$1B Fantasy Hit That Sparked One of the Biggest Franchises in History Resurfaces Ahead of Streaming Remake

As audiences await one of the biggest TV releases of the year, the fantasy film that launched this beloved franchise and introduced a generation to a magical world like no other has become one of the most successful movies on global streaming.

With the vision of a veteran director and the backing of a studio with absolute confidence in their source material, this 152-minute family-friendly film paved the way for what ultimately became one of the biggest franchises in cinema history.

‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ Becomes a Global Streaming Hit 25 Years Later

The film is Chris Columbus’ adaptation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (released as Philosopher’s Stone in the U.K.), the 2001 adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s fantasy bestseller of the same name. It follows young Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), an orphan who discovers on his 11th birthday that he has been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is a wizard, but he just doesn’t know it yet.

He becomes friends with Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), and quickly begins to uncover the secrets of his past. The trio discovers that a powerful magical object is hidden within Hogwarts, and they use what they have learned to uncover the truth about the object known as the Philosopher’s Stone.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was very successful upon release. It began smashing previous records on its opening weekend, when it grossed more than $90 million and had the highest opening weekend in history (it was beaten the following year by Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man). Its total gross – including a 2020 re-release – was $1.026 billion against a $125 million production budget.

The film was acclaimed by audiences and critics as well. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 80% critics’ score, which is on the lower side among films in the Harry Potter series. Nevertheless, it received enough critical and commercial acclaim to spark an entire franchise.

Renowned critic Roger Ebert called it “an enchanting classic” in his four-star review. He wrote: “During Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, I was pretty sure I was watching a classic, one that will be around for a long time, and make many generations of fans. It takes the time to be good. It doesn’t hammer the audience with easy thrills, but cares to tell a story, and to create its characters carefully.” At the Academy Awards the following year, it was nominated in the categories of Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score, but it didn’t win any Oscars.

Twenty-five years after its original release, the first Harry Potter film has become a global streaming sensation. According to the latest update to the charts, the 2001 feature is now at No. 4 among Prime Video‘s most popular titles in the world. The 2002 sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is also climbing the charts, and it currently sits at No. 8.

‘Harry Potter’ Returns in Just a Few Weeks

Today, few people immediately think of the Warner Bros. movie series when Harry Potter is mentioned. The franchise is now associated with HBO’s upcoming reboot that will premiere in December 2026. The project has always been surrounded by controversy, with original author J.K. Rowling being criticized for some of her views and then the casting sparking a new storm. Regardless of the backlash, the series remains one of the most anticipated TV releases of the year.

Francesca Gardiner (a producer on Succession) and Jon Brown will serve as showrunners, while episode directors include veterans such as Mark Mylod and Jessica Hobbs. The three leads, Harry, Hermione, and Ron, are set to be played by newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout. They will be joined by more familiar faces like John Lithgow, Nick Frost, Paapa Essiedu, and Janet McTeer. The series is scheduled to premiere in the U.S. on HBO and HBO Max on December 25, 2026.