Chris Columbus Would Love To Make Harry Potter And The Cursed Child With The Movie Cast

Chris Columbus directed the inaugural two Harry Potter movies, the first of which, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," is celebrating its 20th anniversary this week. He helped establish the franchise on film when the students of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were all young kids. The main actors, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint are all in their 30s now, which makes them about the same age as the adult versions of their characters in the stage play, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Columbus revealed that he saw a Broadway production of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" in London's West End, and now he's jonesing to do a movie adaptation — or two — should the chance ever present itself. He said:

"A version of 'Cursed Child' with Dan, Rupert, and Emma at the right age, it's cinematic bliss. If you're a film nerd or cinephile, it's kind of like what J.J. [Abrams] did with 'Star Wars.' 'Star Wars' really started to be great again when J.J. made the film and we had all the original cast back. There's no question if you're a 'Star Wars' fan, you were moved just seeing them on screen, seeing Harrison Ford as Han Solo again — and Chewy. It was very moving. I think that would be the same situation for 'Harry Potter' fans. To able to actually see these adult actors now back in these roles? Oh, yeah. It would be amazingly fun to make that film — or two films."

Columbus mentioned "Star Wars" and how J.J. Abrams revitalized the franchise, which is sure to make some viewers who were not fans of "The Rise of Skywalker" scoff. It seems clear from his context that, despite Harrison Ford's cameo in "Skywalker," Columbus is talking more about "The Force Awakens," which did help make "Star Wars" one of the great comeback stories of the 2010s. Before things started to unravel back to the disappointments and divisions of the prequel era, that is.

Like "Star Wars," "The Lord of the Rings," and "Game of Thrones," the "Harry Potter" franchise has already gone the prequel route with the "Fantastic Beasts" spin-offs. That series is helmed by David Yates, who directed the last four of eight "Harry Potter" movies. It kicked off in 2016 but has been plagued by release delays and controversies (surrounding Johnny Depp and creator J.K. Rowling), so that the third film, "Fantastic Beasts and The Secrets of Dumbledore," won't hit until next year.

Interestingly, Columbus said he's never seen the "Fantastic Beasts" movies, so maybe that's why he can afford to be so optimistic about "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." The play picks up where the very end of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" left off, with Harry and his wife, Ginny (Bonnie Wright in the movies), putting their son on the Hogwarts Express. Will that train ever arrive in Hollywood in the form of a "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" movie or movies? The ball's in your court, Daniel Radcliffe.