The eight installments of the Harry Potter franchise are among many fantasy-genre films that deliver a gripping plotline and adventurous narrative along with romance in one go. They are a detailed adaptation of a children’s fiction fantasy series authored by British writer J.K. Rowling. Throughout the films, we see Harry discover his wizarding background and go on many expeditions to stop Lord Voldemort from rising again in full power. Each Harry Potter movie features one of the best ensemble casts put together in cinema, from Daniel Radcliffe’s performance of the titular hero to Emma Watson and Rupert Grint’s beloved supporting portrayals of Hermione and Ron, respectively. Apart from them, many other senior fabled names from the industry joined to make the franchise what it is, including Michael Gambon as Dumbledore and Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort.
Though the franchise met its inevitable conclusion in 2011 with the release of its eighth film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, the smashing records prompted the filmmakers to push for a prequel franchise, Fantastic Beasts, into production. The third installment of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, starring Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, was released and sadly fizzled out at the box office. With the series’ best days behind it and an uncertain future ahead of it with a Max streaming series, look back at every film in the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series and see how they stacked up at the box office.
11 Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore — $407.1M
The third and possibly final installment in the Fantastic Beasts franchise came out in 2022. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore takes up the story where the second movie left it off. Newt Scamander, Dumbledore, and the rest of their cohorts work together in this movie to thwart Grindelwald’s plan of becoming the Supreme Leader of the magical world and dominate the muggles. Mads Mikkelsen plays the role of the rogue wizard Gellert Grindelwald. The movie was a box office disappointment, as it did not even break $100 million domestically, and is the first film in the Wizarding World franchise to be considered a bomb.
10 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald — $654.8M
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is the second movie of the series. Newt, Jacob, Tina, and Queenie spend most of this movie trying to find Credence, the Obscurial. The audience finally gets to see the evil plans of Grindelwald and to the lengths he will go to make them come true, although the film is often muddy on his motivation. The movie did not perform as well as the first one and is considered by many to be the worst in the series.
9 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban — $797M
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban marks the third film in the franchise. Despite introducing some prominent characters like Sirius Black and Remus Lupin that shaped the series, the movie missed the mark domestically and garnered the lowest box office gross. That said, the film soared in the overseas market. The film is still considered by many to be the best film in the franchise, which fittingly makes it a lot like The Empire Strikes Back, which is one of the lower-grossing films in the Star Wars franchise unadjusted for inflation despite being considered the best.
8 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — $814.03M
The first movie in the Fantastic Beasts series was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The story follows Eddie Redmayne in the role of Newt Scamander, a magizoologist known for the books he wrote on magical creatures around the world. The first movie was well-liked by audiences upon release, although it was received less warmly than many films in the Potter franchise.
7 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire — $896M
The fourth installment, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, chronicling the Harry Potter odyssey, by far, is the most entertaining piece both in the movies and the books. The movie sets the new tone for the franchise by introducing Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort and a world outside Hogwarts. The film became an instant hit worldwide, giving stiff competition to Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Helmed by Mike Newell, the film also bagged Kid and Teen Choice Awards.
6 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets — $925M
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second film in the franchise, focusing on exploring the origin of Lord Voldemort. Though the movie took a step ahead in putting the prime antagonist in the spotlight, it is seen as one of the weaker films in the series. It goes to show the franchise will still riding high. And if that was not enough, per The Things, Chamber of Secrets and Order of Phoenix were the only two movies in the original Harry Potter series that did not receive any Oscar nominations.
5 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince — $934.5M
The sixth movie, under the direction of David Yates, brought forward a fresh dynamic to the overall franchise by introducing the Horcruxes and their mysteries. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince also steered clear from just being a Hogwarts-centric franchise, opening the gates to the rest of the world. Originally set for release in 2008, the film was delayed to 2009 just three months before its release as Warner Bros. wanted to make sure they had a hit for the next summer following The Dark Knight and Harry Potter always delivered.
4 Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix — $942.2M
Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix is the fifth movie in the franchise, exploring Harry’s grief over Cedric’s death in Goblet of Fire and his increased efforts in putting together an army against Voldemort. While the movie saw its IMDb ratings tumbling to the second lowest (7.5) in the franchise, the box office gross painted a different image. While domestically, it may not have outperformed Spider-Man 3 or Transformers, it outgrossed both worldwide and stood alongside Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.
Daniel Radcliffe Expresses Doubt About Returning as Harry Potter in Upcoming Series
3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 — $977M
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is adapted from the novel of the same name, but it splits the narrative into two films. The penultimate movie revolves around the trio hunting the Horcruxes and sets the stage for an even darker finale. The film was only beaten out by Toy Story 3 at the worldwide box office and just showed how much Potter mania was at in the 200s and beginning of the 2010s that Part 1 was able to bring in $ 1 billion worldwide almost.
2 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone — $1.02B
The introductory film of the wizarding world set the record straight in terms of its potential. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone offered a sneak peek into the life of Harry, his freshly discovered capabilities, a magical school, and his friends for life. With a promising plotline, there was no turning back from the magic of the film. The box office gross became concrete evidence. The film ended up pushing another epic fantasy genre film —The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings ($891 million worldwide) — to the second spot. At the time, it held the record for the biggest opening weekend and, thanks to re-releases, surpassed the $1 billion dollar mark.
1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 — $1.34B
The concluding movie of the decade-spanning franchise finally ended with the appreciation it deserved. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was the first film from the franchise to enter the $1 billion club at the box office. Moreover, the box office figures speak volumes of its woven magic domestically and worldwide; it topped the chart, stepping over Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($1.1 billion) and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ($1.04 billion). Helmed by David Yates, the film ends the dark sorcery of Tom Riddle and dishes out a happy ending for the characters, forever closing their chapters for the audience. This was the definitive ending for a generational saga.
