
When Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone got the big-screen treatment in 2001 with director Chris Columbus, writer Steve Kloves, and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, the story of the boy with the lightning-bolt scar got a second, more potent life by making all of the book's fantastical magic, hidden worlds, and incredible creatures "real." Sorcerer's Stone grossed almost $1 billion worldwide and created a hunger for more Potter experiences, justifying successful adaptations (including a two-part finale), spinoff prequels about fantastic beasts, and potentially an original TV series.

Rowling has become an incredibly problematic figure. The ever-expanding wizarding world has inspired web hubs, theme parks, and, probably most importantly, movies, even as author J.K.

Harry Potter is an endlessly fascinating hit franchise.
