It has been close to 20 years since Harry Potter and the rest of the students and professors at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry enchanted audiences around the world with the wizard sensation, Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone (The Philosopher’s Stone outside of the United States).
And with the franchise that introduced the world to the likes of Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson still popular as ever, there’s never been a better time to look back on some of the most fascinating behind the scenes facts from the making of the movie.
Harry Potter and Philosopher’s Stone – Behind The Scenes
Without further ado, let’s take a look at all those fantastical facts about the movie, from the early days of pre-production to the finished project. Here are the most fascinating things that happened behind the scenes of the first of many film adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s best-selling book series.
By the time of the first film, only four books had been released, so J.K. Rowling continued to oversee the film. Not only to see if things in the book were going well but to build the film so that her vision of future books would not be trashed. It has been confirmed that one dialogue was removed to prevent damage.
Directors come and meet J.K. Rowling Has been asked if it is possible to make films for her book series. She has agreed to it on one condition. “The whole cast should be Britain.” They agreed to it so they had to remove some chosen actors for this condition. The whole cast in this film series is British.
To make the day-to-day activities of the Hogwarts School more realistic, the child actors did their actual school homework themselves.
J.K. Rowling reveals on her website that, she was invited to play Harry’s mother Lilly. “I could have seen as Harry’s mother in the Erised mirror. ” But she turned down the invitation.
Emma Watson’s Oxford theater teacher passed her name on to the casting agents, and she had to do over five interviews before she got the part. Watson took her audition seriously, but “never really thought I had any chance of getting the role.” The producers were impressed by Emma’s self-confidence, and she outperformed the thousands of other girls who had applied.
The biggest challenge is finding someone to turn to Harry Potter. The director showed Radcliffe, who was playing David Copperfield at the time and asked him to take him, but his parents did not like it, because he was getting so much attention that he had to focus on his education. In the end, about 5,000 people were interviewed, but Harry could not find anyone, so they persuaded Daniel’s parents to pay him 1 million at the end of the film, but Daniel said he had no use for the money. But he contributed to all eight creations.
J.K. Rowling herself chose Allen Rickman for the role of Snape, who is said to have received special advice from her. She even provided him with the vital details of Snape that were not revealed until the last novel.
And she hand picked Robbie Coltrane, Dame Maggie Smith too.
“Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus” from Hogwarts’ motto means “Never tickle a sleeping dragon“.
The producers took steps to match the selected children to the details in the novel. So that Harry’s eyes should be green. And do you remember the details of Hermione’s front teeth? They should be big. So they even made fake teeth for Hermione and tried to use green color contact lenses for Harry. But they never make out well. Daniel’s lenses were allergic to him. When she wore fake teeth, Emma could not speak clearly. So the producers had to give up the idea. You can see those lenses and teeth in the exit scene (the last scene that they shoot first).
Duke Humfrey’s building at the Bodleian Library of the University of Oxford was used for scenes from the Hogwarts School Library’s Restricted section. They have very strict rules about not bringing flames into the library. But for hundreds of years, these filmmakers are the first ever to break this law.
Tom Felton (Draco) had never read a single Harry Potter book before the character selection test. And the audition director Chris Columbus asked each contender for the role of Malfoy, what is their favorite part of Harry Potter. Tom said he likes the part in Harry Potter was the part at Gringotts. That’s the same as what the guy on the other side just said. Chris gets this right away. It’s been a lot of fun back then.
During the filming, Daniel changed the screen language of Robbie Coltrane’s (Hagrid) mobile phone to Turkish. Coltrane had to call Eithnr Fennel’s father, who designed the phone, to find out what the change language was and change it back to English.
Stephanie McMillan, the set decorator, has chosen the ugliest household items she can find for the Dursleys’ place to feel there more unpleasant.
Richard Harris, who starred as Dumbledore in the film, agreed to do so after his 11 – year – old granddaughter threatened not to talk to his grandfather if he did not accept the role. Richard Harris also fell ill and passed away before the 2002 release of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
The tabby cat used in the film ran away during the filming and came back two days later.
Chris Columbus wants to film a reception that fits the description in the book, but unfortunately, after hours of hot stage lights, they quickly start to smell bad. So they decide to use fake food in the next designs.
There are three owls appearing for Hedwig. Gizmo, Ook, and Sprout but most of them are Gizmo.
Even though Harry Potter is said to be a great magician, Harry does not do a single magic throughout this film.
Susan Bones is played by director Chris’ daughter Eleanor Columbus but she doesn’t say a word.
Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) was the first person to be cast.
To the right of the Quidditch Cup in the cupboard is a special trophy that you can see. It says “Service to the School” and has the caption “Tom M. Riddle”.
“You think you’re funny, do you?” Asked the platform attendant at the King’s Cross from Harry Potter at the King’s Cross stage. The train attendant is not a background actor was really a train manager.
Grandma sends a memory ball to Neville (Matthew Lewis) but she does not remember what she forgot. He is the only one in the film who does not have a school uniform at that time. He must have forgotten to put it on.
Warwick Davis co-stars with Professor Flitwick and the first Greengotts Goblin, as well as providing the voice for Gripphook. (starring Verne Troyer for Gripphook)
The Gloucester Cathedral was used for the palace scenes. The dean of the previously selected Canterbury Church did not agree with this. Before the church was used, all the modern electric plug points, switches, and doors had to be hidden behind colored plates to match the color of the walls. The windows had to be modernized to hide the fact that this was a church. All religious symbols had to be closed.
The film shows that the twelfth use of dragon blood is as an oven cleaner.
Understand Flitch’s Lonely Lifestyle David Bradley rented a hut and lived with his cats for a month before filming began.
In an interview, Ric Mayall (Peaves’s Voice) says that he has not read a single book, but he’s in trouble in the movie. But things did not go well. When he started saying his lines kids started to laugh. So this time he was told to go to the other side of the church and shout his words loudly, but the children did not stop laughing. So his parts had been removed from the movie. His kids came home from watching the movie and said, “That’s great make-up. You didn’t look like you.” So he told the kids that you’ve misunderstood me for Hagrid, and that the movie was useless. (Because he’s not in it.)
Production designer Stuart Craig has invested a great deal of money in the design of the floor of the Great Hall. The floor is made of York Stone. While this decision was questioned at the time, it proved to be a wise one, because the stone was durable enough to withstand continuously in the next 10 years in front of hundreds of actors and actresses, as well as several camera crew feet.
The floating candle holders are made of candle-shaped holders with oil and curtains, hung from wires and moved up and down to show that they float. (At the end of the film, two candles can be seen floating a little differently while scoring)
- Daniel recently revealed that they first made molds on the teeth of ten-year-old children in the cast. It is to make fake teeth if someone’s teeth fall out !!!
There are no dialogues between Jamie Waylett and Josh Herdman.
Filming began in September 2000 and will end on March 21, 2001
Tom Felton has been interviewing for Harry and Ron before he got the role of Malfoy.
“Hogwarts Express” used a steam locomotive with class engine number 5972, 1937 4-6-0 “Hall”. Owned by Great Western Railway.
- William Moseley, who played Peter in the Chronicles of Narnia, has been interviewed for the role of Harry.
- During the Harry Potter movies, Daniel Radcliffe went through one hundred and sixty pairs of glasses.
- Five people were cast in eight Harry Potter movies for Pansy Parkinson.
- If you want to watch some interesting events behind the scenes I have added a video.
That’s the story.
The film was released on November 16, 2001, and won four Academy Awards. By February 2002, this was the second highest-grossing movie worldwide after Titanic(1997).
There are a lot of beautiful things behind the scenes in every one of these movies. Add a valuable comment if you like to read every harry potter film behind-the-scenes story. Don’t forget to share this with your beloved Potterheads. And now it’s time to read the second movie behind the scenes of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret.
If you already read it first place now move to the next station – Prisoner of Azkaban.
Sasindu Jayasri is an Engineering student from Sri Lanka and he studies mechanical engineering at the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Moratuwa. He is passionate about writing and giving inspiration to the world. Follow him in LinkedIn for updates and you can contact him directly.
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