Chris Columbus, the director of the first two Harry Potter films, has shared his thoughts on HBO’s upcoming television adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s iconic book series. He believes the series format is an exciting opportunity to explore aspects of the books that were previously left out due to the constraints of feature-length films.
In an interview at the Los Angeles premiere of Nosferatu, Columbus reflected on the challenges of condensing Rowling’s sprawling novels into two-hour films, explaining that the time limits of the original movies meant certain scenes and plot points had to be cut. “Our film was two hours and 40 minutes, and the second one was almost as long,” he said. The director views the new series as a chance to dive deeper into the material, noting that multiple episodes per book will allow for the inclusion of additional scenes that had to be omitted from the films. “You can get all the stuff in the series that we didn’t have an opportunity to do,” he said, emphasizing how exciting it is to see the material adapted with more room to explore the story.
On the subject of casting, rumors have been circulating about Cillian Murphy being considered for the role of Lord Voldemort, a character previously portrayed by Ralph Fiennes. Columbus is a fan of Murphy’s work and expressed support for the idea, calling him “one of my favorite actors” and praising his talent. “Cillian is a fantastic actor. I would be all in favor of Cillian,” he said.
With casting details still under wraps and fans eagerly awaiting news, the new Harry Potter series is generating significant buzz. Meanwhile, all eight of the original films are available for streaming, allowing fans to revisit the magical world while looking forward to the future adaptation.