The Wizarding World follows an orphaned boy who
enrols in a school of wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his
family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world.
This guide is based on a video from my YouTube channel Cinema
Awards Archive, where I walk through every film in the Wizarding World
franchise, from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to Fantastic
Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
It (also known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States, India and Philippines) is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and produced by David Heyman from a screenplay by Steve Kloves.It is based on the 1997 novel Harry Potter and the
Philosopher's Stone by British author J. K. Rowling.
It is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series. The
film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, with Rupert Grint in his film
debut as Ron Weasley and Emma Watson in her film debut as Hermione Granger.
Filming took place at Leavesden Film Studios and historic
buildings around the United Kingdom from September 2000 to March 2001.
The film opened on 16 November in the United States, Canada
and Taiwan as well as officially in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It became a
critical and commercial success, grossing $974 million at the worldwide box
office during its initial run and over $1 billion with subsequent re-releases
against a $125 million budget.
It became the highest-grossing film of 2001 and the
second-highest-grossing film at the time.
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
It is a 2002 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus from a screenplay by Steve Kloves.The story follows Harry's second year at Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the Heir of Salazar Slytherin opens the Chamber
of Secrets, unleashing a monster that petrifies the school's students.
The film was released in the United Kingdom and the United
States on 15 November 2002 by Warner Bros Pictures.
Critics praised its darker plot, sets, performances
(especially Branagh, Coltrane and Isaacs) and a story appropriate for a young
audience, and it became a critical and commercial success, grossing $878
million worldwide (domestic 29.7% and foreign 70.2%) and becoming the
second-highest-grossing film of 2002.
The film was nominated for many awards, including the BAFTA
Award for Best Production Design, Best Sound and Best Special Visual Effects.
It was followed by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban (2004).
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban#
It is a 2004 fantasy film directed by Alfonso Cuarón from a screenplay by Steve Kloves.
It chronicles Harry's third year at Hogwarts and his quest
to uncover the truth about his past, including the connection recently escaped
Azkaban prisoner Sirius Black has to Harry and his deceased parents.
The film was released on 31 May 2004 in the United Kingdom
and on 4 June 2004 in North America. It was the first Harry Potter film to use
IMAX technology and released into IMAX theatres.
Prisoner of Azkaban grossed a total of $808
million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2004,
behind Shrek 2.
It was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Original Music
Score and Best Visual Effects at the 77th Academy Awards in 2004.
It was followed by Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire in 2005.
Read : The MonsterVerse Movie Sequels
It is based on the 2000 novel Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling.
It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
and the fourth instalment in the Harry Potter film series.
The story follows Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts, as he is chosen by the
Goblet of Fire to compete in the Triwizard Tournament.
The film premiered worldwide on 18 November 2005.
Five days following release, it had earned over US $102
million at the North American box office, the third-highest first-weekend tally
for a Harry Potter film behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows –
Part 1 and Part 2.
Goblet of Fire enjoyed a successful run at the
box office, grossing $896 million worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing
film of 2005 and the sixth-highest-grossing film in the series.
The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art
Direction and won the BAFTA Award for Best Production Design.
It was followed by Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in 2007.
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
It is a 2007 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Michael Goldenberg.It is based on the 2003 novel Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling.
It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
and the fifth instalment in the Harry Potter film series.
Its story follows Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry as the Ministry of Magic is in denial of Lord
Voldemort's return.
It was released in 2D cinemas and IMAX formats in the United
States on 11 July 2007 and in the United Kingdom on 12 July by Warner Bros
Pictures.
The film received generally positive reviews from critics
and was nominated for many awards, including the BAFTA Award for Best
Production Design and Special Visual Effects.
With a worldwide five-day opening of $333 million and a total gross of $942 million, it was the second-highest-grossing film of 2007 and was noted as a case of Hollywood accounting as Warner Bros claimed that it lost $167 million despite the total gross.
A sequel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was released in
2009.
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
It is a 2009 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Steve Kloves.
It is based on the 2005 novel Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling.
It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
and the sixth instalment in the Harry Potter film series.
The story follows Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts as he
receives a mysterious textbook, falls in love and attempts to retrieve a memory
that holds the key to Lord Voldemort's downfall.
Filming began on 24 September 2007, leading to the film's
worldwide cinematic release on 15 July 2009.
With an estimated budget of $250 million, it is one of the
most expensive films ever made and the most expensive film in the Harry Potter
film series.
It was released in 2D cinemas and IMAX formats in the United
Kingdom and the United States on 15 July by Warner Bros Pictures. The film
received positive reviews from critics.
It was a major commercial success, breaking the record for
the biggest single-day worldwide gross with $104 million. In five days, the
film made $394 million, breaking the record for highest worldwide five-day
opening. With a total gross of $941 million, it is the second-highest-grossing
film of 2009.
The film was nominated for many awards, including the
Academy Award for Best Cinematography and the BAFTA Award for Best Production
Design and Best Special Visual Effects.
It was followed by Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows – Part 1 in 2010.
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part I
It is a 2010 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Steve Kloves.The film is the first of two cinematic parts based on the 2007 novel Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling.
It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood
Prince (2009) and the seventh instalment in the Harry Potter film
series.
The story follows Harry Potter, who has been asked by
Dumbledore to find and destroy Lord Voldemort's secret to immortality – the
Horcruxes.
It was released in 2D cinemas and IMAX formats in the United
Kingdom and in the United States on 19 November 2010 by Warner Bros Pictures.
The film received positive reviews, with critics praising
the performances, cinematography, visual effects and musical score.
In the film's worldwide opening weekend, Part 1 grossed $330 million, the third-highest in the series and the highest opening of 2010, as well as the eighth-highest of all time.
With a worldwide gross of $960 million, Part 1 became the
third-highest-grossing film of 2010, the tenth highest-grossing film of all
time at the time and the third-highest-grossing Harry Potter film in terms of
worldwide totals.
The film was nominated for many awards, including the
Academy Award for Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects.
The film was followed by the concluding entry, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in 2011.
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part II
It is a 2011 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Steve Kloves.The film is the second of two cinematic parts based on the 2007 novel by J. K.
Rowling and the eighth and final instalment of the Harry Potter film series.
The story concludes Harry Potter's quest to find and destroy
Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes in order to stop him once and for all.
Part 2 was released by Warner Bros Pictures in the United Kingdom and the United States on 15 July 2011 and is the only Harry Potter film to be released in 3D.
It was a commercial success and one of the best-reviewed films of 2011, with
critics deeming it a satisfying conclusion to the saga while praising its
visual effects, cinematography, musical score, action sequences, direction and
performances.
At the box office, the film claimed the worldwide opening
weekend record, earning $483.2 million, as well as setting opening day and
opening weekend records in various countries.
The National Board of Review named Deathly Hallows –
Part 2 one of the top-ten films of 2011.
It was nominated for three awards at the 84th Academy Awards
and received numerous other accolades.
9. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
It is a 2016 fantasy film directed by David Yates and written by J. K. Rowling in her debut as a screenwriter.It is the first instalment in the Fantastic Beasts film
series and the ninth overall in the Wizarding World franchise, serving as a
spin-off of and prequel to the Harry Potter film series.
Newt Scamander's guide book of the same name—written by
Rowling under the pen name in 2001 for the charity Comic Relief—inspired the
film.
Filming took place from August 2015 to January 2016 at
Warner Bros Studios Leavesden and also on location in England with a $175–200
million budget.
The film was nominated for five British Academy Film Awards,
including Best British Film, and won for Best Production Design.
10. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
It is a 2018 fantasy film directed by David Yates and written by J. K. Rowling.It premiered in Paris on 8 November 2018 and was released
worldwide on 16 November 2018 by Warner Bros Pictures.
It received generally mixed reviews from critics, as it was
viewed to have been filled with too many characters and
"overburdened" with sequel-dependent details.
The film was nominated for two British Academy Film Awards
in the categories of Best Production Design and Best Special Visual Effects.
The sequel, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of
Dumbledore was released in April 2022.
11. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
It is a 2022 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by J. K. Rowling and Steve Kloves, based on a screenplay by Rowling.The sequel to Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of
Grindelwald (2018), it is the third and final instalment in the
Fantastic Beasts film series and the eleventh overall in the Wizarding World
franchise.
Set several years after the events of its predecessor, the
film sees Albus Dumbledore tasking Newt Scamander and his allies with a mission
that takes them into the heart of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald's army.
It premiered at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 29
March 2022 and was released in the United Kingdom on 8 April 2022 and in the
United States on 15 April by Warner Bros Pictures.
The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $95.9 million in the United States and Canada and $311.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $407.2 million, making it the lowest-grossing film in the Wizarding World franchise.
Looking for more cinematic universes, long-running sagas,
and connected movie timelines? Dive into these in‑depth franchise guides:
- The
Ocean’s Film Franchise – Movies in Order & How They Connect
https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/the-oceans-film-franchise-movies_15.html - The
Wizarding World – 20 Years of Harry Potter Movies
https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/the-wizarding-world-20-years-of-harry.html - The
MonsterVerse Movies Explained (Godzilla, Kong & more)
https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/the-monsterverse-movies-explained.html - The
Evolution of the Predator Franchise
https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/the-evolution-of-predator-franchise.html
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