There's also a new television adaptation of the Harry Potter books officially coming to Max, the streaming service previously known as HBO Max, to look forward to.
So, without further ado, read on to find out the best order to watch Harry Potter and the Fantastic Beasts films.
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In case you needed a reminder, there are seven books in the Harry Potter series: one for each academic year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But, of course, there are eight instalments in the film franchise.
The filmmakers wisely decided to split the final book into two volumes: The Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 and 2.
After that came the two Fantastic Beasts prequel films, released in 2016 and 2018. The correct order to watch all ten films is as follows:
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001)
- 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)
Well that's more than two decades' worth of films right there!
Buy the Harry Potter books on Amazon
How to watch Harry Potter movies in chronological order
But you're a card-carrying Potterhead, right? So you're keen to watch these films properly, and in their chronological order. So here's how you can do that, and here's where to stream each film.
Netflix and Disney Plus subscribers might be disappointed that none of these films is featured on either service, but they can be found elsewhere.
The good news for Potter fans is that there's no need to spend ages searching for each film on different streaming services. All the Harry Potter films are available on Sky as a boxset now. You can be lining up Harry, Hermione and Ron's best scenes quicker than you can say 'accio!' Well, almost.
Sky Cinema currently costs £11 extra a month, but Sky is fond of a TV package, so we would always suggest you check Sky deals before signing up for anything. Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2 are on Sky Cinema now.
If you are not a Sky customer, you can also watch on NOW TV.
1. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Carmen Ejogo, and Colin Farrell.
We kick off the list with a film with no appearance from Harry Potter – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is set many years before Harry ever sets foot inside Hogwarts. Released in 2016, the first film in the Wizarding World series introduces us to Eddie Redmayne's absurdly likeable Newt Scamander, who travels to New York in pursuit of an escaped Niffler, but has dark forces to contend with along the way.
This was written by JK Rowling herself, who claims she's got an idea for a total of five movies.
Where to watch in the UK:
Watch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on Amazon UK
Watch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on Sky Store
Watch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on YouTube
Watch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on Google Play
Where to watch in the US:
2. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Kevin Guthrie, with Jude Law and Johnny Depp.
Our second adventure in the Fantastic Beasts world sees Johnny Depp move from a fleeting cameo in the first film to a full-blown appearance as dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald. Jude Law also stars as Albus Dumbledore. This decidedly gloomy second offering didn't do quite as well as the first, but it did start to explore the complex relationship between the two wizards. The film would prove to be Depp's last appearance as Grindelwald.
Where to watch in the UK:
Watch Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald on Sky Cinema
Watch Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald on Sky Store
Watch Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald on Amazon
Watch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on YouTube
Watch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on Google Play
Where to watch in the US:
Watch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on Google Play
Watch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on YouTube
Watch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on Amazon
3. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, Katherine Waterston, and Mads Mikkelsen.
Due to be released in cinemas in April 2022, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore continues where The Crimes of Grindelwald left off. Mads Mikkelsen takes over the role of the villainous Grindelwald, while Ezra Miller reprises his role as the troubled Credence who is now aware of his true bloodline. Newt Scamander prepares for a new adventure after the tragedies of the previous film, but where is Katherine Waterstone's Tina Goldstein in the promotional material for the film? And, most importantly, what are the secrets being hidden by the Dumbledore family? We shall have to wait and see when it arrives in cinemas.
Where to watch in the UK:
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is released in UK cinemas on the 8th April 2022.
Where to watch in the US:
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is released in US cinemas on the 15th April 2022.
4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Richard Griffiths, Richard Harris, Ian Hart, John Hurt, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters.
And here's where it all began: now two decades old, the first film in the Harry Potter franchise is a bona fide classic. If it's hard to believe this film is now 20, it's even hard to see just how little and cute Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint just were. In this first instalment, the 11-year-old Harry discovers he's the child of wizarding parents and sets off on his first fateful train trip from Platform Nine and Three Quarters to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
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Yes, some of the kids' acting is a tiny bit wooden, but tell us you don't get the chills when you hear Hagrid's iconic line: 'You're a wizard, Harry'. We're still patiently waiting for our Hogwarts letter in the post.
Where to watch in the UK:
Watch Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on Sky Cinema
Buy or rent Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on Amazon
Google Play, Sky Store or YouTube
Where to watch in the US: Google Play, YouTube and Amazon
5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Kenneth Branagh, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Richard Griffiths, Richard Harris, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters.
In the second film, Harry discovers he has a weird affinity with snakes and gets to commandeer a flying car. We also first meet the endearing Dobby, the Malfoy family's put-upon house-elf, and we follow our favourite trio to uncover a dark force that's wreaking havoc inside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry itself.
Where to watch in the UK:
Watch Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on Sky Cinema
Buy or rent Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on Amazon
Google Play, Sky Store and YouTube
Where to watch in the US:
6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters.
In the third film, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, who went on to make Gravity and Roma. As Harry moves into Year 3, we find Hogwarts under high security, as the famed criminal Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) escapes from Azkaban prison. This is the film where we start to learn more about Harry's parents, and of course, here we're first introduced to the Dementors, Azkaban's terrifying, ghoulish wardens.
Where to watch in the UK:
Watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on Sky Cinema
Buy or rent Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on Amazon
Google Play, Sky Store and YouTube
Where to watch in the US:
7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, Robert Pattinson, Clémence Poésy, Stanislav Ianevski.
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, we are spectators to the Tri-Wizard Tournament which brings together competitors from various wizard schools (with a few cross-school romances along the way, naturally). Thrown into a gruelling competition he never applied for, Harry finds himself battling dragons and mermaids alike before finally coming into contact with his nemesis, the evil Lord Voldemort. Just as scarily, Harry also has his hormones to contend with.
Where to watch in the UK:
Watch Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on Sky Cinema
Buy or rent Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on Amazon
Google Play, Sky Store and YouTube
Where to watch in the US:
Google Play, YouTube and Amazon
8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis
Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Richard Griffiths, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters.
After the climactic third act of the fourth film, here's where the franchise takes a darker, far more adult term. With Voldemort on the scene again, Harry finds himself caught in a struggle with the Ministry of Magic, and its ruthless apparatchik Dolores Umbridge, who takes on the Defence Against the Dark Arts post at Hogwarts. He, Ron and Hermione gather a student army to lead the fight against the Dark Lord – but there are also exams to deal with and a few romantic issues too. Oh, to be fifteen again.
Where to watch in the UK:
Watch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on Sky Cinema
Buy or rent Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on Amazon
Google Play, Sky Store and YouTube
Where to watch in the US:
9. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis, Julie Walters.
Hogwarts is no longer as safe as it once was in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, directed by David Yates. This is the film where we're introduced to Horcruxes, the MacGuffin-like objects that each contain a piece of Voldemort's fragmented soul, keeping him immortal – which, of course, sets up the basis of the final two films. And, just in case you've forgotten, this is the film where we lose one of the series' most beloved of characters. We're still recovering!
Where to watch in the UK:
Watch Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on Sky Cinema
Buy or rent Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on Amazon
Google Play, Sky Store and YouTube
Where to watch in the US:
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Richard Griffiths, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, David Thewlis, Julie Walters.
In the first instalment of JK Rowling's final book in the series, we see our beloved trio away from the safety of Hogwarts for the first time, hunting for those pesky Horcruxes, but with Voldemort's army of followers in close pursuits. The lighter nature of previous films left long behind, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, sees director David Yates create a much more sombre tone, as we arguably watch Harry and his friends grow into adults.
Where to watch in the UK:
Watch Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1 on Sky Cinema
Buy or rent Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1 on Amazon
Google Play, Sky Store, YouTube
Where to watch in the US:
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11. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, David Thewlis, Julie Walters.
And here it is: the great conclusion to the franchise released exactly 10 years after the firm film. Emotional and intense, the second part of The Deathly Hallows delivers an epic battle between good and evil as Harry faces down Voldemort one last time. Less said about the CGI ageing in that final scene, the better, if you ask us.
Where to watch in the UK:
Watch Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 on Sky Cinema
Buy or rent Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 on Amazon
Google Play, YouTube, Amazon, Sky Store
Where to watch in the US:
Need more magic? Try your own Harry Potter quiz with our ready-to-go questions and answers.
Are the Harry Potter movies on Netflix?
Yes, all eight Harry Potter movies are now available on Netflix at no extra cost to subscribers.
Netflix announced the news on Tuesday (16th May), posting a still of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson in the films and writing: "All 8 Harry Potter films come to Netflix UK/IE tomorrow!!"
If you’re looking for something to watch on TV tonight or what to watch now, then check out our TV guide. For more movie news, check out our Film hub.
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