Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Directed by

Alfonso Cuarón

Written by

Steve Kloves

Cast

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman

Genre

fantasy film, adventure film, children's film, werewolf film, time-travel film

Country

United Kingdom, United States

Runtime

2h 22m

Rated

PG

Rating

8.0 of 10 from 23,328 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

Harry returns to Hogwarts for his third year and learns about a dangerous prisoner who escaped from Azkaban. He uncovers surprising connections to his own family history.

mysteriousforebodingatmosphericadventuroussuspensefulemotionally resonantvisually dark

What happens

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. The film follows 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 films returned for Prisoner, 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 by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was the first Harry Potter film to use IMAX Technology and was released in IMAX theaters. Prisoner of Azkaban grossed a total of $808 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2004, behind Shrek 2. The film received widespread acclaim from critics, with particular praise for the cinematography and Cuarón's direction; it has been credited with shifting the tone of the franchise. 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. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
• The Butterfly Effect (2004)