Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)

Harry Potter has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house his whole life. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard—with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he learns to harness his newfound powers with the help of the school's kindly headmaster, Harry uncovers the truth about his parents' deaths—and about the villain who's to blame.

Rowling's Favorite: J.K. Rowling hand-picked Alan Rickman for the role of Professor Snape and even shared secrets about the character's future with him, long before they were revealed in the books. This gave Rickman unique insight into playing the complex character.
Real Reactions: The reactions of the young cast in the Great Hall scenes were genuine because they hadn't seen the set until they filmed those scenes. The filmmakers wanted to capture their authentic wonder and amazement.
The "British-Only" Rule: Robin Williams was very interested in playing Hagrid, but he was turned down because the production team insisted on an all-British and Irish cast. Chris Columbus, the director, was determined to maintain this rule to keep the film authentic.
Contact Lens Troubles: Daniel Radcliffe was originally meant to wear green contact lenses to match Harry's eye color in the books. However, he had an allergic reaction to the lenses, so they decided to let Harry have blue eyes.
Cut Poltergeist: Peeves the Poltergeist, a mischievous character from the books, was cast and filmed, but his scenes were ultimately cut from the movie. Rik Mayall played Peeves, but his performance didn't make the final cut.