In 2001, Warner Bros. launched one of the most lucrative franchises of all time with the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, a fantastic story about a young boy discovering his magical powers and starting his studies in a wizarding school. Seven equally successful sequels would follow, continuing Harry’s story for an entire decade filled with magic and friendship.
No one could have predicted its success back then with any precision, but a movie series, a West End play, and various theme park attractions later, it’s undeniable. Harry potter is a phenomenon like no other.
ten Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Failed with Critics and Fans (6.5)
After making his first appearance as Grindelwald in the first Fantastic beasts movie, Johnny Depp returned to star in Crimes of Grindelwald, the 2018 sequel. The film centers around Newt Scamander’s efforts to bring down the Dark Wizard with the help of none other than Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore.
The film was a critical failure, being viewed by both critics and fans as the weakest entry into the film. Harry potter franchise. Despite its exceptional special effects and commendable performance, Crimes of Grindelwald suffers from a convoluted and undeveloped plot that falls short of its predecessors.
9 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Introduced New Magical Creatures to the Wizarding World (7.3)
In 2016, Warner Bros. has exited Fantastic animals and where to find them, the first one Harry potter spin-off after the last installment in the series, five years ago. Written by JK Rowling in its first script credits, the film stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, a British magizoologist in New York City.
Fantastic animals and where to find them was the first film in the franchise to win an Oscar, winning the accolade for Best Costume Design in 2017. Upon release, it received overwhelmingly positive reviews, many praising the cast and the newly introduced Magical Creatures for enriching the wizarding world.
8 Chamber Of Secrets Puts A Darker Tone To The Franchise (7.4)
After the resounding success of Philosophical Stone, Chris Columbus returned to direct the sequel, Chamber of Secrets. Now a sophomore at Hogwarts, Harry must face off against the mysterious heir to Slytherin, who unleashed a terrifying monster on the school’s Muggle-born students.
Chamber of Secrets introduced many important characters, including Lucius Malfoy, played by Jason Isaacs, and Dobby the House Elf, who would play key roles in subsequent films. It was the second highest grossing film of 2002 and was nominated for several BAFTA and Saturn Awards.
seven Order Of The Phoenix cut several scripts from the novel (7.5)
Based on the fifth and longest-running novel in the series, The order of the Phoenix was the first film in the franchise to be directed by David Yates, who would go on to direct the rest of the Harry potter movies. He follows Harry and his friends as they discuss Voldemort’s rebirth and the Ministry of Magic’s involvement at Hogwarts.
The order of the Phoenix is notably the shortest film of the saga. Several storylines – Ron’s character development, Dobby’s return, the trip to St. Mongoose, etc. – have been removed from the script in favor of exploring Harry’s emotional turmoil. The film marked the debut and departure of key characters Dolores Umbridge and Sirius Black, respectively.
6 Half-Blood Prince mixes teenage romance with Voldemort’s dark past (7.6)
Half-Blood Prince premiered in mid-2009 and recounted Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts, where, amid teenage romance and Quidditch, he uncovers one of Voldemort’s darkest secrets with the help of Dumbledore. The film remains one of the franchise’s most expensive entries, with a budget of $ 250 million.
Half-Blood Prince developed Harry’s romantic relationship with Ron’s sister, Ginny, and further explored Voldemort’s background as a child and student at Hogwarts. He also revealed the existence of the Dark Wizard’s Horcruxes and served as a crucial stepping stone to the two Deathly Hallows movie theater.
5 The success of Philosopher’s Stone kicked off a multi-billion dollar franchise (7.6)
As an introduction to the wizarding world, Philosophical Stone follows Harry as he finds out he is a wizard and attends his first year at Hogwarts. At school, he deals with his newfound fame, rumors of Voldemort’s return, and of a secret object kept somewhere on Hogwarts premises.
Philosophical Stone was both commercially and critically successful, grossing over $ 1 billion at the box office and spawning an entire franchise. The young actors in the film, especially the trio of Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, instantly became household names in Britain and would achieve international stardom with the various sequels.
4 Deathly Hallows Part 1 cinematography and action scenes were cheered by all (7.7)
The first of the two-part final, the deathly hallows part 1 focuses on the Golden Trio’s journey to obtain and destroy Voldemort’s Horcruxes in order to finally destroy him. It was released in late 2010, grossing over $ 300 million worldwide on its opening weekend, and was praised for its cinematography and dynamic fight sequences.
The film also introduced the Deathly Hallows, a trio of legendary items that make their owner the Master of Death. the deathly hallows part 1 received two Oscar nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects, but lost to Alice in Wonderland and Creation, respectively.
3 Goblet Of Fire was a game-changer in terms of plot and tone (7.7)
Goblet of Fire changed the game for the Harry potter series. As well as moving the story forward in significant ways with Voldemort’s rebirth, the film took the franchise on a darker, more mature path that would continue in the next four films. Considering its change of tone and sophisticated graphics and acting, the film remains one of the top rated entries in the Wizarding World.
In Goblet of Fire, Harry is returning for his fourth year only to be chosen as the second Hogwarts champion in the Triwizard Tournament, a competition between representatives of three schools of magic. What was meant to be a friendly, light-hearted contest takes a dark turn soon after.
2 The Prisoner of Azkaban is often considered the best entry in the saga (7.9)
Considered the best Harry potter film by fans and critics, Prisoner of azkaban was directed by Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón and was released in 2004. In the film, Harry’s third year is cut short when a prisoner with ties to Harry’s past escapes from Azkaban’s magical prison.
Prisoner of azkaban marked the debut of Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, Emma Thompson as Professor Trelawney and David Thewlis as Remus Lupine. The film was a big change in the franchise, borrowing from other genres like horror and suspense to describe the Dementors and their effects on others.
1 Deathly Hallows Part 2 was a satisfying ending to a decade of magic (8.1)
After spending most of the year searching for Voldemort’s Horcruxes, Harry, Ron, and Hermione head to Hogwarts for one final battle in Deathly Hallows, part 2. It premiered in mid-2011 and enjoyed overwhelming commercial success, grossing over $ 1.3 billion worldwide and becoming the highest grossing film of the year.
Just like its predecessor, the deathly hallows part 2 was praised for its visuals, action scenes and musical score. The film is widely regarded as a satisfying finale for the franchise, as it managed to adapt and capture the second half of the novel beautifully. Most importantly, he graced a decade with the beloved characters of the wizarding world.
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