Warner Bros. Pictures bought thefilm 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 includedSteven Spielberg andRob Reiner. Rowling insisted that the entire cast be British and Irish, with the three leads chosen in August 2000 following open casting calls. Filming took place atLeavesden Film Studios and historic buildings around the United Kingdom from September 2000 to March 2001.
Orphaned 11-year-old Harry Potter grows up believing he is an ordinary boy until he learns from Rubeus Hagrid that he is a wizard who has been accepted to study at Hogwarts School. Befriending Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry learns that the philosopher's stone is being hidden within the school and that somebody is trying to steal it. To prove his bravery, Harry must work with his friends to prevent the theft of the stone which could result in the emergence of the dark wizard who murdered his parents.
Orphaned as a baby,Harry Potter is entrusted to his only living relatives,the Dursley family, byProfessor Albus Dumbledore,Professor Minerva McGonagall, and gamekeeperRubeus Hagrid fromHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Dursleys keep Harry unaware of magic until his eleventh birthday approaches, when their home is flooded with letters addressed to Harry, informing him he has been accepted to study magic at Hogwarts. When the Dursleys intercept the letters, Hagrid is sent to confirm that Harry is a wizard. Harry subsequently purchases school supplies with Hagrid atDiagon Alley, where he learns he is celebrated for surviving thedark wizardLord Voldemort, who seemingly perished after murderingHarry's parents and left him with only a scar.
Harry journeys to Hogwarts aboard theHogwarts Express, where he meetsRon Weasley andHermione Granger. Upon arrival, the first-year students are sorted into four houses: Harry, Ron, and Hermione joinGryffindor, while the haughtyDraco Malfoy goes toSlytherin, known for producing dark wizards. As they begin learning about magic and exploring Hogwarts, the three accidentally wander onto a forbidden corridor on the third floor, guarded by a giantthree-headed dog named Fluffy; they subsequently question what it could be guarding.
While Harry and Ron become friends, Hermione's studious ways ostracise her from the other students. After Ron insults her, she retreats to the girls' toilets at the same time amountain troll is found loose in the school. Harry and Ron rescue her from the troll and, when the teachers find them, Hermione takes the blame by saying she went looking for the troll, affirming the three's friendship; at the same time, Harry notices potions professorSeverus Snape has sustained an injury. At his first flying lesson, Harry displays such impressive flying skills that McGonagall makes him Seeker for the GryffindorQuidditch team; during his first match, Ron and Hermione act when they see Snape appearing to jinx Harry's broomstick. Snape's actions lead Harry to suspect him of trying to get into the third-floor corridor, which Hagrid dismisses, unintentionally revealing Fluffy is guarding something known only to Dumbledore andNicholas Flamel.
Harry and Ron spendChristmas together at Hogwarts, where Harry receives aCloak of Invisibility and discovers theMirror of Erised, which displays one's deepest desire. When Hermione returns, she informs the boys that Nicholas Flamel is the creator of thePhilosopher's Stone, which can grant users immortality, and determines that this is what is being kept on the third floor. When Harry later encounters someone in the forest surrounding the school feeding on aunicorn, which thecentaur Firenze informs him can keep a person alive, Harry deduces that it was Voldemort and that Snape wants to use the Philosopher's Stone to revive him.
When Dumbledore is summoned toLondon, the three suspect Snape will attempt to steal the stone and decide to stop him. Sneaking onto the third floor, they get past Fluffy and face further defences of a strangling plant, flying keys, and a giant, enchanted chessboard, which leaves Ron incapacitated. Hermione tends to him, leaving Harry alone to confront the intruder, which turns out to be timidProfessor Quirrell, whom Snape had been investigating all year while protecting Harry. Harry is granted the Stone by the final defence, the Mirror of Erised, by virtue of not desiring it. Quirrell reveals Voldemort's weakened form on the back of his head, and they attempt to persuade Harry to hand it over. When Harry refuses, Voldemort orders Quirrell to kill him, but Harry's touch incinerates Quirrell's body, from which Voldemort's soul escapes.
Harry wakes up in the hospital wing, where Dumbledore explains that the Stone has been destroyed, and that Harry has twice overcome Voldemort owing tohis mother's sacrifice, which repels harmful magic through him. As the school year ends, Harry, Ron, Hermione, andNeville Longbottom earn house points for their heroism, enabling Gryffindor to win the House Cup despite Slytherin's lead. As the summer nears, Harry is happy to have found a real home at Hogwarts.
Daniel Radcliffe asHarry Potter: An 11-year-old orphan living with his unwelcoming aunt, uncle, and cousin, who learns of his own fame as awizard known to have survived his parents' murder at the hands of the dark wizard Lord Voldemort as an infant when he is accepted toHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Columbus had wanted Radcliffe for the role since he saw him in theBBC's production ofDavid Copperfield before the open casting sessions had taken place but had been told by casting director Susan Figgis that Radcliffe's protective parents would not allow their son to take part in fear of him not going to have a normal childhood.[6][7] Columbus explained that his persistence in giving Radcliffe the role was responsible for Figgis' resignation.[6] Radcliffe was asked to audition in 2000 when Heyman and Kloves met him and his parents at a production ofStones in His Pockets in London.[8] Heyman and Columbus successfully managed to convince Radcliffe's parents that their son would be protected from media intrusion. They agreed to let him play Harry.[6] Rowling approved of Radcliffe's casting, stating that "having seen [his] screen test I don't think Chris Columbus could have found a better Harry."[9] Radcliffe was reportedly paid £1 million for the film, although he felt the fee was "not that important" to him.[10] The Saunders triplets appear as Harry as a baby.[11]
Rupert Grint asRon Weasley: Harry's best friend at Hogwarts and a younger member of the Weasley wizarding family. A fan of the series, Grint decided he would be perfect for the part "because [he has] ginger hair".[10] Having seen aNewsround report about the open casting he sent in a video of himself rapping about how he wished to receive the part. His attempt was successful as the casting team asked for a meeting with him.[10]
Emma Watson asHermione Granger: Harry's other best friend and the trio's brains. Watson'sOxford theatre teacher passed her name on to the casting agents and she had to do over five interviews before she got the part.[12] Watson took her audition seriously, but "never really thought [she] had any chance of getting the role."[10] The producers were impressed by Watson's self-confidence and she outperformed the thousands of other girls who had applied.[13]
Robbie Coltrane asRubeus Hagrid: A half-giant and Hogwarts'gamekeeper. Coltrane was one of the two actors Rowling wanted most, along with Smith as McGonagall.[15][16] Coltrane, who was already a fan of the books, prepared for the role by discussing Hagrid's past and future with Rowling.[17][18]
Richard Harris asAlbus Dumbledore: Hogwarts' Headmaster and one of the most famous and powerful wizards of all time. Harris initially rejected the role, only to reverse his decision after his granddaughter stated she would never speak to him again if he did not take it.[22][23][24]
Maggie Smith asMinerva McGonagall: The Deputy Headmistress, head of Gryffindor and transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts. Smith was one of the two actors Rowling wanted most, along with Coltrane as Hagrid.[15]
In 1997, producerDavid Heyman searched for a children's book that could be adapted into a well-received film.[41] He had planned to produceDiana Wynne Jones' novelThe Ogre Downstairs, but his plans fell through. His staff atHeyday Films then suggestedHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which his assistant believed was "a cool idea."[41] Heymanpitched the idea toWarner Bros.[42] and in 1999, Rowling sold the company the rights to the first fourHarry Potter books for a reported £1million.[43] A demand Rowling made was for Heyman to keep the cast strictly British and Irish; the latter's case hasRichard Harris asAlbus Dumbledore andFiona Shaw as Petunia Dursley, and not to cast foreign actors unless absolutely necessary, like casting of French and Eastern European actors inHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) where characters from the book are specified as such.[44] Rowling was hesitant to sell the rights because she "didn't want to give them control over the rest of the story" by selling the rights to the characters, which would have enabled Warner Bros. to make non-author-written sequels.[45]
AlthoughSteven Spielberg initially negotiated to direct the film, he declined the offer.[46] Spielberg reportedly wanted the adaptation to be ananimated film, with American actorHaley Joel Osment to provide Harry Potter's voice,[47] or a film that incorporated elements from subsequent books as well.[48] Spielberg contended that, in his opinion, it was like "shooting ducks in a barrel. It's just aslam dunk. It's just like withdrawing a billion dollars and putting it into your personal bank accounts. There's no challenge".[49] Rowling maintains that she had no role in choosing directors for the films and that "[a]nyone who thinks I could (or would) have 'veto-ed' [sic] him [Spielberg] needs theirQuick-Quotes Quill serviced".[50] Heyman recalled that Spielberg decided to directA.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) instead.[48] In a 2023 interview, Spielberg stated that he turned down the project so he could spend time with his family.[51]
"Harry Potter is the kind of timeless literary achievement that comes around once in a lifetime. Since the books have generated such a passionate following across the world, it was important to us to find a director that has an affinity for both children and magic. I can't think of anyone more ideally suited for this job than Chris."
Rowling's first choice director was Gilliam,[59] but Warner Bros. chose Columbus, citing his work on other family films such asHome Alone (1990) andMrs. Doubtfire (1993) as influences for their decision.[52] Columbus had become a fan of the book series after his daughter persuaded him to read the first three books, leading him to call his agent to arrange a meeting at Warner Bros. to direct the film. When his agent told him that at least 25 other directors were eager to helm the project, Columbus requested his agent to secure his meeting to be the last one so he could give a "lasting impression" and be the studio's "freshest person in their memory".
During two weeks of waiting, Columbus wrote a 130-page director's version of the screenplay to explain his vision for the film's tone. The day of his meeting with Warner Bros. executives includingAlan F. Horn, Columbus delivered an "impassioned 45-minute talk" and showed them his annotated script. Weeks later, the studio notified Columbus that he had got the job and sent him to Scotland to meet with Rowling and Heyman.[60] Columbus pitched his vision of the film for two hours, stating that he wanted the Muggle scenes "to be bleak and dreary" but those set in the wizarding world "to be steeped in color, mood, and detail." He took inspiration fromDavid Lean's adaptations ofGreat Expectations (1946) andOliver Twist (1948), wishing to use "that sort of darkness, that sort of edge, that quality to the cinematography," while being further inspired by the colour designs fromOliver! (1968) andThe Godfather (1972).[48]
Steve Kloves was selected to write the screenplay. He described adapting the book as "tough", as it did not "lend itself to adaptation as well as the next two books".[61] Kloves often received synopses of books proposed as film adaptations from Warner Bros., which he "almost never read", butHarry Potter jumped out at him.[42] He went out and bought the book, and became an instant fan of the series.[61] When speaking to Warner Bros., he stated that the film had to be British, and had to be true to the characters.[61] Kloves was nervous when he first met Rowling as he did not want her to think he was going to "[destroy] her baby".[42] Rowling admitted that she "was really ready to hate this Steve Kloves," but recalled her initial meeting with him: "The first time I met him, he said to me, 'You know who my favourite character is?' And I thought, You're gonna say Ron. I know you're gonna say Ron. But he said 'Hermione.' And I just kind of melted".[42] Rowling received a large amount of creative control, an arrangement that Columbus did not mind.
Warner Bros. had initially planned to release the film over 4 July 2001 weekend, making for such a short production window that several proposed directors pulled themselves out of the running. Due to time constraints, the date was put back to 16 November 2001.[62]
To maintain the British authenticity of the films and keep them faithful to the books, Rowling demanded for an "all-British and Irish cast".[44] Susie Figgis was appointed as casting director, working with both Columbus and Rowling in auditioning the lead roles of Harry, Ron and Hermione.[63] Open casting calls were held for the main three roles,[64] with only British children being considered.[65] The principal auditions took place in three parts, with those auditioning having to read a page from the novel, then to improvise a scene of the students' arrival at Hogwarts, and finally to read several pages from the script in front of Columbus.[65] Scenes from Columbus' script forYoung Sherlock Holmes (1985) were also used in auditions.[66] On 11 July 2000, Figgis left the production, complaining that Columbus did not consider any of the thousands of children they had auditioned "worthy".[66] She ended up quitting over disagreements with Columbus over who should play the titular character, as Columbus wanted to cast Americans for Harry and the other roles, with rumors that Columbus was thinking on casting Joel Osment orJake Lloyd fromStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) to play Harry.[67]
On 14 August 2000, Rowling's favouritesMaggie Smith andRobbie Coltrane were cast asMinerva McGonagall andRubeus Hagrid. According to Figgis,Robin Williams was interested in playing the role of Hagrid, but was turned down for the role because of the "strictly British and Irish actors only" rule which Columbus was determined to maintain.[16][72][15]
On 21 August 2000,Daniel Radcliffe and newcomersRupert Grint andEmma Watson were selected to play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, respectively.[73][74] According to Columbus, Harry was the hardest role to cast.[75] Hundreds of young stars auditioned for Harry, includingLiam Aiken,[76]Jamie Campbell Bower (who was later cast as a youngGellert Grindelwald inDeathly Hallows Part 1),[77]Tom Felton (who also auditioned for Ron, and was later cast asDraco Malfoy),[78]Nicholas Hoult,[79]William Moseley,[80] andJack Whitehall.[81] Aiken was reported as being a frontrunner for the role, having worked with Columbus on the filmStepmom (1998). However, Rowling was firm on her British actors only rule, and even called Columbus to confirm that Aiken would not be cast.[82]Gabriel Thomson was also initially reported as having been given the role, though this would be proven untrue upon the casting of Radcliffe.[74]
Hatty Jones, who starred in the title role inMadeline (1998), was considered for the role of Hermione Granger and had auditioned alongside Watson; she was later deemed outgrown.[83]Katy B also auditioned for Hermione,[84] withThomas Brodie-Sangster auditioning for the role of Ron.[85]Freddie Boath had been due to audition for a role in the film, but opted instead to star inThe Mummy Returns (2001).[86]
Two British film industry officials requested that the film be shot in the United Kingdom, offering their assistance in securing filming locations, the use ofLeavesden Film Studios, as well as changing the UK's child labour laws (adding a small number of working hours per week and making the timing of on-set classes more flexible).[48] Warner Bros. accepted their proposal.
Filming for Privet Drive took place on Picket Post Close inBracknell, Berkshire.[97] Filming in the street took two days instead of the planned single day, so payments to the street's residents were correspondingly increased.[97] For all the subsequent film's scenes set in Privet Drive, filming took place on a constructed set in Leavesden Film Studios, which proved to be cheaper than filming on location.[100] London'sAustralia House was selected as the location forGringotts Wizarding Bank,[6] whileChrist Church, Oxford, was the location for the Hogwarts trophy room.[37]London Zoo's Reptile House was used as the location for the scene in which Harry accidentally sets a snake on Dudley,[37] withKing's Cross Station also being used as the book specifies.[101] Filming concluded on 23 March 2001, with final work being done in July 2001.[53][102][92]
The store in London used as the exterior of The Leaky Cauldron.
Because the American title was different, all scenes that mention the philosopher's stone by name had to be shot twice, once with the actors saying "philosopher's" and once with "sorcerer's".[53] The children filmed for four hours and then did three hours of schoolwork. They developed a liking for fake facial injuries from the makeup staff. Radcliffe was initially meant to wear green contact lenses as his eyes are blue, and not green like Harry's, but the lenses gave Radcliffe extreme irritation. Upon consultation with Rowling, it was agreed that Harry could have blue eyes.[103][104] Radcliffe said that the first time he put on the glasses it set off his allergies.[105]
Columbus said the film had a lot of cuts and was filmed with multiple cameras because he had trouble getting the young cast to "stop smiling" into the camera.[106][107]
Judianna Makovsky served as the costume designer. She re-designed the Quidditch robes, having initially planned to use those shown on the cover of the American book, but deemed them "a mess". Instead, she dressed the Quidditch players in "preppie sweaters, 19th-century fencing breeches and arm guards".[111] Production designerStuart Craig built the sets at Leavesden Studios, including Hogwarts Great Hall, basing it on many English cathedrals. Although originally asked to use an existing old street to film theDiagon Alley scenes, Craig decided to build his own set, comprisingTudor,Georgian andQueen Anne architecture.[111]
Columbus originally planned to use both animatronics and CGI animation to create the magical creatures, including Fluffy.[63] Nick Dudman, who worked onStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, was given the task of creating the needed prosthetics, withJim Henson's Creature Shop providing creature effects.[112] John Coppinger stated that the magical creatures that needed to be created had to be designed multiple times.[113] The film features nearly 600 special effects shots, involving numerous companies.Industrial Light & Magic created Lord Voldemort's face on the back of Quirrell,Rhythm & Hues animatedNorbert (Hagrid's baby dragon); andSony Pictures Imageworks produced theQuidditch scenes,[114] as well as the effects for the mountain troll, with actorMichael Q. Schmidt serving as reference for the troll's body.[115]
James Horner was initially sought to compose the score, but declined the opportunity.[116] Having previously collaborated with Columbus on theHome Alone films andStepmom,John Williams was selected to compose the score in August 2000.[117] Williams composed the score at his homes in Los Angeles andTanglewood before recording it in London in September 2001. One of the main themes is entitled "Hedwig's Theme"; Williams retained it for his finished score as "everyone seemed to like it," and it became a recurring theme throughout the series.[118]
Columbus repeatedly checked with Rowling to make sure he was getting minor details correct.[112] Kloves described the film as being "really faithful" to the book. He added dialogue, of which Rowling approved. One of the lines originally included had to be removed after Rowling told him that it would directly contradict an event in the then-unreleased fifthHarry Potter novelHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.[119]
Several minor characters were removed from the film version, most prominentlyPeeves the poltergeist.Rik Mayall was cast, but his scenes were cut and never released. The book's first chapter, told from the viewpoint of Vernon and Petunia Dursley, is absent from the film. Harry and Draco's first encounter inMadam Malkin's robe shop and the midnight duel are not in the film. In the film, the responsibility of takingNorbert away is given to Dumbledore, while in the book, Harry and Hermione have to bring him by hand toCharlie Weasley's friends.[120] This necessitated a change in the detention plotline: in the book, Filch catches Harry and Hermione leaving the Astronomy Tower and puts them in detention with Neville and Malfoy, while in the film, all three protagonists receive detention after Malfoy finds them in Hagrid's hut after hours.[120] According to Kloves, this was "the one part of the book that [Rowling] felt easily could be changed".[111] TheQuidditch pitch is altered from a traditional stadium to an open field circled by spectator towers.[111]
The book's timeline is not enforced in the film. In the book, Harry's eleventh birthday is in 1991.[121] On the film set for4 Privet Drive, Dudley's certificates from primary school bear the year 2001.[122]
The first teaser poster of the film was released on 1 December 2000.[123] The first teaser trailer was released via satellite on 2 March 2001 and debuted in cinemas with the release ofSee Spot Run.[124] Avideo game based on the film was released on 15 November 2001 byElectronic Arts for several consoles.[118] Aport for the game, for theGameCube,PlayStation 2, andXbox, was released in 2003.[125]Mattel won the rights to produce toys based on the film, to be sold exclusively through Warner Bros. stores.[126]Hasbro also produced products, including confectionery products based on those from the series.[127] Warner Bros. signed a deal worth US$150million withCoca-Cola to promote the film,[101] although some pegged the deal at $40 million-$50 million worldwide for the movie.[128]Lego produced aseries of sets based on buildings and scenes from the film, as well as aLego Creator video game.[129]
The film had previews in the United Kingdom on 1,137 screens at 491 theatres on 10 and 11 November 2001.[131] It officially opened on 16 November 2001 on 1,168 screens at 507 theatres in the United Kingdom and Ireland; in 3,672 theatres in the United States and Canada. It was thewidest release at the time in the United Kingdom and the United States.[132][133]
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was first released onVHS andDVD on 11 May 2002 in the United Kingdom[134] and 28 May 2002 in the United States.[135] Between May and June 2002, the film sold 10million copies, almost 60% of which were DVD sales.[136] It would go on to make $19.1 million in rentals, surpassingThe Fast and the Furious for having the largest DVD rentals.[137] This record was surpassed byThe Bourne Identity in January 2003.[138]
In December 2009, a 4-disc "Ultimate Edition" was released, with seven minutes of deleted scenes added back in, the feature-length specialCreating the World of Harry Potter Part 1: The Magic Begins, and a 48-page hardcover booklet.[139] The extended version has a running time of about 159 minutes, which had previously been shown during certain television airings.[140] The film was re-released on DVD as part of the 8-discHarry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection in November 2011,[141] and onBlu-ray as part of the 31-discHogwarts Collection in April 2014.[142] It was released onUHD Blu-ray as part of the 16-discHarry Potter: 8-Film Collection in November 2017.[143]
In the United Kingdom and Ireland,Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone grossed a record single day gross of £3.6million during the first day of previews, beatingToy Story 2's record. It grossed a record £3.1million for a Sunday, bringing its total to £6.7million from the previews.[131][144] It broke the record for the highest-opening weekend ever, both including and excluding previews, making £16.3million with and £9.6million without previews ($13.8 million), setting a further record single day gross on the Saturday with £3.99million.[145][146][144] It set another Sunday record with a gross of £3.6million.[146] It had a record second weekend of £8.4 million.[147][144] It remained atnumber one in the UK for five weeks.[144] The film went on to make £66.1million in the UK alone, making it the country's second-highest-grossing film of all-time (afterTitanic), until it was surpassed byMamma Mia!.[148]
In the United States and Canada, it made $32.3million on its opening day, breaking the single-day record previously held byStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).[149] On the second day of release, the film's gross increased to $33.5million, breaking the record for biggest single day again. It made $90.3million during its first weekend, breaking the record for highest-opening weekend of all time that was previously held byThe Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997).[150] It held the record until the following May whenSpider-Man (2002) made $114.8million in its opening weekend.[151] Plus, the film brokeBatman Forever's record for having the largest opening weekend for aWarner Bros. film.[152] It would hold this record for two years until it was surpassed byThe Matrix Reloaded (2003).[153] Additionally, it shattered other opening records, surpassingMonsters, Inc. for having the biggest November opening weekend,Planet of the Apes for having the largest non-holiday opening weekend, the highest Friday gross and the biggest opening weekend of the year,The Mummy Returns for scoring the highest Saturday gross,Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) for having the highest opening weekend for aChris Columbus film andMission: Impossible 2 (2000) for having the largest number of screenings, playing at 3,672 theaters.[154] In just five days, it became the fastest film to approach the $100million mark.[155] The film grossed $2.3 million in its first two days in Taiwan,[132] giving it a worldwide opening weekend total of $107 million. The film held onto thenumber 1 spot at the US box office for three consecutive weekends before getting overtaken byOcean's Eleven.[156][157][158] The film also had the highest-grossing 5-day (Wednesday-Sunday) Thanksgiving weekend record of $82.4million, holding the title for twelve years until bothThe Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) andFrozen (2013) surpassed it with $110.1million and $94million respectively.[159] By Christmas, it went on to become the highest-grossing film of the year, dethroningShrek.[160]
Similar results were achieved across the world. A week after opening in the United States, the film added 15 additional markets and set an opening week record in Germany, grossing $18.7 million. It also set opening records in Austria, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and German-speaking Switzerland.[147] In the following weekend, after expanding to 31 countries, the film set a record overseas weekend gross of $60.9 million, including record openings in Australia, Greece, Israel, Japan ($12.5 million), New Zealand and Spain.[161] It set another overseas weekend record with $62.3 million from 37 countries the following weekend, including record openings in France, Italy and French-speaking Switzerland.[162] The international opening weekend record would be held until it was given toStar Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) a year later.[163] During its theatrical run, the film earned $974million at the worldwide box office, $317million of that in the US and $657million elsewhere,[5] which made it the second-highest-grossing film in history at the time,[164] as well as the year's highest-grossing film.[165] In addition, it surpassedTwister (1996) to become the highest-grossing Warner Bros. film of all time.[166] It is the second-highest-grossingHarry Potter film afterDeathly Hallows – Part 2.[167]Box Office Mojo estimates that the film sold over 55.9million tickets in the US and Canada.[168]
In August 2020,The Philosopher's Stone was re-released in several countries, including a4K 3D restoration in China,[169] where it earned $26.4million, for a global $1.026billion, making it the second film in the series to surpass the billion-dollar mark, afterDeathly Hallows – Part 2.[5]
OnRotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 80% based on 202 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone adapts its source material faithfully while condensing the novel's overstuffed narrative into an involving – and often downright exciting – big-screen magical caper."[170] OnMetacritic the film has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[171] Audiences surveyed byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[172]
Roger Ebert calledPhilosopher's Stone "a classic," giving the film four out of four stars, and particularly praising the Quidditch scenes' visual effects.[173] Praise was echoed by bothThe Telegraph andEmpire reviewers, with Alan Morrison of the latter naming it the film's "stand-out sequence".[174][175] Brian Linder ofIGN also gave the film a positive review, but concluded that it "isn't perfect, but for me it's a nice supplement to a book series that I love".[32] Although criticising the final half-hour, Jeanne Aufmuth ofPalo Alto Online stated that the film would "enchant even the most cynical of moviegoers."[176]USA Today reviewer Claudia Puig gave the film three out of four stars, especially praising the set design andRobbie Coltrane's portrayal of Hagrid, but criticisedJohn Williams' music, stating the "overly insistent score lacks subtlety and bludgeons us with crescendos", and concluded that "ultimately many of the book's readers may wish for a more magical incarnation."[177]
The sets, design, cinematography, effects and principal cast were all given praise from Kirk Honeycutt ofThe Hollywood Reporter, although he deemed John Williams' score "a great clanging, banging music box that simply will not shut up."[178]Todd McCarthy ofVariety compared the film positively withGone with the Wind and put "The script is faithful, the actors are just right, the sets, costumes, makeup and effects match and sometimes exceed anything one could imagine."[20]Jonathan Foreman of theNew York Post recalled that the film was "remarkably faithful," to its literary counterpart as well as a "consistently entertaining if overlong adaptation."[179]
Richard Corliss, ofTime magazine, considered the film a "by the numbers adaptation," criticising the pace and the "charisma-free" lead actors.[180]CNN's Paul Tatara found that Columbus and Kloves "are so careful to avoid offending anyone by excising a passage from the book, the so-called narrative is more like a jamboree inside Rowling's head."[181] Ed Gonzalez ofSlant Magazine wished that the film had been directed byTim Burton, finding the cinematography "bland and muggy," and the majority of the film a "solidly dull celebration of dribbling goo."[182]Elvis Mitchell ofThe New York Times was highly negative about the film, comparing it to "a theme park that's a few years past its prime; the rides clatter and groan with metal fatigue every time they take a curve." He also said it suffered from "a lack of imagination" and wooden characters, adding, "The Sorting Hat ... has more personality than anything else in the movie."[30]
Excellence in Production Design for a Period or Fantasy Film
Stuart Craig, John King, Neil Lamont, Andrew Ackland-Snow, Peter Francis, Michael Lamont, Simon Lamont, Steve Lawrence, Lucinda Thomson, Stephen Morahan, Dominic Masters, Gary Tomkins
