Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) is a magical film helmed by director Chris Columbus and produced by David Heyman. The screenplay, written by Steve Kloves, is based on J.K. Rowling’s popular novel from 1997. Late one evening, professors Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall, along with Hogwarts groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid, bring an orphaned infant wizard named Harry Potter to his Muggle aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley – his only living relatives. A decade later, just before Harry’s eleventh birthday, a series of letters addressed to him begin arriving via owl post. Despite the Dursleys’ cruel refusal to let Harry see any of them, Hagrid comes to personally deliver his acceptance letter to Hogwarts. Along with this news, Hagrid also reveals that Harry’s parents – James and Lily – were killed by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort.

It was Voldemort’s own killing curse that backfired onto him, destroying his physical form and leaving Harry with his iconic lightning bolt scar. After taking Harry to Diagon Alley to purchase school supplies, Hagrid gifts him with a snowy owl named Hedwig. While there, Harry also acquires a wand linked to the infamous Voldemort’s. On their way to Hogwarts, Harry meets Ron and Hermione, his fellow first-year companions, on the train ride from King’s Cross station. Upon arriving at Hogwarts, Harry encounters Draco Malfoy, who hails from a well-off wizard family; their initial meeting sparks an immediate rivalry. Soon after, all the students gather in the Great Hall where the Sorting Hat assigns them to one of four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin.