The HARRY POTTER Films | A Complete Retrospective

THIS VIDEO CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE HARRY POTTER FILM SERIES

Take a journey from 1997 to 2011, and relive the decade of Harry Potter in this complete retrospective.

From Philosopher’s Stone to Deathly Hallows - Part 2, experience how Harry Potter rose to become one of the biggest film phenomena of all time.

Witness in one complete retrospective the ten year mad-dash to bring the wizarding world to life, from the good, to the bad, and everything in between.

THE COMPLETE TIMELINE:

00:00 - 1997: The Beginning
00:01:37 - 1999: Film Rights Signed
00:02:42 - 2000: Cast and Crew Sign On
00:04:43 - 2001: Marketing for Film 1
00:06:15 - 2001: PHILOSOPHER’S STONE
00:12:20 - 2002: Marketing for Film 2
00:14:11 - 2002: CHAMBER OF SECRETS
00:22:34 - 2003: Production for Film 3
00:25:03 - 2004: Marketing for Film 3
00:25:46 - 2004: PRISONER OF AZKABAN
00:33:32 - 2004: Production for Film 4
00:34:14 - 2005: Marketing for Film 4
00:35:30 - 2005: GOBLET OF FIRE
00:42:56 - 2006: Production for Film 5
00:44:48 - 2007: Marketing for Film 5
00:46:15 - 2007: ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
00:51:08 - 2007: Reaction to Film 5
00:52:11 - 2008: Production for Film 6
00:54:23 - 2009: Marketing for Film 6
00:55:20 - 2009: HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
01:01:02 - 2009: Reaction to Film 6
01:01:35 - 2010: Marketing for Film 7
01:04:14 - 2010: DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 1
01:11:13 - 2011: Marketing for Film 8
01:13:24 - 2011: DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2
01:24:44 - 2021: Conclusion

STAR WARS RETROSPECTIVE:

[ThePrimeTheater]

Timecodes to jump around are in the description, but also you can find THE COMPLETE TIMELINE here:



00:00:00​ - 1997: The Beginning
00:01:37​ - 1999: Film Rights Signed
00:02:42​ - 2000: Cast and Crew Sign On
00:04:43​ - 2001: Marketing for Film 1
00:06:15​ - 2001: PHILOSOPHER’S STONE
00:12:20​ - 2002: Marketing for Film 2
00:14:11​ - 2002: CHAMBER OF SECRETS
00:22:34​ - 2003: Production for Film 3
00:25:03​ - 2004: Marketing for Film 3
00:25:46​ - 2004: PRISONER OF AZKABAN
00:33:32​ - 2004: Production for Film 4
00:34:14​ - 2005: Marketing for Film 4
00:35:30​ - 2005: GOBLET OF FIRE
00:42:56​ - 2006: Production for Film 5
00:44:48​ - 2007: Marketing for Film 5
00:46:15​ - 2007: ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
00:51:08​ - 2007: Reaction to Film 5
00:52:11​ - 2008: Production for Film 6
00:54:23​ - 2009: Marketing for Film 6
00:55:20​ - 2009: HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
01:01:02​ - 2009: Reaction to Film 6
01:01:35​ - 2010: Marketing for Film 7
01:04:14​ - 2010: DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 1
01:11:13​ - 2011: Marketing for Film 8
01:13:24​ - 2011: DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2
01:24:44​ - 2021: Conclusion

Enjoy the video!

[ewok]

"I didnt even realize it was Gary Oldman until years later" is what I say EVERY TIME that man's in a movie. He's so freaking good at becoming someone else.

[beepboop]

Those movies have 2 oft the best "effects" ever in any moves I ever watched:
1) The unsettling sound there is when there is a Horcrux nearby.
2) Each movie getting dark and darker until the end its almost Black and White - and then Voldemort is defeated and everything gets some color back. Its really nice

[spoonbendingspacemonkey]

My beef with the movies is how Ron was treated. His best lines were given to other characters, namely Hermione, and he's relegated to the comic relief sidekick. It makes me so mad!

[KDBetter]

One of the great things about the movies is how well they aged. The special effects look surprisingly amazing to be like 20 years old. Minus some obvious CGI here and there.

[ADpCharlie]

Am I the only one who loves Harry's characterization in the sixth film? Throughout the entire movie, you can see him struggling to keep his ego in check because of all the attention he's getting as "the chosen one" (as well as the new star boy of potions class) and how everyone treats him as a hero, especially when it was the other way around last year. Sure, it goes completely against what he's like in the book, but in a way I think it's more realistic for a teenage boy. He never goes overboard, but he has moments of being cocky, flirtatious and smug, and his confidence grows because of it. He manages to semi-manipulate Slughorn when the latter is drunk and emotionally vulnerable BECAUSE he's more secure in himself and his own ability. I just think it adds a very interesting dynamic to his character that wasn't in the book.

[candykkhorsesngp]

Ok but I never even realised until now how long the first two films are. They have NEVER felt long or like they’re hard work

[tammiesspark]

"None of this would've happened if Voldemort just had a gun" was soooo funny to me for some reason. 🤣

[MeekMallard]

Fun fact- the guy who played Lucius forgot his line at the end of the chamber of secrets but knew he had to attempt to cast a spell so he did the first spell he could think of which was the killing curse avada lasagna

[filmaticpictures]

I’m so glad someone else acknowledges how great chamber of secrets is. Probably the most faithful in tone and details to the book out of any of the movies. I understand it’s a little long and it basically is a slightly higher staked retread of the first movie, but damn if I had to choose one of the two to rewatch as a fan— it would always be chamber. The only place the first movie has any advantage is serving as a proper introduction to the world for someone new to the series.

[Nodimer]

This was good. Very well done retrospective. I also appreciate that you didn't dunk on the first two movies like so many do. "The boring ones" and so on.
You were able to appreciate our feelings when they actually came out.

[jackkilman]

I always saw the long hair in GOF as an adolescent phase the boys were going through. Not enough gets said about how effectively this series portrays the process of adolescence, from beginning to question authority, to the first awkward stirrings of romantic attraction, to maturing into adulthood and accepting adult responsibility. The story is exciting and the lore is fun, but the journey through adolescence to adulthood is the thematic heart of the whole series.

[Ludi_Lanmi]

Yeah I see nobody mention the fact that Lucius tries to murder Harry while in the school RIGHT in front of Dumbledore's office. Also cool video, enjoyed it very much :)

[lukesguywalker]

I can just imagine that an incredible amount of time and research went into making this. It was really cool to get your perspective... thanks for sharing!

[lucyairapetian]

It’s not just that she loved him. It’s that she had a choice and hence could sacrifice herself and she did. The choice is what’s rare. Usually they kill everybody. But in this case Snape asked Voldemort to spare her and he tried.

[KDBetter]

What a time to be alive 2:00 … I remember reading the first book as a class in the 4th grade. The movie came out that next school year and I was totally enthralled, reading all the books and the anticipation when Rowling was finishing the series with the 5th-7th books 🥰 some of the best childhood memories I have

[jellidrops]

This is a super underrated video, you did a great job! I love the depth you went into explaining the timeline of things because while I was invested in the movies as they came out, I was too young to understand anything going on behind the scenes. Just subscribed and can’t wait to watch your other content!

[KDBetter]

I’m so glad M Night didn’t jump on. Omg what he did to Avatar was the most blasphemous thing I’ve ever…

[TheZintastic]

We live on a timeline where Dumbledore had to be recast after the first two movies... But could you even imagine if Alan Rickman's far too early death had been even more earlier and SNAPE would have had to been recast (or worse; digitally revive *shudder*) for the final movie(s) as well?
No, you can't and you're not alone with that. Everyone can agree he was THE Snape. We got really unlucky to lose him over a decade too early, but also extremely lucky he was there on the right time for us.

[tigibucaro]

I’ll never forget seeing the 8th movie in Athens, Greece with my mom when I was 15. Halfway through the movie there was an intermission and, being an American, I thought something broke and I yelled “NOOO!!!” in the theatre. My mom just goes “it’s fine, they do that here so you can go to the bathroom and get more popcorn” 😅 so embarassing but made “Χάρι Πότερ” so much more memorable