‘David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived’ Trailer – A Burst of Nostalgia, Inspiration

“The stuntman is the best job in the world. You are constantly being tested. Just risking it all. I used to fly. Nothing is like it man.” – David Holmes.

A boy dressed as Harry Potter flies through the air, then rolls down at a dizzying speed from a great height, all in front of blue screens and cameras at the beginning of the trailer for ‘David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived’. David Holmes served as the lead stunt double for Daniel Radcliffe in the blockbuster Harry Potter movies, until he suffered a spinal injury during a stunt. Now in a wheelchair, David’s eyes light up, and a smile graces his lips as he fondly recalls his exhilarating days performing stunts for Harry Potter.

Filled with archival stunt footage from the Harry Potter movies, the trailer for ‘David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived’ offers a celebration of the stuntman’s life and the lifelong friends he made along the way. ‘This terrible thing happened to Dave, but I don’t want to portray his life as a tragedy,’ Daniel Radcliffe states in the trailer. David was injured when a stunt went wrong while filming “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1”.

David was a teenage gymnast from Essex when he was selected to work as Daniel’s stunt double for the Harry Potter films. The two young men grew up together, forging an unbreakable, close bond. In 2020, they collaborated to launch David Holmes’ podcast, “Cunning Stunts,” which featured interviews and experiences of other stunt performers working in Hollywood. Now, they have once again joined forces to tell the inspiring tale of David’s courage, spirit, and resilience.

The HBO original documentary releases on November 15. Watch the trailer below.