There’s no denying that theHarry Pottersaga was one of the most successful film franchises of all time. But the first three installments of the story about the young wizard portrayed byDaniel Radcliffeare gaining strong viewership numbers onMax.Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsandHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanare being visited by audiences once again. The streaming platform owned byWarner Bros. Discoverycontinues to enjoy the success of the Wizarding World.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stonewas the first installment of what would turn out to be a very profitable franchise for Warner Bros. The movie was directed byChris Columbus, and it introducedDaniel Radcliffe,Rupert GrintandEmma Watsonas Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, respectively. By the time the movie earned almost $1 billion during its original theatrical run, the studio knew that they had to adapt the rest of the novels during the next decade or so.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secretsintroduced yet another version of the saga’s main antagonist, Lord Voldemort.Christian Coulsonwas in charge of portraying a young iteration of the evil wizard, who managed to appear in front of Harry and Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) because of a cursed diary. The sequel was also successful at the global box office, but in order to allow the characters to grow up alongside their audience, Warner Bros. knew they would need a different approach for the remaining sequels.
‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ Changes the Game
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanwas only released eighteen months after the previous installment. But the main actors looked much older by that point. to reflect the wizards' transition into adolescence, directorAlfonso Cuarónhad the characters dress, talk and act differently than what had been seen before. The result was an engaging drama that set the stage for the war to come.Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanalso featured the introduction ofGary Oldmanas Sirius Black, a character that would become even more relevant in subsequent installments.
TheHarry Potterfilm franchise came to an end more than a decade ago, but Warner Bros. continues to find new ways to make it appealing to new audiences.Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themattempted to launch a new franchise set in the Wizarding World. But what was originally conceived as five movies was cut down to three due to critical reception and disappointing box office results. The studio is currently developing a television series that will adapt the originalHarry Potterbooks for Max.
The entireHarry Potterfilm series is now streaming on Max. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world.
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