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Chris Columbus, the director of films such as Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, and the first two Harry Potter movies, has questioned the purpose of HBO’s forthcoming Harry Potter series. Columbus’ sentiment is one that seems to be shared by many fans of the franchise, too.
During a recent interview — Columbus is out of the promotional trail selling his new movie The Thursday Murder Club — the longtime director wondered “What’s the point” of HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series, which will reportedly adapt each book into a season of television.
Columbus was referencing recently-leaked set photos that saw Nick Frost in costume as Hagrid alongside Harry Potter actor Dominic McLaughlin, with the pair, especially Frost, looking almost identical to their cinematic counterparts.
“So, I’m seeing these photographs … and he’s wearing the exact same costume that we designed for Hagrid. Part of me was like: What’s the point?” Columbus said on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast. “I thought everything was going to be different, but it’s more of the same. It’s all going to be the same.”
In addition to Frost as Hagrid, HBO’s Harry Potter series — which the network wants to run for at least a decade — will also star Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, and John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore. Newcomers Dominic McLaughlin Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout will star as the lead trio of Harry, Hermione and Ron, respectively.
HBO’s Harry Potter is currently in production and is set to premiere sometime in 2026.
As for Columbus, his new film The Thursday Murder Club, which is based on the 2020 novel of the same, premiered on Netflix on Thursday, August 28.
The film stars Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, David Tennant, Jonathan Pryce, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Richard E. Grant, Tom Ellis, Geoff Bell, Paul Freeman, Sarah Niles, and Ingrid Oliver.