How Many Harry Potter Movies Are There? Full Count (2025)

Few things spark more debate among Harry Potter fans than the simple question: how many movies are there, especially with spin-offs, a stage play, and the split final book turning a clear answer into a puzzle. The official count from Warner Bros. (the studio behind the series) is eight films for the main story, plus three Fantastic Beasts prequels — no movie number nine exists.

Main series films: 8 ·
Spin-off film series: 3 (Fantastic Beasts) ·
Stage play (continuation): 1 (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) ·
First release year: 2001 ·
Last release year (main series): 2011 ·
Total film franchise entries: 11 (including Fantastic Beasts)

The key facts about the franchise are summarised below.

How many Harry Potter movies are there in total?

The core eight films: Harry Potter (2001–2011)

The original series adapts all seven novels penned by J.K. Rowling, with the final book split into two parts. Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia) confirms exactly eight films. The franchise earned over $7.7 billion globally, with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 being the highest-grossing entry at $1.34 billion — Rotten Tomatoes (film review aggregator).

Spin-off series: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016–2022)

Set decades before Harry’s story, the Fantastic Beasts series currently includes three released films. Wizarding World (official franchise site) lists them alongside the main eight films. The most recent, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, premiered in 2022 — Rotten Tomatoes (film review aggregator).

The implication: the main series is standalone, and the spin-offs are separate.

Are there 8 or 9 Harry Potter movies?

Why some people count 9 movies

The confusion often stems from grouping the Fantastic Beasts films under the “Harry Potter” label. Some casual viewers treat Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as a ninth installment, but Wizarding World (official franchise site) clearly separates them into a distinct series.

Why the correct answer is 8 for the main series

Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia) states that only eight films are officially part of the Harry Potter film series. The Fantastic Beasts movies are set in the same Wizarding World but are a separate franchise. Additionally, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a two-part stage play, not a film — Wizarding World (official franchise site).

Is Harry Potter 8 the last movie?

The final Harry Potter film: Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, released in July 2011, is the eighth and final film of the main series — Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia). It concluded the story of the Boy Who Lived.

Post-2011 Wizarding World films

After 2011, Warner Bros. launched the Fantastic Beasts prequel series. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them debuted in 2016 — Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia). No further Harry Potter main-series films have been announced.

The pattern: Warner Bros. closed the main saga in 2011 and pivoted to prequels.

What is Harry Potter 9 called?

Cursed Child is a play, not a movie

There is no official “Harry Potter 9” movie. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a stage play that premiered in London’s West End in 2016 — Wizarding World (official franchise site). Its script was published as a book, but it was never produced as a theatrical film.

Why the term Harry Potter 9 is misleading

Online rumors sometimes label a stage recording or a fan edit as “Harry Potter 9,” but no official film by that title exists. Warner Bros. (official film studio) markets only the Complete 8-Film Collection.

What are the Harry Potter movies in order 1-8?

Chronological list of the 8 Harry Potter films

Here is the complete list of main series films.

A note on the title differences: Sorcerer’s Stone vs. Philosopher’s Stone

In the United States, the first film is titled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, while the original UK title is Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Both refer to the same movie — Wikipedia (film article).

The implication: The eight-film count is unambiguous worldwide, regardless of title variation.

Step-by-step watching order

Whether you’re a first-time viewer or revisiting the series, the recommended order is release order for the main eight films, followed by the Fantastic Beasts trilogy.

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) — Wikipedia (film series page)
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) — Wikipedia (film series page)
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) — Wikipedia (film series page)
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) — Wikipedia (film series page)
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) — Wikipedia (film series page)
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) — Wikipedia (film series page)
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) — Wikipedia (film series page)
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011) — Wikipedia (film series page)

After finishing the main eight, watch the Fantastic Beasts films in release order: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022). Rotten Tomatoes (film review aggregator) confirms this timeline.

The catch: Warner Bros. designed the series to be watched in release order for maximum impact.

Timeline of Harry Potter film releases

Eleven film releases have shaped the Wizarding World on screen. The pattern: a steady cadence from 2001 to 2011, followed by a five-year gap and three more films.

• 2001 — Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone released
• 2002 — Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets released
• 2004 — Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban released
• 2005 — Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire released
• 2007 — Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix released
• 2009 — Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince released
• 2010 — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 released
• 2011 — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 released
• 2016 — Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them released
• 2018 — Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald released
• 2022 — Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore released

What this means: The main series completed in a decade, while the spin-off series is currently on hold with no announced fourth film.

Clarity: Confirmed facts and what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

• The Harry Potter main film series consists of 8 movies — Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)
• Fantastic Beasts currently has 3 released films — Wizarding World (official franchise site)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a stage play, not a movie — Wizarding World (official franchise site)

What’s unclear

• Whether more Fantastic Beasts films will be released is unconfirmed — Harry Potter Fandom Wiki (fan-maintained encyclopedia)
• The exact total number of films if counting future spin-offs is unknown
• Whether a TV series adaptation will be considered part of the film franchise

The catch: Only Warner Bros. can clarify these uncertainties with future announcements.

Quotes from the Wizarding World

“Discover the eight Harry Potter films and three Fantastic Beasts films. Explore the Wizarding World on screen.”

— Wizarding World Official Site (franchise publisher)

“Own the Harry Potter Complete 8‑Film Collection. Relive every magical moment.”

— Warner Bros. (official film studio)

“The Harry Potter film series is a British-American film series based on the Harry Potter novels by J. K. Rowling. The series was produced and distributed by Warner Bros. and consists of eight fantasy films.”

— Wikipedia (community-edited encyclopedia)

The catch: Even the official sources agree on the same count — eight main films, three spin-offs, no movie number nine.

Editor’s note: Quotes above have been lightly adapted for clarity from the source statements.

Frequently asked questions