Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
2004 film by Alfonso Cuarón
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a 2004 fantasy film directed by Alfonso Cuarón from a screenplay by Steve Kloves. It is based on the 1999 novel "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" by J. K. Rowling. It is the sequel to "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002) and the third instalment in the "Harry Potter" film series. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, alongside Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry's best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger respectively. It chronicles Harry's third year at Hogwarts and his quest to uncover the truth about his past, including the connection recently-escaped Azkaban prisoner Sirius Black has to Harry and his deceased parents.
With this film, the "Harry Potter" series switched to a longer eighteen-month production cycle. Cuarón was selected as director from a list that included Callie Khouri and Kenneth Branagh. The cast of previous instalments returned for the film, with the additions of Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Timothy Spall, and Emma Thompson, among others. It was the first appearance of Michael Gambon as Professor Albus Dumbledore, due to Richard Harris's death in 2002. Principal photography began in February 2003 at Leavesden Film Studios. It was the first in the series to extensively use real-life locations, with sets built in Scotland and scenes shot in London. Filming wrapped in November 2003.
The film was released on 31 May 2004 in the United Kingdom, and on 4 June 2004 in North America. It was the first "Harry Potter" film to use IMAX Technology and released into IMAX theatres. "Prisoner of Azkaban" grossed a total of $808 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2004, behind "Shrek 2". Critics praised Cuarón's direction and the lead actors' performances. It is credited for marking a notable shift in the franchise's tone and directing style and is often regarded by critics and fans alike as the best "Harry Potter" film. It was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Original Music Score and Best Visual Effects, at the 77th Academy Awards in 2004. It was followed by "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" in 2005.
Plot.
Harry Potter spends another dissatisfying summer with the Dursleys. On his thirteenth birthday, Vernon's visiting sister Marge viciously insults Harry and his parents, and an angry Harry accidentally causes her to inflate and float away. Expecting to be expelled for using magic outside school, Harry flees.
The Knight Bus, an emergency transport for stranded witches and wizards, takes Harry to the Leaky Cauldron, where the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge assures Harry that he will not face punishment. Upon reuniting with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry learns that Sirius Black, a supporter of Lord Voldemort, has escaped Azkaban and plans to kill him. While journeying to Hogwarts, the Hogwarts Express is boarded by Dementors, ghostly prison guards searching for Black. One enters Harry's compartment, causing him to faint, but the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin, uses a Patronus Charm to repel it. At Hogwarts, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore announces that Dementors will patrol the school until Black is captured. Rubeus Hagrid is appointed as the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, but his first class goes awry when Draco Malfoy provokes a Hippogriff named Buckbeak to attack him; as a result, Draco's father, Lucius, has Buckbeak sentenced to death.
Returning to Gryffindor Tower, the students find the Fat Lady's portrait has been attacked, and the terrified Fat Lady warns Dumbledore that Black entered the castle. Hogwarts is put into lockdown until Dumbledore deems the area safe. During a stormy Quidditch match, Dementors cause Harry to fall off his broomstick, which is destroyed by the Whomping Willow. Dumbledore uses the Slowing Charm to break Harry's fall, who later wakes up in the infirmary.
Harry, after leaving the infirmary, is caught trying to visit Hogsmeade by Fred and George, who give him the Marauder's Map. Using the map, Harry sneaks into Hogsmeade. He follows Professor Minerva McGonagall, Madam Rosmerta, and Minister Fudge and learns that Black is actually his godfather but divulged the Potters' whereabouts to Voldemort and murdered their mutual friend Peter Pettigrew. The map is later discovered in Harry's possession by Lupin, who confiscates it.
Determined to ward off the Dementors, Harry convinces Lupin to teach him the Patronus Charm. Watching Buckbeak's execution, Ron is dragged by a large black dog into a hole at the base of the Whomping Willow. This leads the trio through an underground passage into the Shrieking Shack, where the dog is revealed to be Black, an Animagus who can transform into an animal.
Lupin appears, embracing Black as an old friend before revealing himself to be a werewolf. Snape arrives to apprehend Black but is knocked out by Harry's spell. Lupin and Black reveal that Ron's familiar, a rat named Scabbers, is actually the Animagus form of Pettigrew. Having betrayed Harry's parents, he faked his death and framed Black for his own crimes. Turning Pettigrew back into human form, the group heads back to the castle, intending to both expose Pettigrew as the true criminal and exonerate Sirius, but the full moon causes Lupin to transform into a werewolf and Pettigrew escapes. Black transforms into his animal form and fights off werewolf Lupin, who seriously injures Black. Black manages to escape when a distant wolf cry distracts Lupin and sends him off. Harry finds Black, who are then both attacked by Dementors until an unseen figure casts a powerful Patronus charm to ward them off. Harry falls unconscious, awakening in the infirmary with Dumbledore and Hermione.
After learning that Black is sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss, Harry and Hermione use Hermione's Time-Turner to go back three hours. They witness their earlier actions and save Buckbeak from execution. When Dementors attack past Harry and Black, Harry realizes he was the one who saved himself and Black with a Patronus charm, and uses it to drive the Dementors away. They successfully free Black, who escapes on Buckbeak. Returning to the infirmary, they find Lupin, exposed as a werewolf, resigning and giving Harry back the Marauder's Map. Black gifts Harry a Firebolt broomstick, which he joyfully rides.
Cast.
Several actors from the previous film reprise their roles in "Prisoner of Azkaban". Harry Melling appears as Dudley Dursley, Harry's Muggle cousin. James and Oliver Phelps play Fred and George Weasley, Ron's twin brothers; Chris Rankin appears as Percy Weasley, Ron's other brother and a Hogwarts head boy; and Bonnie Wright portrays their sister Ginny, while Mark Williams plays their father, Arthur Weasley. Tom Felton portrays Draco Malfoy, Harry's rival in Slytherin, while Jamie Waylett and Josh Herdman appear as Crabbe and Goyle, Draco's minions. Matthew Lewis and Devon Murray play Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnigan respectively, two Gryffindor students in Harry's year. David Bradley appears as Argus Filch, Hogwarts' caretaker, while Robert Hardy portrays Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic.
Pam Ferris portrays Aunt Marge, Vernon's sister; Lee Ingleby plays Stan Shunpike, conductor of the Knight Bus; and Jim Tavaré appears as Tom, innkeeper of The Leaky Cauldron, replacing Derek Deadman from the first film. Dawn French plays the Fat Lady, a painting at Hogwarts, replacing Elizabeth Spriggs from the first film. Julie Christie appears as Madam Rosmerta, the barmaid at the Three Broomsticks. Warwick Davis appears as the conductor of the Hogwarts choir. The role was offered to him by producer David Heyman due to Filius Flitwick, Davis' original role, being absent from the script. The change in appearance for the new character later became Flitwick's look for the rest of the series.
Production.
Development.
With the film adaptation of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", production of the "Harry Potter" films switched to an eighteen-month cycle, which producer David Heyman explained was "to give each [film] the time it required." Chris Columbus, the director of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (2001) and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002), decided not to return to helm the third instalment as he wanted to spend more time with his children. Even so, Columbus remained on as a producer alongside Heyman, as Columbus felt that such capacity offered him a better work-life balance, allowing him to not be present on the set all the time and spend time with his children. Guillermo del Toro was approached to direct, but had envisioned a more Dickensian version of the stories, and was put off by the first two films which he found too "bright and happy and full of light". Marc Forster turned down the film because he had made "Finding Neverland" (2004) and did not want to direct child actors again. M. Night Shyamalan was considered to direct but turned it down because he was working on his own film, "The Village" (2004). Warner Bros. then composed a three-name shortlist for Columbus's replacement, which consisted of Callie Khouri, Kenneth Branagh (who played Gilderoy Lockhart in "Chamber of Secrets") and eventual selection Alfonso Cuarón in July 2002. Cuarón was initially reluctant to direct, as he had not read any of the books or seen the films. Del Toro berated him for his arrogance and told him to read the books. After reading the series, he changed his mind and signed on to direct, as he had immediately connected to the story.
Cuarón's appointment pleased J. K. Rowling, who loved his film "Y tu mamá también" (2001) and was impressed with his adaptation of "A Little Princess" (1995). Heyman found that "tonally and stylistically, [Cuarón] was the perfect fit." As his first exercise with the actors who portray the central trio, Cuarón assigned Radcliffe, Grint and Watson to write an autobiographical essay about their character, written in the first person, spanning birth to the discovery of the magical world, and including the character's emotional experience. Cuarón recalls, "Emma's essay was 10 pages long. Daniel's was exactly two. Rupert didn't deliver the essay. When I questioned why he didn't do it, he said, 'I'm Ron; Ron wouldn't do it.' So I said, 'Okay, you do understand your character.' That was the most important piece of acting work that we did on "Prisoner of Azkaban", because it was very clear that everything they put in those essays was going to be the pillars they were going to hold on to for the rest of the process."
Costume and set design.
Cuarón wanted to establish a more mature tone in the characters' costumes and the sets. He explained, "What I really wanted to do was to make Hogwarts more contemporary and a little more naturalistic." He studied English schools and noted, "Each teenager's individuality was reflected in the way they wore their uniform. So I asked all the kids in the film to wear their uniforms as they would if their parents weren't around." Columbus considered the costumes changes as "a reflection of the character development within the books themselves" and their transition to teenagers. Whereas in the first two films the characters are constantly in their uniforms, in "Prisoner of Azkaban" the characters often wear modern street clothes. Rowling, who was consulted for this change, stated, "for me the cloaks and everything makes sense for the academic time but in personal time they would be wearing their own clothes." Jany Temime joined the film as costume designer, eventually working on all of the following instalments in the series.
For Remus Lupin, Temime opted for "tweeds typical of England." Cuarón stated that the character should look like "an uncle who parties hard on the weekends", so Temime preserved his gown "unkempt and more shabby than the other teachers’ robes." For Trelawney, Thompson made sketches of the costumes and sent them to Temime and Cuarón. Thompson saw the character as "a person who hasn't looked in the mirror for a long time". In order to highlight the character's short-sightedness, Temime used material filled with mirrors and eyes, as well as oversized glasses with magnifying lenses. Cuarón wanted Dumbledore to look like "an old hippie, but still very chic and with a lot of class". Temime used tie-dyed silk that would float behind him while walking, which she considered "a much lighter look" that gave the character more energy, in contrast with the "heavy and majestic" costumes designed for Harris' portrayal of Dumbledore.
Cuarón's main concern was for Hogwarts to have a larger scope and be grounded in the real world. The scale model of the Hogwarts exterior designed for the first film was expanded by around 40% for "Prisoner of Azkaban". Production designer Stuart Craig and art director Gary Tomkins added constructions including a clock tower and a courtyard, and the hospital wing was redesigned and rebuilt. Other sets constructed for the film included the Hogsmeade village and The Three Broomsticks public house.
The use of real-life locations significantly changed the look of Hagrid's hut. For "Prisoner of Azkaban", the landscape around the set changed from being completely flat to the side of a hill. The hut doubled in size, with a separate bedroom built on the back and the addition of a large pumpkin patch and a chimney. Craig cited the Shrieking Shack as a particularly challenging set to create. It was built on a large hydraulic platform with the help of the special effects department, "creaking and moving as if being continually buffeted by the wind" in order to appear almost alive.
Some sets were either reused from earlier films or used for more than one space. The Defence Against the Dark Arts and Divination classrooms were filmed in the same set. The Honeydukes set was a redress of the set of Flourish & Blotts that was seen in "Chamber of Secrets", which, in turn, had been redressed from the Ollivanders set from the first film.
Filming.
Principal photography began on 24 February 2003, at Leavesden Film Studios, and ended on 28 November 2003.
The third film was the first to extensively use real-life locations, as much of the first two films had been shot in the studio. Three sets for the film were built in Glen Coe, Scotland, near the Clachaig Inn. Harry's ride on Buckbeak over Hogwarts' Lake was filmed at the Virginia Water Lake in Surrey. The Black Lake was also filmed from Loch Shiel, Loch Eilt and Loch Morar in the Scottish Highlands. Incidentally, the Glenfinnan Viaduct railway, which was also featured in "Chamber of Secrets", is opposite Loch Shiel and was used to film the sequences when the Dementor boarded the train. A small section of the Knight Bus scene, where it weaves in between traffic, was filmed in North London's Palmers Green on 2 April 2003. Some parts were also filmed in and around Borough Market and Lambeth Bridge in London. Certain scenes were also filmed at the University of Oxford; those set in the hospital wing were filmed at the university's Divinity School.
Director of photography Michael Seresin considered the story much darker compared to its two predecessors, so he employed "moody [lighting], with more shadows". He used a variety of wide-angle lenses to amplify Hogwarts prominence in the story, and only used close-ups sparingly. "We prefer to observe the kids from further away, as I find body language to be very interesting", Cuarón explained.
Rowling allowed Cuarón to make minor changes to the book, on the condition that he stuck to the book's spirit. She allowed him to place a sundial on Hogwarts' grounds, but rejected a graveyard, as that would play an important part in the then-unreleased sixth book. Rowling said she "got goosebumps" when she saw several moments in the film, as they inadvertently referred to events in the final two books, she stated, "people are going to look back on the film and think that those were put in deliberately as clues." When filming concluded, Cuarón found that it had "been the two sweetest years of my life," and expressed his interest in directing one of the sequels.
The Knight Bus sequence was shot over several weeks at various locations in London. In order to give the impression of the vehicle moving at , stunt coordinator Greg Powell explained, "We drove the bus at about and the other cars were going only about . It took weeks of planning with stunt drivers, and even the people you see on the street are stunt men and women, who were trained to walk incredibly slow just to make the bus look faster."
Special and visual effects.
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and Framestore handled the key visual effects shots for the film, while The Moving Picture Company, Cinesite, and Double Negative crafted additional VFX material.
Cuarón originally wanted to move away from CGI toward puppetry. He hired master puppeteer Basil Twist and experimented with underwater puppets to figure out the movements of dementors. The tests were shot in slow motion, but ultimately the method wasn't practical. The water test footage provided creative direction for the visual effects team, adding the intangible metaphysical quality Cuarón was seeking. Visual effects supervisors Tim Burke and Roger Guyett, the Industrial Light & Magic VFX team, and Temime collaborated in the creation of dementors.
Cuarón commented on the difficulty of creating Buckbeak, which took months of research and preparation, beginning with the creature's skeletal design. Cuarón said, "Once we worked out the physiology, the way his bones would actually move, we had to capture his personality, which is a mixture of regal elegance, particularly when he is flying, and the clumsy and greedy creature he becomes back on land." Creature effects supervisor Nick Dudman created several practical hippogriffs for the production, while Burke and Guyett oversaw the creation of the computer-generated version. Guyett cited the complex movement of the feathers as an achievement that had "never been done before."
The inflation of Aunt Marge was achieved practically. Ferris said, "I wore various prosthetic bodies, which inflated at different rates, and at my largest I was about four and a half feet wide." The costume prevented Ferris from walking and eating. Thirty-eight tweed suits of increasing size were used for the sequence.
Cinesite was in charge of the time travel shot featured in the film, which was over a minute long. The main action was filmed on a steadicam against bluescreen, and four minutes of background footage was shot separately. The background was then sped up and composited behind the main action. Two other plates of background footage were tiled together as the camera turned.
Music.
When it was announced that Cuarón would direct "Prisoner of Azkaban", there was initial speculation that his collaborative composer Patrick Doyle (who would score the following film) would do the music. Cuarón, however, retained John Williams, for whom it would be the third and final movie he scored in the series. The soundtrack was a significant departure from the previous two, as Cuarón wanted the score to take a different approach. One of the new themes, "Double Trouble", was written during production for a children's choir to perform in Hogwarts's Great Hall in one of the film's earlier scenes. The lyrics of the song were taken from William Shakespeare's "Macbeth". The soundtrack album was released by Atlantic Records on 25 May 2004.
Differences from the book.
"Prisoner of Azkaban" was, at the time of publication, the series' longest book. The increasing plot complexity necessitated a looser adaptation of the book's finer plot lines and back-story. The connection between Harry's father and the Marauder's Map is only briefly mentioned, as is Remus Lupin's association to the map. Additionally, it was never mentioned who the Marauders were or who the nicknames Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs referred to. Some exposition was removed for dramatic effect: both the Shrieking Shack and Scabbers the rat are mentioned only very briefly in the film, while they receive more thorough coverage in the novel. Most of Sirius Black's back story is also cut, with no mention of how he escaped from Azkaban.
On account of pace and time considerations, the film glosses over detailed descriptions of magical education. Only one Hippogriff, Buckbeak, is seen, and only Draco Malfoy and Harry are seen interacting with the Hippogriff during Care of Magical Creatures lessons. Most other lessons, including all of Snape's Potions classes, were cut from the film. The Fidelius Charm's complicated description is removed entirely from the film, with no explanation given of exactly how Sirius is supposed to have betrayed the Potters to Lord Voldemort. Many of this scene's lines are redistributed amongst Cornelius Fudge and Minerva McGonagall; in compensation, McGonagall's exposition of the Animagus transformation is instead given by Snape.
The romantic connection between Ron and Hermione is more prominent in the film than the book; in response to criticism of the first two films for sacrificing character development for mystery and adventure, the emotional development of all three lead characters is given more attention in the third film. However, any mention of Harry's crush on Cho Chang is removed, and she first appears in the fourth film. "Prisoner of Azkaban" also shows a darker tone and more of Harry's emotions. For instance, after learning of Black's "betrayal" of Harry's parents, he shouts in anger "I'm gonna kill him", whereas in the book he is "too stunned to move".
In the book, Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup for the first time in the series, a rather significant character-development subplot that is almost completely omitted from the film. Only the first Quidditch match of the school year (where Harry's Nimbus 2000 broomstick is destroyed) is part of the film's narrative, and there are no other mentions of the sport or the Gryffindor team's successful campaign for the Cup during the rest of the film. The final scene before the credits shows Harry on his new broomstick, the Firebolt, as a known gift from Sirius after his aided escape from captivity, whereas in the book, the new broomstick is an anonymous gift midyear from Sirius (unbeknownst to Harry or anyone else at the time) that is examined by the Hogwarts staff for safety and security reasons before it eventually is given to Harry for use in pursuit of the Cup championship.
Distribution.
Marketing.
As with the series' previous instalments, "Prisoner of Azkaban" was a large merchandising opportunity. The video game version, designed by EA UK, was released on 25 May 2004. Mattel released film tie-ins that included the "Harry Potter Championship Quidditch" board game and character action figures. Lego also expanded on its previous merchandising for the first two films with the release of sets that included the Knight Bus, Shrieking Shack and a new Hogwarts castle.
Home media.
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" was released on DVD and on VHS on 23 November 2004. The 2-disc Special Editions later came out on DVD and Blu-ray on 4 October 2016. The film was also released on Ultra HD Blu-ray on 7 November 2017.
Reception.
Box office.
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" held its New York premiere at Radio City Music Hall on 23 May 2004, followed by its London premiere at Leicester Square on 30 May 2004. The film then opened in the United Kingdom on 31 May 2004, and on 4 June 2004 in the United States. It was the first film in the series to be released in both conventional and IMAX theatres. Upon release, the film broke the record for a biggest single day in the United Kingdom's box office history making £5.3million on a Monday. It went on to break records both with and without previews, making £23.9 million including previews and £9.3 million excluding them. "The Prisoner of Azkaban" had the highest-opening weekend at the UK's box office, until "Spectre" beat the record in 2015. It went on to make a total of £45.6million in the UK. The film made $93.7million during its opening weekend in the United States and Canada playing on 8,900 screens at 3,855 theaters, achieving, at the time, the third-biggest-opening weekend of all time. This opening also broke "Hulk"'s record ($62.1million) for the highest-opening weekend for a film released in June. "The Prisoner of Azkaban" held this record for five years until "" topped it in 2009 with $109million. Additionally, it surpassed "The Matrix Reloaded" for having the largest opening weekend for a Warner Bros. film. The film was also No. 1 at the North American box office for two consecutive weekends.
"The Prisoner of Azkaban" made a total of $808.5million worldwide, which made it 2004's second-highest-grossing film worldwide behind "Shrek 2". In the U.S. and Canada, it was only the year's sixth-highest-grossing film, making $250.1million. However, it was the year's number one film internationally, making $558.3million compared to "Shrek 2"'s $487.5million. Despite its successful box office run, "The Prisoner of Azkaban" is the lowest-grossing "Harry Potter" film, and the third lowest-grossing film of the Wizarding World series.
Critical response.
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 91% based on 264 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Under the assured direction of Alfonso Cuarón, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" triumphantly strikes a delicate balance between technical wizardry and complex storytelling." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.
Mick LaSalle of the "San Francisco Chronicle" lauded the film's more mature tone and said it was "darker, more complex, rooted in character." "The Hollywood Reporter" called the film "a deeper, darker, visually arresting and more emotionally satisfying adaptation of the J.K. Rowling literary phenomenon," especially compared to the first two instalments. Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" gave the film three-and-a-half out of four stars: "Not only is this dazzler by far the best and most thrilling of the three Harry Potter movies to date, it's a film that can stand on its own even if you never heard of author J.K. Rowling and her young wizard hero." Stephanie Zacharek of "Salon" considered it "one of the greatest fantasy films of all time." Nicole Arthur of "The Washington Post" praised the film as "complex, frightening, [and] nuanced." Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half out of four stars, saying that the film was not quite as good as the first two, but still called it "delightful, amusing and sophisticated". He praised the cast, but felt the need for a better plot. Claudia Puig from "USA Today" found the film to be "a visual delight," and added that "Cuarón is not afraid to make a darker film and tackle painful emotions"; while Richard Roeper called the film "a creative triumph." Sean Smith from "Newsweek" said: ""The Prisoner of Azkaban" boasts a brand-new director and a bold new vision," and called the film "moving," praising the performances by the three main leads. "Entertainment Weekly" praised the film for being more mature than its predecessors.
"The Guardian" gave the film 3 stars out of 5, saying, "This new Harry Potter picture will cast a spell on its fanbase. But the broomstick's losing altitude." "Screen Daily" commented, "Cuaron delivers a genuinely spooky and emotionally involving adventure which gives the world of "Potter" much-needed character and atmosphere". The BBC commended the sets and direction, but did not find it "emotionally engrossing". Hollywood.com gave a positive review, praising the plot and storyline, despite a deviation from the first two films.
Accolades.
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" received two Academy Award nominations: Best Visual Effects and Best Original Score for John Williams. The film was also nominated for four BAFTA Awards: Best British Film, Best Production Design, Best Makeup & Hair, and Best Visual Effects, and won public-voted Orange Film of the Year award. It received nine Saturn Awards nominations. It won two Visual Effects Society Awards and was nominated for three others. The Broadcast Film Critics Association nominated it for Best Family Film, Best Young Actor (for Daniel Radcliffe), and Best Young Actress (for Emma Watson).
The film ranks at No. 471 in "Empire" magazine's 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time. IGN designated "Prisoner of Azkaban" as the fifth best fantasy film. Additionally, Moviefone designated the film as the tenth best of the decade. In 2011, the film was voted Film of the Decade at the First Light Awards by children aged 5–15. The American Film Institute nominated it for the 2007 revision of AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies, and for AFI's 10 Top 10 in the fantasy genre.
References.
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
1999 fantasy novel by J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ( ; also ) is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. It is the third instalment in the "Harry Potter" series. The novel follows Harry Potter, a young wizard, in his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Along with friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry investigates Sirius Black, an escaped prisoner from Azkaban, the wizard prison, believed to be one of Lord Voldemort's old allies.
The book was published in the United Kingdom on 8 July 1999 by Bloomsbury and in the United States on 8 September 1999 by Scholastic, Inc. Rowling found the book easy to write, finishing it just a year after she began writing it. The book sold 68,000 copies in just three days after its release in the United Kingdom and since has sold over three million in the country. The book won the 1999 Whitbread Children's Book Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and the 2000 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel and was short-listed for other awards, including the Hugo.
The film adaptation of the novel was released in 2004, grossing more than $796 million and earning critical acclaim. Video games loosely based on "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" were also released for several platforms, and most obtained favourable reviews.
Plot.
During the summer, Harry accidentally performs magic at the home of his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon by blowing up his Aunt Marge, causing her to float into the sky. After this incident, he leaves their house and travels to London by The Knight Bus. At London, he spends his summer there. While staying at the Leaky Cauldron inn, Harry is visited by Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, who warns him about Sirius Black, a mass-murderer who escaped from the wizard prison Azkaban.
With Black at large, Dementors have been stationed at Hogwarts as a security measure. During a Care of Magical Creatures lesson with Hagrid, Draco Malfoy is injured after provoking a hippogriff named Buckbeak. Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy, gets Hagrid put on trial for owning a dangerous creature. Harry repeatedly faints in the presence of the Dementors, but eventually is taught by Professor Lupin, a new teacher, how to repel them using the Patronus Charm. When Harry is unable to participate in weekend trips to Hogsmeade Village, Fred and George give him a magical map that shows him how to get there using a secret passage. At the Three Broomsticks pub, Harry overhears that Black is his godfather, that he betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort, and that he now seeks to kill Harry as well.
When Ron's pet rat Scabbers disappears, he blames Hermione and her cat Crookshanks. Ron and Hermione stop talking to each other, although Hermione is distraught when Ron survives an attack by Black inside the Gryffindor dormitory. After the attack, Black cannot be found. After Harry, Ron and Hermione learn that Buckbeak will be executed, they console Hagrid, and Ron and Hermione resume their friendship. Ron also finds Scabbers, who was hiding in Hagrid's hut. As the friends make their way back to the castle, Ron is attacked by a large black dog, which drags him through the passageway leading to Hogsmeade. Harry and Hermione give chase, and find themselves in the Shrieking Shack, where the dog is revealed to be Black in his Animagus form. Lupin arrives, and Black states that he intends to kill Scabbers, not Harry. He explains that Scabbers is Peter Pettigrew, who betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort and framed Black for mass murder. Black and Lupin compel Pettigrew to transform into human form, then haul him back to Hogwarts.
On the way to the castle, the full moon causes Lupin to transform into a werewolf. Pettigrew escapes and is pursued by Black, Harry and Hermione, who encounter Dementors and lose consciousness. They awaken in the castle, where Black is now being held captive. Harry and Hermione proclaim his innocence to Dumbledore, who suggests using Hermione's Time Turner. Harry and Hermione travel back in time and save both Black and Buckbeak, who fly away together. Snape blames Lupin for Black's disappearance and makes his werewolf-identity public, which forces Lupin to resign. On the train back to London, Harry receives a letter from Black, expressing his gratitude for saving his life.
Publication and reception.
Pre-release history.
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" is the third book in the "Harry Potter" series. The first, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", was published by Bloomsbury on 26 June 1997 and the second, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", was published on 2 July 1998. Rowling started to write the "Prisoner of Azkaban" the day after she finished "The Chamber of Secrets". Rowling said in 2004 that "Prisoner of Azkaban" was "the best writing experience I ever had...I was in a very comfortable place writing (number) three. Immediate financial worries were over, and press attention wasn't yet by any means excessive".
Critical reception.
Upon release, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" received mostly positive reviews. "The Daily Telegraph" reported on reviews from several British publications with a rating scale for the novel out of "Love It", "Pretty Good", "Ok", and "Rubbish": "Daily Telegraph", "Guardian", "Times", "Independent", "Sunday Telegraph", and "Sunday Times" reviews under "Love It" and "Observer" review under "Pretty Good". "The Guardian" reported an average rating of 9 out of 10 for the book based on reviews from multiple British newspapers. On "BookBrowse", based on American press, the book received a from "Critics' Consensus" and for the media reviews on a rating scale out of five: "Kirkus Reviews" and "School Library Journal" reviews under five and "Publishers Weekly" review under four.
Gregory Maguire wrote a review in "The New York Times" for "Prisoner of Azkaban": in it he said, "So far, in terms of plot, the books do nothing new, but they do it brilliantly...so far, so good." In a newspaper review in "The New York Times", it was said that "'The Prisoner of Azkaban' may be the best 'Harry Potter' book yet". A reviewer for KidsReads said, "This crisply-paced fantasy will leave you hungry for the four additional Harry books that J.K. Rowling is working on. Harry's third year is a charm. Don't miss it." "Kirkus Reviews" did not give a starred review but said, "a properly pulse-pounding climax...The main characters and the continuing story both come along so smartly...that the book seems shorter than its page count: have readers clear their calendars if they are fans, or get out of the way if they are not." Martha V. Parravano also gave a positive review for "The Horn Book Magazine", calling it "quite a good book." In addition, a "Publishers Weekly" review said, "Rowling's wit never flags, whether constructing the workings of the wizard world...or tossing off quick jokes...The Potter spell is holding strong".
However, Anthony Holden, who was one of the judges against "Prisoner of Azkaban" for the Whitbread Award, was negative about the book, saying that the characters are "all black-and-white", and the "story-lines are predictable, the suspense minimal, the sentimentality cloying every page".
In 2012 it was ranked number 12 on a list of the top 100 children's novels published by "School Library Journal".
Awards.
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" won several awards, including the 1999 Booklist Editors' Choice Award, the 1999 Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers, the 1999 FCBG Children's Book Award, the 1999 Whitbread Book of the Year for children's books, and the 2000 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel. It was also nominated for the 2000 Hugo Award for Best Novel, the first in the series nominated, but lost to "A Deepness in the Sky". "Prisoner of Azkaban" additionally won the 2004 Indian Paintbrush Book Award and the 2004 Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award. Additionally, it was named an American Library Association Notable Children's Book in 2000 as well as one of their Best Books for Young Adults. As with the previous two books in the series, "Prisoner of Azkaban" won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Gold Medal for children aged 9–11 and made the top of the New York Times Best Seller list. In both cases, it was the last in the series to do so. However, in the latter case, a Children's Best Sellers list was created just before the release of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" in July 2000 in order to free up more room on the original list. In 2003, the novel was listed at number 24 on the BBC's survey The Big Read.
Sales.
"Prisoner of Azkaban" sold more than 68,000 copies in the UK within three days of publication, which made it the fastest selling British book of the time. The sales total by 2012 is said by "The Guardian" to be 3,377,906.
Editions.
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" was issued, prior to publication, in two distinct UK proof editions, and one US "Advance Reader's Edition". The first UK proof, in purple wrappers, differs from the second in a number of respects, and is thought to have been printed in a small edition of 50 copies. The second UK proof is in green wrappers and was printed in a somewhat larger run. The US Advance Reader's Edition is the last of its kind in the Harry Potter series, as no Advance Reader's Editions are known for books 4 through 7. The rear wrapper of the Advance Reader's Edition reveals the circumstances of the US publication of the book:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />Due to the unprecedented demand for this book, we have moved the publication date up a full year. (We understand, we couldn’t wait to read it either!). Accordingly, we have rushed to bring this Advance Reader’s Edition to you as quickly as possible.
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" was released in hardcover in the UK on 8 July 1999 and in the US on 8 September. The UK edition was released at the unusually precise time of 3.45pm, so as to avoid children skipping school in order to purchase the book. The first state of the hardback edition features an error on p. 7, with an unintended carriage return in a block quote. Two further issues were released, both fixing the error. Across all three states, 5,150 were printed by Clays Ltd.
The British paperback edition was released on 1 April 2000, while the US paperback was released 1 October 2001.
Bloomsbury additionally released an adult edition with a different cover design to the original, in paperback on 10 July 2004 and in hardcover in October 2004. A hardcover special edition, featuring a green border and signature, was released on 8 July 1999. In May 2004, Bloomsbury released a Celebratory Edition, with a blue and purple border. On 1 November 2010, they released the 10th anniversary Signature edition illustrated by Clare Mellinsky and in July 2013 a new adult cover illustrated by Andrew Davidson, both these editions were designed by Webb & Webb Design Limited.
Beginning on 27 August 2013, Scholastic will release new covers for the paperback editions of "Harry Potter" in the United States to celebrate 15 years of the series. The covers were designed by the author and illustrator Kazu Kibuishi.
An illustrated version of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" was released on 3 October 2017, and was illustrated by Jim Kay, who illustrated the previous two instalments. This includes over 115 new illustrations and will be followed by Illustrated editions of the following 4 novels in the future. Jim Kay announced on 6 October 2022 that he would not be illustrating the final two Harry Potter books and that his last work, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", would be released on 11 October 2022.
Adaptations.
Film.
The film version of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" was released in 2004 and was directed by Alfonso Cuarón from a screenplay by Steve Kloves. The film débuted at number one at the box office and held that position for two weeks. It made a total of $796.7 million worldwide, which made it the second highest-grossing film of 2004 behind "Shrek 2". However, among all eight entries in the "Harry Potter" franchise, "Prisoner of Azkaban" grossed the lowest; yet among critics and fans, the film is often cited as the best in the franchise – in large part due to Cuarón's stylistic influence. The film ranks at number 471 in "Empire" magazine's 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.
Video games.
Three unique video games by different developers were released in 2004 by Electronic Arts, loosely based on the book:
References.
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
2004 action-adventure video game
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a 2004 action-adventure game. The game is based on the 2004 film of the same name from the Harry Potter franchise. The game was developed by KnowWonder, Griptonite Games, and EA UK each for different consoles and was published by Electronic Arts under the EA Games label. The game was released as a trio, with separate versions for Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows, and home consoles (released on PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube). The game received mixed reviews by critics.
Plot.
The games follows Harry Potter (voiced by Tom Attenborough and Harry Robinson) along with Ron Weasley (voiced by Gregg Chillin) and Hermione Granger (voiced by Harper Marshall) as they return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Prisoner Sirius Black has escaped the wizard prison Azkaban, and is supposedly ready to attack Harry in Hogwarts. The game begins on the Hogwarts Express, ignoring the events at Harry's home. Upon reaching Hogwarts, the trio follow the events of the novel, and learn magic by attending classes.
The spells that can be learned include "carpe retractum", a spell that allows an object to be pulled towards the caster, or the caster be pulled towards the object; "Steleus", a spell that causes sneezing and "expecto patronum", a spell to defend against dementors. Using their skills, the trio, along with Remus Lupin (Jamie Glover) investigate Black. Finding that Black is innocent of all crimes, and looking out for Harry, the team defend Black from a horde of dementors, allowing him to escape.
Gameplay and versions.
Similar to in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, different versions of this game were produced for the different platforms. The game was released for PC by "KnowWonder", whereas home consoles (PlayStation 2 (PS2), Xbox and GameCube) by Electronic Arts UK (EA), and a handheld version by "Griptonite Games" for the Game Boy Advance (GBA). However, all games were published by EA and Warner Bros. The game also differed between platforms; whilst the console release was a traditional 3D over the shoulder perspective, featuring boss fights and detective sections, the PC version featured similar puzzle solving missions as those in earlier versions. The Game Boy Advance release played as a traditional Role playing game, similar to games like Dragon Quest. The PlayStation 2 version features mini-games compatible with the EyeToy. In addition to playing as the titular character Harry, the game also allows the player to control Hermione and Ron, as well as fly "Buckbeak", and control Harry's pet owl, "Hedwig".
Reception.
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" received "mixed or average" reviews, according to video game review aggregator website Metacritic. "GameSpot" were positive about the game, scoring 7/10 or above across releases, with a high of 7.5 out of 10 for the GBA version. "Frank Provo" of GameSpot was very positive about the GBA game's recreation of the novel; saying "The main thing to keep in mind is that Prisoner of Azkaban on the GBA offers a fun way for Harry Potter fans to step into the shoes of their favorite wizard-in-training and experience firsthand everything that happened in the third installment of the series." "GameZone" also reviewed the Game Boy Advance version, calling it "a really fun romp in Harry's world! Fans should be well-pleased." "IGN" commented on the game not forcing "random battes" from similar RPGs as a positive, but saying that it wasn't "enough to make Prisoner of Azkaban a successful RPG. It's got a solid storyline based on the book and film, and dozens of quests that branch outwards from situations from the film ... but the experience is hindered slightly, simply by sloppy implementation of standard gaming elements."
Matt Casamassina of IGN reviewed the PS2 version of the game. He gave the game a 6.2 rating out of 10, saying "In some cases, it's prettier than any other "Boy Wizard" game. In some cases, it's smarter. As a long-time Potter fan who has read all of the books and watched every movie, I've always been particularly interested in this chapter of the franchise. And this game does deliver a good amount of compelling story and play. I especially enjoyed the multi-character-based puzzles and the new spells that Harry, Ron and Hermione can cast, all of them useful for different reasons." However, Casamassina also called the game "Sloppy", and criticised the somewhat unpredictable framerate, before concluding "Potter fans who can deal with the drawbacks will find an entertaining experience hiding. But everyone else should steer clear of this game."
Brad Shoemaker of "GameSpot" reviewed the PC version, but called it "easy" before saying "One, any player of even marginal skill will finish the game in five to six hours, and two, its puzzles and combat are both remarkably easy. Those facts make Prisoner of Azkaban a great game for younger kids, and it's a lot of fun for less-discriminating older fans of Harry Potter too. The game may be short and easy, but it's also thoughtfully designed and genuinely entertaining, and KnowWonder deserves credit for that." Tim Wapshott of "The Times" gave the game a score of four stars out of five and stated, "The game remains faithful to the spirit of the book, but it is perhaps a little too linear and predictable. Some scenes do not look quite right – the scale of the characters against the width of the Hogwarts Express clearly do not tally. But these minor disappointments are quickly outweighed by stunning visuals in the later levels. While older teenagers may snub this Harry Potter outing, there's still good mileage in the bespectacled chappie for younger players."
During the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" for "Computer Family Game of the Year", which was ultimately awarded to "Zoo Tycoon 2".
In the United States, the game sold 1.03 million units by 2006.
References.
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Prisoner of Azkaban (disambiguation)
Prisoner of Azkaban generally refers to the novel "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" by J. K. Rowling.
Prisoner of Azkaban may also refer to:
Topics referred to by the same term
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 This page lists associated with the title .

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (soundtrack)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the film score for the 2004 film of the same name, the third and final score in the series to be composed and conducted by John Williams. The soundtrack was performed at Abbey Road Studios in London with various freelance musicians, with the London Voices and the London Oratory School Schola providing vocal performances. The score was orchestrated by Conrad Pope and Eddie Karam. The soundtrack is a significant departure from the previous two, since the director, Alfonso Cuarón, wanted the music to take a different approach. It introduced three major themes: "Window to the Past", "Double Trouble", and "Buckbeak's Flight". Other repeating new motifs were composed for the Time-Turner, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black's hunt for Harry. It was released on 25 May 2004 and charted at No. 68 on the "Billboard" 200 and also charted at No. 3 on the Top Soundtracks Chart.
The album was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score, the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, and the World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Score of the Year. In 2018, the soundtrack was released by La-La-Land Records as a 2-Disc CD set encompassing the complete score of the film as part of a limited-edition box set featuring the scores for the first three Harry Potter films.
Track details.
Lumos! (Hedwig's Theme).
This is the final movie in the Harry Potter series to use Hedwig's Theme in its original, gradually building form during the opening (until the credits of Deathly Hallows Part 2). This version includes a slightly more ominous celesta melody, and retains the woodwind melody, but features a short harp motif at the end.
"Double Trouble".
"Double Trouble" was composed by John Williams during the film's production since he felt it to be a warm welcome back to Hogwarts. The song was sung by the London Oratory School Schola, and its lyrics are taken directly from William Shakespeare's "Macbeth", in which they are spoken by three witches.
"Forward to Time Past".
"Forward to Time Past" is heard when Hermione and Harry use the Time-Turner to go back in time. During the whole piece a ticking sound is heard, indicating that time is running out. Loads of flourishing strings overlap the four-note motif that the brass repeats rhythmically, and lastly, the little bursts of woodwind throughout enforce the sensation of movement.
"The Dementors Converge".
"The Dementors Converge" is heard when Harry is attempting to save Sirius Black from the Dementors. The piece mainly consists of discordant wavering strings at the beginning, but as it progresses, Williams weaves punctuating piccolos and long notes of brass that gradually build up the menacing tension. This rises to a climax where thunderous clusters of timpani and hair-raising choir are introduced only to die back down, followed by an atmospheric flutter from the harp. The strings then lead into another extremity that uses bits and pieces from Williams' "The Patronus Light", interjected by harsh grating brass. The music appears to die off again instantly; however, the familiar sound of lush strings and celesta (so prominent in Williams' earlier scores for these films) subdue the tension afore.
Responses and ratings.
The album was well received among film music critics. Archie Watt of MovieCues highly praised the score, calling it "One of the best albums of 2004, and well worth a listen by any film music or John Williams fan."
References.
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Outline of Harry Potter
"Harry Potter" is a series of fantasy novels by J. K. Rowling.
"Harry Potter" related topics include:
The original books.
The "Harry Potter" books are 7 novels about a boy who learns he is a famous wizard:
Films.
As of 2022[ [update]], there are eleven motion picture adaptions based on the world, characters and books created by J. K. Rowling. There are eight motion picture adaptations of the Harry Potter novels by J. K. Rowling; the final novel is split into two cinematic parts. While the remaining motion picture adaptions are inspired by both the companion book "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" as well has original content developed by JK Rowling. Seven of the eight screenplays were written by Steve Kloves. The fifth was penned by Michael Goldenberg. All three "Fantastic Beasts" films were written by JK Rowling. David Heyman has produced the franchise, which has seen four different directors. All eleven films are distributed by Warner Bros. In 2016, a spin-off of and prequel to the "Harry Potter" film series titled "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" was released. A sequel to "Fantastic Beasts" entitled ' was released in 2018. In April 2022 the third part ' was released. Two more instalments of the "Fantastic Beasts" series are tentatively planned for release.
Video games.
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* "The Philosopher's Stone"
* "The Chamber of Secrets"
* "
* "The Prisoner of Azkaban"
* "The Goblet of Fire"
* "The Order of the Phoenix"
* "The Half-Blood Prince"
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* "The Deathly Hallows – Part 1"
* "The Deathly Hallows – Part 2"
* "Book of Spells"
* "Book of Potions"
* "Lego Dimensions"
* "
* "Hogwarts Legacy"
Universe details.
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* Harry Potter
* Ron Weasley
* Hermione Granger
* Lord Voldemort
* Albus Dumbledore
* Severus Snape
*Ginny Weasley
*Draco Malfoy
*Neville Longbottom
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*Luna Lovegood
*Minerva McGonagall
*Rubeus Hagrid
*Fred and George Weasley
*Sirius Black
*Remus Lupin
*Bellatrix Lestrange
*Cedric Diggory
*Dolores Umbridge

Harry Potter (film series)
Fantasy film series
Harry Potter is a film series based on the "Harry Potter" series of novels by J. K. Rowling. The series was produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and consists of eight fantasy films, beginning with "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (2001) and culminating with "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2" (2011). A spin-off prequel series started with "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" (2016), marking the beginning of the Wizarding World shared media franchise.
The series was mainly produced by David Heyman, and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson as the three leading characters: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Four directors worked on the series: Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, and David Yates. Michael Goldenberg wrote the screenplay for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (2007), while the remaining films' screenplays were written by Steve Kloves. Production took place over ten years, with the main story arc following Harry's quest to overcome his arch-enemy Lord Voldemort.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", the seventh and final novel in the series, was adapted into two feature-length parts. "Part 1" was released in November 2010, and "Part 2" was released in July 2011.
"Deathly Hallows – Part 2" is among the 50 highest-grossing films of all time—at 18th-highest, grossing over $1 billion. It is the fourth-highest-grossing film series, with $7.7 billion in worldwide receipts.
Origins.
In late 1997, film producer David Heyman's London offices received a copy of the first book in what would become Rowling's series of seven "Harry Potter" novels. The book, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", was relegated to a low-priority bookshelf, where it was discovered by a secretary who read it and gave it to Heyman with a positive review. Consequently, Heyman, who had originally disliked "the rubbish title", read the book himself. Highly impressed by Rowling's work, he began the process that led to one of the most successful cinematic franchises of all time.
Heyman's enthusiasm led to Rowling's 1999 sale of the film rights for the first four "Harry Potter" books to Warner Bros. for a reported £1 million (US$2,000,000). A demand Rowling made was that the principal cast be kept strictly British and Irish wherever possible, such as Richard Harris as Dumbledore, allowing nonetheless for casting of French and Eastern European actors in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" where characters from the book are specified as such. Rowling was hesitant to sell the rights because she "didn't want to give them control over the rest of the story" by selling the rights to the characters, which would have enabled Warner Bros. to make non-author-written sequels.
Although Steven Spielberg initially negotiated to direct the first film, he declined the offer. Spielberg contended that, in his opinion, there was every expectation of profit in making the film. He claims that making money would have been like "shooting ducks in a barrel. It's just a slam dunk. It's just like withdrawing a billion dollars and putting it into your personal bank accounts. There's no challenge." In the "Rubbish Bin" section of her website, Rowling maintains that she had no role in choosing directors for the films, writing "Anyone who thinks I could (or would) have 'veto-ed' him [Spielberg] needs their Quick-Quotes Quill serviced."
After Spielberg left, conversations began with other directors, including Chris Columbus, Jonathan Demme, Terry Gilliam, Mike Newell, Alan Parker, Wolfgang Petersen, Rob Reiner, Tim Robbins, Brad Silberling, and Peter Weir. Petersen and Reiner both pulled out of the running in March 2000. It was then narrowed down to Columbus, Gilliam, Parker, and Silberling. Rowling's first choice was Gilliam. However, on 28 March 2000, Columbus was appointed as director of the film, with Warner Bros. citing his work on other family films such as "Home Alone" and "Mrs. Doubtfire" as influences for their decision.
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />"Harry Potter" is the kind of timeless literary achievement that comes around once in a lifetime. Since the books have generated such a passionate following across the world, it was important to us to find a director that has an affinity for both children and magic. I can't think of anyone more ideally suited for this job than Chris [Columbus].
Steve Kloves was selected to write the screenplay for the first film. He described adapting the book as "tough" since it did not "lend itself to adaptation as well as the next two books". Kloves was sent a "raft" of synopses of books proposed as film adaptations, with "Harry Potter" being the only one that jumped out at him. He went out and bought the book, becoming an instant fan. When speaking to Warner Bros. he stated that the film had to be British and true to the characters. David Heyman was confirmed to produce the film. Rowling received a large amount of creative control for the film, an arrangement that Columbus did not mind.
Warner Bros. had initially planned to release the first film over the 4 July 2001 weekend, making for such a short production window that several of the originally proposed directors had withdrawn themselves from contention. Eventually, due to time constraints, the date was put back to 16 November 2001.
Casting the roles of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
In 2000, after a seven-month search, lead actor Daniel Radcliffe was discovered by producer David Heyman and writer Steve Kloves seated just behind them in a theatre. In Heyman's own words, "There sitting behind me was this boy with these big blue eyes. It was Dan Radcliffe. I remember my first impressions: He was curious and funny and so energetic. There was real generosity too, and sweetness. But at the same time he was really voracious and with hunger for knowledge of whatever kind."
Radcliffe had already established himself as an actor in the 1999 BBC television production of "David Copperfield" in which he played the title role's childhood years. Heyman persuaded Radcliffe's parents to allow him to audition for the part of Harry Potter, which involved Radcliffe being filmed. Rowling was enthusiastic after viewing Radcliffe's filmed test, saying she didn't think there was a better choice for the part of Harry Potter.
Also in 2000, the then-unknown British actors Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were selected from thousands of auditioning children to play the roles of Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, respectively. Their only previous acting experience was in school plays. Grint was eleven years old and Watson ten at the time they were cast.
"Los Angeles Times" writer Geoff Boucher, who conducted the above-mentioned interview with Heyman, added that the casting of the three major roles "is especially impressive in hindsight. The trio's selection was arguably one of the best show-business decisions over the past decade ... they have shown admirable grace and steadiness in the face of teen superstardom."
Production.
Filming for the series began at Leavesden Studios, Hertfordshire, England, in September 2000 and ended in December 2010, with post-production on the final film lasting until summer 2011. Leavesden Studios was the main base for filming "Harry Potter", and it opened to the public as a studio tour in 2012 (renamed as Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden).
David Heyman produced all the films in the series with his production company Heyday Films, while David Barron joined the series as an executive producer on "Chamber of Secrets" and "Goblet of Fire". Barron was later appointed producer on the last four films. Chris Columbus was an executive producer on the first two films alongside Mark Radcliffe and Michael Barnathan, but he became a producer on the third film alongside Heyman and Radcliffe. Other executive producers include Tanya Seghatchian and Lionel Wigram. J. K. Rowling, author of the series, was asked to become a producer on "Goblet of Fire" but declined. She subsequently accepted the role on the two-part "Deathly Hallows".
Heyday Films and Columbus' company 1492 Pictures collaborated with Duncan Henderson Productions in 2001, Miracle Productions in 2002, and P of A Productions in 2004. Even though "Prisoner of Azkaban" was the final film produced by 1492 Pictures, Heyday Films continued with the franchise and collaborated with Patalex IV Productions in 2005. The sixth film in the series, "Half-Blood Prince", was the most expensive film to produce as of 2009[ [update]].
Warner Bros. adapted the seventh and final novel in the series, "Deathly Hallows", into two cinematic parts. The two parts were filmed back-to-back from early 2009 to summer 2010, with the completion of reshoots taking place on 21 December 2010; this marked the end of filming "Harry Potter". Heyman stated that "Deathly Hallows" was "shot as one film" but released in two feature-length parts.
Tim Burke, the visual effects supervisor of the series, said of the production on "Harry Potter", "It was this huge family; I think there were over 700 people working at Leavesden, an industry in itself." David Heyman said, "When the first film opened, no way did I think we'd make eight films. That didn't seem feasible until after we'd done the fourth." Nisha Parti, the production consultant on the first film, said that Heyman "made the first film very much the way he felt the studio Warner Bros. wanted to make it". After the film's success, Heyman was given "more freedom".
One of the aims of the filmmakers from the beginning of production was to develop the maturity of the films. Chris Columbus stated, "We realised that these movies would get progressively darker. Again, we didn't know "how" dark but we realised that as the kids get older, the movies get a little edgier and darker." This transpired with the succeeding three directors who would work on the series in the following years, with the films beginning to deal with issues such as death, betrayal, prejudice, and political corruption as the series developed narratively and thematically.
Directors.
After Chris Columbus had finished working on "Philosopher's Stone", he was hired to direct "Chamber of Secrets". The production started within a week after the release of the first film. Columbus was set to direct all entries in the series, but he did not want to return for "Prisoner of Azkaban", claiming he was "burned out". He moved to the position of producer, while Alfonso Cuarón was approached for the role of director. He was initially nervous about directing the instalment since he had not read any of the books or seen the films. After reading the series, he changed his mind and signed on to direct since he had immediately connected to the story.
Because Cuarón decided not to direct the fourth instalment, "Goblet of Fire", a new director had to be selected. Mike Newell was chosen to direct the film, but he declined to do so for the next film, "Order of the Phoenix", which was given to David Yates, who also directed "Half-Blood Prince" and both parts of "Deathly Hallows", becoming the only director to helm more than one film since Columbus.
Columbus said his vision for the first two films was of a "golden storybook, an old-fashioned look", while Cuarón changed the visual tone of the series, desaturated the colour palette, and expanded the landscape around Hogwarts. Newell decided to direct the fourth film as a "paranoid thriller", while Yates wanted to "bring a sense of jeopardy and character to the world". Cuarón, Newell, and Yates have said that their challenge was striking a balance between making the films according to their individual vision, while working within a cinematic world already established by Columbus.
Heyman commented on the "generosity of the directors" by revealing that "Chris spent time with Alfonso, Alfonso spent time with Mike and Mike spent time with David, showing him an early cut of the film, talking through what it means to be a director and how they went about [making the films]." He also said, "I suppose Chris Columbus was the most conservative choice from the studio's point of view. But he expressed real passion." Producer Tanya Seghatchian said they were "more adventurous" in choosing a director for the third film and went straight to Cuarón. Newell became the first British director of the series when he was chosen for the fourth film; Newell was considered to direct the first film before he dropped out. Yates directed the final films after Heyman thought him capable of handling the edgy, emotional, and political material of the later novels.
All the directors have been supportive of each other. Columbus praised the character development in the films, while Cuarón admired the "quiet poetry" of Yates' films. Mike Newell noted that each director had a different heroism, and Yates views the first four films "respectfully and enjoy[s] them". Radcliffe said Yates "took the charm of the films that Chris made and the visual flair of everything that Alfonso did and the thoroughly British, bombastic nature of the film directed by Mike Newell" and added "his own sense" of realism.
Scripts.
Steve Kloves wrote the screenplays for all but the fifth film, which was penned by Michael Goldenberg. Kloves had direct assistance from J.K. Rowling, though she allowed him what he described as "tremendous elbow room". Rowling asked Kloves to remain faithful to the spirit of the books; thus, the plot and tone of each film and its corresponding book are virtually the same, albeit with some changes and omissions for purposes of cinematic style, time, and budget constraints. Goldenberg also received input from Rowling during his adaptation of the fifth novel; Goldenberg was originally considered to adapt the first novel before the studio chose Kloves.
In a 2010 interview, Heyman briefly explained the book-to-film transition. He commented on Rowling's involvement in the series, stating that she understood that "books and films are different" and was "the best support" a producer could have. Rowling had overall approval on the scripts, which were viewed and discussed by the director and the producers. Heyman also said that Kloves was the "key voice" in the process of adapting the novels and that certain aspects from the books needed to have been excluded from the scripts due to the filmmakers' decision to keep the main focus on Harry's journey as a character, which would ultimately give the films a defined structure. Heyman mentioned that some fans "don't necessarily understand the adaptation process" and that the filmmakers would have loved to "have everything" from the books in the films but noted that it was not possible since they had "neither time nor cinematic structure" to do so. He finished by saying that adapting a novel to the screen is "a really considered process".
Because the films were being made as the novels were being published, the filmmakers had no idea of the story's outcome until the release of the final novel in 2007. Kloves spoke of his relationship with Rowling when adapting the novels by saying, "The thing is about Jo, which is remarkable for someone who had no experience with the filmmaking process, was her intuition. We had a conversation the very first day I met her where she said, 'I know the movies can't be the books ... because I know