Summary

• Harry Potter movies follow a clear chronological order matching the school years at Hogwarts.
• The franchise started lighthearted but grew darker as the series progressed with different directors.
• The new reboot TV series of Harry Potter will retell the original books, not continuing the movies' timeline.

The Wizarding World franchise continues to grow, with a prequel series, an reboot TV series, and multiple video games, but the original Harry Potter movies remain the most iconic. The original franchise consists of eight films, with each film taking place over the course of a single school year at Hogwarts, following Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends as they grow up - and fight an increasingly vital battle against Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).

The Harry Potter movies kicked off in 2001 with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and while the first film in the series is generally a light and family-friendly story, as the series continues, the movies become darker, with changes in director creating a clear difference in tone. Though there are flashbacks in the movies, especially the later ones, the bulk of the storyline is extremely straightforward, and the viewing order and chronological order match.

Harry Potter Movies In Release Order

The Franchise Ran From 2001 Through 2011

The Harry Potter movies' release order is straightforward, with a new film released almost every year, with some two years apart. This makes sense, with child actors as the stars, taking longer than a year or two between each film would have caused issues in of on-screen aging. The order of the films also matches that of the books, including the title change of the first from the original British to the American book title - from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the US.

Harry Potter Movies In Chronological Order

The Release Order Matches The Chronological Timeline

While the Harry Potter movies share the same basic chronological order as release order, the timeline within the films themselves also includes some flashbacks. There is also some debate over whether the movies are intended to be set in the same years as the books (included below), or if they take place later in time. There is no clear answer to this.

While the Harry Potter lore still has him born in the 80s, which lines up with the dates of his parents' death when their tombstone is shown in Godric's Hollow, many other elements of the films do not fit this time period. The fashion, for one, is clearly appropriate for the time in which the movies were made, rather than a decade earlier. In addition, a primary school certificate for Dudley, seen on set, is dated 2001. This would mean that the films actually take place from 2001 to 2008.

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (1991–1992)

The first film takes place primarily in 1991, when Harry Potter turns 11 and discovers that he is a wizard, as were his parents. The film follows him as he discovers the wizarding world (and his place in it), and his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In a pattern that will be followed for most of the rest of the series, Harry's school year ends with him foiling a plot by Voldemort to gain the Philosopher's Stone and use it to return.

Harry's birthday is featured prominently in the story, kicking off his new life as a wizard and setting an important mark in the timeline. It also introduces all of the key characters in his journey, such as his friends, his mentors, and his enemies. However, there is one scene in this movie that takes place earlier in the timeline - the opening, which is set when Harry is still an infant, on the night that Voldemort was 'killed', along with his parents.

Daniel Radcliffe was also 11 years old when he started playing Harry Potter.

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (1992–1993)

The second film begins toward the end of Harry's summer holidays - as with the books, the summer holidays themselves are not covered in detail, as the focus is on the school year. It introduces Dobby the House Elf, and his attempts to prevent Harry from returning to Hogwarts for his second year. While Ginny Weasley appears briefly in the first film, Chamber of Secrets actually sees her start school and become a larger part of the story.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets also weaves back and forth between past and present, as Harry and his friends learn about Tom Riddle and his time at the school, with flashback scenes showing Hagrid's expulsion and Voldemort as a student. It sets up a recurring aspect of the movies with Voldemort's backstory leading to many of the franchise's flashbacks. In this case, his past identity of Tom Riddle shows the future Dark Lord as a 16-year-old student.

Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (1993–1994)

The third film in the series is the most complicated in of timeline, as it features the Time Turner, a magical device that is used for time travel. The movie picks up with Harry and his friends in their third year at Hogwarts, but the movie becomes split into two timelines. The first is the original timeline that continues from the previous movie and the second comes when Harry and Hermione use the Time Turner to go back in time by one day and attempt to undo their mistakes.

Given the relatively brief time travel aspect, it doesn't affect the timeline too drastically. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban also introduces one of the most important people in Harry's life: Sirius Black. This third film is also notable because the film doesn't end with a direct attempt by Voldemort to attack Harry but with the reveal of Scabbers' true identity.

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (1994–1995)

The fourth film in the series shows more of the summer holidays than most, starting with the Quidditch World Cup and Harry spending some of the summer with the Weasleys. As they return to Hogwarts for their fourth year at school, Harry and the others find it changed by the introduction of the Triwizard Tournament - in which Harry becomes an unwilling contestant.

There are more flashbacks in this story, detailing the saga of Barty Crouch and his alliance with the Death Eaters which takes place in the 1980s. The movie also begins to explore the romantic aspects of the main characters in more detail with the hints of a crush developing between Harry and Ginny as well as the early signs of something developing between Ron and Hermione. It is also notable for being the movie that marks the return of Voldemort in his true form, played by Ralph Fiennes.

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (1995–1996)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix continues with Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts. The film starts in the summer, where Harry uses a Patronus spell, and is consequently expelled from Hogwarts. Of course, the expulsion is revoked, but it sets the scene for a shift in mood against Harry and Dumbledore. The movie also introduces a new type of villain in the form of Dolores Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor whose cruelty and ignorance quickly make her one of the most hated movie characters of all time.

The world of the movies is expanded with the introduction of the Ministry of Magic as a location. In of Harry's own growth, he has his first real romance in the franchise with Cho Chang. Harry also has to deal with another tragedy in his life with this movie marking the death of Sirus Black.

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (1996–1997)

While not the final film in the series, this is the final film that is centered on a school year at Hogwarts. The movie contains multiple flashbacks, as Dumbledore finally tells Harry most of what he knows about Voldemort and the Horcruxes. The flashbacks are also told as memories, as Harry and Dumbledore use the Pensieve to revisit many of Dumbledore's interactions with Voldemort over the years, as well as Professor Slughorn's key memory of a conversation with Tom Riddle. Two different actors play Voldemort in the movie showing him as an 11-year-old and as a teenager.

Harry's romantic life in his sixth year at Hogwarts also continues with him and Ginny sharing their first kiss and taking a step towards making this key romance in his life official. The high stakes of the story continue to grow with Harry growing up quickly as he is faced with more deaths of important figures in his life.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (1997–1998)

The final two films take place over the same time span as Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave Hogwarts and prepare for their final showdown against Voldemort. The timing of the final two movies doesn't feel as straightforward as many of the others, either, because it doesn't have the usual school year to follow - although Christmas is still marked by the Golden Trio in its own way.

The first Deathly Hallows movie kicks off in August 1997 with the marriage of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour and runs through to March 1998. There are also some flashbacks to the history of the Elder Wand, as well as the story of the Three Brothers, although that is told as a story within the movie by Hermione, rather than a flashback itself. Despite taking place over two movies, the timeline is relatively straightforward.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (1998 & 2017)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the end of all things, as the golden trio returns to Hogwarts for a last stand against Voldemort. The movie kicks off in March 1998, immediately following the previous film's tragic end, and moves through to May 1998, when the Gringotts heist and the Battle of Hogwarts happen in close succession back to back. That makes it the shortest film in of timeline advancement.

The movie sees Harry become the true hero he has been building throughout the entire franchise, making it even more impactful to look back on where he started as an 11-year-old child. His friends also show their growth with Neville's heroic role, Draco's redemption, and Hermione and Ron finally sharing a kiss. Harry Potter ends with an epilogue that jumps forward 30 years to September 1, 2017. It shows Harry and his friends now as adults, preparing to see their kids off for their first year at Hogwarts.

How The HBO Max Harry Potter Series Will Fit Into The Movie Order

The New Series Will Restart The Timeline

It was announced in April 2023 that WB and HBO would be bringing the Wizarding World to the small screen in a Harry Potter TV series. However, viewers hoping for more tales in the live-action Wizarding World they knew may be disappointed. The new Harry Potter TV series won't be a continuation of the world created by the movies, but a total reboot.

There's little news on what that will entail, but since it's known that the Harry Potter show will retell the story of the original books for a new generation, it's confirmed that it won't fit into the watch order for the Harry Potter movies. The big question many have is how the Harry Potter series will impact the Fantastic Beasts movies.

After The Secrets of Dumbledore failed to meet studio expectations, there was plenty of speculation about where WB would take the Harry Potter property next, with some even thinking that WB would kill the Harry Potter Wizarding World franchise entirely.

Fortunately, the worst of the doom saying turned out incorrect, as the studio has big plans for the Wizarding World. What's not clear is how it will impact the Harry Potter prequels — it might well be that the Harry Potter reboot makes The Secrets of Dumbledore the final movie in the Fantastic Beasts order.

The Harry Potter series is set to debut in 2026.

Where To Watch The Harry Potter Movies

Max s Have Access To Every Harry Potter Movie

All the Harry Potter movies are now available to stream on Max - which will likely be the long-term streaming home for the films, given that HBO Max will be creating the new Harry Potter series. However, if for some reason Warner Bros. removes one of its biggest franchises from Max, there are always on-demand options for the movies with each of the Harry Potter movies available to rent on Apple TV for $3.99 or to buy for $14.99.