page_title: Chris Columbus (filmmaker)
section_title: 2001–2010: Harry Potter and other film series
hierarchical_section_title: Chris Columbus (filmmaker) / Film career / 2001–2010: Harry Potter and other film series
caption_attribution_description: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson &amp; Rupert Grint (left to right) at the world premiere of Harry Potter &amp; The Deathly Hallows Part 2 in London, England
context_page_description: Chris Joseph Columbus is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Spangler, Pennsylvania, Columbus studied film at Tisch School of the Arts where he developed an interest in filmmaking. After writing screenplays for several teen comedies in the mid-1980s, he made his directorial debut with a teen adventure, Adventures in Babysitting. Columbus gained recognition soon after with the highly successful Christmas comedy-dramas, Home Alone and its sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
  The comedy Mrs. Doubtfire, starring Robin Williams, was another box office success for Columbus, which won an Academy Award for Best Makeup. He went on to direct several other films throughout the 1990s, which were mostly met with lukewarm reception. However, he found commercial success again for directing the film adaptations of J.K. Rowling's novels, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and its sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which are his highest-grossing films to date. In addition to directing, Columbus served as a producer for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the drama The Help and other productions as well.
context_section_description: After reading J. K. Rowling's 1997 fantasy novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Columbus expressed a strong desire to direct the film adaptation. In 2000, he convinced Warner Bros. to select him as director for it. The film is the first installment of the Harry Potter film series and was written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman. The story follows Harry Potter's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and his self-discovery as a famous wizard. Columbus relocated to the United Kingdom with his family in order to focus on directing. Columbus recalls the casting "process was very intense", however Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson were eventually picked for the lead roles. Filming began on September 29, 2000 and lasted for 180 days. The film premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on November 4, 2001 to critical and commercial success, grossing $975.1 million worldwide. The film was praised for its sets, costumes, cinematography and special effects. In addition, it was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Original Score, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.
  In 2002, Columbus returned to direct the second installment, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), based on Rowling's second novel. Featuring much of the same cast from the first film, the story follows Harry Potter's second year at the school when a chamber is opened unleashing a monster. Producer David Heyman said, "Fortunately, we benefited from the experience of the first film ... [the cast] have maintained their enthusiasm, sense of wonder". Columbus also opted to use more handheld cameras for freedom of movement. The film was released to theaters on November 15, 2002. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets shared similar critical acclaim to the first film, and grossed $879 million worldwide. A. O. Scott of The New York Times observed that the film was long but praised it for the special effects and "thrilling" sequences. At the 2003 BAFTA Awards, the film garnered nominations for Best Production Design, Best Sound, and Best Special Visual Effects.
  Next in 2004, Columbus produced Christmas with the Kranks, a Christmas comedy based on the 2001 novel Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. The film received mostly negative reviews. Also in 2004, Columbus returned for the third installment of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Physically exhausted from the first two films, he decided not to direct but serve as producer alongside Heyman and new director Alfonso Cuarón. The film premiered on May 31, 2004 in the United Kingdom to strong critical praise and earned $796.9 million worldwide. After returning to the United States, in 2005, Columbus intended to produce a superhero film, Fantastic Four, but due to disagreements with director Tim Story, he was fired. In the same year, he directed Rent, a musical drama adapted from the 1996 Broadway musical of the same name. The film, consisting six of the original Broadway cast members, depicts the lives of several Bohemians and their struggles living in East Village of New York City from 1989 to 1990. The film had mixed reviews and a poor box office performance.
  In 2006, Columbus served as a producer for Night at the Museum, a fantasy film based on the 1993 children's book of the same name by illustrator Milan Trenc and is the first installment in the Night at the Museum series. The film stars Ben Stiller as Larry Daley, a father who applies for a job at the American Museum of Natural History and subsequently discovers that the exhibits come to life at night. Next, he served as an executive producer for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), a sequel to the first film which was also a commercial success. In 2009, he produced Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, the second installment of the series. Despite mixed reviews, the film was a box office success, earning $413.1 million worldwide. That same year, he directed I Love You, Beth Cooper, a comedy starring Hayden Panettiere and Paul Rust, ba
caption: Cast of the Harry Potter film series: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, 2011.
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