Hey, welcome back to the show.
I'm about to make you feel old.
No, don't do that. I'm gonna do it.
20 years ago today, November 16th,
the cute kid with the Lightning scar
on his forehead showed up on the
movie screen waving his wand and
casting spells with his friends.
Yeah, 20 years,
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
Stone was the first of eight movies
full of magic and suspense Wizards
we loved and those we didn't say I
will not the films movie director
Chris Columbus takes us back. I
can't believe we're twenty years in
since the first time that we saw
Hogwarts revealed on the big screen.
And, you know, that's a scene that
still gives me the chills seeing
the train come around and seeing
Hogwarts for the first time.
I mean, obviously you were
making a major motion picture.
You knew that, but did you have
any idea how would weave itself
so deeply into pop culture? Uh,
no, because it was fuel.
It was legitimately fueled by fear.
We were designing the entire world, nothing,
none of this existed except on the page,
so I had to have a meeting
with Joe rolling and basically
explained my vision for the film.
It took about 2 1/2 hours and I was
in that moment of terror because when
I first got the job at 20 seconds of
euphoria and then nothing but terror
and anxiety and second guessing
myself and this finally with Joe.
I finished and she said that's
exactly the same way I see the movie.
So that was a vote of confidence
that really enabled me to dive
deep into this world.
And you know,
a lot of wonderful collaborators
in terms of production designers
and people who Stewart Craig,
the production designer.
They saw the same world that
Joe rolling myself saw.
And, you know,
we were able to put it together and build it.
So it lasted for eight movies.
What
was your favorite scene to direct?
If you can parse it down? If any one or two?
I think my favorite scene to
direct was the chest sequence.
I mean we built all the most of the sets,
but that's at all of the pieces
were built and they were life
size bigger than life size.
So when the kids walked onto
that set they were dealing with
tangible things and they group.
It was actually sitting on the horse.
Things were exploding and their
performances in that scene
I think are my favorite.
The movie because they weren't reacting
to a green tennis ball on a stick,
they were reacting to something
that was really going on.
What about the characters?
Did you know that when you were casting?
Harry, Hermione, did you know
that they were all going to
have this great chemistry and
friendship for years to come?
No, I mean I knew that we were
casting kids who did not have a lot
of experience because I didn't.
I wanted kids like we did with
Macaulay Culkin who had limited
experience but then could bring this
naturalistic realistic quality to the
screen and you get surprises in that.
It's a lot of work you know because
sometimes their concentration wavers
and they're not really professionals,
but I didn't want a professional
Nickelodeon team of kids.
I've been working for 13 years who just
are going to use their own bag of tricks.
I wanted something that felt real.
No one can know.
Even with my own kids,
I don't know how I didn't know
how they were gonna age,
what they're gonna look like 10 years
from the time they were adorable, cute kids.
We were very fortunate.
Not only did they age
gracefully and beautifully,
but they got to be better
actors as from movie to movie.
By the end,
I mean it was ripping out my heart.
I was, you know, I was not a kid.
This is kind of past my childhood.
But I was young adult.
When the films came out and
I fell in love with them.
I mean, what is it that speaks
to both children and adults about
these films in this franchise?
Uh, well we never, you know,
the the interesting thing is I never
got into when I was making a perceived
family film like home alone or even Mrs.
Doubtfire, we always wanted to make
the film for the parents as well.
I wanted to make you know I
wasn't making a film for kids.
I was making a film for audiences.
So by not talking down to kids and doing.
You know, having lighting
that's too bright are acting.
That's too over the top really
presenting a well made film.
With great performances
by great British actors,
that sort of respect transends
through the screen and the kids,
the kids themselves and
the parents realize oh oh,
some parents would probably walk
away with a lot of parents.
Say, you know,
I'm going to watch this so
it's important for me that the
film works for everybody,
but we're all grateful for that.
Parents like what do you hope is the
legacy going forward in years to come?
I just hope it continues.
I mean, that was the mantra
for the crew when we started.
We still quite frankly started on home alone,
but with Harry Potter I said we
have to make a film that's timeless.
I want this film. Ironically,
I probably said back then 20 years from now.
I'd like when people are watching
this film on TV for it to feel as
fresh as if it were made yesterday.
And that's what everybody went into.
And if you look at the film now.
Particularly the Hogwarts sequences.
You don't know that the film
could have been made in 1939.
It could have been made in 1956, 2020.
You don't know.
And that to me,
hopefully will continue to maintain
its longevity.
Man, that awesome
yeah I love that series actually of movies.
Yeah it's amazing.
More than 700 Christmas dinners
were prepared per day for a two week
period while those scenes were shot.
That's amazing.
And it's amazing to think that it's
been 20 years since the first movie.
Can't believe that it's unreal.
Makes us feel well the food in the
Great Hall always looked great,
especially the desserts.