‘Harry Potter’ Director Chris Columbus Weighs in on TV Adaptation and Voldemort Casting Rumours

Chris Columbus is excited about the ‘Harry Potter’ universe’s impending growth.
The 66-year-old director told PEOPLE at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Nosferatu’ how thrilled he was that HBO had decided to turn the popular book series into a TV series. Columbus considered the difficulties of adapting J.K. Rowling’s novels into motion pictures after directing the first two ‘Harry Potter’ movies, ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ (2001) and ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ (2002).
Although they made every effort to incorporate as much of the original material as possible, he pointed out that some aspects had to be omitted due to the films’ duration restrictions, which were two hours and forty minutes for the first feature and somewhat less for the second. With its larger number of episodes, the television series format offers a chance to explore the books in greater detail by including scenes and story points that were not included in the movies.
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“I’m excited to see how the creators bring this new vision to life,” Columbus said, expressing optimism about the possibilities. According to him, the serialized format will enable a more thorough adaptation, providing fans with even more of the beloved magic.
Fans have already started to speculate about the iconic characters’ casting options, even if the TV series is still in the early phases of production. One popular online idea from fans is Cillian Murphy as the terrifying Lord Voldemort, who was first portrayed by Ralph Fiennes in the movies.
Columbus commended the concept, stating that Murphy is one of his favourite actors and that it would be amazing to see him play the part. It’s interesting to note that Fiennes has expressed his support for Murphy playing the role, calling him an excellent candidate in a recent ‘Watch What Happens Live’ interview.
Image Courtesy: People
Columbus joined fans in anticipating the series, which is expected to offer a new viewpoint on Rowling’s world, as anticipation grew. In order to preserve the magic until the release of the new adaptation, all eight of the original ‘Harry Potter’ movies are currently accessible for streaming.
–Farheen Ali