast from Essex, England, was selected to play Radcliffe’s stunt double in the first “Harry Potter” film when Radcliffe was just 11 years old. Over the course of a decade, Radcliffe and Holmes formed an inseparable bond until tragedy struck.
During the filming of the first “Deathly Hallows” film, Holmes sustained a serious injury while performing a stunt, resulting in him becoming paralyzed from the chest down. The upcoming documentary will explore the impact of the accident on Holmes’ life and the extraordinary resilience he has shown in the face of adversity.
The documentary, set to debut on November 19th, will include candid personal footage shot over the last decade, behind-the-scenes material from Holmes’ stunt work, and intimate interviews with Radcliffe, friends, family, and former crew. It will also touch upon universal themes of living with adversity, growing up, and forging identities in an uncertain world.
Radcliffe, who starred alongside Emma Watson and Rupert Grint in the “Harry Potter” film series, will also serve as an executive producer on the documentary. This is not the first time Radcliffe and Holmes have collaborated since the accident. In 2020, they launched the “Cunning Stunts” podcast, where they discussed stunt performers in Hollywood.
Through their podcast and now the forthcoming documentary, Radcliffe and Holmes aim to shed light on the often overlooked and dangerous work of stunt performers. Radcliffe emphasized that there is no clever or safe way to fake stunts and that stunt performers often face real dangers and injuries.
“David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived” will air on HBO and be available for streaming on MAX. It promises to be a poignant and inspiring look at Holmes’ journey and the bonds that have sustained him throughout his difficult experience.