There are 11 movies set in Harry Potter’s world: eight about Harry himself (2001–2011) and three Fantastic Beasts films (2016–2022). Watching the Harry Potter movies in order can mean release order or story order, and the right choice depends on whether you already know the story. For a first viewing, go by release date, so the twists land when they were meant to. For a rewatch, story order is more fun: it starts in 1926 with Newt Scamander, 65 years before Harry’s first year at Hogwarts.
Harry Potter movies in release order: best for a first watch
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001), released in the US as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
- 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)
This is how moviegoers saw the series. The early films are a school adventure; after that, the story grows up along with its heroes and turns darker and bigger in scale. Watched after the main series, Fantastic Beasts feels like an expansion of a familiar world rather than a prologue you have to decode in advance.
The wizarding world timeline
1926
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York with a case full of magical creatures, and some of them escape.
1927
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Grindelwald escapes custody, and Dumbledore asks Newt to help stop him. The action moves to London and Paris.
1932
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Five years later, Grindelwald makes his bid for power in the wizarding world, and Dumbledore asks Newt to put together a team against him.
1991–1992
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
At 11, Harry learns he’s a wizard and starts at Hogwarts. The prologue is set in 1981.
1992–1993
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Second year: someone has opened the Chamber of Secrets, and rumors spread about the heir of Slytherin.
1993–1994
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Sirius Black escapes from Azkaban prison and is believed to be a danger to Harry.
1994–1995
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Hogwarts hosts the Triwizard Tournament, and Harry unexpectedly becomes a contestant.
1995–1996
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The Ministry of Magic refuses to admit that Voldemort is back and meddles in life at Hogwarts.
1996–1997
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Dumbledore shows Harry memories of Voldemort’s youth.
1997–1998
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
Harry, Ron and Hermione don’t go back to school and hunt for Voldemort’s Horcruxes instead.
1998
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
The Battle of Hogwarts and the end of the story, with an epilogue set 19 years later.
The years follow the books’ timeline, which the films stick to. The main series runs from 1991 to 1998, one school year per film, except that the last year is split between the two parts of Deathly Hallows. The prequels cover 1926–1932, so almost 60 years separate The Secrets of Dumbledore from Harry’s first year.
How to watch in story order
- The three Fantastic Beasts films, in release order
- Philosopher’s Stone
- Chamber of Secrets
- Prisoner of Azkaban
- Goblet of Fire
- Order of the Phoenix
- Half-Blood Prince
- Deathly Hallows – Part 1
- Deathly Hallows – Part 2
This option works if you already know the main series and want to see how the generations connect: the prequels show young Dumbledore, Grindelwald and the wizarding community of the 1920s and 1930s. They don’t explain the world better than the first Harry Potter films, though. Many references and emotional beats hit harder once you’ve seen the main eight.
Fans of other big franchises face the same choice between release order and story order. We’ve covered what order to watch the Star Wars movies in and put together a Marvel movie timeline.
How long a marathon takes
| Route | Movies | Running time |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Potter only | 8 | about 19 hours 40 minutes |
| Fantastic Beasts only | 3 | about 6 hours 50 minutes |
| All movies | 11 | about 26 hours 30 minutes |
In minutes, that’s 1,179 for the eight Harry Potter films and 409 for the three Fantastic Beasts movies. The longest one is Chamber of Secrets, at 161 minutes.
What Fantastic Beasts is about and whether you need it
Fantastic Beasts isn’t parts nine, ten and eleven of Harry’s story but a separate storyline in the same world. The lead is magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). The plot gradually shifts from chasing escaped creatures to the conflict between Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Gellert Grindelwald. Don’t be thrown by the recast: Johnny Depp plays Grindelwald in the second film and Mads Mikkelsen in the third.
If you only want Harry’s complete story, the eight main films are enough. The prequels are worth adding for a different era — New York, London and Paris in the 1920s — and a closer look at Dumbledore’s past. The series was originally planned as five films, but Warner Bros. never announced a fourth, so for now Newt’s story on screen ends with The Secrets of Dumbledore.
The new HBO series: where it fits
HBO is making a series based on the Harry Potter books, a new adaptation that starts the story over. The first season is titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and has eight episodes. HBO has set the premiere for Christmas 2026, meaning late December, on HBO and on HBO Max where the service is available. The exact date hasn’t been officially announced yet.
The roles go to a new cast: Dominic McLaughlin plays Harry, Arabella Stanton plays Hermione, Alastair Stout plays Ron, John Lithgow plays Dumbledore, Janet McTeer plays McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu plays Snape and Nick Frost plays Hagrid. HBO has already confirmed a second season based on Chamber of Secrets: filming is scheduled for fall 2026, and no release date has been announced.
The series isn’t a continuation of the films or part of their timeline, so there’s no need to slot it in between them. The new adaptation has its own continuity, much like the Batman reboots we covered in our guide to Batman movies in order.
New viewers have two sensible paths: the eight films first and then the series as a fresh take, or the series right away if you’re willing to wait for more, since the first season covers only the first book. Don’t mix episodes with the films: the same events would repeat in a different staging and at a different pace.
Sources and methodology
Analysis of public sourcesChecked 22 September 2026
- Wizarding World — first teaser for the HBO series and its Christmas 2026 debut harrypotter.com
- Wizarding World — what we know about the HBO series: cast and season two harrypotter.com
- J.K. Rowling’s official website — second teaser and the eight-episode first season jkrowling.com
- HBO Max Help — Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on HBO Max help.hbomax.com
FAQ
How many Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies are there?
Eleven: eight films in the main series (2001–2011) and three Fantastic Beasts films (2016–2022). The HBO series and the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child aren’t part of that count.
Can you start with Fantastic Beasts?
Yes, if you already know the main story or want to follow the events strictly in order. For a first viewing, it’s better to start with Philosopher’s Stone: the prequels reveal Dumbledore’s past too early.
How long are all the Harry Potter movies?
The eight films run 1,179 minutes in total, about 19 hours 40 minutes. With the three Fantastic Beasts films, it comes to about 26 and a half hours.
Will the HBO series continue the movies?
No. It’s a new adaptation of the books with a different cast. The first season, based on Philosopher’s Stone, arrives at Christmas 2026, and HBO has already confirmed a second season based on Chamber of Secrets.
Should you watch both parts of Deathly Hallows back to back?
Ideally, yes. It’s one book split into two films, and Part 1 ends in the middle of the story, so it’s best to put on Part 2 right after it.
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