Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a 2007 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Michael Goldenberg. It is based on the 2003 novel Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling. It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) and the fifth instalment in the Harry Potter film series. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, alongside Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry's best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger respectively. Its story follows Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as the Ministry of Magic is in denial of Lord Voldemort's return.
Filming took place in England and Scotland for exterior locations and Leavesden Film Studios in Watford for interior locations from February to November 2006, with a one-month break in June. Post-production on the film continued for several months afterwards to add in visual effects. The film's budget was reportedly between £75 and 100 million ($150–200 million).
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released in 2D cinemas and IMAX formats in the United States on 11 July 2007 and in the United Kingdom on 12 July, by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was nominated for many awards, including the BAFTA Award for Best Production Design and Special Visual Effects. With a worldwide five-day opening of $333 million and a total gross of $942 million, it was the second-highest-grossing film of 2007, and was noted as a case of Hollywood accounting, as Warner Bros. claimed that it lost $167 million despite the total gross. A sequel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was released in 2009.
Plot
While staying at the Dursleys', Harry Potter and Dudley Dursley are attacked by Dementors. Harry repels them using a Patronus spell. The Ministry of Magic detects Harry using magic and expels him from Hogwarts, though he is later exonerated.
The Order of the Phoenix, a secret organisation founded by Albus Dumbledore, informs Harry that the Ministry of Magic is attempting to stonewall rumors about Lord Voldemort's return. At the Order's headquarters, Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, mentions that Voldemort seeks an object he previously lacked; Harry believes it to be a weapon.
Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge has appointed Dolores Umbridge as Hogwarts' new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Umbridge's refusal to teach defensive spells causes her and Harry to clash. Harry is forced to write lines for "lying" about Voldemort; a magic quill etches the words into his hand as he writes. Ron and Hermione are outraged, but Harry refuses to tell Dumbledore, who has distanced himself from Harry. As Umbridge gains more control over the school, Ron and Hermione help Harry form "Dumbledore's Army", a secret group to teach students defensive spells. Umbridge recruits Slytherins for an Inquisitorial Squad to spy on the other students. Meanwhile, Harry and Cho Chang develop romantic feelings for each other.
One night, Harry envisions Arthur Weasley being attacked at the Ministry, seeing it from the attacker's perspective. Concerned that Voldemort will exploit this connection to Harry, Dumbledore has Severus Snape teach Harry Occlumency to defend his mind from Voldemort's influence. During a lesson, Harry sees Snape's memories of how his father, James, bullied and tormented Snape in school. The connection between Harry and Voldemort further isolates Harry from his friends. Meanwhile, Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius's deranged Death Eater cousin, escapes Azkaban prison along with nine other Death Eaters. At Hogwarts, Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad expose Dumbledore's Army. Dumbledore, falsely accused of forming it, escapes as Fudge orders his arrest. Harry believes Cho betrayed Dumbledore's Army to Umbridge, ending their budding relationship. Umbridge becomes the new Headmistress.
Harry experiences a vision that Voldemort is torturing Sirius. Harry, Ron, and Hermione rush to Umbridge's office to alert the Order via the Floo Network. Umbridge catches them and, as she is about to severely punish Harry, Hermione claims Dumbledore has hidden a "secret weapon" in the Forbidden Forest. She and Harry lead Umbridge to where Hagrid's giant half-brother, Grawp is kept. The centaurs confront them and kidnap Umbridge after she insults and attacks them. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Neville and Ginny fly to the Ministry of Magic on Thestrals to save Sirius.
The six enter the Department of Mysteries and recover the object that Voldemort is after, a bottled prophecy labelled with Harry's name. Death Eaters ambush them, including Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. Lucius reveals that Harry's vision of Sirius being tortured was a ruse to lure him there. Harry refuses to give Lucius the prophecy, and a fight ensues. The Death Eaters overpower the students and force Harry to surrender the prophecy. When Harry hands it to Lucius, Sirius and Remus Lupin arrive with Order members, including Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Mad-Eye Moody. Lucius accidentally drops the prophecy during the chaos, destroying it. Just as Sirius overpowers Lucius, Bellatrix kills Sirius.
Voldemort appears, but moments before he can kill Harry, Dumbledore arrives. A violent duel erupts, destroying much of the Atrium, while Bellatrix escapes. The two wizards are evenly matched, so Voldemort possesses Harry's body, wanting Dumbledore to sacrifice him. The love Harry feels for his friends and family quickly drives out Voldemort. Ministry officials arrive before Voldemort disapparates; Fudge admits that Voldemort has returned and resigns in disgrace. Umbridge is dismissed and Dumbledore returns as Hogwarts headmaster. Dumbledore explains he had distanced himself from Harry to prevent Voldemort exploiting their connection. He also reveals the prophecy. As he grieves Sirius's death, Harry tries to accept the prophecy: "Neither can live while the other survives."
Cast
Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter: A 15-year-old British wizard famous for surviving his parents' murder at the hands of Voldemort as an infant, who now enters his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley: Harry's best friend at Hogwarts. Emma Watson as Hermione Granger: Harry's Muggle-born best friend and the brains of the trio. Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange: one of Voldemort's most loyal Death Eaters and the cousin of Sirius Black. Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid: the half-giant Gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort: leader of the Death Eaters, a Dark wizard intent on conquering the wizarding world Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore: the legendary Hogwarts headmaster and leader of the Order of the Phoenix. Brendan Gleeson as Mad-Eye Moody: Ex-Auror and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Richard Griffiths as Vernon Dursley: Harry's Muggle uncle. Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy: a falsely pardoned senior Death Eater. Gary Oldman as Sirius Black: Harry's godfather and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Alan Rickman as Severus Snape: the Potions teacher at Hogwarts and the Head of Slytherin Fiona Shaw as Petunia Dursley: Harry's Muggle aunt. Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall: the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge: the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and a plant from the corrupt Ministry of Magic. David Thewlis as Remus Lupin: Harry's ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Emma Thompson as Sybill Trelawney: the Divination teacher at Hogwarts. Julie Walters as Molly Weasley: the Weasley matriarch and a mother figure to Harry, also a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
Mark Williams appears as Molly Weasley's husband, Arthur, a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Warwick Davis plays Filius Flitwick, the school's charms teacher, maestro and Head of Ravenclaw House while David Bradley plays Hogwarts caretaker, Argus Filch. Tom Felton, Jamie Waylett and Joshua Herdman play Slytherin students Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. James and Oliver Phelps, Bonnie Wright and Chris Rankin play Ron's siblings, Fred, George, Ginny and Percy while Devon Murray, Alfred Enoch and Matthew Lewis play Gryffindor students, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom. Katie Leung plays Harry's love interest, Cho Chang. Robert Hardy plays the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Harry Melling plays Harry's cousin, Dudley Dursley.
Evanna Lynch joins the cast as Ravenclaw student Luna Lovegood. Timothy Bateson voices house-elf, Kreacher and Tony Maudsley plays Hagrid's half-brother, Grawp. Kathryn Hunter plays the Dursley's neighbour, Mrs. Figg. George Harris and Natalia Tena play members of the Order of the Phoenix, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks.
Production Development British television director David Yates was chosen to direct the film after Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire director Mike Newell, as well as Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Guillermo del Toro, Matthew Vaughn and Mira Nair, turned down offers. Yates believed he was approached because the studio saw him fit to handle an "edgy and emotional" film with a "political backstory", which some of his previous television projects including State of Play, Sex Traffic and The Girl in the Café demonstrated. Producer David Heyman supported Yates's comments about the film's political theme, stating that "[Order of the Phoenix] is a political film, not with a capital P, but it's about teen rebellion and the abuse of power. David has made films in the UK about politics without being heavy handed." On the film's political and social aspects, Emma Watson stated that "somehow it talks about life after 7 July, the way people behave when they're scared, the way truth is often denied and all the things our society has to face. Facing the fact that the authority is corrupted means having a non-conformist approach to reality and power."
Steve Kloves, the screenwriter of the first four Potter films, had other commitments. Michael Goldenberg, who was considered to pen the first film in the series, filled in and wrote the script. Kloves subsequently returned to write all remaining instalments of the series.
Mark Day was the film editor, Sławomir Idziak was the cinematographer, and Jany Temime was the costume designer. Choreographer Paul Harris, who had previously worked with David Yates several times, created a physical language for wand combat to choreograph the wand fighting scenes.
Casting Casting began as early as May 2005, when Radcliffe announced he would reprise his role as Harry. Across the media frenzy that took place during the release of Goblet of Fire, most of the main returning actors announced their return to the series, including Grint, Watson, Lewis, Wright, Leung, and Fiennes.
The announcements of the casting of the rest of the new characters to the series was spanned across 2006. Evanna Lynch won the role of Luna Lovegood over 15,000 other girls who attended the open casting call, waiting in a line of hopefuls that stretched a mile long. Saoirse Ronan auditioned for the role but was considered too young.