Release Order Recommended
0 / 11 watchedThe order the films came out in theaters, Harry Potter first and the Fantastic Beasts prequels after. This is how the studio paced the reveals and the recommended first watch.
Harry Potter
Fantastic Beasts
Chronological Order
0 / 11 watchedStory order by the year each film is set in. The three prequels run decades before Harry's first year, so they open the list.
Fantastic Beasts
Harry Potter
About Wizarding World
The Wizarding World splits into two connected film series. The eight Harry Potter movies ran from 2001 to 2011 and cover Harry's seven school years. The three Fantastic Beasts films (2016, 2018, 2022) are prequels written by J.K. Rowling, set in the 1920s and 1930s and following magizoologist Newt Scamander as Dumbledore faces Grindelwald.
That leaves one real decision, where the prequels go. Release order treats Fantastic Beasts as a look back after you know the world, which is how everyone saw them. Chronological order puts all three first, but front-loads decades of setup before Harry appears. A separate HBO series retells the books with a new cast from December 25, 2026, and belongs to neither order.
Good to know
Fantastic Beasts was planned as five films. Only three exist, and The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) is the most recent Wizarding World film of any kind. Warner Bros. has reported nothing in active film development since November 2022, so treat a fourth as shelved rather than coming. Release order is the better first watch: the prequels lean on Dumbledore's history in ways that land after you have met him at Hogwarts.
