Daniel Radcliffe’s Favorite Harry Potter Movie Isn’t Anyone Else’s

Daniel Radcliffe has a favorite movie from the Harry Potter franchise and it definitely isn't one you would expect. This one is a surprise

By Tristan Zelden | Updated

daniel radcliffe harry potter

When an actor is a part of a major franchise, an obvious question for people is which is that person’s favorite. That can range from asking a Fast & Furious or Marvel Cinematic Universe star which installment is their preference. The answers will usually differ. Daniel Radcliffe (Guns Akimbo) weighed in on a video with Wired (seen below) about his favorite Harry Potter film, and it is not the most popular answer. He loves Order of the Phoenix, the fifth in the franchise.

The reasoning that Daniel Radcliffe gives in the video, which was uploaded on Wednesday (September 8), is solid. Radcliffe was older by this time and was able to appreciate special opportunities more. This particular film of the fantasy movie franchise based on the novels by J.K. Rowling featured Gary Oldman (The Woman in the Window). Getting to work with the highly acclaimed actor who won an Oscar in 2017’s Darkest Hour was awesome for him, making the 2007 blockbuster his favorite out of all eight entries.

Daniel Radcliffe first worked with the Dark Knight actor in the third movie, The Prisoner of Azkaban, which is one of the most popular entries. This was where Gary Oldman’s escaped prisoner Sirius Black was revealed to be Harry’s godfather. That time between Azkaban and Phoenix led to a lot of growth for the young actor, so when he got to rejoin his co-star a few years later, he was able to appreciate their work together more.

In Goblet of Fire, there was one scene between Daniel Radcliffe and his co-star, but it was not much. Comparatively, he got much more intimate with the veteran actor in Order of the Phoenix. One of the most emotional scenes was when Bellatrix, played by Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown), killed Gary Oldman’s Sirius.

A favorite is different from what you would prefer to watch. Daniel Radcliffe clarified that if he were to rewatch one of the Harry Potter movies, then he would choose the final installment, 2011’s Deathly Hallows Part 2. While Gary Oldman only had a brief appearance in the final movie one, in the behind-the-scenes footage, the leading star can be seen talking about the impact of working with Oldman and the effect it had throughout the rest of the movies.

Coming off the fame and fortune of Harry Potter, it stirred up issues with Daniel Radcliffe as he struggled with alcohol. Despite those troubles, he has flourished with his career by making some experimentally weird movies that have taken him away from being just the wizard. His first major outing after the fantasy franchise was the horror flick The Woman in Black. He followed up with Horns, based on a novel by Joe Hill. In 2019, he was in the bonkers action movie Guns Akimbo with Samara Weaving (Nine Perfect Strangers) and Ned Dennehy (Peaky Blinders). Lately, he has starred in the series Miracle Workers with Geraldine Viswanathan (Bad Education), Karan Soni (Deadpool), and Steve Buscemi (The King of Staten Island).

Daniel Radcliffe currently has lined up a major star-studded project, Lost City of D. It will star Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood), Sandra Bullock (Bird Box), and Channing Tatum (Kingsman: The Golden Circle). The film is set to release on April 15. 2022.