Those who turned down Harry Potter, be it the books or the films, must find themselves plagued with regret. After all, not only is it one of the most successful franchises ever, but also a worldwide cultural phenomenon. While Steven Spielberg is one of those who said no to the films, the filmmaker is not filled with regret over missing out on Hollywood’s golden child.
It is interesting to think about what it would have been like if Steven Spielberg’s name was attached to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The filmmaker once opened up about why he decided to let go of such a huge opportunity which would have brought in a huge paycheck for him and the reason is as absolutely adorable.
Steven Spielberg Let Go of Harry Potter Because of His Family
When Steven Spielberg was offered the director’s position for Harry Potter’s first film, the filmmaker was met with a dilemma. Either he could travel to London for a few months and become a part of magical history, or he could stay back home and focus on his family. He chose the latter.
In an interview with Variety, Spielberg stressed the importance of sticking around with your family stating,
“The personal meaning about [how the conflict between] art and family will tear you in half happened to me later, after I had already established myself as a filmmaker, as a working director. Kate [Capshaw] and I started raising a family and we started having children. The choice I had to make was taking a job that would move me to another country for four or five months where I wouldn’t see my family every day…That was a ripping kind of experience.”
He then talked about how he turned down a number of films for the sake of his family, including Harry Potter.
“There were several films I chose not to make. 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.”
Philosopher’s Stone was shot in London which meant that Spielberg would have to stay away from his family for months in order to bring the film to fruition. However, the filmmaker had his priorities set straight and Chris Columbus ended up sitting on the director’s chair for the film.
As for Spielberg, he continued working and in the same year as Philosopher’s Stone, the filmmaker’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence was also released. While the former made over $974 million in its initial release, it went on to make more than a billion dollars thanks to its subsequent releases. As for A.I. Artificial Intelligence, the film could only make $235 million. However, Spielberg wouldn’t trade time with his family for all the money in the world.
When Steven Spielberg Rejected Harry Potter
Back in 2000, Variety released a report stating that Spielberg had parted ways with the Harry Potter franchise. As per the director’s statement, he had other directorial interests at the time. While saying goodbye, he stated that he was sure that J.K. Rowling’s “modern genius” would be nothing short of a phenomenal success.
His statement read (Via IGN),
“I have every certainty that the series of ‘Harry Potter’ movies will be phenomenally successful. J.K. Rowling’s vision of Harry Potter is modern genius. Warner Bros. and (president) Alan Horn have been more than generous in the time they’ve allowed me to make a decision. However, at this time, my directorial interests are taking me in another direction. Most importantly, I look forward to reading the fourth ‘Harry Potter’ book this summer and taking my family to see the first movie next summer.”
Clearly, there was no bad blood between Spielberg and the team of Harry Potter. Some things are just not meant to be!
You can stream all eight Harry Potter films on Max.
