Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 16 November 2001

Two posters, one with photographs and the other hand-drawn, both depicting a young boy with glasses. An old man with glasses, a young girl holding books, a redheaded boy, and a large bearded man in front of a castle, with an owl flying. The left poster also features an adult man, an old woman, and a train, with the titles being "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone". The right poster has a long-nosed goblin and blowtorches, with the title "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone".
International poster displaying the Philosopher's Stone title and the American poster, designed by Drew Struzan, displaying the Sorcerer's Stone title (right).
Directed by     Chris Columbus
Produced by     David Heyman
Screenplay by     Steve Kloves
Based on     Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
by J. K. Rowling
Starring     Daniel Radcliffe
Rupert Grint
Emma Watson
Music by     John Williams
Cinematography     John Seale
Editing by     Richard Francis-Bruce
Studio     Heyday Films
1492 Pictures
Distributed by     Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s)    

    4 November 2001 (London premiere)
    16 November 2001 (United States)

Running time     152 minutes
Country     United Kingdom
United States
Language     English
Budget     $125 million[1]
Box office     $974,755,371[2]

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (released in the United States, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)[3][4][5] is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.[2] It is based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film, which is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series, was written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman. The story follows Harry Potter's first year at Hogwarts as he discovers that he is a famous wizard and begins his magical education. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, with Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry's best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. It is followed by seven sequels with the first being Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Warner Bros. bought the film rights to the book in 1999 for a reported £1 million. Production began in the United Kingdom in 2000, with Columbus being chosen to create the film from a short list of directors that included Steven Spielberg and Rob Reiner. J. K. Rowling insisted that the entire cast be British or Irish, in keeping with the cultural integrity of the book. The film was shot at Leavesden Film Studios and historic buildings around the U.K.

The film was released in the U.K. and U.S. in November 2001. It received more than $974 million at the worldwide box office, and was nominated for many awards, including the Academy Awards for Best Original Score, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. As of May 2013, it is the eighteenth highest-grossing film of all time and the second highest-grossing film in the series behind the final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
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Plot

Further information: Plot of the novel

Harry Potter is a seemingly ordinary boy, living with his hostile relatives, the Dursleys in Surrey. On his 11th birthday, Harry learns from a mysterious stranger, Rubeus Hagrid, that he is a wizard (famous in the Wizarding World for surviving an attack by the evil Lord Voldemort) when Harry was a baby. 

Voldemort killed Harry's parents but his attack on Harry rebounded, leaving only a lightning-bolt scar on Harry's forehead and rendering Voldemort powerless. Hagrid reveals to Harry that he has been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After buying his school supplies from the hidden wizarding street, Diagon Alley, Harry boards the train to Hogwarts via the concealed Platform 9 ³⁄₄ in King's Cross Station.

On the train, Harry meets Ron Weasley, a boy from a large but poor, pure-blood wizarding family, and Hermione Granger, a witch born to Muggle (non-magical) parents. Upon arriving at the school, the first-year students are sorted into four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. 

Harry begins learning wizardry and discovers more about his past and his parents. Harry inadvertently makes Gryffindor's Quidditch team (a sport in the wizarding world where people fly on broomsticks) as a Seeker learning that his father was also on the team.

One night, Harry, Ron and Hermione find a giant three-headed dog in the Forbidden Corridor on the Third Floor of the school. After the trio incapacitate an escaped mountain troll and Harry is nearly knocked from his broom by a curse during one of the Quidditch matches, the trio assume that someone is trying to get past the dog.

 Harry discovers the Mirror of Erised which shows a person's heart's desire. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore moves the mirror and advises Harry against looking for it. Using information let slip by Hagrid, Hermione discovers that the dog is guarding the Philosopher's Stone, an item that can grant its owner immortality. Harry concludes that his potions teacher, Severus Snape, is trying to obtain the stone. Harry is caught out of bed at night and given detention. While helping Hagrid in the Dark Forest.

Harry concludes that the hooded figure was Voldemort and that Snape is trying to get the stone to restore Voldemort to full strength.

After hearing from Hagrid that the dog will fall asleep if played music and that he revealed this to a man in a local pub, Harry, Ron and Hermione conclude that Snape was the man in the pub and attempt to warn Dumbledore. Upon learning he is away on business, the trio conclude that Snape will attempt to steal the stone that night and resolve to find the stone before Snape does.

They face a series of obstacles: surviving a deadly plant, flying past hundreds of flying keys and winning a violent life sized chess match. The trio use their skills to overcome the obstacles. Hermione uses her knowledge of spells to get past the plant, Harry uses his skills as a seeker to get past the keys and Ron uses his skill at chess to win the chess match. However, Ron is nearly killed in the match and Hermione stays with him as Harry goes on ahead.

In the final room, Harry finds out that it was not Snape who wanted the stone, but Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Quirrell. He also reveals that Snape has been protecting Harry and trying to stop Quirrell all year. 

Then, Professor Quirrell forces Harry to look in the Mirror of Erised. Due to an enchantment placed by Dumbledore, Harry finds the stone in his pocket after looking in the mirror. After trying to get Harry to answer what he has seen in the mirror, Quirrell removes his turban and reveals Voldemort to be living on the back of his head.
 Harry tries to escape but Quirrell starts a fire by clicking his fingers to trap him. Voldemort tries to convince Harry to give him the stone by pledging to bring his parents back from the dead, but Harry refuses. Quirrell then tries to kill him but Harry's touch prevents him from hurting him and causes him to turn into dust and die.
 When Harry gets up, Voldemort's spirit forms and passes through Harry, knocking him unconscious before fleeing.

                                      

Harry wakes up in the school's hospital wing. Professor Dumbledore explains that the stone has been destroyed and that Hermione and Ron are fine. Quirrell burned at Harry's touch because, when Harry's mother died to save him, her death gave Harry a love-based protection against Voldemort. Before Harry and the rest of the students leave for the summer, Harry realises that while every other student is going home, Hogwarts is truly his home.

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