The original Harry Potter director wants one character cut from the films to appear in the HBO series, and it’s no shock to fans who that is!
Speaking about the films at a red carpet event for his new mystery film Thursday Night Murder Club, Chris Columbus, who directed the first two Potter big-screen entries, made it obvious which character he hoped the show would tackle. And, that character is Peeves.
“I think the thing I think about mostly is Peeves. The character of Peeves, we shot sequences, we did not have time to render Peeves in a CGI way. So I’m anxious to see what they do with Peeves.”
Columbus’ words will echo the hopes of many fans that this ignored character gets a deserving spotlight.
The missed opportunity of Peeves
A “resident” of Hogwarts ever since it was opened in the 10th century, Peeves has been a constant presence in the school. The mischievous poltergeist can take a physical form and enjoys making mischief for the students.
Peeves had a minor presence in the first books with pranks and insults, but took a more notable role when he and the other Hogwarts ghosts resisted the reign of Dolores Umbridge and later in the grand Battle of Hogwarts. He is a fan favorite, bringing some much-needed humor to the title.
Originally, the initial cut for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was nearly three hours, with British comedian Rik Mayall cast as Peeves. However, Warner Bros felt the movie was too long and all of Mayall's scenes were cut. Columbus has in the past pushed for the release of a director’s cut that would include Mayall (who sadly passed away in 2014).
Interestingly, the character did show up in a couple of Harry Potter video games yet never in the films. That makes him a prime candidate to pop into the TV show. It would be fitting for the TV show to use him, finally giving this character a shot (much like how Rings of Power finally utilized The Lord of the Rings character Tom Bombadil), and it’s likely they can cast some popular British comedian in the role with top CGI to bring the ghost to life.
A major question regarding HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series is how it can top the hit movies. The significant difference will be that rather than cramming each book into a two-hour film, the seasons will allow the story to unfold in full. That's especially helpful for adapting the much longer later novels.
This gives the showrunners the freedom to integrate plots and characters that the movies had to leave out. Thus, when Season 4 reaches the Goblet of Fire, it can work in Hermione's attempts to gain freedom for house elves, among other storylines.
It also means a chance for some characters who never got their due in the movies to shine for the TV show. And, Columbus clearly already has the perfect one in mind.
We’re still waiting on more details of the show yet many fans will agree with Columbus on how the Harry Potter TV show could use Peeves’ presence to become more entertaining.
The Harry Potter movies streaming on HBO Max.