Nearly 25 years after Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released, director Chris Columbus still regrets cutting two major elements. At the time, Columbus was hoping to adapt the now-controversial J.K. Rowling’s book series to the big screen, and it was a major $125 million investment ($230 million today).

Sorcerer’s Stone proved to be an extraordinary success, earning over $1 billion at the box office. It launched a mᴀssive theatrical franchise, leading to an eight-movie run for the original films, followed by the comparatively disappointing Fantastic Beasts movies. HBO is now hoping to launch a 10-year Harry Potter TV show to further capitalize on its success.

Looking back, however, Columbus does still have some regrets about the first movie. In an interview with RadioTimes.com, he admitted that he wishes that he had been able to feature Peeves the Poltergeist and a key potions scene between Hermione and Harry. Unfortunately, the movie’s pacing made it an impossibility for him. Check out his quote below:

I’m not involved at all and I wish them great success. I think the best part of the series is the fact it’s 10 hours for the first book, which we didn’t have the opportunity to do. I’m a little envious. There was so much we couldn’t put in the films – they weren’t short, they were over two and a half hours long, but I still struggled. It still keeps me up at night sometimes.

I missed the fact that I was never able to put Peeves in the first film. Plus, there is a scene in the first book, Philosopher’s Stone, where Hermione and Harry are tasting potions in one of the challenges, and one of them could die at any moment. It’s like this incredible chess match that we just did not have time to shoot. So hopefully those scenes will be reinstated. They have 10 hours. I hope they use them well.

What This Means For Harry Potter’s Film Legacy

While the Harry Potter movies were a strong adaptation, especially for the time, the TV show purports to be a truly faithful depiction of Harry’s story as it was presented in the books. It remains to be seen just how faithful it will be, however, as it is unlikely that Hermione’s divisive S.P.E.W. storyline will be presented without significant changes.

Still, there has been substantial backlash over the years about the theatrical franchise’s changes to Ron’s character, Peeves’ absence, and Dumbledore’s infamous reaction to Harry taking his name out of the Goblet of Fire. After so much outcry over the years, these adjustments will likely be reverted. Yet, just as Columbus highlighted, many of these changes were necessary.

The original Harry Potter movie was around two and a half hours long, which is already long for a movie. A TV show, however, can have 10-hour seasons, each adapting a single book. With around four times the amount of time that each movie has, the show can include these scenes without sacrificing pacing or plot progression.

Our Take On Chris Columbus’ Harry Potter Regrets

Given the challenges that Columbus was working with during the initial production, he did an incredible job of bringing the franchise to life. With the help of the cast and crew, he managed to translate an impossible series to the big screen, while also establishing a franchise aesthetic that continues to define it today.

Columbus may have been criticized for excluding Peeves and a few key scenes, but he had far more limitations than the TV does, comparatively. He is certainly right that he had more challenges to overcome, and that means that the Harry Potter TV show should be held to a far higher standard, given the lack of equivalent concerns.