12 Movies That Were Almost Directed By Steven Spielberg
8. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone
The project in a nutshell: An adaptation of the first book in JK Rowling's series of children's novels, which by the turn of the 21st century had become a massive cultural phenomenon.
When was Spielberg attached: Early on, not long after studio Warner Bros obtained the rights.
Who ended up directing it: Chris Colombus, who would ultimately take the helm on the first two films of the series. In the end 8 films were made from Rowling's 7 novels, with the same core cast - most notably child actors Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson - on board for the duration.
What happened: Accounts vary. It has been claimed that Spielberg had wanted to make a CG animated movie amalgamating the first two books, and had Haley Joel Osment in mind to play Harry, which both Warner Bros and JK Rowling were against.
Spielberg, for his part, says he felt no personal connection to the material, and recognised that he was perhaps too obvious a choice for the job. He would instead make AI: Artificial Intelligence (with Osment in the lead), which was closer to his heart as it was an unrealised project of his late friend Stanley Kurbrick.