“What’s the point?” asked Columbus regarding the Harry Potter franchise reboot
Harry Potter director Chris Columbus has shared his reaction to the franchise’s upcoming HBO remake.
On The Rest is Entertainment, the American filmmaker posed the question that resonated with fans of the original films: “What’s the point?” This was in reaction to leaked images of Nick Frost’s portrayal of Hagrid.
“Part of me was like, what’s the point?” Columbus said.
“Part of me is like, okay, great.”
The comment was directed at Nick Frost’s costume.
“There are photos of Nick Frost as Hagrid, and he’s wearing the exact same costume that we designed for Hagrid!”
As the director of both The Philosopher’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets, Columbus paved the way for all of the Harry Potter books to be adapted into films that spanned a decade and gripped the world.
Despite similar elements, the HBO series will likely be vastly different from the movies. With its far less constricted runtime, the show will be able to delve deeper into the characters and provide a more faithful adaptation of the original books.
Columbus himself stated he was excited to see the show’s adaptation of Peeves, a character notably absent from the films.
He also made it clear that he’s not jealous of the show’s longer runtime and its ability to fit more into the story.
“I’m so beyond [being jealous],” Columbus said.
“It’s time to move on. I’ve always had issues with the idea of franchises.”
The first season of the new Harry Potter series will span eight episodes and is likely to premiere in early 2027.
