Magical Movies Like Harry Potter
December 27, 2021 | Film Chop
The Harry Potter franchise has touched the hearts of fans all over the world. Not only are the Harry Potter movies great coming-of-age stories but they also have expansive worlds that fans could enjoy for years after. The Harry Potter series is unlike most other franchises because it has rich lore and engaging characters. Each of the eight movies provides a magical adventure that maintains a consistent quality throughout. In light of the Harry Potter cast reunion airing on New Year’s Day, we have created a list of the 10 best movies like the Harry Potter franchise.
10 Best Movies Like Harry Potter
10. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
When looking for movies like Harry Potter, it doesn’t get much better than an actual spinoff from the Harry Potter film series. The Fantastic Beasts franchise is a prequel to the events with Harry Potter. The franchise is based on a fictional textbook that was required reading for first-year students at Hogwarts called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which is also the title of the first Fantastic Beasts movie. The prequel follows the adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York’s secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school. With similar in-depth lore and magical stories, the Fantastic Beasts movies are sure to please any Harry Potter fan.
Where To Watch Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them
Where To Watch Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
9. Pirates of the Caribbean Series
Similar to Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean is a franchise with many movies centering around magical adventure. The Caribbean movies are full of action, humor, and engaging characters that you’ll easily root for. The series starts off strong with The Curse of the Black pearl, which follows Jack Sparrow who teams up with Will Turner to save the governor’s daughter from pirates. The franchise may not be as consistent as Harry Potter but it’s a whole lot of fun.
Where To Watch The Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise
8. Stardust
For those who love magical adventures, Stardust is a great movie to watch. The charming magical fantasy is delightful and well-acted. Starring Charlie Cox, Henry Cavill, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Claire Danes, Stardust follows a young man who makes a promise to his beloved that he’ll retrieve a fallen star by venturing into the magical realm. The world was inspired by The Princess Bride but the magic and fantastical adventure are reminiscent of the Harry Potter franchise.
Where To Watch Stardust
7. The Hunger Games Franchise
Part of what makes the Harry Potter movies so great is that they center around a group of teens as they mature. The franchise follows a group of adolescents as they grow into wizards. Comparable to Harry Potter, The Hunger Games is a story that follows Katniss Everdeen, a teenager, as she grows into a symbol for the rebellion. The Hunger Games isn’t magical, fun, or fantastical. Rather it’s intense and at times very dark. The world that the franchise builds is an appealing dystopia that will completely immerse you.
Where To Watch The Hunger Games Movies
6. Dune
The rich lore in Harry Potter sticks with audiences more than the story or the characters. If you’re looking for more movies with lore, Dune has one of the most expansive worlds in sci-fi history. The sci-fi follows the son of a noble family who is entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy. Denis Villeneuve recently adapted Frank Herbert’s Dune novel into two films. Part one was released earlier this year and proved to be an engrossing spectacle with a star-studded cast, breathtaking visuals, and a beautiful score created by Hans Zimmer. Part two is set to be released in 2023 and is already looking to be one of the most anticipated movies of the year.
Where To Watch Dune For $24.99
5. The Chronicles of Narnia Trilogy
The Chronicles of Narnia trilogy has many similarities to Harry Potter. They take place in a magical land with witches, prophecies, and young heroes. Also, the trilogy works as a coming-of-age series, tracking the journey of 4 teenage siblings that mature into heroes. The franchise begins with The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe, which is about four kids who travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia and learn of their destiny to free it with the guidance of a mystical lion. The Narnia trilogy has the medieval adventure of Lord of the Rings and the child-like wonder of Harry Potter.
Where To Watch The Chronicles of Narnia Trilogy
4. Princess Mononoke
Lovers of magical fantasy enjoy immersing themselves into captivating new worlds. Studio Ghibli is a studio that has created many well-loved anime movies with imaginative settings. Princess Mononoke is a Studio Ghibli classic that provides a truly immersive experience that is both tragic and heartwarming. The anime is about a young man named Ashitaka, who gets caught up in the middle of a war between forest gods and a mining colony while looking for a cure for his curse. The story is complex and has a relevant message about protecting the environment.
Where To Watch Princess Mononoke
3. Spirited Away
Spirited Away is the poster child of magical anime fantasies. The Studio Ghibli anime, created by Hayao Miyazaki, actually won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2003 and is one of the most unique movies you’ll ever watch. Spirited Away centers around a 10-year-old girl who, after being discouraged by her family’s move to the suburbs, discovers an alternate reality of gods and demons that change humans into beasts. The movie is a blend of youth, love, and magic that will keep you hooked until the end.
Where To Watch Spirited Away
2. Avatar: The Last Airbender
Not a movie but Avatar: The Last Airbender is a series that has one of the most compelling worlds ever created. The world is original and completely unique with beautiful cultures and riveting characters. The series follows siblings Katara and Sokka who wake a young child from a long hibernation and learn that he’s the Avatar, the only hope to defeat the evil Fire Nation. The Avatar: The Last Airbender is a great alternative to Harry Potter with complex characters and poignant messages about war.
Where To Watch Avatar: The Last Airbender
1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of the most popular franchises of all time. With an expansive world and awe-inspiring action sequences, the fantasy franchise has enchanted audiences for over 50 years. The movies follow a meek Hobbit and eight companions who set out on a journey to destroy a ring that has the power to destroy Middle-earth. The Lord of the Rings is arguably one of the best alternatives to Harry Potter. The movies were responsible for iconic characters such as Gollum and Gandalf. And, even though the ambitious fantasy epic was created in 2001, the visual effects were incredibly detailed and have stood the test of time. All of these reasons and more puts Lord of the Rings at the top of our list.
Where To Watch Lord of the Rings
Fantasy Movies Are The Ultimate Escape
Movies can work as an escape from life and there is no better escape than a fantasy with an imaginative story. Movies like Harry Potter can transport you to another world through their intriguing mythology, enchanting characters, and captivating story. You’ll want to have a similar journey after finishing the Harry Potter film series, and these 10 films are some of the best choices for you.
Related Reading: best fantasy movies of all time
More Movies with Harry Potter Vibes: Honorable Mentions
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
C.S. Lewis’s beloved fantasy world received a faithful and visually spectacular adaptation in 2005. Like Harry Potter, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe centers on children discovering a world of magic and wonder beyond their everyday lives (in Narnia’s case, through a wardrobe rather than Platform 9¾). The film has the same quality of being both a genuine adventure story and a coming-of-age narrative about responsibility and sacrifice. Tilda Swinton is perfectly cast as the White Witch — as menacing a villain as Voldemort in her own right.
Where to Watch: Disney Plus
Eragon (2006)
The adaptation of Christopher Paolini’s novel isn’t the most polished fantasy film, but it delivers the dragon-bonding, destined-hero narrative that Harry Potter fans often crave. A young farm boy discovers a mysterious stone that hatches into a dragon and finds himself drawn into a rebellion against an evil empire. The world-building borrows liberally from Tolkien and Star Wars, but the core relationship between Eragon and his dragon Saphira captures something genuinely magical.
Where to Watch: Disney Plus, Tubi
The Golden Compass (2007)
Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is often mentioned alongside Harry Potter as essential childhood fantasy reading, and the film adaptation captures much of the first book’s imaginative scope. The concept of daemons — physical manifestations of a person’s soul in animal form — is one of fantasy literature’s most original inventions. Nicole Kidman is magnificent as the calculating Mrs. Coulter. The film’s ambiguous religious themes made it controversial, which somewhat undercut its commercial performance, but it remains a richly imagined fantasy world.
Where to Watch: HBO Max (check availability)
Coraline (2009)
Laika’s stop-motion animated adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s novella is one of the most visually inventive and genuinely creepy fantasy films of the 21st century. A young girl discovers a secret door in her new home that leads to an idealized parallel world — and gradually realizes the world is a trap. Coraline has the same quality of making the magical feel genuinely dangerous that the best Harry Potter entries achieve. The animation is painstakingly detailed, and the film holds up for adults as well as children.
Where to Watch: Netflix, Peacock
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016)
Tim Burton’s adaptation of Ransom Riggs’ bestselling novel hits many of the same beats as Harry Potter: a teenage boy discovers he has an unexpected connection to a hidden world of people with supernatural abilities, and is pulled into a conflict between the good and evil factions of that world. The “peculiar children” recall the Hogwarts ensemble, and the time-loop mechanics add a clever wrinkle that the Harry Potter universe doesn’t have. It’s darker and more surreal than the Potter films, as you’d expect from Burton.
Where to Watch: Disney Plus
Why the Fantasy School Genre Resonates
The discovery of a hidden magical world — whether Hogwarts, Narnia, or the world of the Peculiar Children — works on a deep psychological level for young audiences for a specific reason: it validates the feeling that the ordinary world is incomplete. Most children who love Harry Potter aren’t just fans of magic; they’re responding to the specific fantasy that they, too, might be more than they appear — that a letter from an owl, a wardrobe, or a peculiar ability might be waiting to reveal their true nature.
This is why the genre is so durable. The hero of almost every great fantasy story begins as an ordinary person in an ordinary world who discovers they are extraordinary. Harry is literally told he’s special; Frodo is an unlikely hero; Lyra has a destiny she doesn’t understand yet. The fantasy school story is the purest distillation of this template: the magical school is both a place of wonder and a place where the hero learns, through effort and trial, that the special quality within them is real.
Related reading: 8 Best Movies Like Star Wars | 10 Best Spielberg Movies, Ranked
Frequently Asked Questions: Movies Like Harry Potter
What movies are similar to Harry Potter?
Movies most similar to Harry Potter include: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (hidden fantasy world, child heroes), Percy Jackson and the Olympians (magical school equivalent, destined teen hero), The Golden Compass (dark alternative to Hogwarts), Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (school for gifted children hiding from villains), Coraline (dark portal to magical world), Stardust (magical world, young hero), and the Fantastic Beasts series (direct Harry Potter prequels).
Is there a movie with the same feel as Harry Potter for adults?
Adults who love Harry Potter often gravitate toward: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (BBC miniseries), The Name of the Wind (book; film in development), Labyrinth (1986, Jim Henson’s dark fairy tale), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006, Guillermo del Toro’s stunning dark fantasy), and The Prestige (2006, Christopher Nolan’s Victorian-era magician thriller). For something with the ensemble school atmosphere but adult themes, Suspiria (2018) and The Craft (1996) place young women in magical institutions with deadly consequences.
What is the best movie in the Harry Potter series?
Critical consensus and fan polls most often cite Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), directed by Alfonso Cuarón, as the best film in the series. Cuarón brought a darker, more visually inventive approach to the material that fundamentally changed the series’ visual language. The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011) is the most emotionally satisfying conclusion and scores highest on many fan rankings. Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix are also frequently cited as series highlights.
Are there any fantasy movies like Harry Potter on Netflix?
Netflix’s fantasy library includes several Harry Potter alternatives: Coraline (stop-motion dark fantasy), Klaus (origin story with magical elements), The Witcher (dark adult fantasy series), Shadow and Bone (YA fantasy series set in a magical world with a destined hero), and Enola Holmes (period mystery with a protagonist discovering hidden abilities). The Harry Potter films themselves are not currently on Netflix but are available on Max (HBO).
Where can I watch all the Harry Potter movies?
As of 2024-2025, all eight Harry Potter films are available on Max (HBO Max) in the United States. They are also available for digital rental or purchase on Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, and Google Play Movies. The Fantastic Beasts films are also on Max. Streaming availability can change — check JustWatch.com for current streaming status in your country.