Harry Potter (film series) was that the principal cast be kept strictly British, allowing nevertheless for the inclusion of many Irish actors, such as Richard Harris as Dumbledore, and for casting of French and Eastern European actors in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" where characters from the book are specified as such. Rowling was hesitant to sell the rights because she "didn't want to give them control over the rest of the story" by selling the rights to the characters, which would have enabled Warner Bros. to make non-author-written sequels. Although Steven Spielberg initially negotiated to direct the first film, he declined
Harry Potter (film series) of 12 Academy Awards. Some critics, fans, and general audiences have expressed disappointment that the "Harry Potter" series did not win any Oscars for its achievements. However, others have pointed out that certain films in the series had uneven reviews, in contrast to the three films of "The Lord of the Rings", for example, which were all critically acclaimed. This has been partially attributed to the "Harry Potter" franchise going through several directors with their own styles in contrast to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which was filmed in one massive undertaking by the same director, writer, and producer.