It was 2001 when, in November, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”, the first installment of the Harry Potter saga, hit theaters. After the success of the books, with millions of copies sold, the film adaptation of JK Rowling unleashed a veritable magic fever by bewitching the entire planet.
It was 1990 when its author JK Rowling began to write the plot of the boy with glasses and a scar in the form of a lightning bolt on his forehead on a napkin while having a coffee in the Elephant House cafeteria (Edinburgh), according to popular legend. It took him about six years to finish writing the first volume.
The novel was rejected by several publishers, 12 specifically, until the British Bloomsbury decided to publish it on June 26, 1997, a year later it would arrive in the United States. Such was the success of the story of the boy wizard who survived in half the planet that Rowling sold the rights in 1999 to her first four installments, thus marking an entire generation.
Although there are people who are a true “muggle” (non-magical people) and have not seen the movies or read the saga, surely if they have heard of the adventures of young wizards who want to end “the one who should not be named ”(Voldemort).
“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” tells the story of an orphan boy, Harry, who lives in the hole under the stairs of the house with his uncles and his cousin, the Dursleys. But, his sad existence takes a complete turn when he turns eleven years old and receives the invitation to study magic at the prestigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Despite the opposition of his uncles, Harry takes the train that leaves from platform 9 ¾ of King’s Cross Station in the direction of Hogwarts to become a student of spells, spells, and magical arts. There he will begin to learn the wonders and dangers surrounding the world of magic, meet unforgettable companions, and come face to face with evil as no other wizard has ever had to do before.
Chris Columbus, an expert in family cinema with hits like “Home Alone”, was in charge of bringing the magical universe of the first two Harry Potter films to the big screen. He accepted the assignment after his daughter constantly urged him on.
For the main role, Daniel Radcliffe was chosen, who at just eleven years old was on the verge of becoming a worldwide celebrity, as were his co-stars: Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, and Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy.
Unlike Grint, who was an absolute fan of the books and was very clear that he wanted the role of Ron, Radcliffe was a surprise, since he was neither looking for the role nor wanting it.
The first candidate to be Harry Potter was actor Joel Osment, known for his role in “The Sixth Sense. ” However, one of the demands that Rowling made when she sold the rights is that all the actors had to be British, so the young man was discarded for being American.
From the first film, the writer was present in the filming and in the adaptation of the plot. So much so that he was in charge of choosing in person the actors who would play some of his characters such as Alan Rickman, who played throughout the saga Professor Severus Snape or Robbie Coltrane, who would play the good-natured Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of the keys and Hogwarts grounds.
Richard Harris, who played Professor Dumbledore in the first two films, since, due to his death in 2002 he had to be replaced by actor Michael Gambon, was also chosen by the author.
Upon its premiere, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” received mostly positive reviews from the specialized press, raising almost 975 million dollars (Box Office Mojo), about 850 million euros, worldwide and obtaining three Oscar nominations, in the categories of best art direction, costume design, and original soundtrack, recognizing the work of John Williams.
The “Potterheads”, as the fans of the Harry Potter world, are known – whether they are old or young – are in luck as they will have the opportunity to relive the adventures of one of the most beloved trios in cinema.