Harry Potter’s Most Hated Character Will Make a “Glorious” Debut in the HBO Series

Published Sep 4, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT

Rohan Naahar is a News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he’ll watch anything once. He has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal of introducing audiences to a whole new world of cinema.

Fans of the Harry Potter books have always debated among themselves about the numerous omissions made in the movie franchise. This was bound to happen, because the novels became more and more complex (and lengthy) as the saga progressed, while the films were restricted by reasonable time limits. Several key characters who appeared in the books never made it to the big screen, and at the top of virtually every fan’s list is Peeves the poltergeist. Producer David Heyman, who worked on all eight films and is now working on the HBO reboot, recalled that the filmmakers tried their best to include Peeves, but it simply wasn’t working out. However, he revealed that they have figured out a “glorious” way to introduce the character in the upcoming show, after much deliberation.

Appearing on the official Harry Potter podcast, Heyman recalled shooting scenes with Peeves, but eventually deciding that they weren’t adding to the story. “It wasn’t like we didn’t try. We had the brilliant Rik Mayall. Peeves is such a brilliant, vivid creation in the books. We tried to be literally faithful in the films, and actually, it didn’t work. There were a couple of reasons. One, narratively, he felt like a bit of a holiday. And two, he’s quite an abrasive character.” In the books, Peeves is a regular chaotic presence that the protagonists try and steer clear of. Mayall was quite upset about being cut out of the franchise’s first installment, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and later described it as a “crap” film. In an interview, he said that he worked on the movie for three weeks and got paid, but was told that he wasn’t in the final cut.

After careful deliberation, the Sorting Hat has made its decision. This is the house your values, your instincts, and your particular way of being in the world were made for.

You have nerve. Not the reckless kind, but the deep, quiet courage that shows up even when you’re terrified — especially then.

You are driven, sharp, and utterly clear-eyed about what you want and how to get there.

You are the kind of person that makes the world genuinely better just by being in it.

Your mind is your greatest gift, and you’ve always known it.

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