Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first instalment in Harry Potter film series, one of the best of all. It was initially released in 2001, two years after Warner Bros acquired the book rights for one million pounds sterling from the talented J.K. Rowling. It is the second highest-grossing Harry Potter film to date.
Harry Potter – The Beginnings
The story of the book publishing is an adventure itself. Joanne Kathleen Rowling says in an interview (one of her rares interviews) how she came up with Harry Potter: I was going on a train from Manchester to London and I was looking out of the window at some cows, I believe and I just thought: “Boy doesn’t know he’s a wizard – goes off to wizard school.” I have no idea where it came from. I think the idea was floating along the train and looking for someone and my mind was vacant enough so it decided to zoom in there.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – Hogwarts friends: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
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After some more time (she spent six years on this book alone), in 1995, she finished the manuscript and a literary agency based on Fulham, England, accepted to represent Rowling and take the 10%. They have approached twelve publishing houses which rejected the manuscript with no further consideration. The thirteenth, Bloomsbury, accepted the book and finally paid an advance of £1,500. She was lucky this time. The eight years old Bloomsbury’s chairman’s daughter, Alice, was given the first chapter to review, and she immediately demanded more, saying that it was “so much better than anything else…”
“Jo” Rowling claimed that she didn’t have much power those days, so, in 1998 she accepted more than one hundred thousand US Dollars for the rights of publishing the book in United States, but under the title “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”. The book won several prizes, and sold a lot more than the initial 1,000 first edition UK prints.
After Warner Bros bought the rights, they started production in 2000. Steven Spielberg and Rob Reiner were considered to direct the movie, but Home Alone‘s director Chris Columbus eventually won. Steve Kloves has been designated to write the script. J.K. Rowling insisted that the entire cast to be British and Irish.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – Cast
Daniel Radcliffe was chosen as “Harry Potter”, the bespectacled black haired scrawny boy. Both Columbus and Rowling said that they saw the perfect character in him from the beginning. Susie Figgis, the casting director resigned after this “direct” choosing, sensing that her role as a top figure looking after the ideal fit among thousands of others has not been fulfilled.
The film’s (and the book’s) story is about a boy who find that he is a wizard and he’s sent to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when he reached eleven years old. He was an orphan living in a cupboard like room under a staircase in his uncle’s house. I don’t want to say more, because most of you already watched the movie and read the book.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – poster
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Now, let’s continue with the cast:
Rupert Grint is “Ron Weasley”, Harry’s ginger friend at Hogwarts.
Emma Watson is “Hermione Granger”, Harry’s other friend and the trio’s brains. Unfortunately, she auditioned five times for the part, and only her agents’ persistence and her confidence primed in her outperforming another thousand applying girls.
Robbie Coltrane is “Rubeus Hagrid”, a half-giant and Hogwarts’ Groundskeeper. He was chosen by J.K. Rowling despite that Robin Williams was considered for the part.
Richard Harris as “Albus Dumbledore”, Hogwarts’ Headmaster. He initially rejected the role, only to reverse his decision after his granddaughter said she would never speak to him again if he did not take it. Good girl.
John Hurt is “Mr. Ollivander”, the owner of Ollivanders, the wand producers in the wizarding world since immemorial times.
Alan Rickman is “Severus Snape”, the Potions Master and head of Hogwarts’ Slytherin House. Tim Roth was the original choice for the role, and Rickman’s luck came after Roth turned it down.
Fiona Shaw as Harry’s Muggle aunt. “Muggle” means “without magic powers”, an outsider to these supernatural creatures.
Maggie Smith is “Minerva McGonagall”, the Deputy Headmistress, head of Gryffindor and transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts. Smith was another personal choice of Mrs. Rowling.
Julie Walters as “Molly Weasley”, who is Ron’s mother. Rosie O’Donnell wanted the role, but she’s American.
Doesn’t matter that it’s still in 2D, take your kids and go to watch it!
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