Kuten arvata saattaa, vuosien elokuvaohjaaja Steven Spielberg on kieltäytynyt lukuisista ohjausnakeista, joista osa on sitten myöhemmin osoittautunut suureksi menestykseksi. Yksi tällainen oli Harry Potter. Syyksi Spielberg kertoi halunsa olla tuolloin ennen kaikkea perheensä kanssa, eikä paiskia töitä kuin huomista ei olisi.
Helppo uskoa, ettei Spielberg ole katunut päätöstään nähtyään Harry Potterin menestyksen myös elokuvamuodossa.
The personal meaning about [how the conflict between] art and family will tear you in half happened to me later, after I had already established myself as a filmmaker, as a working director. Kate [Capshaw] and I started raising a family and we started having children. --- The choice I had to make in taking a job that would move me to another country for four or five months where I wouldn't see my family every day... That was a ripping kind of experience. --- There were several films I chose not to make. I chose to turn down the first 'Harry Potter' to basically spend that next year and a half with my family, my young kids growing up. So I'd sacrificed a great franchise, which today looking back I'm very happy to have done, to be with my family.
<social>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceEZhOOsxdI</social>