''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' is a 2004
fantasy film
Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction ...
directed by
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco ( , ; born 28 November 1961) is a Mexican filmmaker. He is known for directing films in a variety of genres including the family drama ''A Little Princess'' (1995), the romantic drama ''Great Expectations'' (1998), the c ...
from a screenplay by
Steve Kloves, based on the 1999 novel
of the same name by
J. K. Rowling
Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. The ser ...
. It is the third instalment in the
''Harry Potter'' film series and the
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
to ''
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the second novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. The plot follows Harry's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, d ...
'' (2002). It stars
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (born 23 July 1989) is an English actor. He rose to fame at age twelve, when he began portraying Harry Potter in the film series of the same name; and has held various other film and theatre roles. Over his career, Rad ...
as
Harry Potter
''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at ...
, alongside
Rupert Grint
Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint (; born 24 August 1988) is an English actor. Grint rose to fame for his role as Ron Weasley in the ''Harry Potter'' film series, for which he was cast at age eleven, having previously acted only in school plays a ...
and
Emma Watson
Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson (born 15 April 1990) is an English actress and activist. Known for her roles in both blockbusters and independent films, as well as for her women's rights work, she has received a selection of accolades, includi ...
as Harry's best friends
Ron Weasley
Ronald Bilius Weasley is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' fantasy novel series. His first appearance was in the first book of the series, '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', as the best friend of Harry Pott ...
and
Hermione Granger
Hermione Jean Granger ( ) is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series. She first appears in the novel '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' (1997), as a new student on her way to Hogwarts. After Harry and ...
respectively. The film follows Harry's third year at
Hogwarts
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional Scotland, Scottish boarding school of Magic in Harry Potter, magic for students aged eleven to eighteen, and is the primary setting for the first six books in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Pot ...
and his quest to uncover the truth about his past, including the connection recently-escaped
Azkaban
J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' universe contains numerous settings for the events in her fantasy novels. These locations are categorised as a dwelling, school, shopping district, or government-affiliated locale.
Dwellings
The Burrow
The Wea ...
prisoner
Sirius Black
Sirius Black is a character in J. K. Rowling's '' Harry Potter'' series. Sirius was first mentioned briefly in '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' as a wizard who lent Rubeus Hagrid a flying motorbike shortly after Lord Voldemort ki ...
has to Harry and his late parents.
With ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'', production of the ''Harry Potter'' films switched to an eighteen-month cycle. Cuarón was selected as director from a list that included
Callie Khouri
Carolyn Ann "Callie" Khouri (born November 27, 1957) is an American film and television screenwriter, producer, and director. In 1992, she won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for the film ''Thelma & Louise' ...
and
Kenneth Branagh
Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...
. The cast of previous instalments returned for the film, with the additions of
Gary Oldman
Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three British Academy F ...
,
David Thewlis
David Wheeler (born 20 March 1963), better known as David Thewlis (), is a British actor, author, director and screenwriter.
Thewlis rose to prominence when he starred in the film ''Naked'' (1993), for which he won the Cannes Film Festival Awa ...
, and
Emma Thompson
Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation, she has received numerous accolades throughout her four-decade-long career, including two Academy Awards, two British A ...
, among others. It was the first appearance of
Michael Gambon as Professor
Albus Dumbledore
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series. For most of the series, he is the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts. As part of his backstory, it is revealed that he is ...
, due to
Richard Harris
Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Red Desert'', Frank Machin in '' This Sporting ...
'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 concluded in November 2003.
''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' was released in 2D cinemas and
IMAX formats in the United Kingdom on 31 May 2004 and in the United States on 4 June, by
Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film production and distribution company of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment (both ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). The studio is the flagship producer of ...
. It was the first ''Harry Potter'' film released into IMAX theaters. The film grossed a total of $797.5 million worldwide, making it the
second-highest-grossing film of 2004. The film received praise for Cuarón's direction and the lead actors' performances. It is credited for marking a notable change in the franchise's tone and directorial style, and is often considered by critics and fans alike to be the best ''Harry Potter'' film. The film was nominated for many awards, including the
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for
Best Original Music Score and
Best Visual Effects.
It was followed by ''
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' in 2005.
Plot
After his
second year
Second year (also known as S2 in Scotland) is the second year of schooling in secondary schools in Scotland and in the Republic of Ireland, and is roughly equivalent to Year 9 in England and Wales and Year 10 (Third Form) in Northern Ireland. M ...
at
Hogwarts
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional Scotland, Scottish boarding school of Magic in Harry Potter, magic for students aged eleven to eighteen, and is the primary setting for the first six books in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Pot ...
,
Harry Potter
''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at ...
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 causes her to inflate and float away. Expecting to be expelled for using magic outside school, Harry flees with his belongings.
The
Knight Bus
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in th ...
takes Harry to the
Leaky Cauldron, where Minister for Magic
Cornelius Fudge
The Ministry of Magic is the government of the Magical community of Britain in J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World, headed by an official entitled the Minister for Magic. The magical government in Britain is first mentioned in '' Harry Potter and ...
assures Harry that he will not be punished. Reuniting with his best friends
Ron Weasley
Ronald Bilius Weasley is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' fantasy novel series. His first appearance was in the first book of the series, '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', as the best friend of Harry Pott ...
and
Hermione Granger
Hermione Jean Granger ( ) is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series. She first appears in the novel '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' (1997), as a new student on her way to Hogwarts. After Harry and ...
, Harry learns that
Sirius Black
Sirius Black is a character in J. K. Rowling's '' Harry Potter'' series. Sirius was first mentioned briefly in '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' as a wizard who lent Rubeus Hagrid a flying motorbike shortly after Lord Voldemort ki ...
, a convicted supporter of
Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort ( , in the films) is a sobriquet for Tom Marvolo Riddle, a character and the main antagonist in J. K. Rowling's series of '' Harry Potter'' novels. The character first appeared in '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's S ...
, has escaped
Azkaban Prison and intends to kill him. During the journey to Hogwarts, the Hogwarts Express is boarded by
Dementors
Magical creatures are an aspect of the fictional Wizarding World contained in the ''Harry Potter'' series and connected media, all created by British author J. K. Rowling. Throughout the seven main books of the series, Harry and his friends e ...
, ghostly prison guards searching for Black. One enters Harry's compartment, causing him to faint, but new
Defense Against the Dark Arts
In J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series, Magic in fiction, magic is depicted as a supernatural force that can be used to override the usual Physical law, laws of nature. Many fictional Magical creatures in Harry Potter, magical creatures exi ...
teacher
Remus Lupin
Remus John Lupin is a fictional character in the ''Harry Potter'' book series written by J. K. Rowling. He first appears in ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Lupin remains in the s ...
repels it with a
Patronus Charm. At Hogwarts, Headmaster
Albus Dumbledore
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series. For most of the series, he is the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts. As part of his backstory, it is revealed that he is ...
announces that Dementors will patrol the school until Black is captured.
Rubeus Hagrid
Rubeus Hagrid () is a fictional character in the ''Harry Potter'' book series written by J. K. Rowling. He is introduced in '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' as a half-giant and half-human who is the gamekeeper and Keeper of K ...
is appointed
Care of Magical Creatures teacher, but his first class goes awry when
Draco Malfoy
Draco Lucius Malfoy is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's '' Harry Potter'' series. He is a student in Harry Potter's year belonging in the Slytherin house. He is frequently accompanied by his two cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory G ...
provokes a
Hippogriff
The hippogriff, or sometimes spelled hippogryph ( el, Ἱππόγρυπας), is a legendary creature with the front half of an eagle and the hind half of a horse.
It was invented by Ludovico Ariosto in his ''Orlando Furioso'', at the beginning o ...
named
Buckbeak into attacking him, and his father,
Lucius
Lucius ( el, Λούκιος ''Loukios''; ett, Luvcie) is a male given name derived from '' Lucius'' (abbreviated ''L.''), one of the small group of common Latin forenames ('' praenomina'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius derives from ...
, 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. During a stormy Quidditch match, Dementors cause Harry to fall off his broomstick, which is destroyed by the Whomping Willow. He is caught trying to visit
Hogsmeade
J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' universe contains numerous settings for the events in her fantasy novels. These locations are categorised as a dwelling, school, shopping district, or government-affiliated locale.
Dwellings
The Burrow
The We ...
by
Fred
Fred may refer to:
People
* Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name
Mononym
* Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French
* Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Rod ...
and
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
, who give him
The Marauder's Map
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
.
Using the map, Harry sneaks into Hogsmeade and learns that Black is his godfather, but divulged the Potters' whereabouts to Voldemort and murdered their mutual friend
Peter Pettigrew. Determined to ward off the Dementors, Harry convinces Lupin to teach him the Patronus Charm. After
Divination class, he witnesses
Professor Trelawney
The following fictional characters are staff members and denizens of Hogwarts in the ''Harry Potter'' books written by J. K. Rowling.
The staff and their positions
Teachers and staff members
The following teachers and staff members do not h ...
enter a trance and prophesise that the Dark Lord will return. Watching Buckbeak's execution, Ron's pet rat Scabbers bites him and escapes, but a large black dog drags them both 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
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...
. Snape arrives to apprehend Black, but is knocked out by Harry’s Disarming spell. Lupin and Black reveal that Scabbers is actually the Animagus form of Pettigrew, who faked his death and framed Black for his own crimes. Turning Pettigrew back into human form, the group heads back to the castle, but the full moon causes Lupin to transform and Pettigrew escapes. As Black fights off Lupin in their animal forms, Dementors attack Black and Harry, but an unseen figure casts a powerful Patronus. Harry falls unconscious, awakening in the infirmary with Dumbledore and Hermione.
Learning that Black has been captured and sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss, Harry and Hermione act on Dumbledore's advice and use Hermione’s
Time-Turner, which she was given to attend several classes at once, to go three hours back in time. They see themselves reliving the night's events, and set Buckbeak free from execution. Spotting the past Harry and Black being attacked by Dementors, Harry rescues them using a Patronus charm and realizes he was the unseen figure who saved them earlier. He and Hermione free Black, who flies away on Buckbeak, still a fugitive without proof of his innocence. Harry and Hermione return to the infirmary, rejoining their own timeline.
Exposed as a werewolf, Lupin resigns from teaching and returns the Marauder's Map to Harry. Black sends Harry a
Firebolt broomstick, which he happily takes on a ride.
Cast
*
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (born 23 July 1989) is an English actor. He rose to fame at age twelve, when he began portraying Harry Potter in the film series of the same name; and has held various other film and theatre roles. Over his career, Rad ...
as
Harry Potter
''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at ...
: A 13-year-old British
wizard famous for surviving his parents' murder at the hands of the evil dark wizard
Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort ( , in the films) is a sobriquet for Tom Marvolo Riddle, a character and the main antagonist in J. K. Rowling's series of '' Harry Potter'' novels. The character first appeared in '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's S ...
as an infant, who now enters his third year at
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional Scottish boarding school of magic for students aged eleven to eighteen, and is the primary setting for the first six books in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series and serves as a m ...
.
*
Rupert Grint
Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint (; born 24 August 1988) is an English actor. Grint rose to fame for his role as Ron Weasley in the ''Harry Potter'' film series, for which he was cast at age eleven, having previously acted only in school plays a ...
as
Ron Weasley
Ronald Bilius Weasley is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' fantasy novel series. His first appearance was in the first book of the series, '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', as the best friend of Harry Pott ...
: Harry's best friend at Hogwarts and a younger member of the Weasley wizarding family.
*
Emma Watson
Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson (born 15 April 1990) is an English actress and activist. Known for her roles in both blockbusters and independent films, as well as for her women's rights work, she has received a selection of accolades, includi ...
as
Hermione Granger
Hermione Jean Granger ( ) is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series. She first appears in the novel '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' (1997), as a new student on her way to Hogwarts. After Harry and ...
: Harry's other best friend and the trio's brains.
*
Robbie Coltrane
Anthony Robert McMillan (30 March 195014 October 2022), known professionally as Robbie Coltrane, was a Scottish actor and comedian. He gained worldwide recognition in the 2000s for playing Rubeus Hagrid in the ''Harry Potter'' film series. H ...
as
Rubeus Hagrid
Rubeus Hagrid () is a fictional character in the ''Harry Potter'' book series written by J. K. Rowling. He is introduced in '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' as a half-giant and half-human who is the gamekeeper and Keeper of K ...
: The
gamekeeper
A gamekeeper (often abbreviated to keeper), or in case of those dealing with deer (deer-)stalker, is a person who manages an area of countryside (e.g. areas of woodland, moorland, waterway or farmland) to make sure there is enough game for s ...
and new
Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts.
*
Michael Gambon as
Albus Dumbledore
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series. For most of the series, he is the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts. As part of his backstory, it is revealed that he is ...
:
The
headmaster
A head master, head instructor, bureaucrat, headmistress, head, chancellor, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school. In som ...
of Hogwarts and one of the greatest wizards of all time.
Gambon assumed the role after
Richard Harris
Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Red Desert'', Frank Machin in '' This Sporting ...
, who played Dumbledore in the previous two films, died of
Hodgkin's disease on 25 October 2002, three weeks before the second film's release.
Despite his illness, Harris was determined to film his part, telling a visiting David Heyman not to recast the role.
Four months after Harris's death, Cuarón chose Gambon as his replacement.
Gambon was unconcerned with bettering or copying Harris, giving his own interpretation instead, but putting on a slight Irish accent for the role as an homage to him.
He completed his scenes in three weeks.
The producers originally offered the role to
Christopher Lee and
Ian McKellen, but scheduling conflicts forced Lee to decline whilst McKellen turned it down as he had played a similar character
Gandalf
Gandalf is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels '' The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a wizard, one of the ''Istari'' order, and the leader of the Fellowship of the Ring. Tolkien took the name "Gandalf" from the Old Nor ...
in
''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy. He also stated it would have been inappropriate to take Harris' role, as he had called McKellen a "dreadful" actor.
Harris' family had expressed an interest in seeing Harris's close friend
Peter O'Toole being chosen as his replacement, but the producers felt that his age and health would become troublesome down the line.
*
Richard Griffiths as
Vernon Dursley
The following are supporting characters in the '' Harry Potter'' series written by J. K. Rowling. For members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, Hogwarts staff, Ministry of Magic, or for Death Eaters, see the respective articles ...
: Harry's Muggle uncle.
*
Gary Oldman
Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three British Academy F ...
as
Sirius Black
Sirius Black is a character in J. K. Rowling's '' Harry Potter'' series. Sirius was first mentioned briefly in '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' as a wizard who lent Rubeus Hagrid a flying motorbike shortly after Lord Voldemort ki ...
:
Harry's infamous godfather, who escapes from the Wizarding prison
Azkaban
J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' universe contains numerous settings for the events in her fantasy novels. These locations are categorised as a dwelling, school, shopping district, or government-affiliated locale.
Dwellings
The Burrow
The Wea ...
after serving twelve years there for being falsely accused of being the
Death Eater
The Death Eaters are characters featured in the ''Harry Potter'' series of novels and films. They are a radical group of wizards and witches, led by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who seek to purify the wizarding community by eliminating wiza ...
who betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort. Oldman accepted the part because he needed the money, as he had not taken on any major work in several years after deciding to spend more time with his children.
He was "surprised by how difficult it was to pull off", comparing the role to
Shakespearean
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
dialogue.
*
Alan Rickman
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his deep, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and became a member of the Royal Shakespe ...
as
Severus Snape
Severus Snape is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series. He is an exceptionally skilled wizard whose sarcastic, controlled exterior conceals deep emotions and anguish. A Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraf ...
: The
Potions teacher at Hogwarts and head of
Slytherin
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional Scottish boarding school of magic for students aged eleven to eighteen, and is the primary setting for the first six books in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series and serves as a majo ...
.
*
Fiona Shaw as
Petunia Dursley
The following are supporting characters in the ''Harry Potter'' series written by J. K. Rowling. For members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, Hogwarts staff, Ministry of Magic, or for Death Eaters, see the respective articles. ...
: Harry's Muggle aunt.
*
Maggie Smith as
Minerva McGonagall:
Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, the
Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts and head of
Gryffindor
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional Scottish boarding school of magic for students aged eleven to eighteen, and is the primary setting for the first six books in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series and serves as a ma ...
.
*
Timothy Spall
Timothy Leonard Spall (born 27 February 1957) is an English actor and presenter. He became a household name in the UK after appearing as Barry Spencer Taylor in the 1983 ITV comedy-drama series '' Auf Wiedersehen, Pet''.
Spall performed in '' ...
as
Peter Pettigrew: A former friend of Harry's parents said to have been killed by Sirius Black, but was later revealed to have been the real Death Eater who betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort.
*
David Thewlis
David Wheeler (born 20 March 1963), better known as David Thewlis (), is a British actor, author, director and screenwriter.
Thewlis rose to prominence when he starred in the film ''Naked'' (1993), for which he won the Cannes Film Festival Awa ...
as
Remus Lupin
Remus John Lupin is a fictional character in the ''Harry Potter'' book series written by J. K. Rowling. He first appears in ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Lupin remains in the s ...
:
The new
Defence Against the Dark Arts
In J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series, magic is depicted as a supernatural force that can be used to override the usual laws of nature. Many fictional magical creatures exist in the series, while ordinary creatures also sometimes exhib ...
teacher at Hogwarts and a
werewolf
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely ...
.
Thewlis, who had previously auditioned for the role of
Quirinus Quirrell in ''
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' is a 1997 fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. The first novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series and Rowling's debut novel, it follows Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, a youn ...
'' (2001), was Cuarón's first choice for the role of Professor Lupin. He accepted the role on advice from
Ian Hart
Ian Davies (born 8 October 1964), better known by his stage name Ian Hart, is an English actor. His most notable roles are Rabbit in the Channel Four drama miniseries '' One Summer'' (1983), Joe O'Reilly in the biopic ''Michael Collins'' (1996 ...
, who was cast as Quirrell, and had told him that Professor Lupin was "the best part in the book."
Thewlis had seen the first two films and had only read part of the first book, although he read the third after taking the role.
*
Emma Thompson
Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation, she has received numerous accolades throughout her four-decade-long career, including two Academy Awards, two British A ...
as
Sybill Trelawney: The
Divination teacher at Hogwarts.
*
Julie Walters
Dame Julia Mary Walters (born 22 February 1950), known professionally as Julie Walters, is an English actress. She is the recipient of four British Academy Television Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, two International Emmy Awards, a B ...
as
Molly Weasley: Ron's mother.
Several actors from the previous film reprise their roles in ''Prisoner of Azkaban''.
Harry Melling appears as
Dudley Dursley
The following are supporting characters in the ''Harry Potter'' series written by J. K. Rowling. For members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, Hogwarts staff, Ministry of Magic, or for Death Eaters, see the respective articles. ...
, Harry's cousin.
James and Oliver Phelps
James Andrew Eric Phelps and Oliver Martyn John Phelps (born 25 February 1986) are English actors and identical twin brothers. They are known for playing Fred and George Weasley in the ''Harry Potter'' film series from 2001 to 2011 and hav ...
play
Fred and George Weasley
Fred and George Weasley are fictional characters in the ''Harry Potter'' book series written by J. K. Rowling. The characters are the identical twin brothers of the Weasley family, making them the older brothers to Ron and Ginny and friends ...
, Ron's twin brothers;
Chris Rankin appears as
Percy Weasley
The Ministry of Magic is the government of the Magical community of Britain in J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World, headed by an official entitled the Minister for Magic. The magical government in Britain is first mentioned in ''Harry Potter and t ...
, Ron's other brother and a Hogwarts head boy;
and
Bonnie Wright portrays their sister
Ginny
Ginny or Ginnie is an English feminine given name or diminutive, frequently of Virginia.
People Virginia
*Ginny Arnell (born 1942), American singer and songwriter born Virginia Mazarro
* Ginny Blackmore (born 1986), New Zealand singer and songwrit ...
,
while
Mark Williams plays their father,
Arthur Weasley
The Order of the Phoenix is a secret organisation in the ''Harry Potter'' series of fiction books written by J. K. Rowling. Founded by Albus Dumbledore to fight Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters, the Order lends its name to th ...
.
Tom Felton
Thomas Andrew Felton (born 22 September 1987) is an English actor best known for playing Draco Malfoy in the film adaptations of the ''Harry Potter'' fantasy novels by J. K. Rowling.
Born in Surrey, Felton began appearing in commercials and ...
portrays
Draco Malfoy
Draco Lucius Malfoy is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's '' Harry Potter'' series. He is a student in Harry Potter's year belonging in the Slytherin house. He is frequently accompanied by his two cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory G ...
, Harry's rival in Slytherin,
while
Jamie Waylett and
Josh Herdman
Joshua Colin M. Herdman''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 26 March 1987) is an English actor and mixed martial artist, best known for playing Gregory Goyle in the ''Harry Potter'' film ...
appear as
Crabbe and Goyle, Draco's minions.
Matthew Lewis and
Devon Murray
Devon Michael Murray (born 28 October 1988) is an Irish actor, best known for playing Seamus Finnigan in the ''Harry Potter'' film series.
Early life and career
Devon Michael Murray was born on 28 October 1988 in County Kildare, Ireland. When h ...
play
Neville Longbottom
Neville Longbottom is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' book series. He is described as a round-faced Gryffindor student in the central character Harry Potter's year. Throughout the series, Neville is often portrayed as a ...
and
Seamus Finnigan respectively, two Gryffindor students in Harry's year.
David Bradley appears as
Argus Filch
The following fictional characters are staff members and denizens of Hogwarts in the '' Harry Potter'' books written by J. K. Rowling.
The staff and their positions
Teachers and staff members
The following teachers and staff members do not h ...
, Hogwarts' caretaker,
while
Robert Hardy
Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy (29 October 1925 – 3 August 2017) was an English actor who had a long career in theatre, film and television. He began his career as a classical actor and later earned widespread recognition for roles such as Sieg ...
portrays
Cornelius Fudge
The Ministry of Magic is the government of the Magical community of Britain in J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World, headed by an official entitled the Minister for Magic. The magical government in Britain is first mentioned in '' Harry Potter and ...
, the
Minister for Magic.
Pam Ferris
Pamela Ferris (born 11 May 1948) is a Welsh actress. She has starred in numerous British television series, including ''Connie'' (1985), '' The Darling Buds of May'' (1991–1993), '' Where the Heart Is'' (1997–2000), ''Rosemary & Thyme'' ...
portrays
Aunt Marge, Vernon's sister;
Lee Ingleby
Lee David Ingleby (born 28 January 1976) is an English film, television and stage actor.
He is best known for his roles as Detective Sergeant/Detective Inspector John Bacchus in the BBC drama '' Inspector George Gently'', as Stan Shunpike in ...
plays
Stan Shunpike, conductor of the
Knight Bus
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in th ...
;
and
Jim Tavaré appears as Tom, innkeeper of
The Leaky Cauldron, replacing
Derek Deadman
Derek Deadman (11 March 1940 – 22 November 2014) was an English character actor who appeared in numerous British films and television series for 38 years.
Family
Born in Fulham, Derek Deadman was one of the three sons of George and Edith Dead ...
from the first film.
Dawn French plays
the Fat Lady, a painting at Hogwarts,
replacing
Elizabeth Spriggs
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
from the first film.
Julie Christie
Julie Frances Christie (born 14 April 1940) is a British actress. An icon of the Swinging Sixties, Christie is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She ...
appears as
Madam Rosmerta, the barmaid at
the Three Broomsticks.
Warwick Davis
Warwick Ashley Davis (born 3 February 1970) is an English actor. He played the title character in ''Willow'' (1988) and the ''Leprechaun'' film series (1993–2003), several characters in the ''Star Wars'' film series (1983–2019), most nota ...
appears as the conductor of the Hogwarts choir. The role was offered to him by producer
David Heyman
David Jonathan Heyman (born 26 July 1961) is a British film producer and the founder of Heyday Films. Heyman secured the rights to the ''Harry Potter'' film series in 1999 and went on to produce all eight installments of the franchise. He also ...
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
''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and is the third in the '' Harry Potter'' series. The book follows Harry Potter, a young wizard, in his third year at Hogwarts School of ...
'', production of the ''Harry Potter'' films switched to an eighteen-month cycle, which producer
David Heyman
David Jonathan Heyman (born 26 July 1961) is a British film producer and the founder of Heyday Films. Heyman secured the rights to the ''Harry Potter'' film series in 1999 and went on to produce all eight installments of the franchise. He also ...
explained was "to give each
ilm Ilm or ILM may refer to:
Acronyms
* Identity Lifecycle Manager, a Microsoft Server Product
* '' I Love Money,'' a TV show on VH1
* Independent Loading Mechanism, a mounting system for CPU sockets
* Industrial Light & Magic, an American motion ...
the time it required."
Chris Columbus, the director of ''
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' is a 1997 fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. The first novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series and Rowling's debut novel, it follows Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, a youn ...
'' (2001) and ''
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the second novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. The plot follows Harry's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, d ...
'' (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
Marc Forster (born 30 November 1969) is a Swiss filmmaker. He is best known for directing the feature films '' Monster's Ball'', '' Finding Neverland'', '' Stranger than Fiction'', ''The Kite Runner'', '' Quantum of Solace'', ''World War Z'', and ...
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
Carolyn Ann "Callie" Khouri (born November 27, 1957) is an American film and television screenwriter, producer, and director. In 1992, she won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for the film ''Thelma & Louise' ...
,
Kenneth Branagh
Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...
(who played
Gilderoy Lockhart
The following fictional characters are staff members and denizens of Hogwarts in the ''Harry Potter'' books written by J. K. Rowling.
The staff and their positions
Teachers and staff members
The following teachers and staff members do not ha ...
in ''Chamber of Secrets'') and eventual selection
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco ( , ; born 28 November 1961) is a Mexican filmmaker. He is known for directing films in a variety of genres including the family drama ''A Little Princess'' (1995), the romantic drama ''Great Expectations'' (1998), the c ...
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
Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. The ser ...
, who loved his film ''
Y tu mamá también'' (2001) and was impressed with his adaptation of ''
A Little Princess
''A Little Princess'' is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, first published as a book in 1905. It is an expanded version of the short story "Sara Crewe: or, What Happened at Miss Minchin's", which was serialized in ''St. Nicholas Ma ...
'' (1995).
Heyman found that "tonally and stylistically,
uarónwas 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
A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television show. The role of the costume designer is to create the characters' outfits or costumes and balance the scenes with texture and colour, etc. The costume ...
, eventually working on all of the following instalments in the series.
For
Remus Lupin
Remus John Lupin is a fictional character in the ''Harry Potter'' book series written by J. K. Rowling. He first appears in ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Lupin remains in the s ...
, 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-dye
Tie-dye is a term used to describe a number of resist dyeing techniques and the resulting dyed products of these processes. The process of tie-dye typically consists of folding, twisting, pleating, or crumpling fabric or a garment, before binding ...
d 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
J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' universe contains numerous settings for the events in her fantasy novels. These locations are categorised as a dwelling, school, shopping district, or government-affiliated locale.
Dwellings
The Burrow
The We ...
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
In J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series, magic is depicted as a supernatural force that can be used to override the usual laws of nature. Many fictional magical creatures exist in the series, while ordinary creatures also sometimes exhib ...
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
wrapped in late 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
Glen Coe ( gd, Gleann Comhann ) is a glen of volcanic origins, in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies in the north of the county of Argyll, close to the border with the historic province of Lochaber, within the modern council area of Highland ...
, 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
:''See Glen Shiel for the much smaller Loch Shiel in Lochalsh.''
Loch Shiel ( gd, Loch Seile) is a freshwater loch situated west of Fort William in the Highland council area of Scotland. At long it is the 4th longest loch in Scotland, and ...
,
Loch Eilt
Loch Eilt is a freshwater loch in Lochaber, in the West Highlands of Scotland. It is between the villages of Glenfinnan and Lochailort, 30 km west of Fort William. The A830 road runs along the north shore, while the West Highland Line ...
and
Loch Morar
Loch Morar (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Mòrair) is a freshwater loch in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It is the fifth-largest loch by surface area in Scotland, at , and the deepest freshwater body in the British Isles with a maximum depth of . The l ...
in the Scottish Highlands.
Incidentally, the
Glenfinnan Viaduct
The Glenfinnan Viaduct is a railway viaduct on the West Highland Line in Glenfinnan, Inverness-shire, Scotland, built from 1897 to 1901. Located at the top of Loch Shiel in the West Scottish Highlands, the viaduct overlooks the Glenfinnan Monu ...
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
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in th ...
scene, where it weaves in between traffic, was filmed in North London's
Palmers Green
Palmers Green is a suburban area and electoral ward in North London, England, within the London Borough of Enfield. It is located within the N13 postcode district, around north of Charing Cross. It is home to the largest population of Greek Cy ...
.
Some parts were also filmed in and around
Borough Market
Borough Market is a wholesale and retail market hall in Southwark, London, England. It is one of the largest and oldest food markets in London, with a market on the site dating back to at least the 12th century. The present buildings were b ...
and
Lambeth Bridge
Lambeth Bridge is a road traffic and footbridge crossing the River Thames in an east–west direction in central London. The river flows north at the crossing point. Downstream, the next bridge is Westminster Bridge; upstream, the next bridge i ...
in London.
Director of photography
Michael Seresin
Michael Stephen Seresin, ONZM BSC, (born 17 July 1942) is a New Zealand cinematographer and film director.
In addition to his work in film, Seresin is a winemaker, having founded Seresin Estate in the Marlborough wine region in 1992.
He is the ...
considered the story much darker compared to its two predecessors, so he employed "moody
ighting with more shadows". He used a variety of
wide-angle lens
In photography and cinematography, a wide-angle lens refers to a lens whose focal length is substantially smaller than the focal length of a normal lens for a given film plane. This type of lens allows more of the scene to be included in the ...
es 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
Framestore is a British animation, visual effects company and creative studio based on Chancery Lane in London. Formed in 1986, it acquired (and subsequently merged with) the Computer Film Company in 1997. It works on feature films and telev ...
handled the key visual effects shots for the film, while
The Moving Picture Company,
Cinesite
Cinesite Studios (also known as Cinesite VFX or simply Cinesite) is an independent, multinational business which provides services to the media and entertainment industries. Its head office in London opened for business in 1994, initially offe ...
, and
Double Negative crafted additional VFX material.
Cuarón originally wanted to move away from CGI toward puppetry. He hired master puppeteer
Basil Twist
Basil Twist is a New York City-based puppeteer who is known for his underwater puppet show, "''Symphonie Fantastique''". He was named a MacArthur Fellowship recipient on September 29, 2015.
Life and work
Originally from San Francisco, Basil Twi ...
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
Steadicam is a brand of camera stabilizer mounts for motion picture cameras invented by Garrett Brown and introduced in 1975 by Cinema Products Corporation. It was designed to isolate the camera from the camera operator's movement, keeping th ...
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
Patrick Doyle (born 6 April 1953) is a Scottish film composer with Irish heritage. A longtime collaborator of actor-director Kenneth Branagh, Doyle is known for his work composing for films such as ''Henry V'', '' Sense and Sensibility'', ''Haml ...
(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
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
'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 parents and the Marauder's Map is only briefly mentioned,
as is
Remus Lupin
Remus John Lupin is a fictional character in the ''Harry Potter'' book series written by J. K. Rowling. He first appears in ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Lupin remains in the s ...
'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
Exposition (also the French for exhibition) may refer to:
*Universal exposition or World's Fair
* Expository writing
** Exposition (narrative)
* Exposition (music)
*Trade fair
A trade fair, also known as trade show, trade exhibition, or trade e ...
was removed for dramatic effect: both the Shrieking Shack and Scabbers the rat are mentioned only very briefly in the film, while they receive a more thorough coverage in the novel.
Most of
Sirius Black
Sirius Black is a character in J. K. Rowling's '' Harry Potter'' series. Sirius was first mentioned briefly in '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' as a wizard who lent Rubeus Hagrid a flying motorbike shortly after Lord Voldemort ki ...
's back story is also cut, with no mention of how he escaped from
Azkaban
J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' universe contains numerous settings for the events in her fantasy novels. These locations are categorised as a dwelling, school, shopping district, or government-affiliated locale.
Dwellings
The Burrow
The Wea ...
.
On account of pace and time considerations, the film glosses over detailed descriptions of magical education. Only one Hippogriff, Buckbeak, is seen, and only Malfoy and Harry are seen interacting with the Hippogriff during
Care of Magical Creatures lessons,
and 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
Lord Voldemort ( , in the films) is a sobriquet for Tom Marvolo Riddle, a character and the main antagonist in J. K. Rowling's series of '' Harry Potter'' novels. The character first appeared in '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's S ...
.
Many of this scene's lines are redistributed amongst
Cornelius Fudge
The Ministry of Magic is the government of the Magical community of Britain in J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World, headed by an official entitled the Minister for Magic. The magical government in Britain is first mentioned in '' Harry Potter and ...
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'' 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's "too stunned to move".
Distribution
Marketing
As with the series' previous instalments, ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' was a large merchandising opportunity.
The
video game version, designed by
EA UK
EA Bright Light (formerly known as EA UK) was a British video game developer founded in 1995 by Electronic Arts. The studio was primarily known for its work on licensed franchises such as the video game adaptation of the ''Harry Potter'' series. ...
, was released on 25 May 2004.
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
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
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
and on
VHS on 23 November 2004.
The 2-disc Special Editions later came out on DVD and
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
on 4 October 2016.
The film was also released on
Ultra HD Blu-ray
Ultra HD Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD, UHD-BD, or 4K Blu-ray) is a digital optical disc data storage format that is an enhanced variant of Blu-ray. Ultra HD Blu-ray discs are incompatible with existing standard Blu-ray players, though a traditional Bl ...
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
Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to:
Religion and spirituality
* Vision (spirituality)
* Apparitional experience
* Ghost
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and writ ...
'' 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 at 3,855theatres, achieving, at the time, the third-biggest-opening weekend of all time.
This opening also broke ''
Hulk'' 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 ''
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' topped it in 2009 with $109million.
Additionally, it surpassed ''
The Matrix Reloaded
''The Matrix Reloaded'' is a 2003 American science-fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is a sequel to '' The Matrix'' (1999) and the second installment in the ''Matrix'' film series. The film stars Keanu Reeves, Lau ...
'' for having the largest opening weekend for a
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
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 $797.7million worldwide,
which made it 2004's second-highest-grossing film worldwide behind ''
Shrek 2
''Shrek 2'' is a 2004 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig, produced by DreamWorks Animation and released by DreamWorks Pictures. The sequel to ''Shrek'' (2001) and the ...
''.
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 $547.6million compared to ''Shrek 2'' $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
The Wizarding World (previously known as J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World) is a fantasy media franchise and shared fictional universe centred on the ''Harry Potter'' novel series by J. K. Rowling. A series of films have been in production si ...
'' series (ahead of ''
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'' and ''
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'').
Critical response
On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
the film has an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . 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
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, 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
Mick is a masculine given name, usually a short form ( hypocorism) of Michael. Because of its popularity in Ireland, it is often used in England as a derogatory term for an Irish person or a person of Irish descent. In Australia the meaning broad ...
of the ''
San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The ...
'' lauded the film's more mature tone and said it was "darker, more complex, rooted in character."
''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' 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
Peter Joseph Travers (born ) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film interview prog ...
of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' 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
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' praised the film as "complex, frightening,
ndnuanced."
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."
Claudia Puig from ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
'' 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
Richard E. Roeper (born October 17, 1959) is an American columnist and film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times''. He co-hosted the television series '' At the Movies'' with Roger Ebert from 2000 to 2008, serving as the late Gene Siskel's success ...
called the film "a creative triumph."
Sean Smith from ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...
'' 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
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
'' praised the film for being more mature than its predecessors.
''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' 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." Film critic
Roger Ebert praised the cast, but felt the need for a better plot. ''
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 #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
'' commended the sets and direction, but did not find it "emotionally engrossing".
gave a positive review, praising the plot and storyline, despite a deviation from the first two films.
for John Williams.
, and won public-voted Orange Film of the Year award.
nominations.
and was nominated for three others.
(for Emma Watson).
'' magazine's 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.
designated ''Prisoner of Azkaban'' as the fifth best fantasy film.
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.
in the fantasy genre.