DISAPPEARING ACT

Original Harry Potter Director Wants Nothing to Do With HBO Series

Chris Columbus directed the first two “Harry Potter” films before leaving mid-series due to burn out.

Chris Columbus, the director behind the the first two original Harry Potter movies, has revealed he wants nothing to do with the rebooted HBO series. “No, I’ve done it, you saw my version,” he told Variety on Thursday. “There’s nothing left for me to do in the world of Potter.” Columbus, who left the original franchise mid-series after reporting burn out, said he approves of the reboot. “The great thing about it is that with the first and second and third book, we wanted to do it all. We wanted to bring all of that onto the screen, and we didn’t have the opportunity,” he says. Columbus was talking about the character Peeves from the first Harry Potter novel, a character which he said they didn’t have time to develop plus a storyline where Harry and Hermione fear they may have been poisoned after drinking potions. “We could never get that incredible scene into the film, and I’m sure it’ll be in the HBO series. So for me, it’s an opportunity to bring all those scenes to life,” he said. The Home Alone director also spoke fondly of Daniel Radcliffe—who played the titular character—and his growth as an actor, but showed disappointment for the controversial author J.K. Rowling who has come under fire for her transphobic views. “I like to sometimes separate the artist from the art... I certainly don’t agree with what she’s talking about. But it’s just sad.” The HBO series is set to be released in 2027.