Daniel Radcliffe Confirms Which Harry Potter Movie Is His Favorite (And It’s Not What I Would Have Guessed)

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Ever since J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels arrived, the Wizarding World has remained tied to pop culture. The eight-film franchise also helped to cement this legacy, with actors like Daniel Radcliffe growing up before our eyes. Radcliffe recently confirmed which Harry Potter movie is his favorite, and it’s not what I would have guessed.

Daniel Radcliffe has grown into a respected grown-up actor, but obviously his name is synonymous with the Harry Potter films. Like much of the cast he doesn’t re-watch the blockbusters, but his favorite movie from the bunch might take some fans off guard. As he put it,

The fifth one, which is not one that most people cite as one of their favorites. But I got to work with Gary Oldman a bunch in it. And I was sort of a little bit older at that point, so I was able to appreciate that more. But to watch, probably the last one.

What a shocker. Because while Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix isn’t necessarily a fan favorite installment of the film franchise, Daniel Radcliffe loved working on it. Namely because he got more scenes with the legendary Gary Oldman as Sirius Black.

Daniel Radcliffe’s comments come from a video he shot for Wired. Obviously his tenure as Harry Potter was part of the conversation, with Radcliffe revealing his favorite installment from the beloved film adaptations. It turns out Order of the Phoenix was his favorite to shoot, while watching The Deathly Hallows - Part 2 was a fun theatrical experience.

Gary Oldman in The Order of the Phoenix

The entire Harry Potter franchise is currently available on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix featured the title character in one of his darkest places. In both the novel and film Harry is full of angst after the resurrection of Voldemort, and it's a stark juxtaposition to the fun of The Goblet of Fire’s Triwizard Tournament. But despite this, Daniel Radcliffe seems to have really enjoyed his time on set, particularly in sequences shared with Gary Oldman.

As for his favorite movie to watch, Daniel Radcliffe listed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2. J.K. Rowling’s final novel was split into two movies to properly cover the story, and the final chapter was largely set during the Battle of Hogwarts. It’s likely for all the action and closure that Radcliffe enjoyed watching the final installment in the franchise. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if he only saw the full theatrical cut once.

The Harry Potter franchise continues to expand thanks to the Fantastic Beasts movies. Be sure to check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.