Steven Spielberg Is Very Happy He Turned Down Harry Potter

Filmmaker Steven Spielberg had the opportunity to get involved in bringing the Harry Potter franchise to the big screen, an opportunity he ultimately passed on, and while some might think he would be kicking himself for missing out on igniting a franchise that would dominate the globe, he still knows he made the right choice to invest in his family. Were Spielberg to have taken on the task of adapting Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (or Sorceror’s Stone in the U.S.) into live-action, it would have meant heading to the U.K. and missing out on foundational times in his burgeoning family’s life.

“The personal meaning about [how the conflict between] art and family will tear you in half happened to me later, after I had already established myself as a filmmaker, as a working director,” Spielberg recalled in an interview with RRR director S.S. Rajamouli for Variety. “Kate [Capshaw] and I started raising a family and we started having children. The choice I had to make was taking a job that would move me to another country for four or five months where I wouldn’t see my family every day…That was a ripping kind of experience.”

He continued, “There were several films I chose not to make … I chose to turn down the first Harry Potter to basically spend that next year and a half with my family, my young kids growing up. So I’d sacrificed a great franchise, which today looking back I’m very happy to have done, to be with my family.”

That first film was ultimately directed by Home Alone‘s Chris Columbus, who would also go on to helm the follow-up Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Given the acclaim earned by the franchise and its growing popularity, in addition to Spielberg being able to make films like A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, War of the Worlds, and Munich over the course of the development of the Harry Potter franchise, it would seem that everything worked out well for all parties involved. 

As for the future of the Harry Potter franchise, it seems to have stagnated, as the Fantastic Beasts prequel film series has reportedly been put on hold, and as Warner Bros. attempts to navigate the world of streaming and big-budget franchises, it’s unclear when audiences will get the opportunity to return to the Wizarding World in any capacity.

Do you wish Spielberg had gotten involved in the franchise? Let us know in the comments!