Seemingly over a lifetime ago, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone set the world on fire back in 2001. It was a crazy new phenomenon that dominated both the box office and pop culture. Much of this came from a lack of anything like it in Hollywood. Like Star Wars decades prior, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone established a franchise that could be the Star Trek-level obsession of a new generation.
Sure, there had been popular book adaptations in the past, but none of them blew up quite like this film. Due to a mix of an already dedicated fanbase, a lack of book-to-screen adaptations that appealed to all ages, and an undeniably interesting concept, this initial film set up the franchise perfectly. It also helped that the movie was legitimately great.
That being said, this film wasn’t an easy project to pull off. Much of its foundation came from a number of first ideas and choices not working out, along with an extensive amount of auditions, interviews, and careful decision-making. After all, if there was even a single difference in the casting or creative team, the series may never have soared to the grand heights it’s reached - and is still striving for, with the Fantastic Beasts prequel series.
These are behind-the-scenes scoops that help give an idea as to how many potential iterations and directions were passed up in favor of what eventually came to be.
Here are 20 Crazy Details Behind The Making Of The First Harry Potter Movie.
J.K. Rowling hand-picked certain cast members
Unsurprisingly, J.K. Rowling had a fair amount of influence throughout the casting process. The creative team wanted to ensure the people chosen fit her standards and would help properly bring her characters to life. This was not the only time she was involved in casting, but when it came to certain essential roles, Rowling already had talent selected.
Specifically, she had already mentally cast the roles of Hagrid, McGonagall, and Snape.
Rowling immediately selected Robbie Coltrane, Dame Maggie Smith, and Alan Rickman to play their respective roles, clearly as a sign of confidence and faith in their ability to make these characters work.
It was almost animated
In 2001, special effects were not the same as modern digital artistry. The options available for CGI were severely limited, so Warner Bros. was undoubtedly concerned about how much was needed for a film centered around magic. This, combined with the fear of child actors growing too fast, led to the studio considering an animated film instead.
Ostensibly, it would remove that risk and allow any effects to be far simpler. However, Rowling pushed hard against the idea, feeling it had to be live-action.
The studio obliged, electing to instead shoot the films back-to-back so that the cast could remain in their roles for every film with no fear of rapid aging.
Daniel Radcliffe had green contacts, but didn’t wear them
It became a joke over the course of the film series among fans whenever a character mentioned that Harry had “His mother’s eyes.” The issue that came with this recurring statement was that Daniel Radcliffe’s eyes were blue, whereas Lily’s were green.
In the book, the two have the same eye color, but in the films, it seemed like they just didn’t pay attention.
However, they did actually try to give Harry his trademark green eyes when they gave Radcliffe color contacts. This quickly fell apart, however, as he was allergic to the lenses, leading to a harsh allergic reaction. The idea was immediately dropped and the “Mother’s eyes” meme would be able to live on.
Several books were almost combined into single movies
Another component of the animated film idea was the option to combine multiple books together. As another representation of the still-uncertain nature of Harry Potter’s future, Warner Bros. considered combining multiple books into one film. Reducing production costs through fewer films seemed to be part of this mentality, but Rowling was not interested.
Can you blame her? Thinking about how rushed so many plot elements and character arcs would be in response to this move immediately puts up several red flags. This would’ve hurt the films substantially, but luckily Rowling was able to stop the idea from coming to fruition.
J.K Rowling turned down the role of Lily Potter
There are authors and directors who, while working on a project, would like the chance to get their time in front of the camera. Whether it serves as some kind of self-recognition or simply a desire to feel closer to the project, it makes perfect sense to take the opportunity if it’s offered.
However, J.K. Rowling isn’t like most, as she was offered the role of Lily Potter but quickly turned it down. Even though it was a non-speaking that mostly involved some waving, she felt that she “Would have messed it up somehow.” The role ended up going to Irish actress Gerald Somerville, who played Lily in each of her on-screen appearances (aside from flashbacks).
Rowling demanded the cast be all British
When it came to the HP books’ British setting and characters, Rowling deemed it an essential component of the stories. In turn, this meant that the author would ensure that British authenticity would continue on-screen, leading to the casting restrictions that cut out any non-Brits.
She likely felt something would feel amiss for both herself and book fans if the films didn’t accurately recreate the source material when possible, and it’s difficult to disagree.
That being said, she did make two exceptions casting-wise: Sir Richard Harris (Dumbledore) and Zoë Wanamaker (Madam Hooch). Harris was Irish and Wanamaker, although American-born, made her name as a British actress.
Mini Me had a cameo
Although Verne Troyer, best known for his work in the Austin Powers franchise, did make an appearance in the film, you likely missed him.
When Harry visits Gringotts for the first time, Troyer makes an appearance as Griphook, the goblin who points Harry in the right direction.
It’s understandable why fans weren’t able to catch this cameo. Although it was Troyer underneath all that make-up and prosthetics, it was Warwick Davis’s voice that ended up being used.
Due to Rowling’s rule of a strictly-British cast, Troyer wasn’t given the opportunity to provide dialogue due to his American roots. It was his only appearance in the series, but it undoubtedly will make you examine that scene more closely in future viewings.
Liam Aiken was initially cast as Harry, but lost the role
Imagining anyone but Daniel Radcliffe in the role of Harry Potter is seemingly impossible, yet he wasn’t always the Boy Who Lived.
Liam Aiken, likely best known for his role as Klaus Baudelaire in 2004’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, was the first to get the job. He had been offered the role by director Chris Columbus, primarily due to Columbus’s experience working with Aiken in the past.
However, Aiken is from the United States, which went against the British only rule. It’s immediately intriguing to think about how things would’ve turned out had Aiken stayed on, but Radcliffe was unquestionably the right person for the role.
David Thewlis almost played Professor Quirrell
Professor Quirrell seems to be something of a rare misstep for the series as he’s easily one of the series’ weaker villains, both in portrayal and in development. If the role had been taken on by another actor who could add something memorable to the role, perhaps he’d be better recognized.
David Thewlis (the future Remus Lupin) was in talks to portray the stuttering professor.
He may have ended up missing out on the role, but in doing so, secured a longer-lasting (and better fitting) role with Professor Lupin in Prisoner of Azkaban. Thewlis likely would’ve done strong work with Quirrell as well, but his portrayal of Lupin ended up being far more valuable to the series.
Rupert Grint sent a rap video as his audition for Ron
Much like the other members of the trio, Rupert Grint always felt perfectly suited to the character of Ron. Even so, that role was a hotly-contested one that many talented young actors, so the actor brainstormed on how he could stand out.
He then decided to send in a rap video that talked about himself and why he deserved the role, leading to his eventual in-person audition that earned him his spot.
Grint has been coy about the audition video, discussing littles bits here and there about the rap, but has never officially released it. Looks like Harry Potter fans will have to hope it leaks someday.
Daniel Radcliffe’s parents rejected the role for him at first
The role of Harry Potter likely was a dream role for many young British boys during the auditioning period. Daniel Radcliffe he was offered the unbelievable opportunity to play the titular lead in a (eventually) massive franchise.
He must’ve said yes right away, right? Funny enough, it was actually his parent’s decision to make, and they initially rejected the offer.
Fearful of how quickly he’d fall behind in school, Radcliffe’s parents didn’t want him to lose out on his education.
They also feared the dangers of media intrusion and what it’d do to their son. Producer David Heyman and Chris Columbus were able to convince his parents once they swore they’d keep young Radcliffe safe from the media.
Emma Watson had 8 auditions before she was cast
Earning the role of Hermione was by no means a straightforward process for Emma Watson. She was the last girl to audition for the role at her school, was forced to take part in multiple auditions, and even had a phone conversation with J.K. Rowling at one point. Clearly everyone wanted to ensure this role went to someone who deserved it, and Watson certainly earned it.
Following the phone call and Watson’s eventual face-to-face meeting with Rowling, Rowling immediately fell in love and knew that she was the right person for the part.
Looking back on how Hermione ended up in each of the films, it’s clear that audiences were able to see what Rowling saw.
Robin Williams requested a role in the film (without pay)
Robbie Coltrane was endlessly charming and undoubtedly perfect for the role of Hagrid, but upon realizing this fact, you begin to question what could’ve been.
Yes, Robin Williams had requested the role of Hagrid during the time of casting, and even offered to do it for free.
However, much like many other potential cast members before him, he was rejected due to his American background. Imagining Williams in the role, he could’ve easily made it work.
Williams had shown a great ability to bounce between comedy and drama throughout his career, and he would’ve certainly brought plenty of personality to the movie.
Peeves was in the movie and was played by Rik Mayall
As an actor, getting your scenes cut has to be a tough experience. You put in all this work to bring your character to life, only for it never to see the light of day. This was Rik Mayall’s experience working on the first HP film.
Playing the role of Peeves, Mayall had a tough time during filming.
His line delivery led to the child actors’ consistent take-ruining laughter.
He delivered lines facing away from the kids, delivered them literally in another room away from the kids, but nothing worked. This, along with uncertainty of his role in the film, led to Peeves being axed.
Mayall had strong opinions but ultimately was happy just to get the paycheck.
Scenes with the main trio were filmed chronologically
With a lack of extensive filming experience between the main trio (it was Rupert Grint and Emma Watson’s movie debut), director Chris Columbus wished to make the filming process as easy as possible for them.
This led to the scenes involving the three of them to (largely) be filmed in chronological order, allowing their acting/development to feel in-sequence rather than out-of-order.
There were only a couple exceptions. The final scene with the trio getting ready to return home was filmed first. The scene involving them arrive at Platform 9 & 3/4 was also filmed early, as it was the only scene that required the train. Anything Quidditch-related was filmed last due to the sheer amount of special effects necessary to make it work.
Spielberg almost directed with Haley Joel Osment as Harry
The concept of Harry Potter as an animated movie actually came from Steven Spielberg, who came quite close to being the film’s director.
He was developing his hypothetical structure of the film using the concept of animation instead of live-action, as well as the combining of several books into one film.
He even chose The Sixth Sense’s Haley Joel Osment to be the voice of Harry. Ultimately, with the studio rejecting the animated idea, Spielberg left the project and took Haley Joel Osment, and the two ended up making 2001’s A.I instead.
A blond, American Harry Potter just doesn’t seem right, no matter how cute Osment was in the ’90s.
Chris Columbus only wanted to cast child actors with stable families
While discussing casting for the child actor roles, director Chris Columbus remarked how he’d pay attention to each child’s relationship with their family as a way of deciding who’d be right for a role.
He reflected on his work on Home Alone and how actor Macaulay Culkin had a problematic relationship with his family, with the fame and success he achieved only seeming to make it worse.
His examination of the actors and their families was his way of ensuring they had a strong support system in place before achieving any kind of fame and fortune.
Some may not agree with this standpoint, but upon examining how well many of the Harry Potter stars turned out, perhaps Columbus wasn’t far off in his methods.
James Horner was the first choice for composer
Although John Williams’ composing work for the first Harry Potter was irreplaceable, it almost didn’t come to pass. James Horner, already well-regarded for his Oscar-winning work for the film Titanic and his award-worthy Braveheart score, was initially the one offered the job.
Horner’s style and sound would’ve fit in expertly with the HP universe, but he ultimately turned it down, instead composing for A Beautiful Mind since he preferred working on “art films as opposed to commerce films.” He also turned down Lord of the Rings, so he definitely followed that ideology for much of his career.
Thankfully, composing duties then went to John Williams, who was able to once again create an iconic theme that almost anyone can hum without a thought.
Canterbury Cathedral refused to allow filming due to “pagan imagery”
It may seem surprising now, but Harry Potter had a good amount of controversy stirred up in those early days leading up to the film’s release. This heated opposition came from Christian protestors who felt that the films promoted pagan imagery.
This belief came from the book’s usage of terms and symbols with pagan origins, specifically in the sections related to alchemy.
Paganism goes directly against Christianity and other central religions, leading to the Dean of Canterbury rejecting the filmmaker’s requests to shoot Hogwarts scenes there. This was the case for multiple churches at the time but following votes of approval from the Reverend Bishop of Oxford and a member of the Vatican council for culture, Canterbury made peace and put down their pitchforks.
Terry Gilliam was J.K Rowling’s first choice for director
Best known for his work on Monty Python and Brazil, Terry Gilliam was Rowling first choice to take on directing duties for the movie. His sense of imagination and creativity is evident by his work, so it makes perfect sense why she’d elect Gilliam for the job.
Gilliam had one major problem weighing against him: he didn’t have experience with child actors.
Since it was absolutely crucial that the director chosen would be able to get the best out of their young talent, Gilliam ended up snubbed. It ultimately ended up with Chris Columbus, who showed his proficiency with child actors on films like Mrs. Doubtfire and Home Alone.
How did Gilliam feel about being passed up? Put simply, he had strong feelings.
Do you have other trivia to share about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? Let us know in the comments!
