Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)

Chris Columbus's 2001 film that launched the series, with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and written by Steve Kloves, adapted from J. K. Rowling's 1997 novel. The first instalment of the Harry Potter film series, it stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, and follows Harry's first year at Hogwarts.

In the United States, India and the Philippines it was released as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Quick Facts

Director: Chris Columbus
Producer: David Heyman
Screenplay: Steve Kloves
Based on: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J. K. Rowling
Music: John Williams
Cinematography: John Seale
Editing: Richard Francis-Bruce
Released: 4 November 2001, Odeon Leicester Square, 16 November 2001, United Kingdom and United States

Facts from the source article.

Background

Warner Bros. bought the film rights to the book in 1999 for a reported £1 million. Columbus was chosen from a short list of directors that included Steven Spielberg and Rob Reiner, and Rowling insisted the whole cast be British and Irish. The three leads were picked in August 2000 after open casting calls, and filming ran from September 2000 to March 2001 at Leavesden Film Studios and historic buildings around the United Kingdom.

The film premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on 4 November 2001 and opened on 16 November in the UK and the US. Against a $125 million budget it grossed $974 million in its first run and passed $1 billion with later re-releases, making it the highest-grossing film of 2001.

It earned Academy Award nominations for Best Original Score, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design, and seven sequels followed, from Chamber of Secrets in 2002 to Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in 2011.