The Harry Potter movies were released between 2001 and 2011, with eight instalments hitting theaters over a decade-long period (The Deathly Hallows was split into two). While some characters and subplots fell by the wayside due to the constraints of film runtimes, they were faithful, well-received adaptations.
That's led many Wizarding World fans to question what the point of the small screen remake is coming to HBO. While those will give each book more room to breathe, outside of a greater focus on the early 90s setting from the books, nothing we've seen from the series so far looks that different from the movies.
Chris Columbus helmed two Harry Potter movies, The Philosopher's Stone and The Chamber of Secrets, and appears to have the same take as many fans after seeing some familiar shots of Nick Frost's Hagrid alongside McLaughlin as the Boy Wizard.
"So, I’m seeing these photographs, and [Nick Frost is] wearing the exact same costume that we designed for Hagrid. Part of me was like: What’s the point?" the filmmaker said in a recent interview (via SFFGazette.com). "I thought the costumes and everything was going to be different, but it’s more of the same. It’s all going to be the same."
"It’s very flattering for me, because I’m like, that’s exactly the Hagrid costume that we designed," Columbus added. "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."
It's obvious that the Harry Potter TV series is to monetise the franchise for a new generation, and in fairness, we've seen very little from the show in the grand scheme of things. Hagrid is a very specific character, but if Hogwarts looks the same, then it might be fair to say the reboot is lacking imagination.
In another recent interview, Columbus explained why he has no interest in returning to the Harry Potter franchise. "I’ve done it, you saw my version. There’s nothing left for me to do in the world of Potter. Jealous? No. It’s time to move on. I’ve always had issues with [the] idea of franchise. I feel like I’ve done it. I’m really proud of those films, the first three that I was involved with, and I’m moving on."
Back to Hagrid, and the filmmaker also recently recalled running into Nick First and telling him. "'This is very surreal for me — you have to understand, Robbie Coltrane and I were so close.' So it’s just weird, bizarre."
Harry Potter premieres on HBO in 2027. You can hear more from Columbus in the player below.