Chris Columbus isn’t excited for HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ series: “What’s the point?”
After directing the first two Harry Potter films, Chris Columbus is entitled to an opinion on the new HBO remake, and he’s asking, “What’s the point?”
Columbus has finally revealed his thoughts on the HBO adaptation, which will air in early 2027. First images of the production have been released, and Columbus focused on a photograph of Nick Frost playing Hagrid.
Speaking on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, he said, “I’m seeing these photographs… and (Nick Frost is) wearing the exact same costume that we designed for Hagrid. Part of me was like: What’s the point?” he asked.
The Home Alone director also added, “I thought the costumes and everything were going to be different, but it’s more of the same. It’s all going to be the same.”
However, he made sure that his comments weren’t all resoundingly negative. “It’s very flattering for me,” he added, “because I’m like, that’s exactly the Hagrid costume that we designed. So, part of it is really exciting, so I’m excited to see what they’re going to do with it. Part of it is sort of deja vu all over again.”
He distanced himself from the remake in other ways. In an interview with Variety, who asked whether he might want to get involved in the series at some stage, he replied, “No, I’ve done it, you saw my version,” he said. “There’s nothing left for me to do in the world of Potter.”
The HBO remake will include a star-studded cast, including John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, Luke Fallon as Quirinus Quirrell and Nick Frost as Hagrid.
Columbus’s next project, The Thursday Murder Club, will launch on Netflix on August 28th. The film is based on Richard Osman’s bestselling novel and follows four irrepressible retirees: Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), Ron (Pierce Brosnan), Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley) and Joyce (Celia Imrie).
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