As school starts again, Harry Potter fans want to revisit the series. But, how many movies are in the series?
As the fall season rolls around again, so does the beginning of a new school year, which brings much excitement to Harry Potter fans.
The beginning of the school year is the perfect time for fans of the series (aka witches and wizards) to revisit the series to relive their nostalgia.
However, viewers need to learn how many movies are currently in the series. Here’s what you need to know.
Contents
- How many movies are in the Harry Potter franchise?
- Harry Potter movies in release order
- Harry Potter movies in chronological order
- Where to watch the Harry Potter movies
How many movies are in the Harry Potter franchise?
There are currently eight movies in the original Harry Potter franchise with three additional spin-off films.
The original movie franchise is based on the book series written by British author J.K. Rowling. Though Rowling only wrote seven books, the film Harry Potter movie was split into two parts as the final book added up to 800 pages.
The three spin-off movies — titled after the in-universe textbook titled Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — ended up with three movies exploring the life and adventures of Newt Scamander.
Harry Potter movies in release order
If you’re looking to visit the Wizarding World in the most straightforward way possible, then check out this guide to the Harry Potter movies in release order.
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
The original Harry Potter franchise ending with The Deathly Hallows earned approximately $7.7 billion at the box office, with the Fantastic Beasts franchise grossing another $1.8 billion.
The entirety of the franchises spanned from 2001 to 2022 with the original franchise ending 10 years after it began.
Harry Potter movies in chronological order
The Harry Potter movies were released in chronological order for the most part, but the Fantastic Beasts films act as prequels of sorts for the original series.
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
- Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
It’s fun to watch the Harry Potter movies in chronological order as viewers can watch beloved characters grow from youth to adulthood.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Set in 1926, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them follows Newt Scamander, a British wizard and Ministry of Magic employee as he gets wrapped up in a dangerous government conspiracy while traveling to America with his exotic pets.
Newt went on to become a widely acclaimed magical creature caretaker whose textbooks are currently studied in classes at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald takes place a few months after the first film and sees Newt being asked by Albus Dumbledore to take down Gellert Grindelwald by tracking down Credence Barebone, a troubled young wizard who is also being sought out by Grindelwald for his immense power.
The Crimes of Grindelwald introduced many characters who play significant roles in the Harry Potter films, including Minerva McGonagall, a professor and head of Gryffindor house, and Nagini, a circus performer whose blood curse will permanently transform her into a giant snake who ends up at Voldemort’s side.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
The third film in the series, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is set five years after The Crimes of Grindelwald and watches Grindelwald trying to become the Minister of Magic as Dumbledore and Newt try to thwart his plans.
Although there were supposed to be five movies in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, the original plan was to create five films, but poor box office earnings left the franchise at three.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone jumps fifty years into the future and sees the orphan Harry Potter be brought to Hogwarts in order to fulfill his destiny of becoming a wizard and defeating the dark wizard Lord Voldemort.
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The first Harry Potter film made about $1 billion and launched the careers of Danielle Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley).
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
As the second entry of the franchise, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets follows Harry, Ron, and Hermione through their second year at Hogwarts as they battle an ancient snake who petrifies the students.
The second film of the franchise introduces the first of Voldemort’s seven Horcruxes, which is an object in which a Dark wizard or witch has hidden a fragment of his or her soul in order to become immortal
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Widely regarded as the best film in the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban sees Harry and friends trying to evade the clutches of Sirius Black, a murderer, and Voldemort supporter who has been locked up in Azkaban prison for several years.
Prisoner of Azkaban is a turning point in the franchise as it introduces adult themes such as immeasurable loss and betrayal.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire follows the students of Hogwarts as they pick a champion to compete in the Triwizard Tournament, a series of challenges that are played with members of rival schools. However, things are turned onto their head when Harry’s name appears in the Triwizard goblet when it wasn’t supposed to.
The Goblet of Fire marks the official return of Lord Voldemort, as the dark wizard was presumed to be dead before the series began.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
As news of Voldemort’s return spreads throughout the Wizarding world, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix sees Harry cast out as his schoolmates don’t believe he saw the Dark Lord while Hogwarts undergoes a total rebrand thanks to the sadistic Ministry employee Dolores Umbridge.
Order of the Phoenix showcases Harry and the crew’s rebellious spirits as they work against Umbridge to pursue a worthwhile magic education and prove to the world that Voldemort has returned.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince follows Harry as he’s put through the ringer as the Wizarding World is plagued by the rise of Death Eaters and he is tasked by Dumbledore to get close to a Hogwarts professor in order to unearth Voldemort’s secrets.
The sixth movie in the franchise marked the official hunt for the final six Horcruxes that Harry and crew would need to use to defeat Voldemort once and for all.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
The first half of the Harry Potter finale, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 sees Harry, Ron, and Hermione skip their final year of Hogwarts so they can find the last Horcruxes while the Wizarding world is starting to fall to Voldemort’s dictatorship.
Deathly Hallows also saw the gang trying to find the titular objects — the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility — which allows the wizard who possesses all three to become the master of death.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is the epic finale of the Harry Potter franchise and sees Harry face Voldemort for the final time as they lock into a life-or-death magical dual. The movie also follows the students of Hogwarts as they defend their home from the forces of evil.
Deathly Hallows – Part 2 was the highest-grossing movie of the series with a box office earning of $1.34 billion and marked the end of the original franchise.
How to watch the Harry Potter movies
All eight Harry Potter movies plus the Fantastic Beasts movies are available to watch on HBO Max.
You can also watch the franchise on Peacock and, if you’re in the U.K., you can watch both franchises on Netflix.You can check out our other TV & movie hubs below:
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