Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
- To accurately portray their role in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Daniel Radcliffe spent weeks conducting hands-on research and rehearsing directly with director Chris Columbus.
- Despite initial studio skepticism, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone went on to gross over $1,026,000,000 worldwide.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus, based on J.K. Rowling's bestselling 1997 novel of the same name. The film introduces audiences to Harry Potter, an orphaned boy who discovers on his eleventh birthday that he is a wizard and has been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
At Hogwarts, Harry makes his first true friends in Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and uncovers a plot involving the legendary Philosopher's Stone that links to the dark wizard who murdered his parents. The production was a massive undertaking, with Warner Bros. conducting one of the largest casting searches in film history to find unknown child actors Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson for the lead roles. The supporting cast assembled some of Britain's finest actors, including Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Richard Harris, and Robbie Coltrane.
Filmed primarily at Leavesden Studios and various locations across England, the production design brought Rowling's magical world to vivid life. The film earned $975 million worldwide, launching an eight-film franchise that would span a decade and become the third highest-grossing film series of all time. John Williams composed the iconic Hedwig's Theme, which became synonymous with the entire Wizarding World franchise.





