Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone hidden details and facts

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone hidden details: every stone scene was shot twice

In the United States the film is called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Rather than dub the word, the production filmed every scene that names the stone twice, once with actors saying philosopher's and once saying sorcerer's. If you have seen both versions, the mouths match in each.

Where Hogwarts really is

Hogwarts was assembled from real British buildings as well as sets at Leavesden Film Studios, where filming began on 29 September 2000.

• Alnwick Castle in Northumberland is the exterior where Harry learns to fly.
• Gloucester Cathedral's cloisters serve as Hogwarts corridors, and Durham Cathedral was used for corridors and classrooms.
• Oxford's Divinity School became the hospital wing, Duke Humfrey's Library in the Bodleian became the library, and Christ Church provided the trophy room.
• Australia House in London stands in for Gringotts, and King's Cross is used for Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
• Canterbury Cathedral was approached but declined because of concerns about the story's pagan themes.

Casting decisions and near misses

Rowling insisted the cast be British and Irish. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson were chosen on 21 August 2000.

Tim Roth was the original choice for Snape but declined before Alan Rickman took the part. Sean Connery, Christopher Lee and Patrick McGoohan all turned down Dumbledore before Richard Harris was cast. Rowling herself was considered for Lily Potter and said no.

Harry's eyes

In the books Harry has his mother's green eyes. Radcliffe was meant to wear green contact lenses, but after consulting Rowling the production let Harry keep Radcliffe's blue eyes. It is one of the most noticed changes from the book, and it stayed for the whole series.

Small details on screen

A few things are hidden in plain sight.

• On the Privet Drive set, Dudley's school certificates are dated 2001, although the book places Harry's eleventh birthday in 1991.
• The Hogwarts Express is the real locomotive GWR 5972 Olton Hall. An earlier candidate was rejected for looking too modern.
• Peeves the poltergeist was filmed with Rik Mayall but cut, and his scenes have never been released.
• Privet Drive street scenes were filmed in Bracknell, Berkshire, before later films moved to a set.

The music

John Williams wrote the score after James Horner declined. Hedwig's Theme, first heard in the opening, was kept across the series because, as Williams put it, "everyone seemed to like it." It became the musical signature of the franchise.

Knowing the locations changes how the film looks. The corridors Harry runs through are medieval cathedral cloisters, the library is one of the oldest reading rooms in Oxford, and the bank is a working embassy building in London. Columbus built the wizarding world out of real British architecture, which is a large part of why the first film still feels grounded.

The casting choices made here also shaped the next decade, since the three young leads stayed for all eight films.

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