The Real Reason Chris Columbus Wants To Work On This Harry Potter Story
"Harry Potter" — starring Daniel Radcliffe as the titular character and Emma Watson and Rupert Grint as Harry's close friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley — is one of the most beloved film franchises of all time. Adapting the seven books in the series by J.K. Rowling, the film franchise is made up of eight films, with the final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" being split into two parts.
This year, 2021, marks the 20th anniversary of the first film in the series, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." In the first film, we see Harry find out he's a wizard and attend his first year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he meets and befriends Ron and Hermione. "The Sorcerer's Stone," as well as the second film, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," were directed by Chris Columbus, whose other credits include films such as 1990's "Home Alone" and 2005's "Rent." After the second film, Alfonso Cuarón took over for the third and Mike Newell for the fifth. David Yates then helmed the final four films in the "Harry Potter" series (as well as the subsequent spin-off series "Fantastic Beasts").
As it turns out, Columbus is keen to return to the world of "Harry Potter" — with one particular project in mind.
Columbus wants to direct a film adaptation of The Cursed Child
In an extensive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Chris Columbus reflects on his time making "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" two decades ago. He also revealed his desire to return to the franchise with "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," the two-part stage play by Jack Thorne (based on a story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Thorne). The play takes place 19 years after the events of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," with Harry now the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic and his son, Albus Severus Potter, now a student at Hogwarts.
Columbus told THR, "A version of Cursed Child with Dan, Rupert, and Emma at the right age, it's cinematic bliss. If you're a film nerd or cinephile, it's kind of like what J.J. [Abrams] did with Star Wars. Star Wars really started to be great again when J.J. made the film and we had all the original cast back. There's no question if you're a Star Wars fan, you were moved just seeing them on screen, seeing Harrison Ford as Han Solo again — and Chewy. It was very moving. I think that would be the same situation for Harry Potter fans. To [be] able to actually see these adult actors now back in these roles? Oh, yeah. It would be amazingly fun to make that film — or two films."
The huge mass of "Harry Potter" fans would likely agree with Columbus on that note.