FILM · 2001 · UK
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
- Directed by
- Chris Columbus
- Runtime
- 152 min
- Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures, Heyday Films, 1492 Pictures
36 archived facts 2 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
Harry Potter has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house his whole life. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard—with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he learns to harness his newfound powers with the help of the school's kindly headmaster, Harry uncovers the truth about his parents' deaths—and about the villain who's to blame.
Summary: TMDB
All facts (36)
- #001
Producer David Heyman began searching in 1997 for a children's book that could be turned into a successful film, and after his plan to adapt Diana Wynne Jones' novel The Ogre Downstairs fell through, his assistant at Heyday Films suggested Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
- #002
Although David Heyman initially disliked the title, he read the novel and fell in love with it; after Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was published in 1998, he pitched the novels to Warner Bros. Pictures.
- #003
In 1999, author J. K. Rowling sold Warner Bros. Pictures the rights to the first four Harry Potter books for a reported £1 million.
- #004
J. K. Rowling required David Heyman to keep the cast strictly British and Irish, with foreign actors only when absolutely necessary, as with French and Eastern European actors in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) for characters specified as such in the book; she was hesitant to sell the rights because she did not want to give Warner Bros. control over the rest of the story by enabling non-author-written sequels.
- #005
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg initially negotiated to direct Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and developed a second draft of the script with screenwriter Steven Kloves, but he eventually left the project.
- #006
Spielberg reportedly wanted the adaptation to be an animated film produced by DreamWorks Animation that also incorporated elements from subsequent books, with American actor Haley Joel Osment voicing Harry Potter.
- #007
Heyman recalled that Spielberg chose to direct A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) instead, and in a 2023 interview Spielberg said he turned down the project to spend time with his family.
- #008
M. Night Shyamalan turned down directing Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone because he was already working on Signs (2002).
- #009
Wolfgang Petersen and Rob Reiner both withdrew from consideration to direct Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in March 2000.
- #010
By March 2000 the directing candidates for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone had been narrowed to Brad Silberling, Chris Columbus, Alan Parker and Terry Gilliam.
- #011
J.K. Rowling's preferred director for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was Gilliam, but Warner Bros. Pictures instead selected Chris Columbus, pointing to his earlier family films Home Alone (1990) and Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) as reasons for the choice.
- #012
Chris Columbus became a fan of the Harry Potter book series after his daughter persuaded him to read the first three books, which prompted him to contact his agent and arrange a meeting at Warner Bros. to seek the directing job on Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
- #013
When Chris Columbus learned from his agent that at least 25 other directors wanted to direct Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, he asked for his meeting to be scheduled last so he could leave a lasting impression and be the studio's freshest memory.
- #014
Chris Columbus wrote a 130-page director's version of the screenplay for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone during two weeks of waiting, to explain his vision for the film's tone.
- #015
Chris Columbus delivered an impassioned 45-minute talk and presented his annotated script to Warner Bros. executives, including Alan F. Horn, on the day of their meeting.
- #016
Chris Columbus pitched his vision for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to J. K. Rowling and David Heyman in Scotland for two hours, saying he wanted the Muggle scenes to be bleak and dreary while the wizarding world scenes were steeped in color, mood and detail.
- #017
For Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chris Columbus drew inspiration from David Lean's adaptations of Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948), as well as the colour designs of Oliver! (1968) and The Godfather (1972), and turned down the chance to direct Spider-Man (2002) in order to make the film.
- #018
Steve Kloves, who often received synopses of proposed Warner Bros. adaptations that he almost never read, bought the Harry Potter book after it caught his attention and quickly became a fan of the series.
- #019
In talks with Warner Bros., Steve Kloves insisted that the Harry Potter film be British and remain true to the characters.
- #020
J. K. Rowling recalled being prepared to dislike Steve Kloves, but warmed to him when he named Hermione as his favourite character at their first meeting; she received a large amount of creative control, which director Chris Columbus did not mind.
- #021
Warner Bros. originally intended to release Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone over the 4 July 2001 weekend, but the production window was so short that several proposed directors withdrew from consideration. The release date was moved back to 16 November 2001 because of the time constraints.
- #022
Susie Figgis was appointed casting director for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, working with Chris Columbus and J. K. Rowling to audition the lead roles of Harry, Ron and Hermione.
- #023
Open casting calls for the three main roles in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone considered only British children. Auditions were held in three parts: reading a page from the novel, improvising the students' arrival at Hogwarts, and reading script pages in front of Chris Columbus.
- #024
By August 2000, Alan Rickman and Richard Harris had entered final talks to play Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and both were confirmed later that month.
- #025
Tim Roth was the first choice to play Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but he declined the part in favour of Planet of the Apes (2001).
- #026
Sean Connery and Christopher Lee were both offered the role of Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and both turned it down; Lee instead took a part in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).
- #027
Patrick McGoohan was also offered the role of Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which he declined for health reasons.
- #028
Maggie Smith was cast as Minerva McGonagall and Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid on 14 August 2000.
- #029
According to Figgis, Robin Williams wanted the part of Hagrid but was rejected because Chris Columbus insisted on casting only British and Irish actors.
- #030
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson were chosen on 21 August 2000 to play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; Grint and Watson were newcomers at the time.
- #031
According to Chris Columbus, the part of Harry Potter was the most difficult to cast in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, with hundreds of young performers auditioning.
- #032
Liam Aiken was reported as a frontrunner for Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone after working with Chris Columbus on Stepmom (1998), but J. K. Rowling insisted on British actors and called Columbus to confirm Aiken would not be cast; Gabriel Thomson was also initially reported as having won the role, which proved untrue once Radcliffe was cast.
- #033
Hatty Jones, the title star of Madeline (1998), was considered for Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and auditioned alongside Emma Watson, but was later judged to have outgrown the part.
- #034
Katy B was among those who auditioned for Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
- #035
Thomas Brodie-Sangster auditioned for the role of Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
- #036
Freddie Boath had been set to audition for a role in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone but chose instead to appear in The Mummy Returns (2001).
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