Do you want to (re)watch Harry Potter But you don't know where to start? Check out these 8 movies in the order of appearance, from 2001–2011, starting from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
If you want to include movies as well Animaux fantastiques, the chronological order of the universe changes things a bit.
Harry Potter Order: In what order should you watch the Harry Potter movies?
You have two options: the’output order at the movies or the’chronological order of the universe. For your first time watching, follow the release order—it's the easiest and most faithful to the original experience.
The saga of J. K. Rowling plunges the young wizard Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione at the school of witchcraft in Poudlard, led by Albus Dumbledore. The entire plot revolves around the struggle of Harry against the dark mage Voldemort, the murderer of his parents.
Order of Appearance in Harry Potter
This is the order in which the movies were released in theaters, starting with 2001–2011. There are no time jumps to keep track of: you simply follow the story as it unfolds, year after year, just like the audience did back then.
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, December 5, 2001 (Chris Columbus)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, December 4, 2002 (Chris Columbus)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, June 2, 2004 (Alfonso Cuarón)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, November 30, 2005 (Mike Newell)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, July 11, 2007 (David Yates)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, July 15, 2009 (David Yates)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1, November 24, 2010 (David Yates)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, July 13, 2011 (David Yates)
Whether it's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Where Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, each film delves a little deeper into the world of Poudlard.
Harry Potter in Chronological Order
Each film covers one school year at Poudlard. The main story begins in 1991, when Harry begins at the school of witchcraft and ends in 1998 with the Battle of Poudlard.
The main difference from the release order is the placement of the trilogy Fantastic Animals. It takes place in the The 1920s and 1930s, or nearly 70 years ago The Adventures of Harry. Chronologically speaking, it comes first.
This is the complete chronological list, along with the year in which each story takes place:
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (1926)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (1927)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (1932)
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (1991) : Harry Discover the magic and meet Ron, Hermione and Hagrid.
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1992) : A mystery surrounds the famous hidden room in Poudlard.
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1993) : Sirius Black escapes from the prison in’Azkaban.
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (1994) : the Triwizard Tournament marks the return of Voldemort.
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (1995) : Dolores Ombrage and the Ministry of Magic take over the school.
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (1996) : the professor Horace Slughorn happens, and the past of Voldemort is revealed.
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 (1997) : Harry, Ron and Hermione set out to track down the Horcruxes.
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (1998) : the final battle of Poudlard, the biggest hit in the Harry Potter series.
Here's a tip: keep the’chronological order for a second viewing. It sheds more light on the connections between Dumbledore, Grindelwald and the entire magical world.
The first film already establishes the saga’s major themes: friendship, self-discovery, and the struggle between good and evil. It is also at the end of this installment that Voldemort for the first time.
To note :
A play continues the story into adulthood. Titled Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, it was written by Jack Thorne with John Tiffany and J. K. Rowling. In it, we follow Albus Severus Potter, the son of Harry, nineteen years old after *The Deathly Hallows*.
The Harry Potter films grossed nearly $8 billion at the box office!
The saga remains one of the most profitable in cinema history. The eight movies reported nearly 8 billion dollars at the global box office, not counting the three installments of the Fantastic Beasts.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the highest-grossing film in the entire series. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third installment, also marks a turning point in the series' darker tone.
Much of this success is due to the core trio. Here are the main players:
- Daniel Radcliffe in the role of Harry ;
- Rupert Grint in the role of Ron Weasley ;
- Emma Watson, who plays the studious and brilliant Hermione Granger.
These three actors have grown up in front of the camera, film after film, remaining humble despite their global success. Their true achievement is having been able to capture on screen the strong friendship that unites Harry, Ron and Hermione, just like in the books by J.K. Rowling.
What is the IMDb rating for the Harry Potter series?
Notes IMDb from the series show a astonishing consistency : All eight films are set between 7.4 and 8.1 out of 10. It's a consistent record, which is rare for such a long-running series.
The films Les Animaux fantastiques, ...they, on the other hand, are judged more harshly and all fall under the sections devoted to Harry.
Here are the scores IMDb, from highest to lowest:
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, note from 8,1
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, note from 7,9
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, note from 7,7
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, note from 7,7
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, note from 7,6
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, note from 7,6
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, note from 7,5
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, note from 7,4
- Les Animaux fantastiques, note from 7,3
- Les Animaux fantastiques : Les Crimes de Grindelwald, note from 6,6
Unsurprisingly, that is the conclusion, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which tops the rankings. The final battle against Voldemort and the fall of the Horcruxes make it the most popular episode in the entire series.
Beyond the Saga: Fantastic Beasts!
The saga doesn't end with Poudlard. Movies Fantastic Animals continue the same magical universe, but set decades before the birth of Harry.
All three components were conceived by J. K. Rowling.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
This debut film is set in 1926. The story follows a wizard who is fascinated by magical creatures and who arrives in New York with his suitcase full of fantastical creatures. A young Albus Dumbledore is already mentioned in this first installment.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
The sequel was released in 2018 and sets its plot in 1927, set between London and Paris. This second installment forges even stronger ties to the original films. In it, we see the young Albus Dumbledore, performed by Jude Law, and a young Minerva McGonagall, played by Fiona Glascott. The story focuses mainly on the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, portrayed here by Johnny Depp.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
This third film, released in 2022, refocuses the narrative on the character from Grindelwald, now embodied by Mads Mikkelsen. The story takes place mainly in 1932, with a few time jumps. The action remains rooted in the the 1930s, long before Harry doesn't set foot in Poudlard.
Harry Potter: A Sequel to the Series Confirmed?
Yes, a new one Harry Potter series arrives. She adapts the books by J.K. Rowling one by one, at the rate of one season per volume. So this isn't a movie, but a complete retelling of the saga in series format.
Broadcast by Warner Bros. Discovery, it will be available on HBO and HBO Max.
The broadcast date is set for December 25, 2026, with new seasons planned for nearly a decade.
A brand-new cast has been selected to play the roles of Harry, Hermione and Ron, as well as the other iconic characters from Poudlard. Daniel Radcliffe confirmed that he would not be returning in this version.
The CEO David Zaslav had announced the project as early as 2024, during a conference reported by The Hollywood Reporter. In it, he recounted a meeting with the author:
«I was in London a few weeks ago with Casey Bloys and Channing Dungey, and we spent some time with J.K. Rowling and his team. We are thrilled to be reviving this franchise. We can't wait to share a decade of new stories with fans around the world on Max. "
A Closer Look at the Harry Potter Books
A saga that left its mark on the world of magic
J.K. Rowling has captivated millions of readers with his saga. It all begins with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the first volume, which tells the story of an orphan who discovers his powers on the day of his eleven years. A letter changes her life by inviting her to join Poudlard, the famous school of witchcraft.
Over there, Harry learns the basics of magic and makes two loyal friends: Hermione and Ron. He also discovers the truth about his parents and about Voldemort, the most feared dark mage of his time.
Throughout the series, from volume Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone up to the Deathly Hallows, Rowling builds an increasingly rich and dark world. The stakes rise a notch with each volume, leading up to the final showdown against the forces of evil.
The saga blends magic, friendship, courage, and betrayal, and appeals to children and adults alike. That is what has made it one of the most famous works in the world.
If you want to read the novels before watching the movies, the’order of the books follows the movies exactly, volume by volume. And if you're a fan of fantasy series, you can also check out the recommended viewing order The Lord of the Rings, movies Marvel or even the saga Star Wars.
And to test your knowledge of the universe, a Harry Potter Quiz is waiting for the true fans.
English