Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
Harry Potter must navigate his third year at Hogwarts while facing the threat of a notorious escaped prisoner.
The story
During an unhappy summer with the Dursleys, Harry Potter is confronted by the news that Sirius Black, an escaped prisoner from Azkaban, is believed to be seeking him. Upon returning to Hogwarts for his third year, Harry finds the school under high alert as Dementors—ghostly guards—patrol the grounds to find the fugitive. Amidst the tension of his education and the looming threat of the escaped convict, Harry must navigate the complexities of his growing magical abilities and the mystery surrounding his past and his connection to the man who escaped.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a summer with the Dursleys, Harry Potter learns that Sirius Black, a former supporter of Voldemort, has escaped Azkaban. At Hogwarts, Dementors are deployed to guard the school. During a Quidditch match, Dementors attack Harry, and he seeks training from Professor Lupin to defend himself. Meanwhile, a hippogriff named Buckbeak is sentenced to death after being involved in an incident with Draco Malfoy. Harry, Ron, and Hermione discover that Sirius Black is actually Harry's godfather and that the real traitor is Peter Pettigrew, who has been hiding as Ron's rat. In the Shrieking Shack, they learn the truth about Pettigrew's betrayal. During a full moon, Lupin transforms into a werewolf, and Pettigrew escapes. Using a Time-Turner, Harry and Hermione travel back in time to save Buckbeak. Harry eventually realizes he used a Patronus charm to save himself and Sirius earlier. Sirius escapes on Buckeak, and Lupin's identity as a werewolf is revealed to the school.
- First release year
- 2004
- Runtime (minutes)
- 141
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Alfonso Cuarón
- Writers
- Steve Kloves · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Daniel Radcliffe · Harry Potter; Rupert Grint · Ron Weasley; Emma Watson · Hermione Granger; Robbie Coltrane · Rubeus Hagrid; Michael Gambon · Albus Dumbledore; Richard Griffiths · Vernon Dursley; Gary Oldman · Sirius Black; Alan Rickman · Severus Snape; Fiona Shaw · Petunia Dursley; Maggie Smith · Minerva McGonagall; Timothy Spall · Peter Pettigrew; David Thewlis · Professor Lupin
- Genres
- fantasy; adventure
- Themes
- identity; bravery; truth
- Tone and mood
- dark; mature
- Premise and plot tags
- fantasy; mystery; magic
- Source material / true-story basis
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
- Franchise connections
- Harry Potter
- Reception
- The film received widespread acclaim from critics, particularly for its cinematography and the director's shift toward a more mature tone.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 91% · review count: 264; Metacritic · score: 82 · scale: 100 · review count: 40
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Original Music Score · 2004 · Nominated; Academy Award · Best Visual Effects · 2004 · Nominated; Orange Film of the Year · public-voted · 2004 · Won
- Production trivia
- The film was the first in the series to extensively use real-life locations.; It was the first Harry Potter film to use IMAX Technology.; The film was the second-highest-grossing film of 2004, behind Shrek 2.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…