Chris Columbus, the director and producer of the early Harry Potter films, has stated that he won’t be adapting the Broadway play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. He says it has become “so complicated” to work on anything related to the Wizarding World due to J.K. Rowling’s controversial comments on transgender issues.
In a recent interview with The Times, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker clarified that a reunion with the original cast would be “impossible” and would “never” happen. The Cursed Child, the eighth installment in the Harry Potter series, takes place nearly two decades after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It centers on the friendship between Harry’s son, Albus Potter, and Draco Malfoy’s son, Scorpius.
“It’s never going to happen,” Columbus told the publication. “It’s gotten so complicated with all the political stuff. Everyone in the cast has their own opinion, which is different from her opinion, which makes it impossible.”
The director revealed that he hasn’t spoken to Rowling in about a decade but remains in close contact with the cast. “I keep very close contact with Daniel Radcliffe, and I just spoke to him a few days ago. I still have a great relationship with all the kids in the cast,” he said, concluding the conversation about a possible adaptation of the play.
