Harry Potter And The Sorcerers Stone At : The Film That Started It All
Two decades after the films release, Daniel Radcliffe and the director, Chris Columbus, take us inside four key scenes.
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By Sarah Bahr
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone ruined Daniel Radcliffes expectations for what is normal on a film set.
The Great Hall, where he shot many of the scenes from the first of eight films based on the J.K. Rowling series, was a phantasmagoria of detail. Platters of real lamb chops, roasted potatoes and puddings sat alongside 400 hand-lettered menus and for at least one scene hundreds of real, glowing candles. The hall set took 30 people a little over four months to construct.
I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of sets Ive been on since in my career that are of that scale, Radcliffe said in a video interview from his New York apartment in October.
Directed by Chris Columbus, the story of a boy who, upon turning 11, discovers hes a wizard and goes off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry opened Nov. 16, 2001, and went on to gross more than $1 billion worldwide.
When Radcliffe and the young actors who played his friends, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson , were making the film, they werent just pretending to have the time of their lives they were, Columbus said.
That joy was in large part thanks, Radcliffe said, to Columbuss infectious passion for his work.
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
Its Year 3 and the mysteries and danger are even greater in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Alfonso Cuaron steps in to direct this film that has Harry Potter going deeper into his parents’ past. He learns that Sirius Black , a criminal and presumed Voldemort supporter, escapes from Azkaban. Harry believes that Sirius is hunting him down with plans to kill him.
Before the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, this was my absolute favorite book of the series. Therefore, I came in with high expectations. For the most part, Alfonso Cuaron did an amazing job directing this film. Its probably one of the best Harry Potter movies.
Hagrid Takes Harry To Kings Cross
In the film, when Hagrid bursts into Harrys life on his 11th birthday and changes it forever, its July 31. After they shop in Diagon Alley the next day and get Harry everything he needs, the next thing we see is Hagrid dropping Harry off at Kings Cross for the train.
But the train leaves from Platform 9¾ on September 1. Did Harry spend the full month of August with Hagrid? In the book, Harry is returned to the Dursleys house to eagerly count down the days until he can leave for Hogwarts. They take him to Kings Cross on September 1 dropping him off without making sure he safely finds his train, as the Dursleys are wont to do.
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Uses In Education And Business
Writers on education and business subjects have used the book as an object lesson. Writing about clinical teaching in medical schools, Jennifer Conn contrasted Snape’s technical expertise with his intimidating behaviour towards students. Quidditch coach Madam Hooch on the other hand, illustrated useful techniques in the teaching of physical skills, including breaking down complex actions into sequences of simple ones and helping students to avoid common errors. Joyce Fields wrote that the books illustrate four of the five main topics in a typical first-year sociology class: “sociological concepts including culture, society, and socialisation stratification and social inequality social institutions and social theory“.
Stephen Brown noted that the early Harry Potter books, especially Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, were a runaway success despite inadequate and poorly organised marketing. Brown advised marketing executives to be less preoccupied with rigorous statistical analyses and the “analysis, planning, implementation, and control” model of management. Instead he recommended that they should treat the stories as “a marketing masterclass”, full of enticing products and brand names. For example, a real-world analogue of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans was introduced under licence in 2000 by toymaker Hasbro.
When Harry Met Draco
Speaking of that trip to Diagon Alley… film-Harry doesnt meet Draco at Madame Malkins Robes For All Occasions. In the book, Draco Malfoy is a snide boy who is getting his robes hemmed at the same time Harry walks in. They dont exchange names, but Malfoy does say some mean things about Hagrid, causing Harry to dislike him immediately. They meet again on the Hogwarts Express, where Draco tells Harry not to make friends with the wrong sort.
In the movie, Harry and Draco dont meet until theyre already in the castle. Draco still says his line about the Weasleys, and Harry still gets to snap back at him with one of his signature witty retorts.
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Done Already A Few More Words Can Help Others Decide If It’s Worth Watching
They won’t be able to see your review if you only submit your rating.
The image is an example of a ticket confirmation email that AMC sent you when you purchased your ticket. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads “Your Ticket Reservation Details”. Just below that it reads “Ticket Confirmation#:” followed by a 10-digit number. This 10-digit number is your confirmation number.
Your AMC Ticket Confirmation# can be found in your order confirmation email.
Talk To Your Kids About
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Families can talk about the Harry Potter book series that inspired Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and the other movies. Do you like the books or movies better?
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Which themes from the first in the series pop up again in later installments?
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What do you think about Harry and his friends going away to school? Would you ever want to do something like that?
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How do Harry and his friends demonstrate teamwork, perseverance, and courage in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? Why are these important character strengths?
- In theaters: November 16, 2001
- On DVD or streaming: May 28, 2002
- MPAA explanation: some scary moments and mild language
- : April 26, 2022
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Even decades later, one of the best family films ever made.
age 6+
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Pure, sweet imagination for both kids and adults.
age 8+
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Action- and creature-packed Potter sequel.
age 8+
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Magical Abilities And Skills
During the first books of the series, Neville is portrayed as an incompetent wizard and as poorly skilled at school . The character himself reveals in the second book that it was even feared by his family, especially his grandmother, that he was a Squib during his childhood. Neville’s family is relieved, therefore, when he receives his letter inviting him to Hogwarts. Neville’s magical abilities greatly improve in the fifth instalment, due to the character joining Dumbledore’s Army, a group dedicated to practice Defence Against the Dark Arts. In Half-Blood Prince, Neville receives a new wand made of cherry wood and unicorn hair, as his previous wand was destroyed while fighting Death Eaters in Order of the Phoenix. The wand appears to have added further improvement to Neville’s school performance.
Why Harry Is The Wizard
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Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone
Based on the first of J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter novels, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone follows the story of the young Harry Potter and the magical events that unfold around him. The much-anticipated film was directed by Chris Columbus for Warner Brothers Pictures and stars Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, John Hurt and Dame Maggie Smith.
Due to the nature of the story and the fantastical characters involved such as giants, goblins and dragons the novel required a whole host of visual effects in order to bring it to life on screen. The Moving Picture Company was asked to create 85 digital visual effects shots for the film. MPCs key effects include the shack on the rocks, the Chocolate Frog, the Golden Snitch and the screaming book. In addition to the special effects, MPC also used pioneering camera tracking technology, implemented for the first time in Europe, on Harry Potter.
MPC also created the magical Chocolate Frog, which comes to life after Harry unwraps it, jumping onto the train window and out of the train. Chas Jarrett modeled the Frog in 3D in Maya. Various chocolate textures were explored, the final one being based on a chocolate Easter bunny, very smooth with a slight sheen.
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Its all coming to an end as Harry, Ron, Hermione, and company face off against Voldemort one last time. This movie reveals all the secrets that have been hidden for seven films, gives fans the big battle between Harry and Voldemort, and fulfills all leftover prophecies.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is probably among the best movies of the franchise because it offers a fitting conclusion to the movies and a fairly exciting and emotional adaptation of the book. Harry Potter fans are some of the most diehard, critical, and dedicated out there, and I believe many can agree that David Yates may have fumbled with some of the movies but came through in the end with Deathly Hallows Part 2.
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Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone introduced everyone to the world of Harry Potter . We meet 11-year-old Harry as he discovers that he is not just a neglected child, but a wizard. He then travels to Hogwarts where he meets his soon-to-be best friends forever, Hermione and Ron .
Quickly, our hero is tested when he learns that dark forces reside in Hogwarts trying to bring back He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named . Chris Columbus directs this Harry Potter movie and really does a fantastic job of bringing new and old fans of the characters into this world. If this first film wasnt so well received, who knows if the franchise would have gained as much success as it did. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone really set the films up for potential success.
All The Harry Potter Movies In Order From Sorcerer’s Stone To Fantastic Beasts
Revisit the Wizarding World again and again.
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson became instant stars because of the Harry Potter movies. These films broke box office records, received many award accolades, and left their mark on pop culture forever. I, like many, grew up reading the Harry Potter books, and then spent years watching, and criticizing, the movies. I also have gotten into the Fantastic Beasts series . A great thing about the Harry Potter books and movies is their timelessness. Constantly, new people discover and fall in love with them. For those new to the world of Harry, this one’s for you: a list of all the Harry Potter movies in order of their release, including the Fantastic Beast movies.
These films arent placed in order of actual events, because who cares about accuracy, but in order of theatrical release. If you’re new to the series, you’ll want to watch them in this order the first time through…
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Is It Any Good
This first film in the Harry Potter series is filled with visual splendor, valiant heroes, spectacular special effects, and irresistible characters. It’s only fair to say that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is truly magical. The settings manage to be sensationally imaginative and yet at the same time so clearly believable and lived-in that you’ll think you could find them yourself, if you could just get to Platform 9 3/4. The adult actors are simply and completely perfect. Richard Harris turns in an excellent performance as headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Maggie Smith brings just the right dry asperity to Professor McGonagall, and Coltrane is a half-giant with a heart to match as Hagrid. Alan Rickman provides shivers as potions master Professor Snape, and the brief glimpse of will make you glad you’ll be seeing more of her in future movies. And the kids are all just fine, though here they’re mostly called upon to look either astonished or resolute.
Differences Between Philosopher’s Stone And Sorcerer’s Stone Films
- Five different takes were necessary to replace the words Philosopher’s Stone with Sorcerer’s Stone in the American version of the film. When the two DVDs were compared side by side it was noticed that in every case but one, only a slight difference in synchronisation was noticed. The most noticeable difference was when Hermione was reading from the book she had taken out of the library for a “bit of light reading”. The words on the page were changed from Philosopher’s to Sorcerer’s and her fingers, while straight in Philosopher’s they are bent in Sorcerer’s .
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Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore
Picking up where the last film left off, the power and influence of Gellert Grindelwald continues to rise after acquiring a devoted following that includes Queenie, much to Jacobs dismay. Thus, the muggle is recruited to help Albus Dumbledore, Newt Scamander, and others to defeat the evil wizard before it is too late.
Franchise veteran David Yates returns to direct part three of this proposed five-part Harry Potter prequel series which moves the story forward in more thrilling ways. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore offers new reveals that would prove to be a shock for longtime fans of the Wizarding World.
Rons Best Seven Words
In many ways, Ron Weasley is the character that loses most of his strengths in the book-to-movie adaptations. For people whove only watched the movies and never read the books, Ron seems like a moody and useless git. Not true in the books.
However, The Philosophers Stone does give Ron one amazing moment that he actually didnt get in the book. In both versions, Hermione gets mad at the boys after their midnight adventure, saying, Im going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed. Or worse, expelled. But its only in the movie that Ron replies, She needs to sort out her priorities. Iconic.
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Harry Potter And The Half
Neville receives a new wand in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as the old one, which was actually his father’s, was broken during the struggle with Death Eaters in the previous book. During the train ride to Hogwarts, Neville is invited by Horace Slughorn to join the Slug Club, but apparently does not pass Slughorn’s first test as he is not invited again. It is revealed that Neville achieved an “Outstanding” in Herbology, and he did well in Defence Against the Dark Arts and Charms, earning an “Exceeds Expectations.” Neville wants the D.A. meetings to continue, as he feels they have helped him and the others to improve their skills, however they stop as Harry now says there is no need as they now have a “proper teacher”. When a group of Death Eaters guided by Draco Malfoy attack the castle, Neville answers the call for help, and he fights against the Death Eaters once again, though he suffers minor injuries. During Dumbledore’s funeral Neville is accompanied and assisted by Luna, and Harry felt a “great rush of affection” for them because they were the only two D.A. members that helped Ron, Hermione, and Ginny in the struggle with the Death Eaters.
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows
With Harry’s absence and the control of Hogwarts in the hands of Severus Snape and Death Eaters Alecto and Amycus Carrow in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Neville spends much of his seventh year at Hogwarts as the resistance leader against Voldemort’s takeover. Together with Ginny and Luna, Neville reactivates Dumbledore’s Army, stepping into the leadership position in Harry’s absence and helping students who were tormented under the new regime. Neville reveals that the Carrows beat him and that the Death Eaters targeted his grandmother when Neville was acting up at school. Neville goes into hiding in the Room of Requirement, which he shows an incredible ability to control. Upon Harry’s return to Hogwarts, Neville sends messages to the D.A., which in turn gathers the Order of the Phoenix.
During the Battle of Hogwarts, he is spotted twice by Harry using his knowledge of Herbology to help ward off the attackers. He is later seen helping Oliver Wood carry the body of Colin Creevey. When Voldemort returns with Harry’s apparently lifeless body, Neville defies him, and decapitates Nagini with the Sword of Godric Gryffindor , thus destroying the final Horcrux and making Voldemort mortal once again. When the battle goes to the Great Hall, he is shown assisting Ron in taking down Fenrir Greyback. After the battle is won, Neville is shown surrounded by a group of admirers.
Epilogue
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