Chris Columbus Speaks Out on HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Reboot: “What’s the Point?”
Chris Columbus, the director behind the first two Harry Potter films, has shared his thoughts on HBO’s upcoming remake of the series.
Columbus recently appeared on The Rest is Entertainment podcast and reacted to early photos showing Nick Frost as Hagrid and Dominic McCullin as the new Harry.
“I looked online and there are photographs of Nick Frost as Hagrid with the new Harry Potter,” Columbus said. “And he’s wearing the exact same costume that we designed for Hagrid. Part of me was like: ‘What’s the point?’ I thought everything [on the HBO show] the costumes and everything was going to be different. It’s more of the same.”
He also expressed mixed feelings about seeing his original designs reused. “It’s very flattering for me, because I’m like: That’s exactly the Hagrid costume that we designed. So part of it is really exciting. I’m excited to see what they’re going to do with it. Part of it is sort of déjà vu all over again.”
Columbus emphasized that he isn’t upset or jealous about the new series. “I’m so beyond it,” he said.
“I did it. I’ve done that, it’s time to move on. I’ve always had issues with the idea of franchise… My attitude then is I’ve done it and it’s time to move on. Same with Potter. I feel like I’ve done it … I’m really proud of those films – the first three that I was involved with, and I’m moving on.”
He also talked about a part of the original films that never made it to the screen: Peeves the Poltergeist. Columbus revealed that the scenes with Rik Mayall were cut because the CGI character couldn’t be realized to their satisfaction.
“We filmed the Peeves scenes, but it was a CGI character and we could never get it right. We could never design the scene the character to any of our liking, so they were cut from the film. That’s the thing I’m probably most excited about in the HBO series, I want to see how they do Peeves. But Rik Mayall’s performance was fantastic.”
The HBO remake is set to debut in 2027. The series promises a faithful retelling of Rowling’s seven novels across multiple seasons. Producers say the new show will be able to cover more of the books’ content than the films did. HBO stated that the original films will remain central to the franchise and available worldwide.
Columbus makes a good point about reusing costumes and designs—it’s natural to feel a mix of pride and déjà vu. At the same time, a remake like this has the chance to explore more of Rowling’s books and introduce the story to a new generation.
What do you think about the HBO Harry Potter remake? Will it live up to the original films, or is it unnecessary? Share your thoughts in the comments.