Chris Columbus directed the film adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Released in 2001, the film was the first screen adaptation of Rowling’s novels. Columbus directed it from a screenplay by Steve Kloves, with Rowling involved in the production and story discussions. The movie introduced Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger.
Columbus also directed the second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. He then served as a producer on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which was directed by Alfonso Cuarón.
The film’s title differs by market: it is Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in the United Kingdom and many other countries, but Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the United States. Both titles refer to the same first film.