Original Harry Potter director Chris Columbus says series is ‘more of the same’

Original Harry Potter director Chris Columbus has said a new HBO series of the fantasy franchise is “more of the same”.

The 66-year-old, who directed the first two Harry Potter films and produced the third, said he felt the Rubeus Hagrid costume seen in pictures from the new series was similar to the one used in his films during an interview with The Rest Is Entertainment podcast.

Columbus told presenter Richard Osman: “I’m really proud of those films, of the first three that I was involved with, and I’m moving on, so now it’s interesting, as of yesterday, I looked online and there were photographs of Nick Frost as Hagrid along with the new Harry Potter.

“Now, that’s not Nick Frost, that presumably is still Martin (Bayfield), I don’t remember his last name, a rugby player who played Hagrid with a giant, sort of fake rubber Hagrid head that we sometimes replaced with CGI.

“So I’m seeing these photographs, of now it looks like Martin, I could be wrong, wearing a Nick Frost head, walking down the streets of London, and he’s wearing the exact same costume that we designed for Hagrid, part of me was like, ‘what’s the point?’.

“Part of me is like, ‘OK great’, I thought the costumes, I thought everything was going to be different, but it’s more of the same, which is interesting, it’s very flattering for me, because it’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.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Columbus, who recently directed the film adaption of Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club, reiterated that he did not wish to be involved with the Harry Potter series, after making similar comments in an interview with US outlet Variety.

He added: “I’m so beyond it, I did it, my feeling is OK I’ve done that, it’s time to move on.

Columbus was speaking to Osman, having recently directed the film adaption of his book series The Thursday Murder Club (Ian West/PA). PA Media

“I’ve always had issues with (the) idea of franchise, franchise when we did Gremlins and Goonies and those films, that’s why I never did the second Gremlins film, my attitude then was I’ve done it, it’s time to move on and do something different, same with Potter, I feel like I’ve done it.”

In the Variety interview he also described Harry Potter creator JK Rowling’s views on trans issues as “very sad”, saying: “It’s unfortunate, what’s happened. I certainly don’t agree with what she’s talking about. But it’s just sad.”

Each season of the new HBO show will be a faithful adaptation of the Harry Potter books, from author and executive producer Rowling.

Along with Frost as Hogwarts groundskeeper Hagrid, Dominic McLaughlin will star as Harry, Alastair Stout will play Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton will play Hermione Granger.

The show will also star award-winning US actor John Lithgow as Hogwarts headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore, Welsh comedian and actor Paul Whitehouse as caretaker Argus Filch, and Rivals actress Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley.

Young actor Rory Wilmot will perform the role of Harry’s school friend Neville Longbottom, while Amos Kitson has been cast as his cousin Dudley Dursley.

Sherlock actress Louise Brealey is to play Hogwarts Quidditch coach Madam Rolanda Hooch, and Game Of Thrones star Anton Lesser will be wandmaker Garrick Ollivander.

It follows the popular film adaptations which starred Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint as the protagonists.

The series is set to hit TV screens in 2027 on HBO and HBO Max.