Chris Columbus Reveals Why He's Not Involved With Harry Potter Series

The Harry Potter TV reboot is happening, and the guy who kicked off the movie franchise is not coming back. Not because of drama. Because, in his words, he already did his version and he is done.

"I've done it, you saw my version. There's nothing left for me to do in the world of Potter."

So why is Chris Columbus stepping aside?

Columbus directed the first two films, Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, and that was enough for him. He told Variety he is sitting this one out, but he is not against the new series at all. In fact, he is pretty into what a TV format can do that his two-and-a-half-hour movies could not.

The plan right now: Season 1 adapts the first book, spread over roughly eight episodes, which gives the show room to breathe. That pacing is by design. The current target is early 2027 for the debut.

What TV can do that the movies could not

Columbus says the early films tried to cram in as much of the first three books as possible and inevitably had to leave good stuff on the floor. A series has the time to slow down and let Hogwarts feel like, you know, an actual place you can explore instead of a greatest-hits tour. He even called out specific moments he could never fit into Sorcerer's Stone:

• The logic-and-potions sequence toward the end of Book 1, where Harry and Hermione worry about what they are about to drink. It is a great set piece in the book that did not make the film.
• Peeves the poltergeist. Columbus originally cast Drop Dead Fred's Rik Mayall for the role during his first movie, but the character was cut for time.

A quick reality check on Columbus and box office

For context: when Sorcerer's Stone landed in 2001, it leapfrogged Home Alone to become Columbus's biggest hit. It still sits at $962 million worldwide, which makes it the second-highest-grossing movie in the Potter series, only behind Deathly Hallows Part 2.

There is no bitterness here. Columbus is basically saying: I told my version, now let someone else go deeper. If the show actually uses the runway to restore all the book beats the films skipped, that is a win for fans who have been waiting to see those pages brought to life.

Think HBO's take can match the movie magic or even outdo it with the long-form approach? I am curious where you land.