Director Chris Columbus shares his thoughts regarding the Harry Potter
TV show and addresses whether one popular fancast would make for a good Voldemort. Based on the beloved book series by author J.K. Rowling, the HBO Max TV show was first announced back in 2023, with each eight-episode season expected to tackle one of the seven novels. The Harry Potter TV show is currently targeting a late 2026 premiere, meaning it will arrive 25 years after the Warner Bros. franchise first hit the big screen with Columbus’ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001.
During a recent interview with EW, Columbus, who returned to direct Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in 2002, weighs in on the upcoming Harry Potter TV show, expressing his excitement. According to the director, the TV show is “a spectacular idea, because there’s a certain restriction when you’re making a film.” Columbus says they “tried to get as much of the book in as possible,” but the movie-length runtimes made it impossible to include everything in his films. Check out his comment below:
“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. I look forward to seeing what they’re trying to do with it. I think it’s great.”
As for casting, Columbus is asked whether popular Internet fancast Cillian Murphy would be a good fit for Voldemort, a role memorably played throughout the film franchise by Ralph Fiennes. Murphy clearly has Columbus’ vote:
“Well, Cillian is one of my favorite actors, so that would be amazing.”
What Columbus’ Comments Mean For The Harry Potter TV Show
How The HBO Max TV Show Will Differ From The Movies
Although many details regarding the Harry Potter TV show remain shrouded in mystery, one of the key talking points that has been repeated in official communications is the idea that the show will be a more faithful and detailed adaptation of the books. All the Harry Potter movies were well-received by critics and audiences, and they were also all box office successes. Still, being limited to roughly two-and-a half-hours per movie obviously restricted what could be shown on-screen, and certain subplots just couldn’t be included.
With the show set to not suffer from these runtime restrictions, it could end up appealing not only to new, younger fans, but to older fans who loved the movies. The inclusion of so much additional material is really the core value proposition of the Harry Potter TV show, at least to those who enjoyed the movies. The films, after all, still hold up remarkably well today from a casting, effects, and storytelling standpoint.
The eight Harry Potter movies grossed a total of $7.7 billion worldwide.
Our Take On Columbus’ Voldemort Comments
Why Cillian Murphy Probably Won’t Appear In The Harry Potter TV Show
So far, no Harry Potter TV show casting announcements have been officially made, though rumors and reports have been making the rounds. It has been reported, for example, that Mark Rylance is being eyed to take on the role of Dumbledore, while Paapa Essiedu is in talks to play Severus Snape.
The role of Dumbledore was previously played by the late Richard Harris and the late Michael Gambon, while Snape was previously played by the late Alan Rickman.
No casting reports have emerged regarding the new Voldemort, but Murphy has long been an Internet favorite for the role, just as Adam Driver has been a favorite for Snape. The key thing missing from these fancasts, however, is any intent from either of these actors. Being locked into a decade-long TV show doesn’t seem like something either Murphy or Driver would be particularly interested in given their respective film careers. Still, though, it’s clear that Murphy has Columbus’ blessing if his Harry Potter TV show casting does end up happening.
Source: EW
