Being successful Quote by John Hurt
![“It's quite interesting, looking back at the first one [film about Harry Potter], nobody knew whether or not it was going to be successful as a film. The books were of course already very successful, but that's happened before, where the books were successful and the films weren't at all. But it…” quote by John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b3c/john-hurt-1669_being-successful_it-s-quite-interesting-looking-back-at-t_1569834.jpg)
“It's quite interesting, looking back at the first one [film about Harry Potter], nobody knew whether or not it was going to be successful as a film. The books were of course already very successful, but that's happened before, where the books were successful and the films weren't at all. But it turned out that they were.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: BBC documentary on Harry Potter films (2001)
Initial doubts about adapting beloved books to film proved wrong, showing that careful adaptation can succeed.
In simple terms: Books can become successful movies.
Key Takeaway
Respect source material while innovating.
Themes
adaptation
skepticism
success
creativity
Mood
optimistic
analytical
Type
cinematic
critical
When to use this quote
- studio pitches
- fan expectations
- marketing campaigns
Key Concepts
film production
literary translation
Questions to Reflect On
- What makes a book‑to‑film adaptation work?
- How do fans influence creative decisions?
A Different Perspective
Not all adaptations work; risk of losing original spirit.
![“By the time I came to do the final ones [Harry Potter's film], I was working on something that was massively successful. There was a huge difference in indulgence and all sorts of stuff. A very big difference in peoples' attitudes. They were very pleased with themselves. In human terms, it was…” quote by John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1d7/john-hurt-1669_attitude_by-the-time-i-came-to-do-the-final-ones_492060.jpg)
![“I got used to [ Lars Von Trier] doing the narration for 'Dogville' and 'Manderley.' And I said to him I do these narrations for you but you never put me in a film! So he called my bluff and put me in 'Melancholia' and I was thrilled about that.” quote by John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ccf/john-hurt-1669_bluffs_i-got-used-to-lars-von-trier-doing-the-n_55595.jpg)
