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The Harry Potter franchise has seen some of the most significant success in the industry, having been considered as the fourth biggest film series of all time- thanks to an impressive ensemble that stayed through eight films and seven years and a brilliant team behind them who wove their magic on the fantasy series.
Based on the seven books by J.K. Rowling, the first two Harry Potter films were directed by Chris Columbus, after which Alfonso Cuarón and Mike Newell took over for the third and fourth films, respectively. David Yates directed the remaining four films, which later went on to achieve great heights of success and a popularity that very few franchises have had the privilege to experience.
However, initial plans for the series differed from what went on to happen later, as the team had a different name in mind to direct the movies. Before Chris Columbus joined the project, Warner Bros. had picked Steven Spielberg to direct the films.
Surprisingly, Spielberg declined the offer, reasoning that the film proposed no challenge and would be a 'slam dunk' considering its worldwide success. The West Side director is known for his unparalleled alterity in his films, something that the Harry Potter franchise lacked, according to him.
Speaking to The New York Post in 2001, the director said,
“I purposely didn’t do the Harry Potter movie because, for me, that was shooting ducks in a barrel. It’s just a slam dunk. It’s just like withdrawing a billion dollars and putting it into your personal bank accounts. There’s no challenge.”
He also added how he was more interested in exploring real stories rather than fictionalized worlds, as he added,
“I really believe that as I grow up, I have a responsibility to tell stories that are more authentic.”
How Steven Spielberg feels about rejecting the Harry Potter series now
As the years passed, more reasons came together that detached Spielberg from the project that could have earned him millions. In a 2023 interview with Variety, the director opened up on how certain choices in his career helped him spend more time with his family rather than flying out to multiple countries. Speaking to S.S. Rajamouli, Spielberg said,
“I chose to turn down the first ‘Harry Potter’ to basically spend that next year and a half with my family, my young kids growing up. So I’d sacrificed a great franchise, which today looking back I’m very happy to have done, to be with my family.”
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It seems to remain an interesting what-if on what turn the franchise would have taken had it been made under Spielberg's directorial lens. However, Columbus does an equally brilliant job as the mastermind behind the first two films that gave fans of the Wizarding World the first visuals for the novels.
The Harry Potter series is available to stream on Prime Video.
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