Current Events > Chris Columbus(Harry Potter film director): ''Wtf is the point of the remakes''

(+) Yeah! (+)

"if they look like my shit?"

https://deadline.com/2025/08/harry-potter-chris-columbus-hagrid-hbo-whats-point-1236498727/

So, Im seeing these photographs and hes wearing the exact same costume that we designed for Hagrid. Part of me was like: Whats the point? Columbus said. I thought everything was going to be different, but its more of the same. Its all going to be the same.

The point is GREED.

It's always greed.

GenXer posted...

The point is GREED.

It's always greed.

Came in to basically say this $$$$

My understanding is that they are slowing everything way down to match the pace of the books and each episode will represent a chapter of one of the books?

The point is that a bunch of HP actors distanced themselves from Rowling, so she wants to remake them to erase them.

MotaroRIP619 posted...

My understanding is that they are slowing everything way down to match the pace of the books and each episode will represent a chapter of one of the books?

Sounds great tbh. Even as a very uncritical kid when the movies came out, I remember being annoyed by how much the movies cut out.

MotaroRIP619 posted...

My understanding is that they are slowing everything way down to match the pace of the books and each episode will represent a chapter of one of the books?

That sounds. HORRIBLE.

Also, I'm not opposed to remakes at all, but like....at least have something to say? Remake a source material in an exciting way. Remake a movie that was flawed but had a premise with potential. Do a cool new spin.

Look at Fright Night. Nobody thought that would be good, but it did its own thing while honoring the original and that kicked ass.

Does he think a TV series isn't going to expand on the source material more than the movies ever could?

Harry Potter is a massive franchise. Why wouldn't you want to make as much out of it as you can? 'Creativity is dead, just remake stuff' has worked for Hollywood for decades.

LightSnake posted...

That sounds. HORRIBLE.

Also, I'm not opposed to remakes at all, but like....at least have something to say? Remake a source material in an exciting way. Remake a movie that was flawed but had a premise with potential. Do a cool new spin.

Look at Fright Night. Nobody thought that would be good, but it did its own thing while honoring the original and that kicked ass.

I really loved the books, and my main complaint about the movies was how much got cut out of the books so if the show ends up being more true to the books Ill enjoy it much more. I think most of the fans will enjoy something like that as well.

He has a point. There's no point in the remake if its going just be exactly like the movies but with all the superfluous stuff in the books added in. Doing a chapter an episode sounds like a really bad plan lol I just googled and the first book has 17 chapters, they'll never put out 17 episodes a season.

the chris columbus movies (aka the first 2) are the only good hp movies. The rest are beyond trash, either as their own thing or as an adaptation of the books

No way will it be one episode per chapter. They dont make seasons that long anymore.

Mo money, mo money!

saspa posted...

the chris columbus movies (aka the first 2) are the only good hp movies. The rest are beyond trash, either as their own thing or as an adaptation of the books

I agree. Everyone looked Azkaban so much and I thought it was a really disappointing departure from the first 2.

EndOfDiscOne posted...

No way will it be one episode per chapter. They dont make seasons that long anymore.

Yeah I kind of think the same thing. GOF and OOTP would have to be spit into at least 2 seasons. They are well over 400 pages in hardback.

The point of the remakes is that Rowling wants a do-over with new leads because the old leads didn't fall in line with her new ~defining personality trait~ of hating trans people.

Like, actually, literally, that is at least one of the reasons this is happening, because Rowling is buttmad that the original main three have expressed support for the trans community.

I mean, it would probably still be happening even if that wasn't motivating her, but it *is* explicitly one of the motivations.

But but but... they can put Peeves in there this time. We all know Peeves brings so much to the story, with his rude noises and throwing things.

I get wanting to adapt more of the material, but it definitely shows how much of a cash grab this show is that theyre not even attempting to give it any kind of visual identity of its own

Probably to get away from the actors since they don't like JK and vice versa and create a new batch of actors for them or something.

Of course not every chapter will get a devoted episode. Like the first 2 or 3 chapters of book one will likely fit into a single episode. Some chapters are literally just a Quidditch match, and I don't know if any of those need an entire episode.

TheGoldenEel posted...

theyre not even attempting to give it any kind of visual identity of its own

I mean, Hagrid is one character, who wears a pretty basic outfit. When the Weasleys get to King's Cross for the train, Ron is wearing a Chudley Cannons shirt, which I don't recall the movies or the books specifying. So they are doing their own ideas, too.

Completely agree with him btw.

If Lord of the Rings ever gets adapted to the screen again (whether its a series or more movies), I absolutely do not want them to be Peter Jackson lite adaptations. Theres so much more than can be done with the source material.

BigMeatyClaws posted...

So, Im seeing these photographs and hes wearing the exact same costume that we designed for Hagrid.

I've never read the Harry Potter books, but I'm guessing Hagrid's appearance and clothing are described in there. Does he expect them to put him in a tux?

Spoiler alert: the wizards will be wearing robes.

rexcrk posted...

Completely agree with him btw.

If Lord of the Rings ever gets adapted to the screen again (whether its a series or more movies), I absolutely do not want them to be Peter Jackson lite adaptations. Theres so much more than can be done with the source material.

I have little faith of most adaptations nowadays. Hollywood/Netflix directors have a pathological need to write their fanfics on top of the material.

so many disappointing sellouts joined this HP project man

012yArthur0 posted...

Hollywood/Netflix directors have a pathological need to write their fanfics on top of the material.

house of the dragon is getting absolutely fucked by this lol

Akuryu posted...

I've never read the Harry Potter books, but I'm guessing Hagrid's appearance and clothing are described in there. Does he expect them to put him in a tux?

Spoiler alert: the wizards will be wearing robes.

Do you think the text is detailed enough that two independent designers would come up with identical costumes for the same character?

TheGoldenEel posted...

Do you think the text is detailed enough that two independent designers would come up with identical costumes for the same character?

Maybe. I haven't read the Harry Potter books, but I've read books that describe outfits in great detail.

TBH, they dont even look that similar to me. Big guy. Beard. Coat. Not sure what Columbus wants them to do. If you make him short, bald and dress him in a tank top and shorts, you'll piss off the entire fanbase, but at least Chris Columbus will be satisfied.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/c/c284450f.jpg

KhlavicLanguage posted...

house of the dragon is getting absolutely fucked by this lol

By what I know, The Witcher and Rings of Power got destroyed by this too.

Also look at anime adaptations like Cowboy Bebop. I wonder how hard Oda had to fight to not let Netflix fuckup One Piece like that.

The movies removed and changed a lot. If the TV series follows the books closer, that is the point.

The point of the remakes is Rowling hates basically the entire cast of the originals because they are pro-trana, and wants to take away their "icon" status.

It won't work.

MotaroRIP619 posted...

My understanding is that they are slowing everything way down to match the pace of the books and each episode will represent a chapter of one of the books?

I dont know how long a chapter is, but for the most part a season per book sounds good. The first two books are pretty short though, one 8-episode season should be more than enough to cover both.

i also ask the same but the answer always circles back to $$$ so what's the point of asking...

MotaroRIP619 posted...

My understanding is that they are slowing everything way down to match the pace of the books and each episode will represent a chapter of one of the books?

I don't know about chapters but its confirmed each season will be 1 book. So season 1 is only Philosopher's Stone

Zikten posted...

I don't know about chapters but its confirmed each season will be 1 book. So season 1 is only Philosopher's Stone

Unless they make later seasons longer, I fail to see how this will better follow the books. The later books likely need 2 seasons each just to cover everything.

Tmaster148 posted...

Unless they make later seasons longer, I fail to see how this will better follow the books. The later books likely need 2 seasons each just to cover everything.

Lots of shows have final seasons that are all extra long episodes.

Having said that, we might luck out and have it die off after 1 season.

The point is twofold:

-Rowlings personal insane grudge means she is compelled to re image her characters because most of the original, iconic actors dislike her

-episodic streaming service slop for money

If we're fortunate, the series will flop. That however will not prevent the two, three, however many seasons they've already bankrolled

I do not think there is enough of a "harry potter adult" demographic left that would be into a remake. The game kinda gets away with it because it's a make-your-own-wizard kind of deal and people eat that up. Harder to sell "here's a shot for shot redo because the author hates the original cast"

It depends on how many kids actually are interested in HP.

Maybe it will get SW'd where most of the fanbase are millenials and up.

There's some irony that JKR could fail both political sides by being transphobic but going on her way to raceswap characters.

I think modern TV is inherently a better medium for a story like this, so calling it streaming slop is disingenuous, imo

absent JK Rowling being a shithead, theres a lot they could do to make this a great series with an original perspective on the material

but so far, thats not what weve seen. Its obviously very early in production though

GenXer posted...

The point is GREED.

It's always greed.

This, close topic. Warner wants to see more piles of cash.

The remake is going to suck ass, so there's no reason to give it much thought.

Also its promising that this is HBO, because other than Game of Thrones shitting the bed at the end, largely due to running out of source material to adapt, they have a strong track record of shows in general, but also adaptations