One of the Most Iconic Fantasy Franchise Starters Ever Dominates Global Streaming 25 Years Later

For better or for worse, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will return. The first installment of HBO’s adaptation of all seven of the Harry Potter novels is scheduled to release this Christmas on HBO Max, and the discourse is fiery thanks to controversy surrounding many years of transphobic comments made by the magical franchise’s creator, J.K. Rowling. Nevertheless, the release of the first trailer for the adaptation proved hugely successful, scoring 277 million organic views in its opening 48 hours across non-paid platforms, becoming the most-watched trailer ever for the streamer.

Thanks to the success of the trailer and the constant swirling discussion surrounding the franchise, the most important movie in the series has just reached global streaming success. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, released in 2001, looked to capitalize on the success of the still-new novels without any guarantee of success. However, thanks to director Chris Columbus and some of the best casting in modern movie history, The Sorcerer’s Stone soared to impressive heights.

Across a 9.8-week average run in theaters, The Sorcerer’s Stone scored just shy of $1 billion at the global box office, split between a $322 million domestic haul and a further $644 million from overseas markets. The film was also a hit with critics, earning a “Certified Fresh” 80% score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus reading, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone adapts its source material faithfully while condensing the novel’s overstuffed narrative into an involving — and often downright exciting — big-screen magical caper.” At the time of writing, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is one of the ten most-watched movies on HBO Max in the world.

Who Will Play ‘Harry Potter’s Most Famous Villain?

Image via Warner Bros.

Most of the cast for the reboot series has already been named, with the likes of Paapa Essiedu cast as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, and more. But who will play the franchise’s most famous villain, Lord Voldemort? Currently, it is unknown who will take on the role, with HBO boss Casey Bloys playing down rumors. However, it has been heavily touted that Paul Bettany of MCU fame is HBO’s preferred candidate to portray He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. In an interview, Bettany said, “I haven’t heard anything about that [playing Voldemort] …. I’m a big fan of the [Harry Potter] IP, and I’m a big fan of HBO, but nobody has called me up about that.”

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is available on HBO Max. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming stories.

Release Date

November 16, 2001

Runtime

152 Minutes