Chris Columbus has described the upcoming Harry Potter TV reboot as “surreal” after seeing Nick Frost step into the role of Hagrid for the first time.
Columbus, who directed Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), said the new series stirred bittersweet memories of Robbie Coltrane, who played the beloved half-giant before his death in 2022.
Columbus has been behind some of the most popular franchises of the past four decades, from writing Gremlins to directing Home Alone and Mrs Doubtfire. But he said it is Harry Potter that carries the deepest personal connection.
“Harry Potter was for me the biggest loss because those were films that I did,” Columbus told the Standard. “It’s staggeringly depressing because so many of those people are gone, you know. So it’s difficult for me.
“I ran into Nick Frost yesterday, who I had never met, and is playing the new Hagrid in the new TV series. And I said, ‘This is very surreal for me — you have to understand, Robbie Coltrane and I were so close.’ So it’s just weird, bizarre.”
The reboot comes after the loss of several original cast members, including Coltrane, Dame Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall). Richard Harris (the first Dumbledore), Michael Gambon (who later took over the role), Alan Rickman (Professor Snape) and Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy).
Frost was pictured for the first time this month filming in London alongside Dominic McLaughlin, who has been cast as the new Harry Potter.
Backed by HBO, the new adaptation will retell J.K. Rowling’s seven novels across multiple seasons, with a new generation of actors expected to portray the iconic roles over the next decade.
The acclaimed filmmaker’s remarks came as he promoted his latest project, The Thursday Murder Club, Netflix’s adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestselling cosy-crime novel, out on August 28.
Starring Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie, it follows four friends in a retirement village who meet weekly to solve cold cases — until a real murder lands on their doorstep.
To mark the release, Netflix is partnering with the Royal Horticultural Society on a week-long series of immersive events from August 22–28. All five RHS gardens across the UK will host a Thursday Murder Club trail, including themed scavenger hunts, floral billboards and, at RHS Wisley, a tearoom takeover serving character-inspired treats such as Joyce’s lemon drizzle cake and Ron’s sausage rolls.
Where to take part:
Attending the launch at RHS Wisley alongside Imrie, Columbus — who is also currently working on writing sequels to the 1980s classics Gremlins and The Goonies, along with producing the follow up to Jim Henson’s Labyrinth — praised The Thursday Murder Club’s immersive experience for offering the “excitement of a murder mystery with beautiful surroundings.”
The Thursday Murder Club trail is included in the RHS Garden entry. Tickets for the gardens vary and can be purchased online or on-site; visit www.rhs.org.uk/gardens for details.
