Famed director, Christopher Columbus, may have segued into horror as a producer in Nosferatu, but he still remembers his roots. Recently, the Harry Potter director spoke to People Magazine about his thoughts on the upcoming HBO Max reboot. Almost a decade and a half after the conclusion of the Harry Potter feature film franchise, Warner Bros. announced that they would be returning to J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World — this time in a long-form television series. Each season is said to cover a particular book, allowing the series to explore untreaded territory from the films. Columbus added his support to the recent endeavor.

“The fact that they have the leisure of [multiple] episodes for each book, I think that’s fantastic,” Columbus said. “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.”

The films starring Daniel Radcliffe as The Boy Who Lived are a nostalgic touchstone and will always remain iconic. However, there is no doubt that there is room for improvement which a television series can address. Many plotlines fell by the wayside, especially in the later films based on longer books.

While Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) had a romance fully explored in the films, Harry and Ginny (Bonnie Wright) got the short end of the stick. Fan-favorite elements such as the Marauders and further exploration of the Horcruxes did not get their due. A new crack at the beloved source material also gives a familiar villain a new chance at life.

Further ‘Harry Potter’ Casting Is in the Works

 

The Harry Potter television reboot is still in its early stages, with casting underway. Rumors have already been circulating about names for certain antagonists. The late Alan Rickman brought the anti-hero Professor Severus Snape to life, and now it is time for a new performer. Paapa Essiedu has reportedly been in talks to portray the character in a new version. There have also been rumors that Acadamy Award winner Cillian Murphy is being eyed to play the power-hungry Lord Voldemort, immortalized in film by Ralph Fiennes.

“Well, Cillian is one of my favorite actors, so that would be amazing,” Christopher Columbus added to People. The Oppenheimer actor is notoriously selective with his roles, so this might be a tall order. Murphy is currently involved in 28 Years Later, the third film in the franchise that helped make him a household name. Fans can stay tuned to Collider to see how this story progresses. The Harry Potter reboot is slated to hit HBO Max sometime in 2026 and fans can watch the feature film franchise streaming on Max.