It’s hard for anyone to hate Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man. But the movies featuring the actor would be much different if Harry Potter director, Chris Columbus, had said yes to helm the trilogy. However, Columbus had a bigger fish to fry, and we can’t blame him for passing on Spider-Man.
Harry Potter has been one of the biggest franchises in cinematic history. Not just in terms of box office numbers, but the movie series went on to become a cult hit and a pop cultural phenomenon, still with an astonishing fanbase. We are glad that Columbus joined the movie series pioneering the franchise.
Chris Columbus Chose Harry Potter Over Spider-Man
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry fascinated Chris Columbus as he had always intended to direct the cinematic adaptation of J. K. Rowling’s hit book series, Harry Potter. The director somehow convinced Warner Brothers and was roped in to direct Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first installment of the franchise that went on land on the $1 billion mark. Columbus, the director behind The Goonies, Home Alone, and Mrs. Doubtfire, then returned to direct Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
In that process, as he joined the Harry Potter franchise with his 2001 movie, the director had to reject Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man. Of course, Harry Potter was bigger, but the success of Spider-Man also claimed a huge fanbase with an astonishing $822 million worldwide collection (per The Numbers). In an interview with Screen Rant, the director confessed to turning down the Maguire movie but expressed his love for the character.
“It is weird, because, you know, I’m of the firm belief that every movie ever made would be better with Spider-Man in it. There’s no question. So I mean, how good would The Godfather be if Spider-Man showed up?”
Spider-man in The Godfather would be bizarre, but the intention behind the statement certainly reveals how Columbus adores the titular Marvel character.
Marvel Comics Inspired Chris Columbus To Be In The Movie Business
It must have been a hard choice for the Oscar nominated director to give up the opportunity he had waited his entire life. The director’s fascination with Spider-Man and Marvel comics is no less than Harry Potter, but his choice to go with Potter shattered his long-time dream. “But honestly, the reason I got into the film business, the reason I got into movies as a kid, was because of Marvel Comics, because that’s what I wanted to do,” Columbus told Screen Rant.
“And Spider-Man was my hero as a kid. I really probably heard the day before I got the Spider-Man offer, that I got Harry Potter. And whoever it was, was like, “Is he crazy? How could he pass up Spider-Man?” and part of me felt that way because it’s probably something I was waiting my entire life to do. But I’m glad I decided to go with Potter. I’m happy about that.”
Despite giving up his dream project, the director had no room to sulk over the movie. Also, the director was glad that the Spider-Man franchise turned out to be great, “I think it’s been done really well,” he said. “You don’t need me to do Spider-Man,” he added, revealing that now has no intention to come back to helm another Spider-Man project.
Spider-Man is streaming on Disney+. Columbus’ Harry Potter movies can be streamed on Max.
