Steven Spielberg Doesn’t Regret Passing On The Chance To Direct The First Harry Potter Film

Steven Spielberg has revealed that he has no regrets about turning down the opportunity to direct the first Harry Potter movie in order to raise his children.

In an interview with Variety, Spielberg explained that he didn’t want to leave Los Angeles and spend months in London away from his family when they were young. Harry Potter was one of several movies that he turned down to spend time with his family, and he chose to direct A.I. Artificial Intelligence in Los Angeles instead.

Although he acknowledged that he sacrificed a great franchise, Spielberg said that he is very happy to have made the decision to be with his family. The first Harry Potter movie was directed by Christopher Columbus, with several other directors coming aboard for subsequent films.