Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) the company the rights to the first four "Harry Potter" books for a reported £1 million (US$1,982,900). A demand Rowling made was that the principal cast be kept strictly British, nonetheless allowing for the inclusion of 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
Places in Harry Potter of Harry Potter Part I: The Magic Begins", included in the 2009 DVD/Blu-ray "Ultimate Edition" of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", the film-makers initially attempted to film the Little Whinging/Privet Drive sequences on location in a real urban area. When this proved unfeasible, a section of Privet Drive was constructed on the backlot at Leavesden Film Studios. this standing set, which remained in use throughout the decade-long filming history of the Harry Potter films, remains visible in Google Maps aerial views of the studio. It sits in a location with other "Harry Potter" sets and props. Malfoy Manor is