After much humming and hawing Steven Spielberg has finally decided not to direct the first 'Harry Potter' film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. In a statement in this morning's Daily Variety, the director said, "I have every certainty that the series of 'Harry Potter' movies will be phenomenally successful. J.K. Rowling's vision of Harry Potter is modern genius. Warner Bros. and (president) Alan Horn have been more than generous in the time they've allowed me to make a decision. However, at this time, my directorial interests are taking me in another direction. Most importantly, I look forward to reading the fourth 'Harry Potter' book this summer and taking my family to see the first movie next summer.''
The news means that the feeding frenzy surrounding fictional young magician Harry will start all over again as directors battle for the project. Though Warners - who own the rights to Harry - are keeping quiet on the subject, a list of possible directors has been leaked which includes Jonathan Demme, Chris Columbus, Brad Siberling, Rob Reiner, Mike Newell and Tim Robbins. As for Spielberg's plans, the man with the golden touch is still recovering from his recent kidney operation and has made no announcements regarding future projects. But there is a backlog of possible commitments, including Minority Report with Tom Cruise, **A.I **(Artificial Intelligence)- Stanley Kubrick's baby - and a possible adaptation of blockbuster novel Memoirs of A Geisha.