FULL CAST AND CREW | TRIVIA | USER REVIEWS | IMDbPro | MORE SHARE The Best TV and Movies to Watch in

May
Harry Potter and the 7.9/10
524,750
10
You

Prisoner of
Azkaban (2004)
PG | 2h 22min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy | 4 June 2004 (USA)

Check out our editors' picks to get the

lowdown on the movies and shows we're
looking forward to this month.

Browse our picks »

0:32 | Trailer 4 VIDEOS | 478 IMAGES

Related News
Harry Potter, Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their Harry Potter Movie Streaming Guide:
third year of study, where they delve into the mystery surrounding an escaped prisoner who Where to Watch Online
poses a dangerous threat to the young wizard. 27 May 2020 | Den of Geek

Director: Alfonso Cuarón HBO Max Launches With All Eight ‘Harry
Writers: J.K. Rowling (novel), Steve Kloves (screenplay) Potter’ Movies
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint | See full cast & crew » 27 May 2020 | Variety

HBO Max Adds All Eight ‘Harry Potter’

Add to Watchlist Movies at Launch
27 May 2020 | The Wrap

Metascore Reviews Popularity

82 From metacritic.com 1,588 user | 293 critic 301 ( 13)
See all related articles »

View production, box office, & company info

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 51 nominations. See more awards »
Editorial Lists
Related lists from IMDb editors
Videos
Wizarding World of Harry
Potter Movies, Ranked
From Tragic to Magic
a list of 10 images
updated 14 Nov 2018

The Top 200 Movies as

Rated by Women on IMDb
in 2018
a list of 200 titles
updated 27 Apr 2018

See all 4 videos » 45 Young Adult Movies As

Ranked by Teen IMDb
Users
a list of 45 images
updated 02 May 2018
Photos
Our Favorite Werewolves
a list of 19 images
updated 30 Oct 2017

Top 5 Summer Movies

See all 478 photos » From Each of the Past 15
Years
a list of 75 images
updated 01 Sep 2017

Edit
Cast
Create a list »
Cast overview, first billed only: User Lists
 Daniel Radcliffe ... Harry Potter Related lists from IMDb users

Best movies of 2000s

a list of 44 titles
Richard Griffiths ... Uncle Vernon created 1 month ago

Pam Ferris ... Aunt Marge

Rewatched: 2020
a list of 24 titles
Fiona Shaw ... Aunt Petunia created 4 months ago

Harry Melling ... Dudley Dursley

2020
a list of 29 titles
Adrian Rawlins ... James Potter created 4 months ago

Geraldine Somerville ... Lily Potter

2020
a list of 23 titles
Lee Ingleby ... Stan Shunpike created 4 months ago

Lenny Henry ... Shrunken Head

Fantasy
a list of 27 titles
Jimmy Gardner ... Ernie the Bus Driver created 03 Mar 2018

Gary Oldman ... Sirius Black

See all related lists »
Jim Tavaré ... Tom the Innkeeper

Share this Rating

Robert Hardy ... Cornelius Fudge
Title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban (2004)
Abby Ford ... Young Witch Maid
7.9/10
Rupert Grint ... Ron Weasley Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site?
Use the HTML below.
See full cast » Show HTML View more styles
View production, box office, & company info

User Polls

Gary Oldman Through the Years Z Best Movies and TV to Zee

Take a look back at Gary Oldman's movie career in photos.

What if They Kept the Fake

Working Title?

The Most Fascinating

Fantasy of the 2000s

Best Movie Sequels

See more Gary »

Learn more
More Like This What To Name Your
Dragon?
Harry Potter and the
Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Adventure | Family | Fantasy
Favorite Twist Endings
10/10

An ancient prophecy seems to be

coming true when a mysterious
presence begins stalking the corridors
of a school of magic and leaving its
victims paralyzed. See more polls »

Add to Watchlist
Next » Director: Chris Columbus
 Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint…
◄ Prev 6 Next 6 ►

Edit
Storyline
Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is having a tough time with his relatives (yet again). He runs
away after using magic to inflate Uncle Vernon's (Richard Griffiths') sister Marge (Pam Ferris),
who was being offensive towards Harry's parents. Initially scared for using magic outside the
school, he is pleasantly surprised that he won't be penalized after all. However, he soon learns
that a dangerous criminal and Voldemort's trusted aide Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has
escaped from Azkaban Prison and wants to kill Harry to avenge the Dark Lord. To worsen the
conditions for Harry, vile creatures called Dementors are appointed to guard the school gates
and inexplicably happen to have the most horrible effect on him. Little does Harry know that
by the end of this year, many holes in his past (whatever he knows of it) will be filled up and
he will have a clearer vision of what the future has in store. Written by Soumitra

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords: magic | wizard | school of magic | wrongful conviction | magical map
| See All (340) »

Taglines: Everything will change. See more »

Genres: Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Mystery

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for frightening moments, creature violence and mild language | See all
certifications »
Parents Guide: View content advisory »

Edit
Did You Know?
Trivia
Sir Ian McKellen turned down the role of Dumbledore. Having appeared as Gandalf in The Lord
of the Rings, he said, "I had enough trouble living up to one legend. Two would be too much to
hope for." He also stated it would have been inappropriate to take Richard Harris' role, as the
late actor had called McKellen a "dreadful" actor. See more »

Goofs
(at around 16 mins) When Harry has opened the Monster Book of Monsters, Harry is laying on
the bed taking off his shoe while the book is hiding under the bed. As a train passes by the
building shakes and causes little piles of dirt to fall in the floor. When Harry holds his shoe over
the edge of the bed and then jumps on the book, the dirt is gone. See more »

Quotes
[first lines]
Harry: Lumos Maxima!
[five times]
See more »

Crazy Credits
Several fun variations in the Marauder's Map credits: -One set of footprints enters a room
called "Stink Bomb Store" and several pairs of footprints leave very quickly. -Dog paw-prints
and owl talon-prints move around the map. -The footprints react to the text, hopping over the
names or going around them. -The Grindylows from The Goblet of Fire are introduced on the
map with the Grindylow Lagoon. -Sirius Black's footprints go from shoes to bare feet, then turn
into dog's paw-prints. -Two pairs of footprints appear to be kissing in a secluded corner. -One
pair of footprints is chased by another. See more »

Alternate Versions
DVD includes the following deleted scenes:
A scene cut from the Knight Bus sequence in which the bus turns around several times on
the spot in the middle of the street.
An extended version of the scene where the bird flies through the courtyard, across the
bridge, and in the direction of Hagrid's hut. We see Hagrid attempt to catch the bird, but
instead it ends up being crushed by the Whomping Willow.
A scene in the Great Hall, where Ron and Hermione tell Harry about their visit to
Hogsmeade.
A scene where the Gryffindors meet Sir Cadogan.
A scene in the Gryffindor Common Room, where all the students are gathered as Ron tells
Professor McGonagall that Sirius Black had gotten into the dormitory. Professor McGonagall
then asks Sir Cadogan if he let anyone into the common room. Ron then tells Hermione that
Crookshanks ate Scabbers. Upset, Hermione sits down on the couch next to Harry, who says
that he could have killed Sirius Black.
See more »

Connections
Referenced in Studio C: Episode #3.1 (2013) See more »

Soundtracks
Double Trouble
(uncredited)
Lyrics by William Shakespeare
Conducted, Composed, and Produced by John Williams
Performed by 'The London Oratory School Schola'
See more »

User Reviews
A visual feast with bite
13 June 2004 | by madam_Q – See all my reviews

Harry Potter is growing up! The voice is deepening, the shoulders are broadening and...hurray!
You no longer feel like a creep for having a little crush on Daniel Radcliffe...whoops, did I say
that out loud? Say what you will, I see him making the jump from child star to adult actor in a
way that Haley Joel Osment only dreams of.

Appropriately, this third film in the Harry Potter series has matured along with it's young stars.
At first glance the storyline itself is relatively simple - Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban
Prison and young Harry is on his hit list. But the reality is that this movie is about being a
teenager and all the trials and tribulations that go with it. On one level, Harry is like any other
kid at school - he puts up with torment from bullies, gets into scrapes with his teachers and
hangs out with his friends. But this is not just any school. This is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft
and Wizardry, and Harry has a whole OTHER set of problems. Like an escaped madman who
may just want to kill him, for example.

The plot contains the requisite amounts of twists and turns. The focus is on Harry's past -
Sirius Black was his godfather but just may have been in league with he who's name cannot be
mentioned. There is the usual game of 'are they or aren't they?' when it comes to deciding
which characters are really the baddies. Alan Rickman continues to walk the finest of lines
between good and bad with his marvelous performance as Professor Snape. Has there ever
been a better match of actor and character? Snape shows again that, while he may take
occasional delight in making his students' lives difficult, he does have their best interests at
heart - like any good teacher. Other plot quirks worked well - I enjoyed the way the time travel
angle was worked in and the map showing the location of everyone in Hogwarts was a delight.

Visually, this is a much darker film and it is a sumptuous treat for the eyes. There is so much
incredible detail in the sets that it's impossible to absorb it all in one sitting. All the staples
from the other films are there - the paintings talk, the staircases move, ghosts roam the halls -
watch out for the knights on horseback crashing through windows! The special effects are all
top notch. A word of caution for any parents - there are some genuine scares here. The
Dementors are particularly nasty, and I would certainly think twice about letting very young
children watch this film. This is without even considering it's running time - two and a half
hours - which is a very long time to expect some children to sit still.

One of the most impressive things about this film is the way that the young cast are more sure
of themselves. As Hermione, Emma Watson grated in the first film with her occasional
woodenness. Pleasingly, she has grown into herself as an actor and her performance here is
much more mature. A leading lady of the future, perhaps? Hermione is growing up and is tired
of being taken for an irritating goody-two shoes know it all. Rupert Grint provides comic relief
and Daniel Radcliffe gives an outstanding performance, considering the whole film rests on his
shoulders. Harry is the hero - the audience needs to identify with him. By the end of this film
teenage girls will want to take him home to mother, while their mothers will just want to take
him home and adopt him!

New cast members acquit themselves well. The role of Sirius Black was tailor made for Gary
Oldman - he has a requisite creepiness with just a dose of humanity to bring the character to
life. Daniel Thewlis is good as Professor Lupin, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts master
who takes Harry under his wing. Emma Thompson is amusing as a Divinination professor with
bad eyesight. She can see into the future but can't tell which students are falling asleep in her
class!

Many have criticised Michael Gambon's performance as Dumbledore. While it's true that he is
no Richard Harris, I personally was pleased that he didn't attempt to imitate his predecessor.
Gambon is accomplished enough a performer to stay true to the character while at the same
time putting his own stamp on it.

Take away the magic and monsters, and what you have is a coming of age movie. Harry is
forced to grow up and confront both his past and his future, and come to terms with the reality
that he is no ordinary wizard. With the spectra of 'you know who' continuing to loom on the
horizon, roll on film four!

184 of 230 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No | Report this

Review this title | See all 1,588 user reviews »

Frequently Asked Questions

 Q: What is a Hippogriff?

Q: Who are the Hogwarts professors we meet in "The Prisoner of Azkaban"?

Q: What is the Marauder's Map?

See more »

Edit
Details
Official Sites: Official Facebook | Warner Bros.
Country: UK | USA
Language: English
Release Date: 4 June 2004 (USA) See more »
Also Known As: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The IMAX Experience See more »
Filming Locations: England, UK See more »

Edit
Box Office
Budget: $130,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend USA: $93,687,367, 6 June 2004
Gross USA: $249,975,996
Cumulative Worldwide Gross: $796,093,802
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits
Production Co: Warner Bros., 1492 Pictures, Heyday Films See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs
Runtime: 142 min
Sound Mix: DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS (DTS: X)
Color: Color
Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1
See full technical specs »

Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page
Edit page

Clear your history

Recently Viewed

Get the IMDb App

View Full Site Help Site Index

IMDbPro Box Office Mojo

IMDb Developer

Press Room Advertising Jobs

Conditions of Use Privacy Policy

Interest-Based Ads

© 1990-2020 by IMDb.com, Inc.