London hosted the premiere of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first film adapted from a J.K. Rowling novel. The world premiere took place in London on 4 November 2001, before the film opened widely.
The movie adapted Rowling’s first Harry Potter book and was directed by Chris Columbus. Daniel Radcliffe played Harry Potter, Rupert Grint played Ron Weasley, and Emma Watson played Hermione Granger. Rowling was involved with the film series and later wrote the screenplays for the Fantastic Beasts films.
The film’s title differs by market. In the United States it was released as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, while the British title remained Philosopher’s Stone. That title difference can make references to the premiere appear inconsistent, but both names identify the same first film.