On November 16th, 2001, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (or "Sorcerer's Stone" in the US) was released in the US and UK. Now, ten years later, we have just completed the film journey of the Harry Potter series with the DVD release of "Deathly Hallows: Part 2."
Take a look at the trailer for the "Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone" and consider what your thoughts were on the film when it first came out. And do take some time to celebrate the anniversary of the first film in the comments. It's certainly been a magical decade!
I will never… ever forget the first time i saw a Harry Potter trailer. I was so excited to see it… I went crazy… who was I to know that it was going to change my life for the better? It’s been 10 years (I was 11 when the movie first came out) and I’m now 21… The movies, and the books.. Will never leave my life, as a matter of fact i’m re-reading and re-watching all of them in order.. I’m currently on Azkaban.. and it just keeps getting better.
Harry Potter for life.
Thank you, JK (i know you’re not there, just… yeah XD!!) for writing such wonderful books and letting geeky kids like us become fans. <3
10 years ago…they were just starting Hogwarts, and now we’re finally able to go (Pottermore, Leavesden). And I’m going to be graduating college in May. Wow. Time.
again i have to thank my stepsister, as she sent me the first two books in the series, i had no idea about harry potter, but my family waited about a month, but have seen every harry potter movie in theaters
Ten years ago, I was very very small. Mose on two or three years and I probably would have ripped your head off if you had even mentioned Harry Potter. You see, there were an awful lot of people who I knew who were just watching the films, and I had no idea that the books even existed. There came a time when I was sitting in a library and I had no books left to read and then I spotted the Harry Potter books sitting on their little shelf and I resigned myself to my fate. Of course, we all know what happens next.
My first Harry Potter experience was seeing Philosopher’s Stone in the cinema when I was four. I was sitting on my mum’s lap; she covered my eyes when Quirrell took off his turban :) I can truly say I’ve grown up with HP, and although it’s sad to see it go I know we’ll still stay strong as a fandom :)
I remember myself and my then-nine-year-old daughter being SO excited when the trailer first came out. We couldn’t wait to see the movie, and I was especially happy to see from the trailer that WB had taken the film seriously and not treated it like a cartoonish kid’s movie. We went as soon as it came out, just she and I as my other two were too young at the time, and that became a tradition.
Through GoF, my oldest and I would go see them first, then the husband would go with me again later, and usually by the time the movie came out on DVD the other two kids were finally old enough to see each one.
For OoTP we did our first big group midnight release all in costume, middle daughter included that time, plus a bunch of both girls’ friends. That was also when I finally found my core group here on Leaky and we’ve been close friends ever since.
The costumed midnight release tradition continued for HBP and DH part 1 when the husband, son and a bunch of other friends also joined in for our biggest group to date. And then the ultimate culmination at LeakyCon 2011 in Orlando for DH part 2 with all the most amazing friends and experiences wrapped up in one, and the biggest tear fest EVER at the movie release.
Incredible, amazing memories, traditions and friendships all wrapped up in Harry Potter love. Thank you for Harry and his incredible world, Jo, and thank you Leaky for providing us all a place to call home, our virtual Hogwarts. :) This will never end!
I remember when this first came out. i was only 5 but i remember it as clear as day. it was “the wizard of oz of it’s time”. that is a pretty huge understatement. i never got to see the first movie in cinemas and i am really saddened by that. there was actually a time when i didn’t like harry potter because my older cousins were playing the video game and i had nightmares about it.
i saw the first movie when it came out on dvd because my mum’s friends gave it to us. mum watched it first but then when i watched it, it was <3 at first sight. ever since then i read the books and saw all the movies on the day it was released. i dressed up for the harry potter premiere and since then have not put on my robes. i want to but i just can’t. i introduced all my friends to harry potter. i thank jo for actually existing because without her i think it is fair to say that all our lives would be a lot duller. i am 15 now. wow…. where did the years go? if i was told a decade ago that i would be here in my life right now, on a hp fan site 2 days before a test then wow, i would be shocked.
i am really thankful and proud of the friendships i have made online and through my real life because of harry potter and i love you all. you are like my second family. tear i really love you all and i hope you take time to appreciate the people who u love this day. it is important to remember that there is love and magic inside all of us and that harry potter will never be over, not as long there are people still loyal to him
Ten years ago I was six and my journey with Harry officially started. If it hadn’t been for my fascination with the first movie when it came out, I probably would never have read the books. That feels weird to even think because I can’t imagine my life without the series. I’m so thankful for the series and I know that i’ll always be there, it’ll never truly be over!!!!!
Now that I think about it… I never saw the trailer of the 1st movie! As in, ever! Ans I call myself an HP for 10 years! tsk tsk tsk! Thanks for sharing this! So love to see this!
I went to see the film with my girlfriend of the time who was a big fan of the books. I had assumed HP was a silly story for kids, but it actually had a strong emotional effect on me and I became a fan of the films. Later on, while recovering from an illness I started reading the books and was staggered by the depth of the story, and inspired by JKR’s tale of love conquering death. Needless to say I am now a mega-fan. Thank you Jo! Looking back on the film, I think director Chris Columbus introduced the characters and world to the audience well, but I think he bungled the ‘whodunnit’ aspect of the story, and the end of the film is a confusing mess. Oh well, let’s face it the films could have been a lot worse!
nostalgic, just yesterday 17:30-18:00 I finished my Harry Potter movies marathon.
it was when it come out to the cinema, I remember as if it was yesterday…it was when everything started for me =) like love at first sight!
after I got the DVD, I think was 2 weeks watching everyday the movie and then one of my brothers (who loves reading, but not fantasy genre _) said the books are usually much better than the movies, there is more info,etc, I bought the 1st with my allowance, and loved it, then some relatives offered me chamber of secrets and prisoner of azkaban and at christmas the goblet of fire (I read like mad, pauses only for sleep and eat).
funny thing is today, not only 10th anniversary of the philosopher stone but also here in Portugal makes 4 years since Deathly Hallows book(the translated one) come out.I remember very well, 3 days, I made a straight because I was in the Bathilda Bagshot/snake scene, and kept reading until quite ahead of that scene so when I go to sleep I wouldn’t have nightmares of that scene >>", yes, I am a very scaredy cat, I still jump at hand of glory, when the spider grabs Ron’s neck and Basilisk suddenly appear from the water front of Salazar statue in chamber of secrets movie, and the snake of deathly hallows part 1…
=) so Harry Potter is very special, is a imaginary world where I wished to put the sorting hat!!
I watchedrst film twice in cinema. It was great. I loved the books an do this until to day. I can not say Harry is my favorite book because its more than this for me. Harry is a attitude to life. Its like yesterday that I was so happy to see tghe first film. And now 11 years later I look forward to the last film dvd which is released in germany friday 18th November. an amazing film which I watched 3 times in cinema. The first and the last film are my favourite films.
The students from Beauxbatons had chosen seats at the Ravenclaw table. They were looking around the Great Hall with glum expressions on their faces. Three of them were still clutching scarves and shawls around their heads.[br]"It's not [i]that[/i] cold,"
I will never… ever forget the first time i saw a Harry Potter trailer. I was so excited to see it… I went crazy… who was I to know that it was going to change my life for the better? It’s been 10 years (I was 11 when the movie first came out) and I’m now 21… The movies, and the books.. Will never leave my life, as a matter of fact i’m re-reading and re-watching all of them in order.. I’m currently on Azkaban.. and it just keeps getting better.
Harry Potter for life.
Thank you, JK (i know you’re not there, just… yeah XD!!) for writing such wonderful books and letting geeky kids like us become fans. <3