‘Same costume, same story?’: Original Harry Potter director on film reboot
Chris Columbus questions the originality of the new Harry Potter reboot, urging for fresh storytelling to engage fans. He highlights the challenge of balancing nostalgia with innovation in the franchise's revival
- Aug 28, 2025,
- Updated Aug 28, 2025, 3:49 PM IST
Filmmaker Chris Columbus, who directed the first two Harry Potter movies, has voiced doubts about HBO’s upcoming reboot of the franchise.
Columbus, once supportive of the project, said his perspective shifted after seeing photos of Nick Frost as Hagrid in what appeared to be the same costume design used by Robbie Coltrane in the original films.
“So, I'm seeing these photographs... and wearing the exact same costume that we designed for Hagrid. Part of me was like: What's the point?” Columbus said on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast. “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.”
The director, who brought Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets to the screen, is currently working on a film version of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club, featuring Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan.
HBO’s new take on Harry Potter is in production and scheduled for release in 2027.