HBO's highly anticipated "Harry Potter" series reboot is drawing significant attention, but original film director Chris Columbus is already questioning some of the new adaptation's design choices.
Speaking recently on "The Rest Is Entertainment" podcast, Columbus revealed that upon seeing set photos of Nick Frost as the new Hagrid, he noticed the character's look was almost identical to the one he designed over two decades ago, leading him to exclaim, "What's the point of a remake like this?"
Columbus directed 2001's "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and 2002's "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," personally casting the late Robbie Coltrane as the original Hagrid.
Now, after seeing the new set photos, he stated directly: "Nick Frost is wearing the exact same costume we designed. I thought there would be some newness to it, but it looks almost exactly the same. In a way, it's flattering, but at the same time, it's a strong sense of déjà vu."
Despite his reservations about the design, Columbus expressed no animosity. He emphasized that he has no ill will towards HBO's reboot, believing the series format offers more advantages by allowing for the inclusion of characters and storylines cut from the films due to time constraints, such as Peeves, who appeared in the books but never made it to the big screen.
In fact, Columbus has repeatedly stated he will not be involved in any future "Harry Potter" projects. He told Variety: "I've done my version, and I have no regrets. I'm proud of the first three projects I was involved with, but it's time to move on."
He even admitted that the reboot series evokes a "strange yet wonderful" feeling in him, making him even more emotional to see a new actor take on the role, especially given his deep friendship with Robbie Coltrane. 
Meanwhile, Nick Frost, in a recent interview, responded that he would not simply replicate Coltrane's performance, but would instead explore more details while respecting the original source material. He described Hagrid as "a lovely, fierce, funny, and warm child," and looks forward to delving deeper into the character's inner world through the "one book per season" format.
HBO's "Harry Potter" series is currently in full production and is slated to premiere in 2027.