Steven Spielberg has no regrets about turning down directing Harry Potter

Steven Spielberg
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Steven Spielberg may have missed out on the chance to direct Harry Potter, but the filmmaker has no regrets about not being involved with the Wizarding World.

"There were several films I chose not to make," Spielberg said while in conversation with RRR director S.S. Rajamouli at an event in India to celebrate the release of The Fabelmans there (via Insider). "They offered me Harry Potter and I chose to turn down the first Harry Potter to basically spend the next year and a half with my family, my young kids growing up."

He continued: "So, I sacrificed a great franchise – which today looking back I’m very happy to have done – to be with my family. The choice I had to make in taking a job that would move me to another country for four of five months where I wouldn’t see my family every day."

The first Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was released in 2001 and was helmed by Chris Columbus, who also helmed the second movie, Chamber of Secrets. Alfonso Cuarón directed the third movie in the franchise, Mike Newell helmed the fourth, and David Yates took over the director's chair for the final four movies.

As for Spielberg, his latest movie, The Fabelmans, is a semi-autobiographical portrait of the director's adolescence in Arizona and stars Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, and Seth Rogen. The movie has been nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. 

If you've already seen The Fabelmans, fill out your watch list with our picks of the other best movies of 2022

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

Read more
David Fincher
David Fincher was once in talks to direct Harry Potter, but his "creepy" version didn't align with Warner Bros.' vision
ET The Extraterrestrial
Steven Spielberg recalls the "hard-fought victory" in stopping an E.T. sequel from being made
Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter star Jason Isaacs says the films weren't "much fun to make" because "it's quite boring making big special effects films"
Christopher Nolan / Daniel Craig as James Bond
Christopher Nolan was interested in making a Bond movie but was told he wouldn't have the final cut – so he made Oppenheimer instead
Harry Potter
Harry Potter director thinks Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy would be a perfect Voldemort in new TV show
Harrison Ford sits in a chair in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Harrison Ford defends Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in the most Harrison Ford way: "S*** happens"
Latest in Fantasy Movies
Charli XCX
Charlie XCX is in talks to star in Greta Gerwig’s The Chronicles of Narnia movie - and that is so Brat
Milla Jovovich in In the Lost Lands
Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin's In The Lost Lands could get an on-screen sequel, and Martin is apparently keen too
Dave Bautista in In the Lost Lands
Dave Bautista says playing a vampire is "at the top of my list" after starring in Resident Evil director’s werewolf fantasy In the Lost Lands
Sean Astin and Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings
Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood gives unexpected answer on what movie should be removed from cinematic history: "There's nothing pure about it"
Dave Bautista in In the Lost Lands
Dave Bautista says "I always look to Clint Eastwood" when approaching a western role: "He's always going to be my gold standard"
Dave Bautista and Milla Jovovich in In the Lost Lands
After the successes of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, Dave Bautista and Milla Jovovich talk pressures of starring in the first George R.R. Martin movie
Latest in News
Jordan A. Mun looks at herself in a mirror in just a vest in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet screenshot
5 years after starting development, Neil Druckmann says Naughty Dog's new game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is "still evolving and changing as we're making it"
Silent Hill f
After 2 years of silence, the next mainline Silent Hill game is getting a dedicated stream this week with "the latest news"
Original Xbox console
Former Microsoft exec says the first Xbox was killed early in favor of 360 because it was "losing money left right and center," but luckily "we could afford to hemorrhage cash"
A Monster Hunter Wilds character holding binoculars.
Despite Monster Hunter Wilds suffering monstrous performance problems on PC, it still outsold the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in the US
Jordan A. Mun looks at herself in a mirror in just a vest in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet screenshot
The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann says Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will also be about "being lonely," as if his zombie apocalypse wasn’t isolating enough: "I really want you to be lost"
A screenshot of Jordan drinking a soda during the reveal trailer for Intergalactic: The Hertic Prophet.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is "a game about faith and religion," which Neil Druckmann jokes will surely get less hate than The Last of Us 2