It would also go on to become the third highest-grossing movie franchise of all time (behind Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe). The franchise would go on to produce 7 additional movies and spawn a spin-off series. One of the most important movie franchises ever, Harry Potter took the world by storm (for the second time) when the first film was released in 2001. The director of the first two films says that a 3-hour version of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone exists, and he would love to see it released.
