If you want more of the Wizarding World, start with Fantastic Beasts. If you want the parts of Harry Potter that make it memorable—young heroes, friendship, strange new worlds, magical schools, or resistance to powerful enemies—these 20 films offer different routes. They are not an objective ranking: some are close fantasy matches, while others share only one ingredient.
How to choose your next Harry Potter-like movie
The best match depends on what you want to carry over. For more of the same fictional universe, choose Fantastic Beasts. For school-centered magic, try The School for Good and Evil or Upside-Down Magic. For young protagonists discovering a larger world, consider Percy Jackson or The Chronicles of Narnia. The Lord of the Rings, by contrast, is an epic quest rather than a school story.
The Harry Potter story spans eight films, while Fantastic Beasts is a separate prequel and spin-off branch of the Wizarding World. The official Harry Potter site presents both as part of that wider world. The comparison below focuses on the particular elements each film shares, not on claiming that another series duplicates the whole franchise.
20 movies to watch if you like Harry Potter
1. Fantastic Beasts (2016–2022)
Closest match: the Wizarding World itself. This is the direct choice if you want more of the setting, magical society, and creatures associated with Harry Potter. It is a prequel branch rather than a continuation of Harry’s school years. Rotten Tomatoes’ viewing-order guide, updated July 31, 2026, places the Fantastic Beasts films before the Harry Potter story in in-universe chronology and describes their setting as decades earlier: Rotten Tomatoes’ Harry Potter movie order guide.
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2. The School for Good and Evil (2022)
Closest match: magic-school life and friendship. Two friends attend a school for fairy-tale heroes and villains, making this a natural pick if you want students, lessons, and a fantasy institution at the center of the story. The premise is described in Seventeen’s movie guide, updated May 10, 2023: Seventeen’s list of movies like Harry Potter.
3. Upside-Down Magic (2020)
Closest match: young friends learning to use unusual magic. Two friends with powers enter Sage Academy. Its school setting and young magical characters make it a more direct fit for the campus side of Harry Potter than most of the films on this list. Seventeen outlines that premise in its 2023 guide.
4. Percy Jackson films (2010–2013)
Closest match: a young hero discovers a hidden mythic world. Percy is a teenager and the son of Poseidon; the official 20th Century Studios family catalog describes the adventure as magical and mythical. The films pair a young protagonist with a larger-than-life world, rather than with wizard classes: 20th Century Studios’ family catalog. Seventeen’s guide covers the two film adaptations.
5. The Chronicles of Narnia trilogy (2005–2010)
Closest match: children enter a richly imagined fantasy world. The Narnia films follow children’s adventures in a magical land, with creatures including merfolk, dragons, and dwarves, according to 20th Century Studios. This is a strong option if the appeal of Harry Potter is crossing from ordinary life into a world with its own history and inhabitants. Seventeen’s guide describes three screen adaptations; 20th Century Studios lists the fantasy elements in its family catalog.
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Closest match: a modern young hero drawn into legend. This choice shares the youthful point of view and the collision between ordinary life and a fantastical adventure. Seventeen includes it among its Harry Potter-adjacent picks, though it is not a magic-school story.
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![Harry Potter: 8-Film Collection [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514OqH0FqSL._SL160_.jpg)
- Harry Potter: 8 Film Collection (4K)
7. The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)
Closest match: a child in a mysterious, magical environment. Choose this for a fantasy adventure centered on a young protagonist and an uncanny setting rather than a large franchise or a school-year structure. It appears in Seventeen’s 2023 recommendation list.
8. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016)
Closest match: a protected refuge and young people with unusual abilities. The story’s special community faces threats from outside, an overlap with Harry Potter’s combination of extraordinary young people and danger beyond their immediate circle. JustWatch draws this comparison in its U.S. guide, which recommends films by the Harry Potter features they evoke: JustWatch’s guide to movies like Harry Potter.
9. The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising (2007)
Closest match: a young protagonist caught up in a magical struggle. This is a fantasy-adventure option for viewers who want a youthful hero facing a larger conflict. Seventeen includes it among its 20 suggestions; it is a looser match than the school-centered picks.
10. The Magic Flute (2023)
Closest match: fantasy shaped by a familiar magical tale. Seventeen’s list includes this 2023 film as a choice for Harry Potter fans. It offers a different route into fantasy than a wizard-school story, so choose it for the broader fairy-tale and magical-adventure appeal rather than expecting the same setting or tone.
11. Matilda (1996)
Closest match: a gifted child confronting unfair authority. This is a smaller-scale, comic option for viewers drawn to young protagonists whose abilities set them apart. It shares the child-centered point of view, not Harry Potter’s expansive magical world. Seventeen includes it in its list.
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- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (152 mins) – The magical adventure begins as Harry arrives at Hogwarts.
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (161 mins) – Flying cars, deadly secrets, and an ominous warning await in Harry’s second year.
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (142 mins) – Dementors arrive and Harry uncovers a mysterious connection to a dangerous prisoner.
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (157 mins) – Deadly tournaments and the rise of Lord Voldemort put Harry to the ultimate test.
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (138 mins) – As few believe Voldemort’s return, Harry must secretly prepare his friends for war.
12. A Wrinkle in Time (2018)
Closest match: young characters on a journey through unfamiliar worlds. If you enjoy the discovery and adventure side of Harry Potter, this offers a different kind of fantastical journey. It is an exploratory fantasy rather than a school-centered tale, and appears in Seventeen’s recommendations.
13. Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Closest match: young protagonists facing danger and eccentric adults. This is a fit for viewers who like children navigating an offbeat, threatening world. Its appeal is unusual atmosphere and young leads, rather than magic or wizard education. Seventeen includes the film in its 2023 list.
14. Ender’s Game (2013)
Closest match: young people trained for a high-stakes conflict. This is science fiction, not a magical fantasy. It belongs here for the young-protagonist and training-in-an-institution elements, making it a useful pick if those matter more to you than spells or mythical creatures. Seventeen includes it among its candidates.
15. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Closest match: an expanding world of extraordinary abilities and threats. This is superhero action, not a wizard story. It may suit viewers looking for a young central character, fantastical powers, and a larger conflict, but it does not reproduce the school-life or ensemble structure of Harry Potter. Seventeen’s list includes it as a looser match.
16. The Twilight Saga (2008–2012)
Closest match: supernatural characters and a young lead. Twilight is supernatural romance rather than magical-school fantasy. It is a better choice if you want a young protagonist and a hidden supernatural dimension than if you are specifically looking for spells, lessons, or a quest. Seventeen includes the series in its list.
17. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Closest match: an imaginative setting experienced through a child’s eyes. The film offers a distinctive fantasy environment and a young protagonist, but its focus is not magic education or a fight against dark forces. Seventeen includes it among its Harry Potter-adjacent choices.
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18. The Hunger Games series (2012–2015)
Closest match: young heroes resisting oppressive power. This is dystopian science fiction, not fantasy. Choose it if the struggle against an authoritarian system matters most to you; it shares that conflict axis, not the magical creatures or school setting. Seventeen includes the series in its recommendations.
19. Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Closest match: a young character enters a strange, immersive world. This is a fit for the wonder and disorientation of discovering a place with different rules. It is not a school story or a direct Wizarding World equivalent. Seventeen includes it on its list.
20. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003)
Closest match: immersive fantasy and a fight against overwhelming evil. Frodo’s quest to destroy the One Ring makes this an epic journey rather than a young student’s life at school. Pick it if you want extensive world-building and a large-scale struggle; JustWatch also recommends it as a distinct fantasy option in its guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which one should you watch first?
- For more Wizarding World: Fantastic Beasts.
- For magic at school: The School for Good and Evil or Upside-Down Magic.
- For a young hero entering a mythic world: Percy Jackson or The Chronicles of Narnia.
- For a refuge of unusual young people facing danger: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.
- For epic fantasy rather than school life: The Lord of the Rings.
- For resistance to oppressive power without magic: The Hunger Games.
Where to watch or buy these movies
Streaming rights vary by country and change over time, so check the title in your own region before planning a watch. JustWatch’s U.S. guide reports checking 373 services on October 2–3, 2026, and separates streaming, rental, and purchase options; those results describe its U.S. checks on those dates, not permanent or worldwide availability. It also displays DVD and Blu-ray listings for some films, including Percy Jackson and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Confirm the exact film, edition, format, region, and stock with the retailer or service before buying.
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