The thought of a successful cinematic franchise often stems from the performance of the first film of the series and the response as well as the eagerness of the audience to get something more from it. These were the indicators that drove Warner Bros. to create the now-iconic Harry Potter franchise, which needs no introductions.

A still from the Harry Potter franchise

To this day, the series remains one of the most recognizable and popular film series in history for its films and the characters that were brought to life from the books written by author JK Rowling. But making that journey wasn’t all smooth sailing, in fact, when the first film was in production, the pressure was immense on the cast and crew, especially on the director of the film.

Harry Potter Director Chris Columbus Feared He Might Be Fired In The First Film

Chris Columbus

When we talk about childhood memories that make people smile when they reminisce about the past, you can be sure that one of them will be the memory of the fantastical world of Harry Potter. Created by author JK Rowling, her literary works have spread their influence everywhere in the world to become one of the most popular literary franchises in the world. Thus, the books were adapted to motion pictures, which further established the stories as one of a kind. But that success was not an easy one to accomplish as recalled by director Chris Columbus.

In a past interview with Collider, the Home Alone director talked about how the pressure of the whole world was on him when he took the job to direct Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which was the first entry of the series. He detailed that since the books were record-breakingly popular, he had to make sure the adaption was nothing short of perfect and created a balance for both cinema-goers and bookworms alike. He also believed that if he made one mistake, then he would be relieved of his job in an instant, which made him highly anxious. He said:

“The first film was fraught with anxiety for me. The first two weeks I thought I was gonna get fired every day. Everything looked good, I just thought if I do one thing wrong if I f*ck up, I’m fired. And that was intense. I didn’t let any of that show on the set, there was no frustration, I’m not a screamer, I get along with everybody and I want everybody to feel like they’re part of the family, so I just had to hide that side of my emotions.”

Thus, by assuming the role of a leader and taking into consideration the entire situation of the cast and crew with empathy, the director went on to make the first film a success, and the rest is history.

What’s Next For The Harry Potter Franchise?

Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe in a still from the Harry Potter franchise

Even after more than a decade has passed since the last film of the franchise was released, there have been no signs of the popularity of the series dwindling in the world, especially among the fans of pop culture. Therefore, observing this situation, Warner Bros. has decided it is time to bring the franchise back.

Recently, WB announced that the iconic Harry Potter film franchise will now be receiving a Max Original TV series very soon, which will adapt to seven or eight seasons while other information is yet to be disclosed.