Daniel Radcliffe broke down in tears in the first trailer for new documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, about his injured stunt double who was left paralyzed after suffering serious back injuries on a Harry Potter film set.
David Holmes was rehearsing a flying scene with an explosion when he crashed to the ground while working on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 at the Leavesden film studios near Watford in January 2009.
Daniel, who also produced the documentary, described his former colleague as a “really cool big brother” with photos showing the pair growing up together on set.
The actor, 34, then became emotional as he described the accident as ‘unfair’ and said his friend ‘shouldn’t have gone through all that’.
Former gymnast David described making films as ‘the best job in the world’ before he ended up in a wheelchair.
Emotion: Daniel Radcliffe breaks down in tears in the first trailer for new documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, about his injured stunt double who was left paralyzed after serious back injuries on a Harry Potter film set
Film: David Holmes was rehearsing a flying scene with an explosion when he crashed to the ground while working on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 in January 2009 at the Leavesden film studios near Watford (David, right, pictured with Daniel)
Recalling the incident, he said: ‘I remember right after I broke my neck I said, “Isn’t there a chance to come back?”.
Daniel then said that despite this “terrible thing that happened to Dave,” he doesn’t want to talk about his friend’s life as a tragedy.
Remarkable footage was then shown of David learning to live with his disability, helping others and raising money for charity.
The film is being made by Sky and HBO Documentary Films to tell former actor David’s coming-of-age story about the teenage gymnast who developed a friendship with Harry on the film set.
Footage from the past decade of David’s stunt work and personal life, as well as interviews with Daniel, friends, family and former crew, will show how David has grown since his accident, and how he deals with setbacks.
After news of the documentary’s release was announced last month, David wrote on Instagram: ‘It’s finally here. I can now share with you the secret project and four years of hard work that went into making this film: THE BOY WHO LIVED
“Being a stuntman was my calling in life, and doubling Harry was the best job in the world. In January 2009, I had a stunt rehearsal accident that changed my life forever. This film tells the story not only of my achievements in front of the camera, but also of the challenges I face every day, and my general attitude to life after a broken neck.
‘In the turbulent world we live in now, I would like to quote Harry: “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.”
On set: Daniel (L), who also produced the documentary Film David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived, described his former colleague (R) as a ‘really cool big brother’
Pals: The trailer showed photos of the couple growing up together on set
Tears: The actor, 34, then became emotional as he described the accident as ‘unfair’ and said his friend ‘shouldn’t have gone through all that’
“I can only live because of the united love and support I have been fortunate to have. And it is because of this love and support that I am able to share my journey with all of you.”
In 2009, David had rehearsed scenes for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but something went wrong when he practiced a flying sequence in a suit of armor.
An explosion, which was part of the stunt, caused him to fall to the ground.
Heartbreak: Former gymnast David described filmmaking as ‘the best job in the world’ before he ended up in a wheelchair
Amazing: Remarkable footage is then shown of David learning to live with his disability, helping others and raising money for charity
Injured: After arriving on the ground, David remained conscious but told crew members, “I can’t feel my legs,” and was taken to hospital as fears grew that he had suffered a crippling back injury (pictured in 2009)
A source told MailOnline at the time: ‘It is thought he was caught by the explosion and fell very hard to the ground.
“He told the crew members who went to help him that he didn’t feel anything from the waist down.”
David, who had worked as Daniel’s body double in all the Harry Potter films before his accident, was initially taken to Watford General Hospital A&E but transferred to a specialist spinal injury hospital when the extent of his injuries became clear.
The Boy Who Lived will be released on HBO Max in the US on November 15.