The children later find out that Fluffy is guarding the philosopher's stone, an object that has the power to turn any metal into gold and produce a potion that grants immortality. She is attacked by a marauding troll, but Harry and Ron save her, befriending her in the process. Ron then insults Hermione after being embarrassed by her in a Charms lesson, causing Hermione to lock herself in the girls' bathroom. The three discover a giant three-headed dog named Fluffy in a restricted area of the school. On their way to their common room one night, the staircases change paths, leading Harry, Ron, and Hermione to the forbidden floor of Hogwarts. After recovering the Remembrall of Gryffindor student Neville Longbottom, Harry is recruited for Gryffindor's Quidditch team as a Seeker, an extraordinarily rare feat for first year students. Although the Sorting Hat considers putting Harry in Slytherin with Draco, he is placed into Gryffindor alongside Ron and Hermione.Īt Hogwarts, Harry begins learning magic spells and discovers more about his past and parents. After arriving at school, the students assemble in the Great Hall, where all the first-years are sorted by the Sorting Hat among four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Harry enters King's Cross station to board a train to Hogwarts, and shortly after beginning his journey, he meets three other students: Ron Weasley, whom he quickly befriends Hermione Granger, an intelligent witch born to non-magical Muggle parents and Draco Malfoy, a boy from a wealthy wizarding family, with whom he immediately forms a rivalry. Harry, the only survivor in the chaos, thus becomes well-known in the wizarding world as "The Boy Who Lived". After taking Harry to Diagon Alley to buy his supplies for Hogwarts and a pet owl named Hedwig as a birthday present, Hagrid informs him of his past: Harry's parents, James and Lily Potter, died due to a Killing Curse at the hands of the malevolent and powerful wizard Lord Voldemort. After he and the Dursleys flee to an island to avoid more letters, Hagrid re-appears and informs Harry that he is a wizard and has been accepted into Hogwarts against the Dursleys' wishes. After inadvertently causing an incident during a family trip to London Zoo, Harry begins receiving unsolicited letters by owls. Ten years later, Harry is living a difficult life with the Dursleys. Late one night, Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall, professors at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, along with the school's groundskeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, deliver a recently orphaned infant named Harry Potter to his only remaining relatives, the Dursleys. It was followed by seven sequels, beginning with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in 2002 and ending with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in 2011, nearly ten years after the first film's release. The film was nominated for many awards, including Academy Awards for Best Original Score, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. It became the highest-grossing film of 2001 and the second-highest-grossing film at the time. It became a critical and commercial success, grossing $974 million at the box office worldwide during its initial run, and over $1 billion with subsequent re-releases. It opened on 16 November in the United States, Canada and Taiwan as well as officially in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The film was released to cinemas in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 10 and 11 November 2001 for two days of previews. The film was shot at Leavesden Film Studios and historic buildings around the United Kingdom, from September 2000 to March 2001.
Rowling insisted that the entire cast be British and Irish, with the three leads chosen in August 2000 following open casting calls. Production began in the United Kingdom in 2000, with Chris Columbus being chosen to create the film from a shortlist of directors that included Steven Spielberg and Rob Reiner. bought the film rights to the book in 1999 for a reported £1 million ($1.65 million). Its story follows Harry's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as he discovers that he is a famous wizard and begins his formal wizarding education. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, with Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger. Produced by David Heyman and screenplay by Steve Kloves, it is the first instalment of the Harry Potter film series. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (released in the United States, India and the Philippines as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) is a 2001 British-American fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and distributed by Warner Bros.