Harry Potter may be the best known book series of the 21st century, but the franchise has yielded many adaptations of the source material, to spinoff books, films, and finally plays. Only four years after the publishing of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, a movie of the same title was released in theaters in 2001. The books began a Hollywood interpretation with the first of eight movies released over 10 years. The best known adaptations are the films made from the books, helmed by four directors over the eight films. The series began with Harry Potter and Philosopher's Stone/Sorcerer's Stone and Harry and the Chamber of Secrets directed by Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire, Rent, Gremlins), changed hands for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which was helmed by Oscar-winner director Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, A Little Princess, Children of Men), changed director again for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which was directed by Mike Newell (Mona Lisa Smile, Donnie Brasco, Four Weddings and a Funeral), and brought on the final director David Yates (State of Play, Sex Traffic, Tarzan) for the final four movies Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2. Yates also helmed Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and is slated to direct the entire franchise.
The films fared extremely well, earning a cumulative total of $8,533,338,190
In addition to films, J.K. Rowling has penned and released additional books in the Harry Potter universe, including The Tales of Beedle the Bard in 2016 as well as the official textbooks of Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in 2001.
