Harry Potter movies in chronological order (2026)
11 released titles (11 movies), about 26 hours of viewing. Next release: Harry Potter (Season 1): Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 25 Dec 2026.
Last verified 23 Oct 2026.
In-universe timeline: the Fantastic Beasts trilogy (1926 onward) first, then Harry's seven school years (1991–1998), then HBO's retelling, then the extras. Best for a re-watch.
12 titles · chronological order · 11 count towards completion
Community picks
Once a few people vote on the titles, this shows the Harry Potter entries the community calls must-watch, the ones you can skip on a first run, and the highest rated. Open any title and tap 🔥, 👍 or 😴.
How to watch Harry Potter: the short version
The Wizarding World is Warner Bros.' name for everything built on J. K. Rowling's books: the eight Harry Potter films (2001–2011), the three Fantastic Beasts prequels (2016–2022), and, from Christmas 2026, HBO's episodic re-adaptation of the novels, one book per season. That is eleven feature films plus one television season to date. The reunion special Return to Hogwarts and the Tournament of Houses quiz show are listed here as optional extras: they are about the films, not part of the story, and you can switch them off.
If this is your first time, watch in release order and start with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the US; it is the same film). The Harry Potter films were made to be seen first, and Fantastic Beasts leans heavily on you already knowing who Dumbledore, Grindelwald and the Lestranges are, what a Horcrux is, and why a phoenix matters. Watched cold, the prequels are a confusing place to begin. Chronological order, which puts the 1920s and 1930s Fantastic Beasts trilogy before Harry's 1991 arrival at Hogwarts, is best kept for a re-watch, when you can enjoy the connections rather than be baffled by them.
On a first run you can safely skip Fantastic Beasts altogether: the Harry Potter story is complete in eight films and nothing in the prequels changes it. The Fantastic Beasts series was never finished (the planned fourth and fifth films have been described as parked since 2022), so expect its third film to end with threads hanging. The HBO series re-tells the same story as the films from the beginning, so it is an alternative to the films, not a sequel; the chronological order here places it after Deathly Hallows – Part 2 simply because it is a separate telling, not because it continues the plot.
The eight Harry Potter films run 19 hours 38 minutes back to back; add the three Fantastic Beasts films and the whole run is 26 hours 27 minutes, a comfortable long weekend. UK streaming has moved around a lot in 2026: the films left Netflix UK on 1 January, HBO Max launched in the UK on 26 March, and ITV announced in July that all eleven films would come to ITVX for free. Check ITVX and HBO Max first, then Sky Cinema/NOW; all eleven films are also rentable on Apple TV, Prime Video and the Sky Store. The HBO series streams on HBO Max in the UK.
Orders explained
The order the films came out, 2001 to 2022, then the HBO series. The right choice for a first watch: the Fantastic Beasts prequels assume you already know the Harry Potter films.
In-universe timeline: the Fantastic Beasts trilogy (1926 onward) first, then Harry's seven school years (1991–1998), then HBO's retelling, then the extras. Best for a re-watch.
Just the eleven cinema releases in release order: eight Harry Potter films then three Fantastic Beasts. No television, no specials. 26 hours 27 minutes.
Optional extras
The 2022 cast-reunion special and the 2021 quiz show. Neither contains story; include them if you want everything official, skip them if you only care about the plot.
Frequently asked
What order should I watch the Harry Potter movies in?
Release order, which for the eight Harry Potter films is also story order: Philosopher's Stone (2001), Chamber of Secrets (2002), Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Goblet of Fire (2005), Order of the Phoenix (2007), Half-Blood Prince (2009), Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) and Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). Each film covers one school year.
Is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone the same film as the Philosopher's Stone?
Yes. The first book and film were retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the United States (and India and the Philippines). It is the same 152-minute film with a few lines re-recorded to say 'Sorcerer's'. Everywhere else, including the UK where it was made, it is the Philosopher's Stone.
Should I watch Fantastic Beasts before Harry Potter?
Not on a first watch. Fantastic Beasts is set in the 1920s and 1930s, decades before Harry, but it was written for people who already know the Harry Potter films and it constantly references them. Watch the eight Harry Potter films first, then Fantastic Beasts. Put the prequels first only when you are re-watching the whole thing in timeline order.
How many Harry Potter movies are there?
Eight Harry Potter films, adapting the seven books with the last book split in two. Add the three Fantastic Beasts prequels and the Wizarding World has eleven films in total. The planned fourth and fifth Fantastic Beasts films have not been made and the series has been described by its director as parked.
How long does it take to watch all the Harry Potter movies?
The eight Harry Potter films add up to 1,178 minutes, or 19 hours 38 minutes. With the three Fantastic Beasts films (409 minutes) the full set of eleven is 1,587 minutes, about 26 and a half hours. The longest single film is Chamber of Secrets at 161 minutes; the shortest is Deathly Hallows – Part 2 at 130.
Where can I watch the Harry Potter films in the UK?
It changed several times in 2026. The films left Netflix UK on 1 January 2026; HBO Max, Warner Bros.' own service, launched in the UK and Ireland on 26 March 2026; and in July 2026 ITV announced a deal to stream all eleven films free on ITVX. Check ITVX and HBO Max first, then Sky Cinema/NOW. All eleven are available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Prime Video and the Sky Store at any time.
Is the new HBO Harry Potter series a sequel to the films?
No. It is a fresh adaptation of the books with a new cast, starting again from the Philosopher's Stone, with one book per season planned over about ten years. Season 1 is eight episodes and premieres on HBO in the US and on HBO Max globally (including the UK) on 25 December 2026. Season 2, adapting Chamber of Secrets, was ordered in May 2026 and was filming by September 2026.
Do I need to watch Fantastic Beasts to understand Harry Potter?
No. The Harry Potter story is complete in its eight films. Fantastic Beasts fills in Dumbledore's youth and his history with Grindelwald, which the Harry Potter films only mention in passing, but nothing in it is needed to follow Harry's story. Many people stop after Deathly Hallows – Part 2 and miss nothing.
Is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child a film?
No. Cursed Child is a 2016 stage play, still running in London and elsewhere, set 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts. No film or series of it exists, which is why it is not in this list. The 'nineteen years later' epilogue at the end of Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is where the screen story currently ends.