Hagrid Was Too Small in the Movies, Director Says

Harry Potter director Christopher Columbus has spoken up to say the version of magical gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid was too small in the movies. Hagrid is a half-giant and was indeed depicted as a hulking figure in the movies, but Columbus wanted him to stand even taller.

"I always thought Hagrid should be a little bigger," Columbus told Entertainment Weekly as part of a wide-ranging podcast interview. "Believe it or not, we didn't have the resources or the money to actually create a CGI version of Hagrid for the first couple of films, so we had a rugby player in a gigantic Hagrid suit who worked in the wide shots for us."

Columbus used forced-perspective shots and sets in the Hagrid scenes that actor Robbie Coltrane appeared in to create the illusion that he was a half-giant. Lord of the Rings fans may recall that director Peter Jackson used this camera trick as well for many shots to put the small size of Hobbits into perspective.

According to Columbus, Hagrid should have been about too feet taller and around 100 pounds heavier. Columbus directed 2001's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and the following year's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Also during the podcast, Columbus talked about how the cast and crew played baseball and basketball during their downtime.

"I remember Richard Harris dressed as Dumbledore cheering me on when I was playing basketball," the director said about the actor, who played the headmaster in the first two films before he passed away. "That may be one of the more fun moments I've had in my life."

Go to EW to read the full story and listen to the podcast.

No new mainline Harry Potter movies are in the works, but the spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them comes to theaters in November.