By Kimiskoolaid
As we all know, Chris Columbus was the director of the first two Harry Potter films. He set the whole movie series up, and without him, our Potter films may not be what they are today.
After directing Sorceror's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, Columbus was asked to say and direct for the third film. We, as fans of Harry Potter, all know that Columbus declined this offer, but stayed on as a producer for Prisoner of Azkaban. After this, he was no longer involved in the Potter films.
However, in a recent interview with Columbus, he stated, "Originally... I planned on being there for all seven". HMMMM Mr. Columbus. It does not make sense for you to say such a statement when you declined the position of director for the third film, and left completely for the following films. YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE HOMIE AND YOU LOST IT!
Okay in all seriousness though, Columbus explained why, although he did not direct Prisoner of Azkaban, he stayed on as a producer. He stated, "...we wanted to start the series with an almost golden, romantic, old-fashioned storybook quality, and as the films progressed they would get darker and darker..." Everyone should agree that this is how the Harry Potter films are designed; with each new movie, the plot is developed more and each film is darker and more non-PG than the last.
He continued, "...I wanted to make sure we were moving in that direction. By the time we'd finished Azkaban I thought, 'Okay, we are at a point now where I know subsequent films will continue to follow everything we had set into motion.'"
Although Chris Columbus has not had a direct part in the last three films, the Harry Potter fandom owes a lot to him for making what our films are today. Without him ensuring that the films would progressively become "darker", as he phrased it, we could be stuck watching a film where Harry and Ol' Voldy are BFFs and eat cotton candy all day.