Here's why director Chris Columbus opted out of 'Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban'

Fans are delighted with the news of the cast of the Harry Potter franchise reuniting for a special reunion episode. The special episode titled Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts will bring back Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and several other cast members and this episode marks the celebration of 20 years of Harry Potter.

Director Chris Columbus, who had earlier directed Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets also appeared at the reunion and was guilty of stepping down as the director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban.

Chris Columbus helmed two Harry Potter movies

Chris Columbus did not direct Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban, but he did amaze the audience in far-reaching accomplishment with his initial two Harry Potter portions, The Philosopher's Stone and The Chamber of Secret. Columbus was very much appreciated for his first two films.

Why did Chris Columbus not direct Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban?

Chris Columbus' decision not to direct Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban was down to a lot of factors, with one of them being Columbus' health condition at that time. In a meeting with The Hollywood Reporter, Columbus revealed the huge weariness he encountered after "ridiculously long" shooting plans for The Sorcerer's Stone and The Chamber of Secrets was the main factor why he left the team. 

Columbus likewise also referred to the distance between his family during the shoot of the film that acted as a catalyst in his choice to hand over the Harry Potter establishment to Cuarón in 2003.

The toll on Columbus' health following two highly successful, yet undoubtedly stressful Harry Potter productions is the primary reason that Columbus cites for stepping back from the franchise. Also, the initial two establishment films got Columbus far from his family for a significant length of time. This distance from his family also made him take a drastic step, with Columbus expressing he was concerned he would "never get to know" his children.

However, the director, in the Harry Potter reunion special Return To Hogwarts stated that filming the first two movies was "the greatest experience of my life," and that he "always felt guilty about leaving" the film.

IMAGE:INSTAGRAM HARRYPOTTERFILM/AP