Filming is officially underway for HBO's Harry Potter reboot. Since kicking off filming, fans' social media feeds have been flooded with pictures and videos from the set on a regular basis. The latest scene to make its rounds on social media featured Hagrid famously taking boy wizard Harry Potter away from the Dursleys to go buy his school supplies for Hogwarts in Diagon Alley. Whilst fans have been excitedly raving about the first glimpse, it appears not everyone is impressed.
Chris Columbus, who directed the first two Harry Potter films before Alfonso Cuarón took over for the remaining films, appeared on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, where he quizzed about his thoughts on the HBO reboot. Specifically, Chris was asked to comment on Hagrid's appearance in the latest set leaks from the show.
While Chris remarked he was excited about the upcoming series, he also criticised Nick Frost's Hagrid because, according to the director, the reboot version looks too similar to Robbie Coltrane's portrayal.
"So, I'm seeing these photographs…and he's wearing the exact same costume that we designed for Hagrid. Part of me was like: What's the point? I thought everything was going to be different, but it's more of the same. It’s all going to be the same.
"It's very flattering for me, because I'm like, that's exactly the Hagrid costume that we designed. So, part of it is really exciting, so I'm excited to see what they're going to do with it. Part of it is sort of déjà vu all over again."
Who stars in the new Harry Potter series?
The upcoming reboot of Harry Potter will see Scottish actor, Dominic McLaughlin portraying a young Harry Potter. Arabella Stanton will play Hermione Granger and completing the trio is Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The supporting cast features several big names, including Nick Frost as Hagrid, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore and Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall.
Filming for the show kicked off in July of this year, however, the first series isn't slated to drop until 2027. The new series promises to be a faithful adaptation of the original Harry Potter novels, with each season expected to follow one book in the seven-part series. It will stream exclusively on HBO Max.