HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE STARTS PRODUCTION IN ENGLAND

BURBANK, CA, November 7, 2000 — Warner Bros. is proud to announce that production is underway in the U.K. on the feature film adaptation of the first of JK Rowling’s magical Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The announcement was made today by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, President, Worldwide Theatrical Production, Warner Bros. Pictures.

The film is directed by Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire, Home Alone, Stepmom) and produced by David Heyman (Juice, Daytrippers). In addition to Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe (Mrs. Doubtfire, Stepmom, Home Alone 2), Michael Barnathan (Stepmom, Nine Months) and Duncan Henderson (The Perfect Storm, Outbreak, Home Alone 2) are executive producers.

Harry Potter And the Sorcerer’s Stone stars 11-year-old Daniel Radcliffe (The Tailor of Panama, BBC TV's David Copperfield) in the title role, with newcomers 10-year-old Emma Watson and 12-year-old Rupert Grint as Harry's friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, respectively.

The film also stars John Cleese (The World Is Not Enough, A Fish Called Wanda, Monty Python troupe) as Nearly Headless Nick aka Sir Nicholas De Mimsy-Popington; Robbie Coltrane (Nuns on the Run, GoldenEye, The World is Not Enough) as the world's favorite giant, Hagrid; Richard Griffiths (Sleepy Hollow, Naked Gun 2, King Ralph) as Harry’s Uncle Vernon; Richard Harris (Gladiator, Unforgiven, Camelot) as Hogwarts’ all-knowing Professor Dumbledore; Ian Hart (Land and Freedom, Hollow Reed, Backbeat) as Professor of the Defense Against the Dark Arts Quirrell; Alan Rickman (Truly Madly Deeply, Sense and Sensibility, Die Hard) as Potions Professor Snape; Fiona Shaw (My Left Foot, The Butcher Boy, Franco Zeffirelli's Jane Eyre) as Harry's Aunt Petunia; Dame Maggie Smith (Tea With Mussolini, Richard III, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie) as Dumbledore’s loyal deputy, Professor McGonagall; Julie Walters (Billy Elliot, Educating Rita, Personal Services) as Mrs. Weasley, mother of Harry’s best friend, Ron; and Zoë Wanamaker (Wilde, Raggedy Rawney, The Hunger) showing how to master the art of broom riding as Madame Hooch.

The film also includes some the industry's greatest creative filmmaking talents. Academy Award winner John Seale (The English Patient, The Perfect Storm, Rain Man) is director of photography, and three-time Academy Award-winning production designer Stuart Craig (The English Patient, Dangerous Liaisons, Gandhi) will create the wonderful world of Hogwarts. Academy Award nominee Judianna Makovsky (Little Princess, Pleasantville, Reversal of Fortune) is costume designer and three time Academy Award nominee Richard Francis-Bruce (The Shawshank Redemption, The Perfect Storm, Air Force One) is the editor.

Harry Potter is the central character in a series of books for children and adults alike that has swept the world. Written by British author J.K. Rowling, the books follow the exploits of a boy who learns on his eleventh birthday that he is the orphaned son of two powerful wizards and possesses unique magical powers of his own. He is summoned from his life as an unwanted child to become a student at Hogwarts, a boarding school for wizards. There, Harry meets a close circle of friends that becomes his new family. Ultimately, with their help, he takes on the powerful figure who was responsible for his parents’ death.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone will be released worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, beginning with the US and the UK in November 2001.

John Cleese has joined the cast of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as Harry’s friend Nearly Headless Nick, aka Sir Nicholas De Mimsy-Popington. The multi-talented Cleese, perhaps best known worldwide as one of the original members of the avant garde comedy troupe Monty Python, has numerous feature film credits including Isn’t She Great, The World is Not Enough, Brazil, and Time Bandits. He was nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA and a Golden Globe Award for co-writing the comedy A Fish Called Wanda, in which he also starred. His television series, Fawlty Towers, was ranked #1 in a list of the 100 best TV shows of all time by the British newspaper The Evening Standard. Cleese is currently in production on the film Rat Race.

Julie Walters will play the role of Mrs. Weasley, mother of Harry’s best friend, Ron, and his six red-headed siblings. Walters is currently receiving raves for her role in Billy Elliot. She was nominted for an Oscar and won the BAFTA, Golden Globe and Variety Club Awards for her performance in the title role of Educating Rita. A star of the stage as well as the big and small screens, Walters’ film credits include Personal Services and Prick Up Your Ears, among numerous others.

Director Chris Columbus and producer David Heyman have discovered their Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger from the thousands of children who cast their names into the hat to play the roles. Young actor Daniel Radcliffe will be the film’s Harry, with newcomers Rupert Grint and Emma Watson taking on the roles of Ron and Hermione, Harry’s best friends at Hogwarts, in Warner Bros. Pictures’ upcoming adaptation of the first in the best-selling series of Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. Lorenzo di Bonaventura, President, Worldwide Theatrical Production, Warner Bros. Pictures, made the announcement today.

"We searched through all Muggle and Wizard households to find just the right young people to play Harry, Ron and Hermione and we have found them in Dan, Rupert and Emma," di Bonaventura said. "These are magical roles, the kind that come around once in a lifetime, and they required talented children who can bring magic to the screen."

"We saw so many enormously talented kids in the search for Harry," said Columbus. "The process was intense and there were times when we felt we would never find an individual who embodied the complex spirit and depth of Harry Potter. Then, Dan walked into the room and we all knew we had found Harry. We were equally elated upon meeting Emma and Rupert who are perfect for the roles of Hermione and Ron. I couldn’t be happier to begin work with such talented, inspiring young actors."

Added David Heyman, "While we have been alternately amused and bemused by the rumors about what we’re doing, we are overjoyed to finally put them to rest. These are tremendously talented British kids who will bring so much to the film. We have always been and continue to be devoted to remaining true and faithful to the book."

Added J. K. Rowling, "Having seen Dan Radcliffe screen test, I don’t think Chris Columbus could have found a better Harry. I wish Dan, Emma and Rupert the very best of luck and hope that they have as much fun acting the first year at Hogwarts as I had writing it."

Eleven year old Daniel Radcliffe recently portrayed young David in the BBC’s David Copperfield and will be seen later this year in the John Boorman film The Tailor of Panama. Ten year old Emma Watson and eleven year old Rupert Grint have both acted in school plays.