Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

It's Harry's third year at Hogwarts; not only does he have a new "Defense Against the Dark Arts" teacher, but there is also trouble brewing. Convicted murderer Sirius Black has escaped the Wizards' Prison and is coming after Harry.

Director:

Alfonso Cuarón

Writers:

J.K. Rowling (novel), Steve Kloves (screenplay)

Stars:

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 39 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Radcliffe	...	Harry Potter
Richard Griffiths	...	Uncle Vernon
Pam Ferris	...	Aunt Marge
Fiona Shaw	...	Aunt Petunia
Harry Melling	...	Dudley Dursley
Adrian Rawlins	...	James Potter
Geraldine Somerville	...	Lily Potter
Lee Ingleby	...	Stan Shunpike
Lenny Henry	...	Shrunken Head
Jimmy Gardner	...	Ernie the Bus Driver
Gary Oldman	...	Sirius Black
Jim Tavaré	...	Tom the Innkeeper
Robert Hardy	...	Cornelius Fudge
Abby Ford	...	Young Witch Maid
Rupert Grint	...	Ron Weasley

Storyline

Harry Potter is having a tough time with his relatives (yet again). He runs away after using magic to inflate Uncle Vernon's sister Marge 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 has escaped from the 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...

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Plot Keywords:

magic | dark | wizard | muggle | serial killer | 

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Taglines:

Cast Your Spell In IMAX

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Mystery

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 June 2004 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Harry Potter et le prisonnier d'Azkaban

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$130,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$415,248 (Finland) (6 August 2004)

Gross:

$249,358,727 (USA) (29 October 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., 1492 Pictures, Heyday Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

142 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Other directors reportedly considered for this installment of the Harry Potter series included Callie Khouri and Kenneth Branagh, star of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).

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Goofs

During the scene 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.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Harry: Lumos Maxima!
[five times]

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Crazy Credits

During the credits you can see one of the footprints change from a human footprint to an animal's (naming Sirius) footprint

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood's Top Ten: Harry Potter Scenes (2011)

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Soundtracks

Double Trouble
(uncredited)
Lyrics by William Shakespeare
Music by John Williams
Performed by 'The London Oratory School Schola'

User Reviews

The best of the Harry Potter films so far

This third Harry Potter film is the best one yet. Director Alphonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien, A Little Princess) has taken over from Chris Columbus and has stuck less slavishly to the original JK Rowling Books.

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are back as Harry, Ron and Hermoine, with Hermoine in particular getting to do a lot more. There are less Quidditch matches, and more menace, in keeping with the improved complexity of Rowling's third novel. Hogwarts is not safe, Draco Malfoy is no longer a menace, but just a pain in the ass. And the new CGI-scripted character Buckbeak the Hippogriff (half eagle, half horse) looks fantastic and has personality.The kids are all supposed to be thirteen but look older - hey we'll forgive them. Neville Longbottom has lost so much weight he's almost unrecognisable.

Great performances from Emma Thompson hamming it up as the ditsy professor of foretelling, Prof Trelawny, Michael Gambon as the new Professor Dumbledore (not as magical but good), David Thewliss as Prof Lupin, and Gary Oldman as the Prisoner of Azkhaban.Thrilling, complex, menacing, ****/***** stars.