CMU School of Drama


Thursday, October 26, 2023

'The Boy Who Lived' Documentary Release Date, Trailer, Where To Watch, and More

The Mary Sue: Daniel Radcliffe has signed on to serve as executive producer of David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, a documentary about the actor’s Harry Potter stunt double. Holmes served as Radcliffe’s double for all the Harry Potter films before suffering a tragic accident on set that left him paralyzed.

9 comments:

Selina Wang said...

Before opening the article, I had seen posts on the Internet about David Holmes in the past few days. I thought it was particularly ironic how the article under this one is titled “AI is changing the future of acting” because the whole point of the documentary is uncovering how risky stunt jobs are. I agree with the article that stunts don’t receive enough recognition for their hard work and contribution to TV and film. Personally, I think it might be because we always want to keep the behind-the-scenes exclusive to keep the ‘magic’ real, but again, this doesn’t mean those of us who work in the industry should take their work for granted. I think it’s a tricky debate, but using technology such as generative AI to supplement the work of stunt double might be where we are headed. Of course, it raises the concern of AI taking over the jobs of stunt doubles, forcing many talented artists to be unemployed.

Penny Preovolos said...

It is really important to see the work of the stunt double and to talk about it more. I mean, I couldn't even name a stunt double if someone had asked me to. They don't get awards at the big shows and they don't get seen on the red carpets. This makes no sense because they quite literally put their lives on the line for the sake of the art, story, and whatever project they are currently working on. I love the idea that they are making a documentary that shows this man's work and it also highlights how dangerous the job itself is. I am not sure that awareness is the exact word but I don’t know what other word to use and I think stunt doubles are just some of the jobs in Hollywood that do not get enough credit and appreciation from the majority of the media. Basically, I will be watching the documentary, and I think it is important that it is being produced in the first place.

Natalie Lawton said...

I hadn’t heard about this accident until reading this article. I never read the books and I have only seen the first movie (while in Spanish class so it was in Spanish), so it’s safe to say that I’m not a part of the fandom at all. I wonder if this was a known thing. Are the potter heads (as they are so lovingly called) intimately familiar with this incident? Stunt double work is highly impressive and is something that I hope to never have to know the full extent of. After reading about what his accident actually was, its heartbreaking. To have your entire world flipped upside down in an instant while you are pursuing your passion is something that I can not even comprehend. I am so glad that Daniel Radcliff feels that this story is important enough to be produced. It is an added bonus that ‘The Boy Who Lived’ is such an integral part of the Harry Potter brand.

Allie Blaylock said...

I have to agree with the statement this article made that stunt performers are underappreciated. My first exposure to stunt performers, and truly understanding what they do, was the Indiana Jones show in Disney World’s Hollywood Studios. You see people flying around and fighting like it’s nothing, while planes are moving and things are on fire. Looking at the job from the outside it’s pretty wacky. Stunt doubles are put in so well-known actors aren’t hurt. It’s like the taster for a king. But stunt performers really are incredible at their craft and seem to love doing it. The accident described in this article reminds me of the entire run of Song of Spiderman, with so many injuries from equipment not working correctly (although I’m not sure if the wire pulling Holmes was automatic or manually operated). This accident seemed like a one-in-a-million chance that Holmes was the unfortunate “one” of. It make you appreciate all stunt performers in the industry.

Reigh Wilson said...

I have never been a very big part of the Harry Potter fandom, as I have not read any of the books and only watched a few of the movies. Though the first movie I have watched countless times, as for a long time it was the only movie I had downloaded for road-trips, and I absolutely adore it. It really encapsulates that grand-scale awe feeling of Hogwarts and magic. I only heard about the story of this documentary a few days ago through a Tik Tok and am extremely interested in it. I think that Hollywood Stunts, and the people who do them (either the actors or a double) are incredibly brave. While I think that the industry has a lot of safety protocols in place to make sure that no one gets hurt and nothing goes wrong, it is always saddening when you hear of some of the devastating injuries caused by stunts. It reminds me of Dylan O’Brien in Maze Runner, and if something happened even slightly differently he may have lost his life. I think this documentary will shed some light on the incredible stunt people in the industry and how important it is to give recognition to everyone on the film teams and their contributions.

Jojo G. said...

Daniel Radcliffe is someone who's always put effort in to be a good person and to make an impact with the influence that he has, it's nice to see that he's once again putting that influence to good use and helping share the story of someone who he wouldn't have been able to get where he is now without. Come here babe stories have always been really interesting to read especially when they revolve around the universe which I’ve known and been invested in in the past. I haven't personally met or had any conversations with Danielle Radcliffe but I know people who have had quite a few and he is the same person that he comes across as on camera he is just a genuine person. He works hard and treats everyone at all levels of production the same and it's something that's just really quite refreshing to see.

Harshitha Bharghava said...


WE LOVE OUR STUNT DOUBLES!!! This is not the first time I'm hearing about who Davaid Holmes, Daniel Radcliffe’s Stunt double, is and also what happened to him during production. I find it so cool that there is now a documentary about this horrific accident because this can help being awareness to other people in the stunting business . It is so important that we can possibly help to lessen the amount of people getting hurt in the same way David was. Something that really resonated with me in the article was this quote: “viewers can easily rattle off the names of all the main actors, but many don’t know or remember the stunt doubles’ names—not even those who made the news for suffering injuries or losing their lives on the sets of some of the biggest films/shows. Fortunately, Radcliffe and Holmes are ensuring that Holmes’ story continues to be told and remembered.” It's is so so important that awareness is being brought due to this situation.

E Carleton said...

I'm excited to see this movie on HBO Max. I had no idea that there really were stunt doubles in Harry Potter and that there had been this major accident. I had never considered the fact that there was so little recognition for stunt actors. but absolutely it is such a dangerous job inherently. But David Holmes has and will continue to be supported financially by the studio considering it happened under their watch. Also highlights how extreme the power dynamics are between the stunt doubles and the studios that the stunt doubles in the Studio's eyes are very replaceable so stunt doubles can't discuss concerns or turn down opportunities.
This movie also seems to be a great representation of how people with disabilities want to be seen. David Holmes is not trying to be pitied, he is just showing the realities of his situation and how it has changed his life.

Aster said...

I am kinda a Harry Potter super fan, or at least I used to be, not as much anymore. I used to do competitive Harry Potter trivia so I do know a decent bit of Holmes’s story. I’m very excited for this documentary and will probably watch it. It’s awful what happened to Holmes and really shows how important yet terrifying the job of a stunt double is. He broke his spine because the wire pulled back too harshly. I wonder if there is a better way to test and make sure the stunts are safe even before the stunt double gets on set. I’m not sure what exactly that would entail but I think something like it, if not already in place, would be so important and helpful. Stunt doubles are vital to the industry and need to be treated as such. I hope that this documentary will help people to see the importance of stunt doubles.