Chris Columbus, the filmmaker who brought “Harry Potter” to the big screen two decades ago, said fans shouldn’t expect him to return for HBO’s upcoming television adaptation of the franchise.
“No, I’ve done it, you saw my version,” he said in an interview with Variety published Monday. “There’s nothing left for me to do in the world of Potter,” added Columbus, 66.
The filmmaker, who directed the first two films and produced the third, said he won’t be involved in the new series.
Even so, Columbus acknowledged the advantages a long-form adaptation has over his theatrical releases.
“The great thing about it is that with the first and second and third book, we wanted to do it all,” he explained. “We wanted to bring all of that onto the screen, and we didn’t have the opportunity.”
Among the material he couldn’t fit was the character Peeves, whom he noted “never made it into the film — we just didn’t have time to develop the character.”
He also cited a book moment in which Harry and Hermione fear being poisoned after potions class.
“We could never get that incredible scene into the film, and I’m sure it’ll be in the HBO series,” Columbus said. “So for me, it’s an opportunity to bring all those scenes to life.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Columbus addressed the controversy surrounding author J.K. Rowling’s public comments, which have widely been labeled as anti-trans.
“I like to sometimes separate the artist from the art, I think that’s important to do,” he told Variety. “It’s unfortunate, what’s happened.”
He added, “I certainly don’t agree with what she’s talking about. But it’s just sad, it’s very sad.”
Production on the HBO series began in July, with each season planned to cover one of Rowling’s seven books. The project is led by “Succession” producers Francesca Gardiner, who will write and executive produce, and Mark Mylod, who will executive produce and direct several episodes.
Rowling is serving as an executive producer. In June, she praised the first two scripts while clarifying she is not writing on the show.
“I read the first two episodes of the forthcoming HBO Harry Potter series and they are SO, SO, SO GOOD!” the author wrote on X at the time.
In a separate post, Rowling responded to a fan asking if she’s writing on the show.
“No, but I’ve worked closely with the extremely talented writers,” Rowling replied.
HBO CEO Casey Bloys has said Rowling is “very involved” but insisted the series won’t be “secretly infused” with her views.
The “Harry Potter” series is expected to premiere on HBO Max in 2026 or 2027.
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