‘Harry Potter’ Producers Chris Columbus and David Heyman Attached to New Film Projects

 The Harry Potter film franchise boasts an impressive list of alums. Between the renowned, award-winning composers, directors, the best of Britain’s deep well of acting talent, and the incredibly committed and creative production team, the Harry Potter films are a testament to the brilliant movie magic you can create when everything comes together seamlessly, a feat due in no small part to the contributions of both Chris Columbus and David Heyman.

Chris Columbus is most well known to Potter fans for directing the first two installments of the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. What some may not realize is that he pulled double duty on those films, also acting as executive producer. In fact, Columbus has a long list of producing credits to his name, including the two Percy Jackson films, the second and third Night at the Museum entries, and also, among many others, the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Columbus is now signed on to executive produce a Yiddish-language drama titled Menashe. The film is set in Brooklyn within the orthodox Jewish community. According to Deadline:

“[It] centers on a kind, Hasidic Jewish widower (Menashe Lustig) as he struggles to make ends meet and responsibly parent his young son, Rieven. Tradition prohibits Menashe from raising his son alone, so Rieven’s strict uncle adopts him, leaving Menashe heartbroken.”

The film, directed by Joshua Weinstein, explores faith and parenthood as Menashe navigates his difficult situation and strives to maintain a strong presence in his son’s life. It looks to be a stirring tale, and Columbus’ involvement ensures it will be movingly told. Menashe is set to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival today.

Meanwhile, David Heyman also remains busy. He notably produced all eight Harry Potter films and was so successful with the franchise that Warner Bros. sought him out for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He recently spoke about his work on the films in an exclusive interview with Leaky:

“You know, Potter has been such a huge part of both of our lives. It’s changed my life in so many ways, and only for the better. I am eternally grateful for what Jo has given me, given us, so yeah, really happy to come back to a world which offers so many possibilities as an artist, as a producer.

The first film is an undeniable global success, following in the footsteps of its predecessors, and Heyman is hard at work in the pre-production phase of development on the highly-anticipated Fantastic Beasts sequel.

He now looks to continue his partnership with Warner Bros. as they seek to adapt the Japanese Attack on Titan, created by Hajime Isayama in 2009. Empire Online describes the concept for the film:

“The series sees giant aliens known as Titans arriving on Earth and nearly wiping humanity out, eating many of the survivors. Giant walls are constructed around the remaining human city to keep them out, and now, a hundred years later, an uneasy peace exists. Some people have grown up without even seeing a Titan in the flesh, but that all changes when one of the giant, muscled creatures breaches the outer wall, and humankind is forced back into battle against the powerful threat.”

Considering Heyman’s extensive experience working in the fantasy realm, he is well-suited to the task of realizing this project and adding to his long list of hit film credits.

To read the full Deadline report on Chris Columbus’ Menashe, click here. For more of Empire Online’s coverage of David Heyman’s upcoming work, read here.