Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 2001

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (also known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States, India and the Philippines) is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and written by Steve Kloves, based on the 1997 novel by J. K. Rowling. It is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series, and stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, with Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger. The film follows Harry's first year at Hogwarts as he discovers that he is a famous wizard and begins his formal wizarding education. Warner Bros. Pictures bought the film rights to the book in 1999 for a reported £1 million ($1.65 million). Production began in the United Kingdom in 2000, with Columbus being chosen to helm the film from a short list of directors that included Steven Spielberg and Rob Reiner. Rowling insisted that the entire cast be British and Irish, with the three leads chosen in August 2000 following open casting calls.