Harry Potter (film series)
Encyclopedia
The Harry Potter film series is a British
-American
film series based on the Harry Potter
novels by the British author J. K. Rowling
. Distributed by Warner Bros.
, the series consists of eight fantasy film
s beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
(2001) and culminating with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
(2011).
The film franchise is produced by David Heyman
and stars Daniel Radcliffe
, Rupert Grint
and Emma Watson
as the three leading characters, Harry Potter
, Ron Weasley
and Hermione Granger
. Four directors have worked on the series: Chris Columbus
, Alfonso Cuarón
, Mike Newell
and David Yates
. When not adjusted for inflation, the series is the highest grossing film series of all time, with $7.7 billion in worldwide receipts. The series consists of eight motion pictures all of which (unadjusted for inflation) are in the top 40 highest-grossing films of all time.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final novel in the series, is split into two feature-length parts. Part 1 was released in November 2010 and Part 2
was released on 15 July 2011.
, was relegated to a low-priority bookshelf, where it was discovered by a secretary who read it and gave it to Heyman with a positive review. This fateful act influenced Heyman, who had originally disliked "the rubbish title", to read the book himself. Highly impressed by Rowling's work, he began the process that was to lead to the most successful cinematic franchise of all time.
Heyman's enthusiasm led to Rowling's 1999 sale of the film rights for the first four Harry Potter books to Warner Bros. for a reported £1 million (US$2,000,000). A demand Rowling made was that the principal cast be kept strictly British, allowing nevertheless for the inclusion of many Irish actors such as the late 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 have enabled Warner Bros. to make non-author-written sequels.
Although Steven Spielberg
initially negotiated to direct the first film, he declined the offer. Spielberg wanted the adaptation to be an animated film, with American actor Haley Joel Osment
to provide Harry Potter's voice. Spielberg contended that, in his opinion, there was every expectation of profit in making the film, and that making money would have been like "shooting ducks in a barrel. It's just a slam dunk. It's just like withdrawing a billion dollars and putting it into your personal bank accounts. There's no challenge". In the Rubbish Bin section of her website, Rowling maintains that she has no role in choosing directors for the films, writing "Anyone who thinks I could (or would) have 'veto-ed' him [Spielberg] needs their Quick-Quotes Quill serviced." After Spielberg left, talks began with other directors, including: Chris Columbus
, Terry Gilliam, Jonathan Demme
, Mike Newell
, Alan Parker
, Wolfgang Petersen
, Rob Reiner
, Tim Robbins
, Brad Silberling
, and Peter Weir
. Petersen and Reiner both pulled out of the running in March 2000. It was then narrowed down to Silberling, Columbus, Parker and Gilliam. Rowling's first choice was Terry Gilliam. However on 28 March 2000 Columbus was appointed as director of the film, with Warner Bros. citing his work on other family films such as Home Alone
and Mrs Doubtfire as influences for their decision.
Steve Kloves
was selected to write the screenplay for the first film. He described adapting the book as "tough", as it did not "lend itself to adaptation as well as the next two books." Kloves was sent a "raft" of synopses of books proposed as film adaptations, with Harry Potter being the only one that jumped out at him. He went out and bought the book, and became an instant fan. When speaking to Warner Bros. he stated that the film had to be British, and had to be true to the characters. David Heyman was confirmed to produce the film. Rowling received a large amount of creative control for the film, an arrangement that Columbus did not mind.
Warner Bros. had initially planned to release the first film over the 4 July 2001 weekend, making for such a short production window that several of the originally proposed directors had pulled themselves out of the running. Eventually, due to time constraints the date was put back to 16 November 2001.
was discovered by producer David Heyman and writer Steve Kloves seated just behind them in a theatre. In Heyman's own words, "There sitting behind me was this boy with these big blue eyes. It was Dan Radcliffe. I remember my first impressions: He was curious and funny and so energetic. There was real generosity too, and sweetness. But at the same time he was really voracious and with hunger for knowledge of whatever kind."
Radcliffe had already established himself as an actor in the 1999 BBC
television production of David Copperfield
in which he played the title role's childhood years. Heyman convinced Radcliffe's parents to allow him to audition for the part of Harry Potter
, which involved Radcliffe being filmed. (This screen test
footage was released via the first set of Ultimate Editions in 2009.) Rowling was enthusiastic after viewing Radcliffe's filmed test, saying she didn't think there was a better choice for the part of Harry Potter.
Also in 2000, the unknown British actors Emma Watson
and Rupert Grint
were selected from thousands of auditioning children to play the roles of Hermione Granger
and Ron Weasley
, respectively. Prior to them being chosen, their only previous acting experience was in school plays. Grint was eleven years old and Watson ten at the time they were cast.
Los Angeles Times
writer Geoff Boucher, who conducted the above-mentioned interview with Heyman, added that the casting of the three major roles "is especially impressive in hindsight. The trio's selection was arguably one of the best show-business decisions over the past decade... they have shown admirable grace and steadiness in the face of teen superstardom."
has produced all the films in the franchise with his company Heyday Films
, while David Barron
joined the series as an executive producer on Chamber of Secrets and Goblet of Fire. He was later appointed producer on the last three instalments. Chris Columbus was an executive producer on the first two films alongside Mark Radcliffe and Michael Barnathan
, but became a producer on the third film alongside Heyman and Radcliffe. Tanya Seghatchian
was an executive producer on the third and fourth films, with Lionel Wigram
joining the team on the final three films. J. K. Rowling
, the author of the series, was asked to become a producer on Goblet of Fire, but declined. However, she accepted the role on the two-part Deathly Hallows. Heyday Films and Columbus' company 1492 Pictures
collaborated with Duncan Henderson Productions in 2001, Miracle Productions in 2002 and P of A Productions in 2004. Even though Prisoner of Azkaban was the final film produced by 1492 Pictures, Heyday Films continued with the franchise and collaborated with Patalex IV Productions in 2005. The sixth film in the series, Half-Blood Prince, was the most expensive film to produce. The seventh instalment in the book series, Deathly Hallows, was split into two cinematic parts by Warner Bros.
as they thought it would "do justice to all the words and ideas in the amazing story." The two parts were filmed back-to-back from early 2009 to summer 2010, with the completion of reshoots taking place on 21 December 2010; this marked the end of filming Harry Potter. Heyman stated that Deathly Hallows was "shot as one film" during production, but is released in two feature-length parts.
had finished working on Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, he was hired to direct the second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The production started within a week after the release of the first film. Columbus was set to direct all eight entries in the series, however he did not want to return for the third film as he claimed he was "burned out". He moved to the position of producer, while Alfonso Cuarón
was approached for the role of director. He was initially nervous about directing the instalment as he had not read any of the books or seen the films. After reading the series, he changed his mind and signed on to direct as he had immediately connected to the story. David Heyman found that "tonally and stylistically, [Cuarón] was the perfect fit."
Because production of the fourth instalment, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, had to be initiated before the worldwide release of the third film, Mike Newell
was selected to be the director. During production of this adaptation, director David Yates
visited Leavesden Film Studios to observe filming as he was set to helm the next entry in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Yates also directed Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, becoming the only person to have guided more than one Potter film since Columbus. During the Ministry of Magic infiltration scenes in Deathly Hallows, Yates paid homage to Terry Gilliam
's 1985 film Brazil
; it is known that Gilliam was Rowling's first choice to direct the first film in the series. Heyman commented on the directing style of Yates, remarking that he is "a great director with a keen visual sense who fills each frame with humanity and compassion for his characters." In an interview released in June 2011, Chris Columbus remarked on the growth of the series, stating that "the relationship between Harry, Ron and Hermione was just beautifully executed, it's exactly where I would have hoped those characters to have gone and I think David Yates [has drawn] phenomenal performances from them."
Heyman also commented on the "generosity of the directors" by revealing that "Chris spent time with Alfonso, Alfonso spent time with Mike and Mike spent time with David, showing him an early cut of the film, talking through what it means to be a director and how they went about it and any sort of titbits that they can pass on. And it's a really collegial and supportive environment between directors, but also I think within Leavesden itself." Daniel Radcliffe
explored the style of all the directors in the series, saying that "he [David Yates] took the charm of the films that Chris [Columbus] made and the visual flair of everything that Alfonso [Cuarón] did and the thoroughly British, bombastic nature of the film directed by Mike Newell and he's added his own sense of grit and realism to it that perhaps wasn’t there so much before."
With the exception of Columbus, each director has made a cameo appearance
in their respective film: Alfonso Cuarón appears in The Three Broomsticks in Prisoner of Azkaban; Mike Newell is heard briefly as the radio presenter in Frank Bryce's house in Goblet of Fire; and David Yates features as a wizard within a magical moving portrait in Order of the Phoenix. David Heyman also makes a cameo appearance as a wizard featured within a magical moving portrait on the DVD of the third film, Prisoner of Azkaban.
wrote the screenplays for all but the fifth film, which was penned by Michael Goldenberg
. Kloves had direct assistance of Rowling, though she allowed him what he described as "tremendous elbow room". Rowling once asked Kloves to keep being faithful to the books, thus the plot and tone of each film and its corresponding book are virtually the same, albeit with some changes and omissions for purposes of cinematic style, time and budget constraints.
In an interview with FirstShowing.net, David Heyman briefly explained the book-to-film transition. He commented on Rowling's involvement in the series, stating that she understands that "books and films are different" and is "the best support" a producer could have. Rowling has overall approval on the scripts, which are viewed and discussed by the director and the producers. Heyman also said that Kloves is the "key voice" in the process as he "breaks down" the novels and that "certain things" need to be excluded from the scripts due to the filmmakers' decision to keep the main focus on Harry's journey as a character, which would ultimately give the film a defined structure. Heyman mentioned that some fans "don't necessarily understand the adaptation process" and that the filmmakers would love to "have everything" from the books in the films, but noted that it is not possible as they have "neither time nor cinematic structure" to do so. He finished by saying that "there's always tough decisions on what we leave in and what we leave out" and that "it's a really considered process."
as Rubeus Hagrid
, Alan Rickman
as Severus Snape
, Maggie Smith
as Minerva McGonagall, and Tom Felton
as Draco Malfoy
. Richard Harris
, who played the role of Professor Albus Dumbledore
, passed away on 25 October 2002 causing the role to be re-cast for the third instalment, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. David Heyman and director Alfonso Cuarón chose Michael Gambon
to portray the character of Dumbledore, which he did for all succeeding films. Notable recurring cast members include Helena Bonham Carter
as Bellatrix Lestrange, Warwick Davis
as Filius Flitwick, Ralph Fiennes
as Lord Voldemort
, Brendan Gleeson
as Alastor Moody, Richard Griffiths
as Vernon Dursley, Jason Isaacs
as Lucius Malfoy, Gary Oldman
as Sirius Black
, Fiona Shaw
as Petunia Dursley, Timothy Spall
as Peter Pettigrew, David Thewlis
as Remus Lupin, Emma Thompson
as Sybill Trelawney, Julie Walters
as Molly Weasley, and Mark Williams
as Arthur Weasley.
The series has seen many returning crew members from various departments, including: Nick Dudman
, creature effects designer; Amanda Knight, make-up designer; Jany Temime, costume designer; Fiona Weir
, casting director; Tim Burke, visual effects supervisor; Peter Doyle, digital film colourist; Greg Powell
, stunt coordinator; and David Holmes
, stunt double.
. Assisted by Stephanie McMillan
, Craig has created iconic sets pieces including the Ministry of Magic
, the Chamber of Secrets, Malfoy Manor and the layout for the CGI Horcrux Cave. Due to the fact that the novels were being published as the films were being made, Craig was required to rebuild some sets for future films and alter the design of Hogwarts
.
in the franchise: John Seale
worked on the first film; Roger Pratt
on the second and fourth; Michael Seresin
on the third; Slawomir Idziak
on the fifth; Bruno Delbonnel
on the sixth; and Eduardo Serra
on the seventh and eighth. Delbonnel was considered to return for both parts of Deathly Hallows, however he declined and stated that he was "scared of repeating" himself. Delbonnel's cinematography in Half-Blood Prince gained the series its only Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography
.
s to work in post-production on the series: Richard Francis-Bruce
edited the first instalment; Peter Honess
did the second; Steven Weisberg
did the third, Mick Audsley
did the fourth; and Mark Day
edited films five to eight.
The Harry Potter series has had four composers. John Williams
was the first composer to enter the series and is known for creating Hedwig's Theme, which is heard at the start of each instalment. Williams scored the first three films: Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets
, and Prisoner of Azkaban
. However, the second entry was adapted and conducted by William Ross
due to Williams' conflicting commitments.
After Williams left the series, Patrick Doyle
scored the fourth entry, Goblet of Fire
. In 2006, Nicholas Hooper
started work scoring Order of the Phoenix
. Hooper also composed the soundtrack to Half-Blood Prince
.
In January 2010, Alexandre Desplat
was confirmed to compose the score for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. The film's orchestration started in the summer with Conrad Pope
, the orchestrator on the first three Potter films, collaborating with Desplat. Pope commented that the music is "exciting and vigorous" and "those who love melodies, harmonies and emotions in their film scores should be pleased. Reminds one of the old days."
In November 2010, the Warner Bros. website was updated to confirm that Desplat was set to return to score Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
. Director David Yates
stated that he wanted John Williams to return to the franchise, but their schedules did not align due to the urgent demand of a rough cut of the film sooner than was possible. The final recording sessions of Harry Potter took place on 27 May 2011 at Abbey Road Studios
with the London Symphony Orchestra
, orchestrator Conrad Pope and composer Alexandre Desplat.
Doyle, Hooper and Desplat introduced their own personal themes to their respective soundtracks, while keeping selections from John Williams' seminal melodies.
companies to work on the Harry Potter franchise. Some of these include Rising Sun Pictures
, Double Negative
, Cinesite
, Framestore and Industrial Light & Magic. The latter three have worked on all the films in the series, while Double Negative and Rising Sun Pictures began their commitments with Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire respectively. Framestore contributed by developing many memorable creatures and sequences to the series. Cinesite were involved in producing both miniature and digital effects for the films, while other various companies evolved details, surroundings, locations, animation and computer generated characters.
was completed with actor Warwick Davis
stating on his Twitter account, "The end of an Era – today is officially the last day of principal photography on 'Harry Potter' – ever. I feel honoured to be here as the director shouts cut for the very last time. Farewell Harry & Hogwarts, it's been magic!". However, reshoots of the epilogue scene were confirmed to begin in the winter of 2010. The filming was completed on 21 December 2010, marking the official closure of filming the Harry Potter franchise. Interestingly, exactly four years ago on that day, author J. K. Rowling
's official website revealed the title of the final novel in the series – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
. Harry Potter
is an orphaned boy brought up by his unfriendly aunt and uncle. At the age of eleven, half-giant Rubeus Hagrid
informs him that he is actually a wizard and that his parents were murdered by an evil wizard named Lord Voldemort
. Voldemort also attempted to kill one-year old Harry on the same night, but his killing curse mysteriously rebounded and reduced him to a weak and helpless form. Harry became extremely famous in the Wizarding World as a result. Harry begins his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
and learns about magic. During the year, Harry and his friends Ron Weasley
and Hermione Granger
become entangled in the mystery of the Philosopher's Stone which is being kept within the school.
. Harry Potter's third year sees the boy wizard, along with his friends, attending Hogwarts School once again. Professor R. J. Lupin joins the staff as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, while convicted murderer Sirius Black
escapes from Azkaban Prison. The Ministry of Magic
entrusts the Dementors of Azkaban to guard Hogwarts from Black. Harry learns more about his past and his connection with the escaped prisoner.
. During Harry's fourth year, the Dark Mark appears in the sky after a Death Eater
attack at the Quidditch World Cup, Hogwarts plays host to a legendary event: the Triwizard Tournament, there is a new DADA professor Alastor Moody and frequent nightmares bother Harry all year. Three European schools participate in the tournament, with three 'champions' representing each school in the deadly tasks. The Goblet of Fire chooses Fleur Delacour, Viktor Krum and Cedric Diggory to compete against each other. However, curiously, Harry's name is also produced from the Goblet making him a fourth champion, which results in a terrifying encounter with a re-born Lord Voldemort.
. Harry's fifth year begins with him being attacked by Dementors in Little Whinging. Later, he finds out that the Ministry of Magic is in denial of Lord Voldemort
's return. Harry is also beset by disturbing and realistic nightmares while Professor Umbridge, a representative of Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, is the new DADA teacher. Therefore the rebellion involving the students of Hogwarts, secret organisation Order of the Phoenix, the Ministry of Magic and the Death Eaters begins.
and his Death Eaters are increasing their terror upon the Wizarding and Muggle worlds. Albus Dumbledore
persuades his old friend and colleague Horace Slughorn to return to Hogwarts as a professor as there is a vacancy to fill. However, there is a more important reason for Slughorn's return. While in a Potions lesson, Harry takes possession of a strangely annotated school textbook, inscribed 'This is the property of the Half-Blood Prince', which contains astonishing information. Meanwhile, Dumbledore and Harry secretly work together to discover the method on how to destroy Voldemort once and for all. As romance and hormones lurk within the castle's walls all year, Draco Malfoy
struggles to carry out a deed presented to him by the Dark Lord.
's secret to immortality – the Horcruxes. It is supposed to be their final year at Hogwarts
, but the collapse of the Ministry of Magic and Voldemort's rise to power prevents them from attending. The trio undergo a long adventure with many obstacles in their path including Death Eaters, Snatchers, the mysterious Deathly Hallows and Harry's connection with the Dark Lord's mind becoming ever stronger.
for £1,000,000 by J. K. Rowling. After the release of the fourth book
in July 2000, the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
, was released on 16 November 2001. The film grossed $90 million in the United States alone which set a record opening worldwide. The succeeding three motion picture adaptations followed suit in financial success, while garnering positive reviews from fans and critics. The fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
was released by Warner Bros. on 11 July 2007 in English-speaking countries, except for the UK and Ireland which released the movie on 12 July. The sixth, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
, was released on 15 July 2009 to critical acclaim and finished its theatrical run ranked as the number two grossing film of 2009
on the worldwide charts. The final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was split into two cinematic parts: Part 1 was released on 19 November 2010 and Part 2, the conclusion to both the final film and the series, was released on 15 July 2011. Part 1 was originally scheduled to be released in 3D
and 2D, but due to a delay in the 3D conversion process, Warner Bros.
released the film only in 2D and IMAX cinemas. However, Part 2 was released in 2D and 3D cinemas as originally planned.
, Star Wars
, Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean
. However, opinions of the films generally divide book fans, with some preferring the more faithful approach of the first two films, and others preferring the more stylised character-driven approach of the later films. Some also feel the series has a "disjointed" feel due to the changes in directors, as well as Michael Gambon's interpretation of Albus Dumbledore differing from that of Richard Harris'. Author J. K. Rowling
has been constantly supportive of the films, and evaluated Deathly Hallows as her favourite one in the series. She wrote on her website of the changes in the book-to-film transition, "It is simply impossible to incorporate every one of my storylines into a film that has to be kept under four hours long. Obviously films have restrictions – novels do not have constraints of time and budget; I can create dazzling effects relying on nothing but the interaction of my own and my readers' imaginations".
in February 2011, J. K. Rowling
, David Heyman
, David Barron
, David Yates
, Alfonso Cuarón
, Mike Newell
, Rupert Grint
and Emma Watson
collected the Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema for the series. Harry Potter was also recognised by the BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards, as David Yates won the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing for his four Potter films. However, the franchise has not won any Academy Awards, but five of the eight films have been nominated.
Some critics, fans and general audiences have expressed disappointment of the fact that the franchise has not gained any Oscar awards for its efforts. Despite this, the series has achieved success in many other award ceremonies including the Saturn Award
s, Art Directors Guild Awards
and Grammy Award
s. The series has also gained a total of 28 nominations at the British Academy Film Awards
presented at the annual BAFTAs
.
Philosopher's Stone achieved seven BAFTA Award nominations including Best British Film and Best Supporting Actor for Robbie Coltrane
. The film was also nominated for eight Saturn Awards and won for its costumes design. It was also nominated at the Art Directors Guild Award
s for its production design and received the Broadcast Film Critics Award
for Best Live Action Family Film along with gaining two other nominations. Chamber of Secrets won the award for Best Live Action Family Film in the Phoenix Film Critics Society
. It was nominated for seven Saturn Awards including Best Director and Best Fantasy Film. The film was nominated for four BAFTA Awards and a Grammy Award for John Williams' score. Prisoner of Azkaban won an Audience Award at the BAFTA Awards, as well as Best Feature Film. The film also won a BMI Film Music award along with being nominated at the Grammy Awards, Visual Effect Society Awards and the Amanda Awards. Goblet of Fire won a BAFTA award for Best Production Design
as well as being nominated at the Saturn Awards, Critic's Choice Awards and the Visual Effects Society Awards.
Order of the Phoenix picked up three awards at the inaugural ITV
National Movie Awards
. At the Empire Awards
, David Yates
won Best Director. Composer Nicholas Hooper
received a nomination for a World Soundtrack Discovery Award. The film was nominated at the BAFTA Awards, but did not win for Best Production Design or Best Special Visual Effects. Half-Blood Prince was nominated for BAFTA Awards in Production Design and Visual Effects, and was in the longlists for several other categories, including Best Supporting Actor for Alan Rickman
. Amongst other nominations and wins, the film also achieved Best Family Movie at the National Movie Awards
as well as Best Live Action Family Film at the Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards, along with being nominated for Best Motion Picture at the Satellite Awards. Deathly Hallows – Part 1 gained two nominations at the BAFTA Awards for Best Make-Up and Hair and Best Visual Effects, along with receiving nominations for the same categories at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards. Eduardo Serra
's cinematography and Stuart Craig
's production design were also nominated in various award ceremonies and David Yates attained his second win at the Empire Awards, this time for Best Fantasy Film. He also obtained another Best Director nomination at the annual Saturn Awards, which also saw the film gain a Best Fantasy Film nomination.
films and the six films in the Star Wars
franchise. Chris Columbus
' Philosopher's Stone
became the highest-grossing Harry Potter film worldwide upon completing its theatrical run in 2002, but it was eventually topped by David Yates
' Deathly Hallows – Part 2
, while Alfonso Cuarón
's Prisoner of Azkaban
grossed the least.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film series based on the Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
novels by the British author J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling
Joanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series...
. Distributed by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, the series consists of eight fantasy film
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
s beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in the United States and India as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series,...
(2001) and culminating with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 epic fantasy film directed by David Yates and the second of two films based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the eighth and final instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David...
(2011).
The film franchise is produced by David Heyman
David Heyman
David Jonathan Heyman is a British film producer and the founder of Heyday Films. He obtained the film rights to the Harry Potter series in 1999 and has produced all eight installments in the series of films.-Life and career:...
and stars Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor who rose to prominence playing the titular character in the Harry Potter film series....
, Rupert Grint
Rupert Grint
Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint is an English actor, who rose to prominence playing Ron Weasley, one of the three main characters in the Harry Potter film series. Grint was cast as Ron at the age of 11, having previously acted only in school plays and at his local theatre group...
and Emma Watson
Emma Watson
Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson is an English actress and model.Watson rose to prominence playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series. Watson was cast as Hermione at the age of nine, having previously acted only in school plays. From 2001 to 2011, she starred in all eight Harry Potter...
as the three leading characters, Harry Potter
Harry Potter (character)
Harry James Potter is the title character and main protagonist of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. The majority of the books' plot covers seven years in the life of the orphan Potter who, on his eleventh birthday, learns he is a wizard...
, Ron Weasley
Ron Weasley
Ronald Bilius "Ron" Weasley is a fictional character and one of the three protagonists in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. His first appearance was in the first book of the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as the best friend of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger...
and Hermione Granger
Hermione Granger
Hermione Jean Granger is a fictional character and one of the three protagonists in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. She initially appears in the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, as a new student on her way to Hogwarts...
. Four directors have worked on the series: Chris Columbus
Chris Columbus (filmmaker)
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Columbus is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Columbus had his largest success with the first two films in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, along with Home Alone, the last...
, Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
, Mike Newell
Mike Newell (director)
Michael Cormac "Mike" Newell is an English director and producer of motion pictures for the screen and for television. After the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005, Newell became the third most commercially successful British director in recent years, behind Christopher Nolan...
and David Yates
David Yates
David Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
. When not adjusted for inflation, the series is the highest grossing film series of all time, with $7.7 billion in worldwide receipts. The series consists of eight motion pictures all of which (unadjusted for inflation) are in the top 40 highest-grossing films of all time.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final novel in the series, is split into two feature-length parts. Part 1 was released in November 2010 and Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 epic fantasy film directed by David Yates and the second of two films based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the eighth and final instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David...
was released on 15 July 2011.
Origins
Late in 1997, film producer David Heyman's London offices received a copy of the first book in what would become Rowling's series of seven Harry Potter novels. The book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is the first novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling and featuring Harry Potter, a young wizard...
, was relegated to a low-priority bookshelf, where it was discovered by a secretary who read it and gave it to Heyman with a positive review. This fateful act influenced Heyman, who had originally disliked "the rubbish title", to read the book himself. Highly impressed by Rowling's work, he began the process that was to lead to the most successful cinematic franchise of all time.
Heyman's enthusiasm led to Rowling's 1999 sale of the film rights for the first four Harry Potter books to Warner Bros. for a reported £1 million (US$2,000,000). A demand Rowling made was that the principal cast be kept strictly British, allowing nevertheless for the inclusion of many Irish actors such as the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore, and for casting of French and Eastern European actors in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling, published on 8 July 2000.The novel won a Hugo Award in 2001, the only Harry Potter novel to do so...
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 have enabled Warner Bros. to make non-author-written sequels.
Although Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
initially negotiated to direct the first film, he declined the offer. Spielberg wanted the adaptation to be an animated film, with American actor Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment is an American actor. After a series of roles in television and film during the 1990s, including a small part in Forrest Gump playing Tom Hanks' title character’s son, Osment rose to fame with his performance as Cole Sear in M...
to provide Harry Potter's voice. Spielberg contended that, in his opinion, there was every expectation of profit in making the film, and that making money would have been like "shooting ducks in a barrel. It's just a slam dunk. It's just like withdrawing a billion dollars and putting it into your personal bank accounts. There's no challenge". In the Rubbish Bin section of her website, Rowling maintains that she has no role in choosing directors for the films, writing "Anyone who thinks I could (or would) have 'veto-ed' him [Spielberg] needs their Quick-Quotes Quill serviced." After Spielberg left, talks began with other directors, including: Chris Columbus
Chris Columbus (filmmaker)
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Columbus is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Columbus had his largest success with the first two films in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, along with Home Alone, the last...
, Terry Gilliam, Jonathan Demme
Jonathan Demme
Robert Jonathan Demme is an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter. Best known for directing The Silence of the Lambs, which won him the Academy Award for Best Director, he has also directed the acclaimed movies Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married, the Talking Heads concert movie Stop...
, Mike Newell
Mike Newell (director)
Michael Cormac "Mike" Newell is an English director and producer of motion pictures for the screen and for television. After the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005, Newell became the third most commercially successful British director in recent years, behind Christopher Nolan...
, Alan Parker
Alan Parker
Sir Alan William Parker, CBE is an English film director, producer, writer and actor. He has been active in both the British cinema and American cinema and was a founding member of the Directors Guild of Great Britain.-Life and career:...
, Wolfgang Petersen
Wolfgang Petersen
Wolfgang Petersen is a German film director and screenwriter. His films include The NeverEnding Story, Enemy Mine, Outbreak, In the Line of Fire, Air Force One, The Perfect Storm, Troy, and Poseidon...
, Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
, Tim Robbins
Tim Robbins
Timothy Francis "Tim" Robbins is an American actor, screenwriter, director, producer, activist and musician. He is the former longtime partner of actress Susan Sarandon...
, Brad Silberling
Brad Silberling
Bradley Mitchell Silberling is an American television and film director. He is married to the actress Amy Brenneman, who he met on the set of NYPD Blue and with whom he has two children, Charlotte Tucker and Bodhi Russell...
, and Peter Weir
Peter Weir
Peter Lindsay Weir, AM is an Australian film director. After playing a leading role in the Australian New Wave cinema with his films such as Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Last Wave and Gallipoli, Weir directed a diverse group of American and international films—many of them major box office...
. Petersen and Reiner both pulled out of the running in March 2000. It was then narrowed down to Silberling, Columbus, Parker and Gilliam. Rowling's first choice was Terry Gilliam. However on 28 March 2000 Columbus was appointed as director of the film, with Warner Bros. citing his work on other family films such as Home Alone
Home Alone
Home Alone is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. The film stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old boy, who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation...
and Mrs Doubtfire as influences for their decision.
Steve Kloves
Steve Kloves
Stephen Keith "Steven" Kloves is an Academy Award-nominated American screenwriter mainly renowned for his adaptations of novels, especially for the Harry Potter film series and for Wonder Boys...
was selected to write the screenplay for the first film. He described adapting the book as "tough", as it did not "lend itself to adaptation as well as the next two books." Kloves was sent a "raft" of synopses of books proposed as film adaptations, with Harry Potter being the only one that jumped out at him. He went out and bought the book, and became an instant fan. When speaking to Warner Bros. he stated that the film had to be British, and had to be true to the characters. David Heyman was confirmed to produce the film. Rowling received a large amount of creative control for the film, an arrangement that Columbus did not mind.
Warner Bros. had initially planned to release the first film over the 4 July 2001 weekend, making for such a short production window that several of the originally proposed directors had pulled themselves out of the running. Eventually, due to time constraints the date was put back to 16 November 2001.
Casting the roles of Harry, Ron and Hermione
In 2000, after a seven month search, lead actor Daniel RadcliffeDaniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor who rose to prominence playing the titular character in the Harry Potter film series....
was discovered by producer David Heyman and writer Steve Kloves seated just behind them in a theatre. In Heyman's own words, "There sitting behind me was this boy with these big blue eyes. It was Dan Radcliffe. I remember my first impressions: He was curious and funny and so energetic. There was real generosity too, and sweetness. But at the same time he was really voracious and with hunger for knowledge of whatever kind."
Radcliffe had already established himself as an actor in the 1999 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television production of David Copperfield
David Copperfield (novel)
The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery , commonly referred to as David Copperfield, is the eighth novel by Charles Dickens, first published as a novel in 1850. Like most of his works, it originally appeared in serial...
in which he played the title role's childhood years. Heyman convinced Radcliffe's parents to allow him to audition for the part of Harry Potter
Harry Potter (character)
Harry James Potter is the title character and main protagonist of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. The majority of the books' plot covers seven years in the life of the orphan Potter who, on his eleventh birthday, learns he is a wizard...
, which involved Radcliffe being filmed. (This screen test
Screen test
A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film and/or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a camera to see if they are suitable...
footage was released via the first set of Ultimate Editions in 2009.) Rowling was enthusiastic after viewing Radcliffe's filmed test, saying she didn't think there was a better choice for the part of Harry Potter.
Also in 2000, the unknown British actors Emma Watson
Emma Watson
Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson is an English actress and model.Watson rose to prominence playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series. Watson was cast as Hermione at the age of nine, having previously acted only in school plays. From 2001 to 2011, she starred in all eight Harry Potter...
and Rupert Grint
Rupert Grint
Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint is an English actor, who rose to prominence playing Ron Weasley, one of the three main characters in the Harry Potter film series. Grint was cast as Ron at the age of 11, having previously acted only in school plays and at his local theatre group...
were selected from thousands of auditioning children to play the roles of Hermione Granger
Hermione Granger
Hermione Jean Granger is a fictional character and one of the three protagonists in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. She initially appears in the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, as a new student on her way to Hogwarts...
and Ron Weasley
Ron Weasley
Ronald Bilius "Ron" Weasley is a fictional character and one of the three protagonists in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. His first appearance was in the first book of the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as the best friend of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger...
, respectively. Prior to them being chosen, their only previous acting experience was in school plays. Grint was eleven years old and Watson ten at the time they were cast.
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
writer Geoff Boucher, who conducted the above-mentioned interview with Heyman, added that the casting of the three major roles "is especially impressive in hindsight. The trio's selection was arguably one of the best show-business decisions over the past decade... they have shown admirable grace and steadiness in the face of teen superstardom."
Production
David HeymanDavid Heyman
David Jonathan Heyman is a British film producer and the founder of Heyday Films. He obtained the film rights to the Harry Potter series in 1999 and has produced all eight installments in the series of films.-Life and career:...
has produced all the films in the franchise with his company Heyday Films
Heyday Films
Heyday Films is a British film production company, founded by producer David Heyman in London, 1997.Its first feature film production was Ravenous, directed by Antonia Bird. It is most notable for producing the Harry Potter film series, based on the novels by J. K...
, while David Barron
David Barron (film producer)
David Barron is a British film producer, best known for his involvement in the Harry Potter film franchise.-Career:David Barron worked as a producer on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2. He previously served as a producer on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry...
joined the series as an executive producer on Chamber of Secrets and Goblet of Fire. He was later appointed producer on the last three instalments. Chris Columbus was an executive producer on the first two films alongside Mark Radcliffe and Michael Barnathan
Michael Barnathan
Michael Barnathan is a film producer who has produced and executive-produced films such as Used People, the first three Harry Potter films, Rent, Cheaper by the Dozen and Night at the Museum. He was also the producer for the 2010 film adaptation Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief of...
, but became a producer on the third film alongside Heyman and Radcliffe. Tanya Seghatchian
Tanya Seghatchian
Tanya Seghatchian is a film producer.She worked for the BBC and was then appointed executive producer on the third and fourth Harry Potter films, as well as a film called My Summer of Love and the film adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, which was due out in 2007.She...
was an executive producer on the third and fourth films, with Lionel Wigram
Lionel Wigram
Lionel Wigram is a British film producer and screenplay writer. He was named a senior vice president of production at Warner Bros. in November 2000....
joining the team on the final three films. J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling
Joanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series...
, the author of the series, was asked to become a producer on Goblet of Fire, but declined. However, she accepted the role on the two-part Deathly Hallows. Heyday Films and Columbus' company 1492 Pictures
1492 Pictures
1492 Pictures is an American film production company founded by director Chris Columbus in 1995. The name is a play on Columbus's more famous namesake, Christopher Columbus, and his 1492 landing in the Americas....
collaborated with Duncan Henderson Productions in 2001, Miracle Productions in 2002 and P of A Productions in 2004. Even though Prisoner of Azkaban was the final film produced by 1492 Pictures, Heyday Films continued with the franchise and collaborated with Patalex IV Productions in 2005. The sixth film in the series, Half-Blood Prince, was the most expensive film to produce. The seventh instalment in the book series, Deathly Hallows, was split into two cinematic parts by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
as they thought it would "do justice to all the words and ideas in the amazing story." The two parts were filmed back-to-back from early 2009 to summer 2010, with the completion of reshoots taking place on 21 December 2010; this marked the end of filming Harry Potter. Heyman stated that Deathly Hallows was "shot as one film" during production, but is released in two feature-length parts.
Directors
After Chris ColumbusChris Columbus (filmmaker)
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Columbus is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Columbus had his largest success with the first two films in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, along with Home Alone, the last...
had finished working on Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, he was hired to direct the second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The production started within a week after the release of the first film. Columbus was set to direct all eight entries in the series, however he did not want to return for the third film as he claimed he was "burned out". He moved to the position of producer, while Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
was approached for the role of director. He was initially nervous about directing the instalment as he had not read any of the books or seen the films. After reading the series, he changed his mind and signed on to direct as he had immediately connected to the story. David Heyman found that "tonally and stylistically, [Cuarón] was the perfect fit."
Because production of the fourth instalment, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, had to be initiated before the worldwide release of the third film, Mike Newell
Mike Newell (director)
Michael Cormac "Mike" Newell is an English director and producer of motion pictures for the screen and for television. After the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005, Newell became the third most commercially successful British director in recent years, behind Christopher Nolan...
was selected to be the director. During production of this adaptation, director David Yates
David Yates
David Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
visited Leavesden Film Studios to observe filming as he was set to helm the next entry in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Yates also directed Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, becoming the only person to have guided more than one Potter film since Columbus. During the Ministry of Magic infiltration scenes in Deathly Hallows, Yates paid homage to Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
's 1985 film Brazil
Brazil (film)
Brazil is a 1985 British science fiction fantasy/black comedy film directed by Terry Gilliam. It was written by Gilliam, Charles McKeown, and Tom Stoppard and stars Jonathan Pryce. The film also features Robert De Niro, Kim Greist, Michael Palin, Katherine Helmond, Bob Hoskins, and Ian Holm...
; it is known that Gilliam was Rowling's first choice to direct the first film in the series. Heyman commented on the directing style of Yates, remarking that he is "a great director with a keen visual sense who fills each frame with humanity and compassion for his characters." In an interview released in June 2011, Chris Columbus remarked on the growth of the series, stating that "the relationship between Harry, Ron and Hermione was just beautifully executed, it's exactly where I would have hoped those characters to have gone and I think David Yates [has drawn] phenomenal performances from them."
Heyman also commented on the "generosity of the directors" by revealing that "Chris spent time with Alfonso, Alfonso spent time with Mike and Mike spent time with David, showing him an early cut of the film, talking through what it means to be a director and how they went about it and any sort of titbits that they can pass on. And it's a really collegial and supportive environment between directors, but also I think within Leavesden itself." Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor who rose to prominence playing the titular character in the Harry Potter film series....
explored the style of all the directors in the series, saying that "he [David Yates] took the charm of the films that Chris [Columbus] made and the visual flair of everything that Alfonso [Cuarón] did and the thoroughly British, bombastic nature of the film directed by Mike Newell and he's added his own sense of grit and realism to it that perhaps wasn’t there so much before."
With the exception of Columbus, each director has made a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in their respective film: Alfonso Cuarón appears in The Three Broomsticks in Prisoner of Azkaban; Mike Newell is heard briefly as the radio presenter in Frank Bryce's house in Goblet of Fire; and David Yates features as a wizard within a magical moving portrait in Order of the Phoenix. David Heyman also makes a cameo appearance as a wizard featured within a magical moving portrait on the DVD of the third film, Prisoner of Azkaban.
Scripts
Steve KlovesSteve Kloves
Stephen Keith "Steven" Kloves is an Academy Award-nominated American screenwriter mainly renowned for his adaptations of novels, especially for the Harry Potter film series and for Wonder Boys...
wrote the screenplays for all but the fifth film, which was penned by Michael Goldenberg
Michael Goldenberg
Michael Goldenberg is an American playwright, Hollywood screenwriter, and film director.Goldenberg was the screenwriter and director of Bed of Roses in 1996. He was the co-screenwriter for the film adaptation of Contact and co-adapted the 2003 live-action version of Peter Pan with director P.J....
. Kloves had direct assistance of Rowling, though she allowed him what he described as "tremendous elbow room". Rowling once asked Kloves to keep being faithful to the books, thus the plot and tone of each film and its corresponding book are virtually the same, albeit with some changes and omissions for purposes of cinematic style, time and budget constraints.
In an interview with FirstShowing.net, David Heyman briefly explained the book-to-film transition. He commented on Rowling's involvement in the series, stating that she understands that "books and films are different" and is "the best support" a producer could have. Rowling has overall approval on the scripts, which are viewed and discussed by the director and the producers. Heyman also said that Kloves is the "key voice" in the process as he "breaks down" the novels and that "certain things" need to be excluded from the scripts due to the filmmakers' decision to keep the main focus on Harry's journey as a character, which would ultimately give the film a defined structure. Heyman mentioned that some fans "don't necessarily understand the adaptation process" and that the filmmakers would love to "have everything" from the books in the films, but noted that it is not possible as they have "neither time nor cinematic structure" to do so. He finished by saying that "there's always tough decisions on what we leave in and what we leave out" and that "it's a really considered process."
Cast and crew
Aside from the three lead actors, other notable cast members include Robbie ColtraneRobbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane, OBE is a Scottish actor, comedian and author. He is known both for his role as Dr...
as Rubeus Hagrid
Rubeus Hagrid
Rubeus Hagrid is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. Hagrid is introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a half-giant who is the gamekeeper and Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts, the primary setting for the first six novels...
, Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company...
as Severus Snape
Severus Snape
Severus Snape is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J.K. Rowling. In the first novel of the series, he is hostile toward Harry and is built up to be the primary antagonist until the final chapters. As the series progresses, Snape's character becomes more layered and...
, Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith
Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, DBE , better known as Maggie Smith, is an English film, stage, and television actress who made her stage debut in 1952 and is still performing after 59 years...
as Minerva McGonagall, and Tom Felton
Tom Felton
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Felton is an English actor and musician. He is best known for playing the role of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series, the movie adaptations of the best-selling Harry Potter fantasy novels by author J. K...
as Draco Malfoy
Draco Malfoy
Draco Malfoy is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. He is a Slytherin student in Harry Potter's year. He is frequently accompanied by his two accomplices, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, who act as henchmen...
. Richard Harris
Richard Harris
Richard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....
, who played the role of Professor Albus Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore
Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a major character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. For most of the series, he is the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts...
, passed away on 25 October 2002 causing the role to be re-cast for the third instalment, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. David Heyman and director Alfonso Cuarón chose Michael Gambon
Michael Gambon
Sir Michael John Gambon, CBE is an Irish actor who has worked in theatre, television and film. A highly respected theatre actor, Gambon is recognised for his roles as Philip Marlowe in the BBC television serial The Singing Detective, as Jules Maigret in the 1990s ITV serial Maigret, and as...
to portray the character of Dumbledore, which he did for all succeeding films. Notable recurring cast members include Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter is an English actress of film, stage, and television. She made her acting debut in a television adaptation of K. M. Peyton's A Pattern of Roses before winning her first film role as the titular character in Lady Jane...
as Bellatrix Lestrange, Warwick Davis
Warwick Davis
Warwick Ashley Davis is an English actor. He is most notable for playing the title characters in Willow and the Leprechaun film series, as well as for his roles in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and the Harry Potter movies. Davis currently stars in the sitcom Life's Too Short, written...
as Filius Flitwick, Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
as Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort is the main antagonist of the Harry Potter series written by British author J. K. Rowling. Voldemort first appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which was released in 1997...
, Brendan Gleeson
Brendan Gleeson
Brendan Gleeson is an Irish actor. His best-known films include Braveheart, Gangs of New York, In Bruges, 28 Days Later, the Harry Potter films, The Guard and the role of Michael Collins in The Treaty...
as Alastor Moody, Richard Griffiths
Richard Griffiths
Richard Griffiths, OBE is an English actor of stage, film and television. He has received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor...
as Vernon Dursley, Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs is an English actor born in Liverpool, who is best known for his performance as the villain Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, the brutal Colonel William Tavington in The Patriot and as lifelong criminal Michael Caffee in the internationally broadcast American television series...
as Lucius Malfoy, Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman
Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...
as Sirius Black
Sirius Black
Sirius Black is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Sirius was first mentioned briefly in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as a wizard who lent Rubeus Hagrid a flying motorbike shortly after Lord Voldemort killed James and Lily Potter...
, Fiona Shaw
Fiona Shaw
Fiona Shaw, CBE is an Irish actress and theatre director. Although to international audiences she is probably most familiar for her minor role as Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter films, she is an accomplished classical actress...
as Petunia Dursley, Timothy Spall
Timothy Spall
Timothy Leonard Spall, OBE is an English character actor and occasional presenter.-Early life:Spall, the third of four sons, was born in Battersea, London. His mother, Sylvia R. , was a hairdresser, and his father, Joseph L. Spall, was a postal worker...
as Peter Pettigrew, David Thewlis
David Thewlis
David Thewlis is an English actor of stage and screen. His most commercially successful role to date has been that of Remus Lupin, in the Harry Potter film series...
as Remus Lupin, Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson is a British actress, comedian and screenwriter. Her first major film role was in the 1989 romantic comedy The Tall Guy. In 1992, Thompson won multiple acting awards, including an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress, for her performance in the British drama Howards End...
as Sybill Trelawney, Julie Walters
Julie Walters
Julie Walters, CBE is an English actress and novelist. She came to international prominence in 1983 for Educating Rita, performing in the title role opposite Michael Caine. It was a role she had created on the West End stage and it won her BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for Best Actress...
as Molly Weasley, and Mark Williams
Mark Williams (actor)
Mark Williams is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter and presenter. He is best known as one of the stars of the popular BBC sketch show The Fast Show, as well as for his role as Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter films....
as Arthur Weasley.
The series has seen many returning crew members from various departments, including: Nick Dudman
Nick Dudman
Nick Dudman is a British make-up effects and creature designer for motion pictures.Dudman and his team have created the make-up effects and the magical animatronic creatures in the Harry Potter films, garnering BAFTA Award nominations for the first four of the series to date.Dudman got his start...
, creature effects designer; Amanda Knight, make-up designer; Jany Temime, costume designer; Fiona Weir
Fiona Weir
Fiona Weir is a British casting director. In 2005, she received a Primetime Emmy nomination for the television film The Girl in the Café, directed by David Yates with whom she worked with on the Harry Potter film franchise, her most notable credit....
, casting director; Tim Burke, visual effects supervisor; Peter Doyle, digital film colourist; Greg Powell
Greg Powell
Greg Powell is British stuntman, stunt coordinator and 2nd Unit Director nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on Band of Brothers.-External links:...
, stunt coordinator; and David Holmes
David Holmes (actor)
David Holmes is a former British actor and stunt performer.-Career:He was the stunt double for Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in the first six of the Harry Potter film series. Also goes by the name Taylor Potter Cividino while living in Eloy, AZ...
, stunt double.
Set design
The production designer for all eight films is Stuart CraigStuart Craig
Norman Stuart Craig OBE is a noted British production designer.He has also designed the sets, together with his frequent collaborator set decorator Stephanie McMillan, on all of the Harry Potter film series films to date. At Potter author J. K...
. Assisted by Stephanie McMillan
Stephanie McMillan
Stephanie McMillan is a set decorator. She is best known for working on all Harry Potter films to date. She picked up three Academy Award nominations for the first, fourth, and seventh films in the series. She won an Oscar, though, in 1996 for The English Patient, an award which she shared with...
, Craig has created iconic sets pieces including the Ministry of Magic
Ministry of Magic
The Ministry of Magic is the government of the fictional Magical community of Britain in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. First mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the Ministry makes its first proper appearance in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix...
, the Chamber of Secrets, Malfoy Manor and the layout for the CGI Horcrux Cave. Due to the fact that the novels were being published as the films were being made, Craig was required to rebuild some sets for future films and alter the design of Hogwarts
Hogwarts
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry or simply Hogwarts is the primary setting for the first six books of the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, with each book lasting the equivalent of one school year. It is a fictional boarding school of magic for witches and wizards between the ages of...
.
Cinematography
There have been six different directors of photographyCinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
in the franchise: John Seale
John Seale
John Clement Seale, A.S.C., A.C.S. is an Australian cinematographer. He won an Oscar for the 1996 film The English Patient....
worked on the first film; Roger Pratt
Roger Pratt (cinematographer)
Roger Pratt BSC is a British cinematographer. Pratt has been the director of photography for more than 35 films. Among his body of films, he has worked on Batman , Frankenstein , 102 Dalmatians , Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , Troy , and more recently Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire...
on the second and fourth; Michael Seresin
Michael Seresin
Michael Stephen Seresin, ONZM, is a New Zealand cinematographer, best known for several collaborations with the British director Alan Parker...
on the third; Slawomir Idziak
Slawomir Idziak
Sławomir Idziak is a well-known Polish cinematographer, having worked on over forty Polish and foreign films.He has made fourteen movies with Krzysztof Zanussi, including Kontrakt , The Constant Factor and The Year of the Quiet Sun. He worked on all the early films of Krzysztof Kieślowski,...
on the fifth; Bruno Delbonnel
Bruno Delbonnel
Bruno Delbonnel is a French cinematographer.Delbonnel was born in Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France and graduated in 1978 from the ESEC ....
on the sixth; and Eduardo Serra
Eduardo Serra
Eduardo Serra is a cinematographer from Lisbon, Portugal, twice nominated for Academy Awards for Best Cinematography.From 1960 to 1963, Serra studied engineering at Lisbon's Instituto Superior Técnico, but he had to leave the country after his involvement in students' protests against Salazar's...
on the seventh and eighth. Delbonnel was considered to return for both parts of Deathly Hallows, however he declined and stated that he was "scared of repeating" himself. Delbonnel's cinematography in Half-Blood Prince gained the series its only Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography
Academy Award for Best Cinematography
The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work in one particular motion picture.-History:...
.
Editing
Along with continuous changes in cinematographers, there have been five film editorFilm editing
Film editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling...
s to work in post-production on the series: Richard Francis-Bruce
Richard Francis-Bruce
Richard Francis-Bruce is an Australian film editor who has received several nominations for the Academy Award for Film Editing.- Career :...
edited the first instalment; Peter Honess
Peter Honess
Peter Honess is a British film editor with more than thirty film credits dating from 1973. Honess received the 1997 BAFTA Award for Best Editing for his work on L.A. Confidential....
did the second; Steven Weisberg
Steven Weisberg
Steven Weisberg is a film editor who usually collaborates with director Alfonso Cuarón.-Editor Credits:* Morning Glory * Mother and Child * Mr...
did the third, Mick Audsley
Mick Audsley
Mick Audsley is a British film and television editor with more than 30 film credits. Audsley has had a notable collaboration with the director Stephen Frears from 1982 to their latest, Tamara Drewe...
did the fourth; and Mark Day
Mark Day (editor)
Mark Day is a BAFTA-winning British film editor. He won two BAFTA Awards for Best Editing for State of Play and Sex Traffic, both directed by David Yates with whom Day also worked with on The Way We Live Now, The Young Visiters and The Girl in the Café; the former two projects gained Day two Royal...
edited films five to eight.
Music
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
was the first composer to enter the series and is known for creating Hedwig's Theme, which is heard at the start of each instalment. Williams scored the first three films: Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (soundtrack)
The Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets original motion picture soundtrack was released on 12 November 2002. The score was originally slated to be conducted entirely by John Williams, but due to scheduling conflicts with the scoring of Steven Spielberg's film Catch Me If You Can, composer...
, and Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (soundtrack)
The Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban original motion picture soundtrack was released on 25 May 2004. The film's score was composed and conducted by John Williams. It introduced two major themes: "Window to the Past" and "Double Trouble", although neither were featured in the series' other...
. However, the second entry was adapted and conducted by William Ross
William Ross (composer)
William Ross is an American composer, orchestrator, arranger, conductor and music director. He has worked with a large array of artists and musicians, from famous Hollywood composers John Williams, Alan Silvestri, John Powell, Michael Giacchino, Klaus Badelt, or Michael Kamen, to pop music icons...
due to Williams' conflicting commitments.
After Williams left the series, Patrick Doyle
Patrick Doyle
Patrick Doyle is a Scottish musician and film score composer. A longtime collaborator of actor/director Kenneth Branagh, Doyle is known for his work scoring such critically acclaimed films as Henry V , Sense and Sensibility , Hamlet , and Gosford Park , as well as noteworthy blockbusters as Harry...
scored the fourth entry, Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (soundtrack)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on 15 November 2005. The film's score was not composed by John Williams as were the previous three films, but by Patrick Doyle...
. In 2006, Nicholas Hooper
Nicholas Hooper
Nicholas Hooper is a British film and television composer. He has scored the award-winning BBC productions Land of the Tiger and Andes to Amazon, as well as the TV movies The Girl in the Café and My Family and Other Animals among others...
started work scoring Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (soundtrack)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the soundtrack to the 2007 film of the same name, based on the book by J. K. Rowling. Nicholas Hooper composed the film's score, following John Williams, who scored the first three films, and Patrick Doyle who did the fourth. Though new to the series, he...
. Hooper also composed the soundtrack to Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (soundtrack)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the soundtrack to the 2009 film of the same name, based on the book by J. K. Rowling. The score was composed by Nicholas Hooper and conducted by Hooper and Alastair King. This was the second Harry Potter film to be scored by Hooper, who also composed the...
.
In January 2010, Alexandre Desplat
Alexandre Desplat
Alexandre Michel Gérard Desplat is a French film composer. He has received four Academy Award nominations, five BAFTA nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, winning a Golden Globe for his work on The Painted Veil in 2006, and two Grammy nominations. In 2011, Desplat won his first British...
was confirmed to compose the score for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. The film's orchestration started in the summer with Conrad Pope
Conrad Pope
Conrad Pope is an American film composer and orchestrator. He has collaborated with acclaimed composers such as John Williams, James Newton Howard, Danny Elfman and Alexandre Desplat.-Background:...
, the orchestrator on the first three Potter films, collaborating with Desplat. Pope commented that the music is "exciting and vigorous" and "those who love melodies, harmonies and emotions in their film scores should be pleased. Reminds one of the old days."
In November 2010, the Warner Bros. website was updated to confirm that Desplat was set to return to score Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (soundtrack)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows − Part 2 is a motion picture soundtrack to the 2011 film of the same name written and conducted by the French film composer Alexandre Desplat.-Development:...
. Director David Yates
David Yates
David Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
stated that he wanted John Williams to return to the franchise, but their schedules did not align due to the urgent demand of a rough cut of the film sooner than was possible. The final recording sessions of Harry Potter took place on 27 May 2011 at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
with the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
, orchestrator Conrad Pope and composer Alexandre Desplat.
Doyle, Hooper and Desplat introduced their own personal themes to their respective soundtracks, while keeping selections from John Williams' seminal melodies.
Visual effects
There have been many visual effectsVisual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
companies to work on the Harry Potter franchise. Some of these include Rising Sun Pictures
Rising Sun Pictures
Rising Sun Pictures is an Australian-based visual effects company. It was founded in 1995 in Adelaide, South Australia, and is named after the Rising Sun Inn in Kensington.-Credits:...
, Double Negative
Double Negative (VFX)
Double Negative is a British full-service visual effects/computer animation company located in Soho, London. The company was set up in 1998 with a team of 30 staff and has since grown to over 900 staff, making it one of Europe's largest provider of visual effects for film.In 2009, Double Negative...
, Cinesite
Cinesite
Cinesite Ltd is a digital visual effects and post-production facility in London and one of the largest such companies in Europe...
, Framestore and Industrial Light & Magic. The latter three have worked on all the films in the series, while Double Negative and Rising Sun Pictures began their commitments with Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire respectively. Framestore contributed by developing many memorable creatures and sequences to the series. Cinesite were involved in producing both miniature and digital effects for the films, while other various companies evolved details, surroundings, locations, animation and computer generated characters.
Final filming
On 12 June 2010, filming of the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Deathly Hallows – Part 2Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 epic fantasy film directed by David Yates and the second of two films based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the eighth and final instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David...
was completed with actor Warwick Davis
Warwick Davis
Warwick Ashley Davis is an English actor. He is most notable for playing the title characters in Willow and the Leprechaun film series, as well as for his roles in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and the Harry Potter movies. Davis currently stars in the sitcom Life's Too Short, written...
stating on his Twitter account, "The end of an Era – today is officially the last day of principal photography on 'Harry Potter' – ever. I feel honoured to be here as the director shouts cut for the very last time. Farewell Harry & Hogwarts, it's been magic!". However, reshoots of the epilogue scene were confirmed to begin in the winter of 2010. The filming was completed on 21 December 2010, marking the official closure of filming the Harry Potter franchise. Interestingly, exactly four years ago on that day, author J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling
Joanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series...
's official website revealed the title of the final novel in the series – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
Directed by Chris ColumbusChris Columbus (filmmaker)
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Columbus is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Columbus had his largest success with the first two films in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, along with Home Alone, the last...
. Harry Potter
Harry Potter (character)
Harry James Potter is the title character and main protagonist of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. The majority of the books' plot covers seven years in the life of the orphan Potter who, on his eleventh birthday, learns he is a wizard...
is an orphaned boy brought up by his unfriendly aunt and uncle. At the age of eleven, half-giant Rubeus Hagrid
Rubeus Hagrid
Rubeus Hagrid is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. Hagrid is introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a half-giant who is the gamekeeper and Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts, the primary setting for the first six novels...
informs him that he is actually a wizard and that his parents were murdered by an evil wizard named Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort is the main antagonist of the Harry Potter series written by British author J. K. Rowling. Voldemort first appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which was released in 1997...
. Voldemort also attempted to kill one-year old Harry on the same night, but his killing curse mysteriously rebounded and reduced him to a weak and helpless form. Harry became extremely famous in the Wizarding World as a result. Harry begins his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Hogwarts
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry or simply Hogwarts is the primary setting for the first six books of the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, with each book lasting the equivalent of one school year. It is a fictional boarding school of magic for witches and wizards between the ages of...
and learns about magic. During the year, Harry and his friends Ron Weasley
Ron Weasley
Ronald Bilius "Ron" Weasley is a fictional character and one of the three protagonists in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. His first appearance was in the first book of the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as the best friend of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger...
and Hermione Granger
Hermione Granger
Hermione Jean Granger is a fictional character and one of the three protagonists in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. She initially appears in the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, as a new student on her way to Hogwarts...
become entangled in the mystery of the Philosopher's Stone which is being kept within the school.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Directed by Chris Columbus. Harry, Ron, and Hermione return to Hogwarts for their second year, which proves to be more challenging than the last. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, leaving students and ghosts petrified by an unleashed monster. Harry must face up to claims that he is the heir of Salazar Slytherin (founder of the Chamber), learns that he can speak Parseltongue, and also discovers the properties of a mysterious diary only to find himself trapped within the Chamber of Secrets itself.Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Directed by Alfonso CuarónAlfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
. Harry Potter's third year sees the boy wizard, along with his friends, attending Hogwarts School once again. Professor R. J. Lupin joins the staff as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, while convicted murderer Sirius Black
Sirius Black
Sirius Black is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Sirius was first mentioned briefly in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as a wizard who lent Rubeus Hagrid a flying motorbike shortly after Lord Voldemort killed James and Lily Potter...
escapes from Azkaban Prison. The Ministry of Magic
Ministry of Magic
The Ministry of Magic is the government of the fictional Magical community of Britain in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. First mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the Ministry makes its first proper appearance in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix...
entrusts the Dementors of Azkaban to guard Hogwarts from Black. Harry learns more about his past and his connection with the escaped prisoner.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Directed by Mike NewellMike Newell (director)
Michael Cormac "Mike" Newell is an English director and producer of motion pictures for the screen and for television. After the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005, Newell became the third most commercially successful British director in recent years, behind Christopher Nolan...
. During Harry's fourth year, the Dark Mark appears in the sky after a Death Eater
Death Eater
In the fictional world of the Harry Potter series, the Death Eaters constitute a group of wizards and witches, led by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, the chief antagonist of the series, who seek to purify the Wizarding community by eliminating the Muggle-borns...
attack at the Quidditch World Cup, Hogwarts plays host to a legendary event: the Triwizard Tournament, there is a new DADA professor Alastor Moody and frequent nightmares bother Harry all year. Three European schools participate in the tournament, with three 'champions' representing each school in the deadly tasks. The Goblet of Fire chooses Fleur Delacour, Viktor Krum and Cedric Diggory to compete against each other. However, curiously, Harry's name is also produced from the Goblet making him a fourth champion, which results in a terrifying encounter with a re-born Lord Voldemort.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Directed by David YatesDavid Yates
David Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
. Harry's fifth year begins with him being attacked by Dementors in Little Whinging. Later, he finds out that the Ministry of Magic is in denial of Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort is the main antagonist of the Harry Potter series written by British author J. K. Rowling. Voldemort first appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which was released in 1997...
's return. Harry is also beset by disturbing and realistic nightmares while Professor Umbridge, a representative of Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, is the new DADA teacher. Therefore the rebellion involving the students of Hogwarts, secret organisation Order of the Phoenix, the Ministry of Magic and the Death Eaters begins.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Directed by David Yates. In Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Lord VoldemortLord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort is the main antagonist of the Harry Potter series written by British author J. K. Rowling. Voldemort first appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which was released in 1997...
and his Death Eaters are increasing their terror upon the Wizarding and Muggle worlds. Albus Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore
Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a major character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. For most of the series, he is the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts...
persuades his old friend and colleague Horace Slughorn to return to Hogwarts as a professor as there is a vacancy to fill. However, there is a more important reason for Slughorn's return. While in a Potions lesson, Harry takes possession of a strangely annotated school textbook, inscribed 'This is the property of the Half-Blood Prince', which contains astonishing information. Meanwhile, Dumbledore and Harry secretly work together to discover the method on how to destroy Voldemort once and for all. As romance and hormones lurk within the castle's walls all year, Draco Malfoy
Draco Malfoy
Draco Malfoy is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. He is a Slytherin student in Harry Potter's year. He is frequently accompanied by his two accomplices, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, who act as henchmen...
struggles to carry out a deed presented to him by the Dark Lord.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010)
Directed by David Yates. After unexpected events at the end of the previous year, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are entrusted with a quest to find and destroy Lord VoldemortLord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort is the main antagonist of the Harry Potter series written by British author J. K. Rowling. Voldemort first appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which was released in 1997...
's secret to immortality – the Horcruxes. It is supposed to be their final year at Hogwarts
Hogwarts
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry or simply Hogwarts is the primary setting for the first six books of the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, with each book lasting the equivalent of one school year. It is a fictional boarding school of magic for witches and wizards between the ages of...
, but the collapse of the Ministry of Magic and Voldemort's rise to power prevents them from attending. The trio undergo a long adventure with many obstacles in their path including Death Eaters, Snatchers, the mysterious Deathly Hallows and Harry's connection with the Dark Lord's mind becoming ever stronger.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011)
Directed by David Yates. After destroying one Horcrux and discovering the significance of the three Deathly Hallows, Harry, Ron and Hermione continue to seek the other Horcruxes in an attempt to destroy Lord Voldemort. However, now that the Dark Lord has obtained the yet unbeatable Elder Wand, he aims to complete his final stage to ultimate power and launches an attack on Hogwarts School, where the trio return for one last stand against the dark forces that threaten to take over the Wizarding and Muggle worlds.Release
The rights for the first four novels in the series were sold to Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
for £1,000,000 by J. K. Rowling. After the release of the fourth book
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling, published on 8 July 2000.The novel won a Hugo Award in 2001, the only Harry Potter novel to do so...
in July 2000, the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in the United States and India as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series,...
, was released on 16 November 2001. The film grossed $90 million in the United States alone which set a record opening worldwide. The succeeding three motion picture adaptations followed suit in financial success, while garnering positive reviews from fans and critics. The fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a 2007 fantasy film directed by David Yates and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fifth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Michael Goldenberg and produced by David Heyman and David Barron...
was released by Warner Bros. on 11 July 2007 in English-speaking countries, except for the UK and Ireland which released the movie on 12 July. The sixth, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a 2009 fantasy film directed by David Yates and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the sixth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman and David Barron...
, was released on 15 July 2009 to critical acclaim and finished its theatrical run ranked as the number two grossing film of 2009
2009 in film
The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
on the worldwide charts. The final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was split into two cinematic parts: Part 1 was released on 19 November 2010 and Part 2, the conclusion to both the final film and the series, was released on 15 July 2011. Part 1 was originally scheduled to be released in 3D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
and 2D, but due to a delay in the 3D conversion process, Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
released the film only in 2D and IMAX cinemas. However, Part 2 was released in 2D and 3D cinemas as originally planned.
Reception
All the films have been a success financially and critically, making the franchise one of the major Hollywood tent-poles akin to James BondJames Bond (film series)
The James Bond film series is a British series of motion pictures based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond , who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. Earlier films were based on Fleming's novels and short stories, followed later by films with original storylines...
, Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a series of fantasy-adventure films directed by Gore Verbinski and Rob Marshall , written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
. However, opinions of the films generally divide book fans, with some preferring the more faithful approach of the first two films, and others preferring the more stylised character-driven approach of the later films. Some also feel the series has a "disjointed" feel due to the changes in directors, as well as Michael Gambon's interpretation of Albus Dumbledore differing from that of Richard Harris'. Author J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling
Joanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series...
has been constantly supportive of the films, and evaluated Deathly Hallows as her favourite one in the series. She wrote on her website of the changes in the book-to-film transition, "It is simply impossible to incorporate every one of my storylines into a film that has to be kept under four hours long. Obviously films have restrictions – novels do not have constraints of time and budget; I can create dazzling effects relying on nothing but the interaction of my own and my readers' imaginations".
Review aggregate results
| Motion Picture | Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance... |
Metacritic Metacritic Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,... |
BFCA Broadcast Film Critics Association The Broadcast Film Critics Association is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada , representing approximately 250 television, radio and online critics.... |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Top Critics | |||
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | 80% (186 reviews) | 75% (40 reviews) | 64 (35 reviews) | 90 (Recommended) |
| Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | 83% (204 reviews) | 68% (38 reviews) | 63 (35 reviews) | 84 (Recommended) |
| Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | 91% (232 reviews) | 90% (42 reviews) | 82 (40 reviews) | 84 (Recommended) |
| Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | 87% (222 reviews) | 87% (38 reviews) | 81 (38 reviews) | 87 (Recommended) |
| Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | 78% (236 reviews) | 69% (42 reviews) | 71 (37 reviews) | 82 (Recommended) |
| Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | 83% (254 reviews) | 88% (43 reviews) | 78 (36 reviews) | 87 (Critic's Choice) |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | 79% (243 reviews) | 73% (40 reviews) | 65 (42 reviews) | 87 (Critic's Choice) |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 | 97% (260 reviews) | 100% (41 reviews) | 87 (41 reviews) | 93 (Critic's Choice) |
| Average Ratings | 85% | 81% | 74 | 87 |
Accolades
At the 64th British Academy Film Awards64th British Academy Film Awards
The 64th British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs, were held on 13 February 2011 honouring the best national and foreign films of 2010. The nominees were announced on 18 January 2011. The King's Speech earned the most nominations with fourteen...
in February 2011, J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling
Joanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series...
, David Heyman
David Heyman
David Jonathan Heyman is a British film producer and the founder of Heyday Films. He obtained the film rights to the Harry Potter series in 1999 and has produced all eight installments in the series of films.-Life and career:...
, David Barron
David Barron (film producer)
David Barron is a British film producer, best known for his involvement in the Harry Potter film franchise.-Career:David Barron worked as a producer on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2. He previously served as a producer on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry...
, David Yates
David Yates
David Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
, Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
, Mike Newell
Mike Newell (director)
Michael Cormac "Mike" Newell is an English director and producer of motion pictures for the screen and for television. After the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005, Newell became the third most commercially successful British director in recent years, behind Christopher Nolan...
, Rupert Grint
Rupert Grint
Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint is an English actor, who rose to prominence playing Ron Weasley, one of the three main characters in the Harry Potter film series. Grint was cast as Ron at the age of 11, having previously acted only in school plays and at his local theatre group...
and Emma Watson
Emma Watson
Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson is an English actress and model.Watson rose to prominence playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series. Watson was cast as Hermione at the age of nine, having previously acted only in school plays. From 2001 to 2011, she starred in all eight Harry Potter...
collected the Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema for the series. Harry Potter was also recognised by the BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards, as David Yates won the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing for his four Potter films. However, the franchise has not won any Academy Awards, but five of the eight films have been nominated.
| Motion Picture | Academy Award | Academy Award nominee | Academy Award ceremony |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Best Art Direction Best Costume Design Best Original Score |
Stuart Craig Stuart Craig Norman Stuart Craig OBE is a noted British production designer.He has also designed the sets, together with his frequent collaborator set decorator Stephanie McMillan, on all of the Harry Potter film series films to date. At Potter author J. K... and Stephanie McMillan Stephanie McMillan Stephanie McMillan is a set decorator. She is best known for working on all Harry Potter films to date. She picked up three Academy Award nominations for the first, fourth, and seventh films in the series. She won an Oscar, though, in 1996 for The English Patient, an award which she shared with... Judianna Makovsky John Williams John Williams John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T... |
74th Academy Awards 74th Academy Awards The 74th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2001 and took place March 24, 2002, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. It was the first ceremony to take place... |
| Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Best Original Score Best Visual Effects |
John Williams Roger Guyett, Tim Burke, John Richardson and Bill George |
77th Academy Awards 77th Academy Awards The 77th Academy Awards honored the best films of 2004 and were held on February 27, 2005, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. They were hosted by comedian Chris Rock.The nominees were announced on January 25, 2005... |
| Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | Best Art Direction | Stuart Craig and Stephanie McMillan | 78th Academy Awards 78th Academy Awards The 78th Academy Awards honored the best films of 2005 and were held on March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. They were hosted by The Daily Show host Jon Stewart, with Tom Kane making his first appearance as the show's announcer... |
| Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | Best Cinematography | Bruno Delbonnel Bruno Delbonnel Bruno Delbonnel is a French cinematographer.Delbonnel was born in Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France and graduated in 1978 from the ESEC .... |
82nd Academy Awards 82nd Academy Awards The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2009 and took place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled well after... |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 |
Best Art Direction Best Visual Effects |
Stuart Craig and Stephanie McMillan Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi |
83rd Academy Awards 83rd Academy Awards The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ... |
Some critics, fans and general audiences have expressed disappointment of the fact that the franchise has not gained any Oscar awards for its efforts. Despite this, the series has achieved success in many other award ceremonies including the Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
s, Art Directors Guild Awards
Art Directors Guild
The Art Directors Guild is an American labor union and branch of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees representing almost 2,000 motion picture and television professionals....
and Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s. The series has also gained a total of 28 nominations at the British Academy Film Awards
British Academy Film Awards
The British Academy Film Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . It is the British counterpart of the Oscars. As of 2008, it has taken place in the Royal Opera House, having taken over from the flagship Odeon cinema on Leicester Square...
presented at the annual BAFTAs
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
.
Philosopher's Stone achieved seven BAFTA Award nominations including Best British Film and Best Supporting Actor for Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane, OBE is a Scottish actor, comedian and author. He is known both for his role as Dr...
. The film was also nominated for eight Saturn Awards and won for its costumes design. It was also nominated at the Art Directors Guild Award
Art Directors Guild
The Art Directors Guild is an American labor union and branch of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees representing almost 2,000 motion picture and television professionals....
s for its production design and received the Broadcast Film Critics Award
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2001
The 7th Critics' Choice Awards, honoring the best filmmaking of 2001, were given on 11 January 2002.-Top 10 Films:#Ali#A Beautiful Mind #In the Bedroom...
for Best Live Action Family Film along with gaining two other nominations. Chamber of Secrets won the award for Best Live Action Family Film in the Phoenix Film Critics Society
Phoenix Film Critics Society
The Phoenix Film Critics Society is an organization of film reviewers from Phoenix-based publications.In December of each year, the PFCS meets to vote on their Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards for films released in the same calendar year.Categories of awards include:* Best Actor The Phoenix...
. It was nominated for seven Saturn Awards including Best Director and Best Fantasy Film. The film was nominated for four BAFTA Awards and a Grammy Award for John Williams' score. Prisoner of Azkaban won an Audience Award at the BAFTA Awards, as well as Best Feature Film. The film also won a BMI Film Music award along with being nominated at the Grammy Awards, Visual Effect Society Awards and the Amanda Awards. Goblet of Fire won a BAFTA award for Best Production Design
BAFTA Award for Best Production Design
List of winners of the BAFTA Awards from 1964 to the present in the category "Best Production Design".-1960s:Best British Production Design - Black and White1964: Dr...
as well as being nominated at the Saturn Awards, Critic's Choice Awards and the Visual Effects Society Awards.
Order of the Phoenix picked up three awards at the inaugural ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
National Movie Awards
National Movie Awards
The National Movie Awards is a British movie awards ceremony broadcast by ITV in which the winners of the awards are chosen via popular vote. The awards were initiated in 2007 following the success of the National Television Awards, the highest-rating awards ceremony for television...
. At the Empire Awards
Empire Awards
An Empire Award is an accolade bestowed by Empire, Britain's biggest selling film magazine, to recognize excellence of professionals in the locale and global film industry. The awards are voted for by readers of the magazine and in an annual ceremony, the Empire Awards, the winners are presented...
, David Yates
David Yates
David Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
won Best Director. Composer Nicholas Hooper
Nicholas Hooper
Nicholas Hooper is a British film and television composer. He has scored the award-winning BBC productions Land of the Tiger and Andes to Amazon, as well as the TV movies The Girl in the Café and My Family and Other Animals among others...
received a nomination for a World Soundtrack Discovery Award. The film was nominated at the BAFTA Awards, but did not win for Best Production Design or Best Special Visual Effects. Half-Blood Prince was nominated for BAFTA Awards in Production Design and Visual Effects, and was in the longlists for several other categories, including Best Supporting Actor for Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company...
. Amongst other nominations and wins, the film also achieved Best Family Movie at the National Movie Awards
National Movie Awards
The National Movie Awards is a British movie awards ceremony broadcast by ITV in which the winners of the awards are chosen via popular vote. The awards were initiated in 2007 following the success of the National Television Awards, the highest-rating awards ceremony for television...
as well as Best Live Action Family Film at the Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards, along with being nominated for Best Motion Picture at the Satellite Awards. Deathly Hallows – Part 1 gained two nominations at the BAFTA Awards for Best Make-Up and Hair and Best Visual Effects, along with receiving nominations for the same categories at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards. Eduardo Serra
Eduardo Serra
Eduardo Serra is a cinematographer from Lisbon, Portugal, twice nominated for Academy Awards for Best Cinematography.From 1960 to 1963, Serra studied engineering at Lisbon's Instituto Superior Técnico, but he had to leave the country after his involvement in students' protests against Salazar's...
's cinematography and Stuart Craig
Stuart Craig
Norman Stuart Craig OBE is a noted British production designer.He has also designed the sets, together with his frequent collaborator set decorator Stephanie McMillan, on all of the Harry Potter film series films to date. At Potter author J. K...
's production design were also nominated in various award ceremonies and David Yates attained his second win at the Empire Awards, this time for Best Fantasy Film. He also obtained another Best Director nomination at the annual Saturn Awards, which also saw the film gain a Best Fantasy Film nomination.
Box office
As of 2011, the Harry Potter film franchise is the highest grossing film franchise of all time, with the eight films released grossing over $7.7 billion worldwide. Without adjusting for inflation, this is higher than the 22 James BondJames Bond (film series)
The James Bond film series is a British series of motion pictures based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond , who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. Earlier films were based on Fleming's novels and short stories, followed later by films with original storylines...
films and the six films in the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
franchise. Chris Columbus
Chris Columbus (filmmaker)
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Columbus is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Columbus had his largest success with the first two films in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, along with Home Alone, the last...
' Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in the United States and India as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series,...
became the highest-grossing Harry Potter film worldwide upon completing its theatrical run in 2002, but it was eventually topped by David Yates
David Yates
David Yates is an English filmmaker who rose to mainstream prominence directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series. He helmed the series' fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth installments, all of which became an instant blockbuster success and made him the most commercially...
' Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 epic fantasy film directed by David Yates and the second of two films based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the eighth and final instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David...
, while Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
's Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a 2004 fantasy film directed by Alfonso Cuarón and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the third instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by Chris Columbus, David Heyman and Mark Radcliffe...
grossed the least.
| Motion Picture | Release date | Revenue | Inflation Adjusted (Worldwide) | Budget | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | United Kingdom | North America (appx. ticket sales) |
Outside North America | |||||
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in the United States and India as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series,... |
$974,755,371 | £66,096,060 | $317,575,550 (55,913,000) |
$657,158,000 | $1,227,850,042.88 | $125,000,000 | ||
| Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a 2002 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the second instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman... |
$878,979,634 | £54,780,731 | $261,988,482 (45,093,000) |
$616,655,000 | $1,090,287,929.83 | $100,000,000 | ||
| Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a 2004 fantasy film directed by Alfonso Cuarón and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the third instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by Chris Columbus, David Heyman and Mark Radcliffe... |
$796,688,549 | £45,615,949 | $249,541,069 (40,184,000) |
$546,093,000 | $947,462,829.52 | $130,000,000 | ||
| Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a 2005 fantasy film directed by Mike Newell and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fourth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman... |
$896,911,078 | £48,328,854 | $290,013,036 (45,244,000) |
$605,908,000 | $1,041,225,686 | $150,000,000 | ||
| Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a 2007 fantasy film directed by David Yates and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fifth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Michael Goldenberg and produced by David Heyman and David Barron... |
$939,885,929 | £49,136,969 | $292,004,738 (42,443,000) |
$646,208,000 | $1,020,828,830.69 | $150,000,000 | ||
| Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a 2009 fantasy film directed by David Yates and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the sixth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman and David Barron... |
$934,416,487 | £50,713,404 | $301,959,197 (40,261,000) |
$632,000,000 | $974,201,682.00 | $250,000,000 | ||
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | $955,417,476 | £52,364,075 | $295,001,070 (37,500,000) |
$659,500,000 | $969,707,879.97 | Less than $250 million | ||
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 epic fantasy film directed by David Yates and the second of two films based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the eighth and final instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David... |
$1,324,180,123 | £73,233,694 | $377,480,123 (56,000,000) |
$946,700,000 | $1,324,180,123 | |||
| Total | $7,701,234,647 | £ | $2,480,822,365 | $5,217,522,000 | $8,271,821,124.29 | $1,155,000,000 | ||
All-time ranks
| Motion Picture | Rank | Reference | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All time worldwide | All time United States | All time United Kingdom | All time North America (adjusted) | Yearly (domestic) |
Yearly (international) |
Opening Day (all-time) |
Opening Weekend (all-time) |
||
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone |
#11 | #27 | #5 | #67 | #1 | #1 | #30 | #23 | |
| Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets |
#24 | #52 | #11 | #116 | #4 | #2 | #37 | #25 | |
| Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban |
#32 | #66 | #23 | #150 | #6 | #2 | #21 | #21 | |
| Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |
#21 | #46 | #20 | #113 | #3 | #1 | #18 | #17 | |
| Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix |
#15 | #43 | #18 | #132 | #5 | #2 | #13 | #35 | |
| Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince |
#16 | #36 | #17 | #148 | #3 | #2 | #8 | #33 | |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 |
#13 | #37 | #12 | #148 | #5 | #3 | #5 | #6 | |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 |
#3 | #13 | #3 | #104 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #1 | |
External links
- Growing Up with Harry Potter – photo essay by Time magazineTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...