Harry Potter director takes swipe at HBO series after first look at Nick Frost's Hagrid

Original Harry Potter director Chris Columbus has questioned the motives behind the upcoming HBO series about the boy wizard.

Fresh from revealing her finds the series' creatorJK Rowling’s controversial views on trans issues "very sad", Columbus has now shared his thoughts on the TV reboot of the iconic films - admitting preview snaps have left him suffering from a case of déjà vu.

Each season of the new HBO show will be a faithful adaptation of the Harry Potter books, from author and executive producer Rowling.

The show will seeHot Fuzz star Nick Frost play Hogwarts groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid, award-winning US actor John Lithgow as Hogwarts headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore, Welsh comedian and actor Paul Whitehouse as caretaker Argus Filch, and Rivals actress Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley.

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On the leaked snaps of Frost on set in character, Columbus, who directed the first two Harry Potter films, pointed out the striking costume similarities to original Hagrid actor Robbie Coltrane's outfits in the iconic films.

"As of yesterday, I saw photographs online of Nick Frost as Hagrid. Now, that’s not Nick Frost - that’s presumably still Martin, I don’t remember his last name - a rugby player who played Hagrid with a giant sort of fake rubber Hagrid head that we sometimes replaced with CGI," Columbus begins on The Rest is Entertainment podcast.

"So I’m seeing these photographs of, now it looks like Martin - I could be wrong - wearing a Nick Frost head, walking down the streets of London. And he’s wearing the exact same costume that we designed for Hagrid.

"Part of me was like, what’s the point? Part of me was like, okay, great. I thought everything was going to be different, but it’s more of the same, which is interesting."

Elsewhere, co-host Richard Osman asked the 66-year-old director how he feels watching TV producers "who can cover every piece of dialogue on every page" from the famous books. "Are you jealous of that, or do you think that’s less fun?" the Pointless star probed.

"I’m not jealous. I’m so beyond it. I did it. My feeling is, okay, I’ve done that, it’s time to move on. I’ve always had issues with the idea of franchise after franchise," Columbus muses.

"When we did Gremlins and Goonies and those films, that’s why I never did the second Gremlins film. My attitude then was: I’ve done it, it’s time to move on and do something different. Same with Potter. 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."

He goes on to point out: "It’s very flattering for me because that’s exactly the Hagrid costume that we designed. So part of it is really exciting - I’m excited to see what they’re going to do with it. But part of it is sort of déjà vu all over again."

Earlier this month, the director broke his silence on Harry Potter creator Rowling's divisive and frequent commentary on gender issues and funding of trans-exclusionary movements, revealing that her views did not align with his own.

Columbus told Variety: "I like to sometimes separate the artist from the art, I think that’s important to do. It’s unfortunate, what’s happened. I certainly don’t agree with what she’s talking about. But it’s just sad, it’s very sad."

In recent years, Rowling, 60, has been outspoken on gender issues, and praised three women who brought a Supreme Court case that led to a ruling excluding transgender women from the legal definition of a woman under the Equality Act.

Many suspect Rowling's motivation to risk Harry Potter's legacy with a TV series is an attempt to distance Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint from the franchise.

The trio, who starred as the three main protagonists in the much-loved movies, have all condemned Rowling's statement's over the years and describe themselves as allies to the trans and LGBTQ+ community.

The new Harry Potter series is set to hit TV screens in 2027 on HBO and HBO Max.

*The full interview on The Rest Is Entertainment will be available on all podcast platforms from 28th August

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