Chris Columbus directed the 2001 film adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter novel.
The film, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in the United Kingdom and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the United States, was released in 2001. It adapted the opening book and introduced Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger.
Columbus had previously directed family-oriented films including Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire. His version established the visual and tonal foundations of the film series, including Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and the central cast’s on-screen relationships.
Columbus also directed the second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The later films were directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, and David Yates, so the director changed as the series progressed.