First trailer drops for documentary about Harry Potter stunt double who was paralysed on set

First trailer drops for documentary about Harry Potter stunt double who was paralysed on set.

Executive produced by Daniel Radcliffe, David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived arrives later this month.

The documentary synopsis reads: "The film is a coming-of-age story of stuntman David Holmes, a prodigious teenage gymnast from Essex, England, who is selected to play Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double in the first Harry Potter film, when Daniel is just eleven.

"Over the next ten years, the two form an inextricable bond, but on the penultimate film, a tragic accident on set leaves David paralysed with a debilitating spinal injury, turning his world upside down.

"As Daniel and his 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."

Cast as Radcliffe's stunt-double, Holmes was responsible for doing all the risky tricks and filming moments the star couldn't - like flying about on broomsticks and motorbikes.

Instagram/@davidholmes83

But while filming on the 2009 set for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, he was involved in a freak accident.

Holmes was filming a 'jerk back' stunt - designed to replicate the effects of an explosion - when he slammed into a wall and was seriously injured.

Back in 2014, he spoke to The Mirror about his terrifying accident on set of the Wizarding World.

He said: "I hit the wall and then landed on the crash mat underneath.

"My stunt co-ordinator grabbed my hand and said, 'squeeze my fingers'. I could move my arm to grab his hand but I couldn't squeeze his fingers.

"I looked into his eyes and that's when I realised what happened was major.

"I remember slipping in and out of consciousness because of the pain levels.

"I'd broken a bone before, so recognising that weird feeling across my whole body from my fingertips right down to my toes, I knew I had really done some damage."

Sky/HBO

He was rushed to the local Watford General Hospital from the set and then transferred to Royal National Orthopaedic hospital in London.

Here, Holmes was told he would be paralysed from the chest down and would have only limited movement in his arms and hands.

The documentary synopsis adds: "Featuring 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, the film also reflects universal themes of living with adversity, growing up, forging identities in an uncertain world, and the bonds that bind us together and lift us up."

David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived will be available on Sky Documentaries and streaming service NOW from 18 November.