According to the director, he had to make a fateful choice after the death of Stanley Kubrick in 1999. At Kubrick's funeral, his relatives asked Spielberg to complete the long-planned science fiction film 'A.I. Artificial Intelligence,' which he had not managed to shoot during his lifetime. Spielberg admitted that he fully understood the potential of J.K. Rowling's books and realized that 'Harry Potter' would become a grand cinematic event. Nevertheless, he decided to turn down the project to focus on a film that he considered an important creative legacy of his friend and colleague. As a result, the director's chair was taken by Chris Columbus, who directed 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,' which marked the beginning of one of the most successful franchises in film history. Spielberg himself released the drama 'A.I. Artificial Intelligence,' which also hit theaters in 2001. Interestingly, this was not the only reason for the director's decision. Earlier, Spielberg had mentioned that filming 'Harry Potter' would require a long move to the UK, and he did not want to be away from his family and young children for an extended period. Therefore, looking back, the director does not regret his decision, even despite the incredible success of the Potter franchise. Thus, the history of cinema received two iconic films at the beginning of the 21st century — 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' and 'A.I. Artificial Intelligence,' each of which took its own path and left a significant mark on world cinema.