"Original Harry Potter Director Praises HBO Reboot as 'Spectacular'"

Chris Columbus, the original director of the Harry Potter films, has praised the upcoming HBO reboot series as a "spectacular idea" due to its potential to more faithfully recreate the books. In an interview with People, Columbus explained that the limited runtime of the movies, such as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," constrained their ability to include all the details from the novels. "We tried to get as much of the book in as possible," Columbus remarked, "but there was only so much we could do."

He further elaborated on the advantages of a TV format, stating, "I think it's a spectacular idea because there’s a certain restriction when you’re making a film. Our film was two hours and 40 minutes, and the second one was almost as long. The fact that they have the leisure of multiple episodes for each book, I think that's fantastic. You can get all the stuff in the series that we didn't have an opportunity to do... All these great scenes that we just couldn't put in the films."

Announced in April 2023, the Harry Potter series on HBO is set to be a "faithful adaptation" of the novels, aiming to provide a more "in-depth" story than what could be achieved in a two-hour film. The project will be helmed by Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod, known for their work on "Succession," with Mylod also having contributed to "Game of Thrones."

Casting for the series is underway, with HBO currently searching for actors to portray Harry, Hermione, and Ron. There's speculation about who might play Dumbledore, with Gary Oldman, the original Sirius Black, humorously suggesting he's now the right age for the role, given his debut in "The Prisoner of Azkaban" 20 years ago. Meanwhile, actor and playwright Mark Rylance is reportedly at the top of the casting wishlist for Dumbledore, maintaining the franchise's tradition of casting British actors. This decision comes as no surprise, especially since J.K. Rowling, the original author, is "fairly involved" in the casting process.

Production for the Harry Potter TV show is set to begin in spring 2025, with HBO aiming for a release in 2026.