Original Harry Potter Director Calls HBO Reboot a 'Spectacular Idea'

Chris Columbus, director of the original Harry Potter films, has lauded HBO's upcoming reboot series as a "spectacular idea," believing its episodic format will allow for a more faithful adaptation of the books.

Speaking to People, Columbus explained the limitations imposed by the relatively short runtimes of feature films. While he and his team "tried to get as much of the book in as possible" for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the constraints of a two-hour-plus runtime proved significant.

"I think it's a spectacular idea because there’s a certain restriction when you’re making a film," Columbus stated. "Our film was two hours and 40 minutes, and the second one was almost as long. The fact that they have the leisure of [multiple] episodes for each book, I think that's fantastic. You can get all the stuff in the series that we didn't have an opportunity to do... All these great scenes that we just couldn't put in the films."

Announced in April 2023, the HBO series promises a "faithful adaptation" of the novels, aiming for a more in-depth narrative than a two-hour film allows. Succession producers Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod are attached to direct and write, the latter having also worked on Game of Thrones.

HBO is currently casting the lead roles of Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Regarding the possibility of playing Dumbledore, original Sirius Black actor Gary Oldman jokingly suggested he's now the right age, having debuted in The Prisoner of Azkaban two decades ago.

While Mark Rylance is reportedly a top contender for Dumbledore, maintaining the original films' focus on British actors, J.K. Rowling's "fairly involved" participation in casting is noteworthy.

Production on the Harry Potter TV show is expected to commence in spring 2025, with an HBO release targeted for 2026.