First ‘Harry Potter’ Film Turns 20
Director Chris Columbus re ects on adapting the magical book series into a blockbuster franchise
More than two decades ago, “Harry Potter” mania was at an all-time high. The fervor that surrounded J.K. Rowling’s fantasy novel about a bespectacled boy who finds out he’s a famous wizard translated to stratospheric expectations for “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” the first movie adaptation of the beloved series.
The film, which opened on Nov. , , became a box office sensation, paving the way for one of the most successful franthat chises in movie history and turning then-unknown stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint into household names. On the occasion of the film’s th anniversary, director Chris Columbus spoke to Variety about bringing the fantastical world to life.
• Given the popularity of the books, did you feel pressure making the first “Harry Potter” movie? I had every expectation that I would probably be fired within the first two weeks. I was very, I don’t want to say anxious, but aware of the fact that if I screw this up, I probably will never work again. I would have millions of fans at my door just infuriated. Aside from Warner Bros. hiring me, I still had to meet with Jo Rowling. She had the final say. We talked for about two and a half, maybe three hours, to explain my vision for the film. She didn’t say much. Then when I finished, she said, “I see the film exactly the same way.” I thought, ‘Oh, my God, I’ve got it.’ That was a moment of pure elation, followed quickly by sheer panic.
• What was it like working with young actors? In the first film, there was not a lot of professional experience between the three leads. I could only really shoot, for the first three months, a close-up of one of the actors before they would lose concentration. The first couple of weeks, all the kids were so excited to be part of the “Harry Potter” film, they were basically just smiling into the cameras. I couldn’t get them to stop smiling, and it really became an exercise and acting class for me as a director.
• What was the hardest scene to film? They were all tricky. Quidditch comes to mind, but it was a lot of green-screen work. was a situation where the kids couldn’t see anything; they had nothing tangible to work with. I basically became the fourth actor in the movie because a lot of these situations, there’s nothing there for them. For me, it was kind of a workout.
• “You’re a wizard, Harry” is one of the most memorable lines. Was there conversation about Hagrid’s delivery? Not really. I had the fortune of working with probably the greatest British cast in a long time: Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris and Maggie Smith. They understood their characters immediately because everyone had read the books. When you’re working with British actors, there’s the sense of high professionalism. You get a lot of American stars who are complaining that their trailer isn’t as big as someone else’s. So Robbie Coltrane delivering the line “You’re a wizard, Harry,” he got it on the first take.
• It’s pretty long for a kid’s movie. Did you get any pushback from the studio? Not at all. It was nearly three hours long [when] we did the focus group, and all the parents said the film is too long, and all the kids said, “It’s too short. Where’s this scene?” I knew it was working when I saw kids sprinting to go to the bathroom and sprinting back because they didn’t want to miss anything.
• There’s already a prequel series with “Fantastic Beasts,” but do you think there will be more movies in the “Harry Potter” franchise? Oh God, yeah. I would love to direct “Cursed Child.” It’s a great play, and the kids are the right age to play those roles. It’s a small fantasy of mine.