Tagline: Character will be tested.
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…
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a 2004 British-American fantasy film directed by Alfonso Cuarón and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film, which is the third instalment in the Harry Potter film series, was written by Steve Kloves and produced by Chris Columbus (director of the first two instalments), David Heyman, and Mark Radcliffe. The story follows Harry Potter’s third year at Hogwarts as he is informed that a prisoner named Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban intending to kill him.
The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, alongside Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry’s best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. It also features well-known actors in supporting roles, including Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Michael Gambon (in his debut in the role of Albus Dumbledore), Emma Thompson and Timothy Spall. It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and is followed by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
The film was released on 31 May 2004 in the United Kingdom and on 4 June 2004 in North America, as the first Harry Potter film released into IMAX theatres and to be using IMAX Technology. It is also the last Harry Potter film to be released on VHS. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Original Music Score and Best Visual Effects at the 77th Academy Awards in 2005.
Prisoner of Azkaban grossed a total of $796.7 million worldwide, making it the second highest grossing film of 2004 and received widespread critical acclaim, with particular praise to Cuarón’s directing and the performances of the leads. It marked a notable change in the film series’ tone and direction and is considered by some critics and fans to be the best Harry Potter film.
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Directed by: Alfonso Cuaron
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters
Screenplay by: Steve Kloves
Production Design by: Stuart Craig
Cinematography by: Michael Seresin
Film Editing by: Steven Weisberg
Costume Design by: Jany Temime
Set Decoration by: Stephenie McMillan
Art Direction: Andrew Ackland-Snow, Alan Gilmore, Neil Lamont
MPAA Rating: PG for frightening moments, creature violence and mild language.
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: June 4, 2004
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