The Harry Potter Movie That Made The Least Money In Theaters

"Harry Potter" fans may be surprised to learn which of the series' films earned the least amount of money at the box office.

Released over the course of one decade and spanning eight installments, the "Harry Potter" series ranks as one of the most successful film franchises of all time (via Chicago Tribune). Based on the series of books by J.K. Rowling, the film series follows a young boy as he comes of age in a world of magic and friendship that had been kept from him as a child — all while engaging in an ongoing battle with the evil wizard who killed his parents. The series was massively successful in both the film and literary worlds and remains one of the most beloved fantasy franchises ever created.

Of course, as is always the case with any franchise, some of the "Harry Potter" films were received better than others. With that in mind, it's time to take a look and see which of the "Harry Potter" films ultimately made the smallest amount of money in theaters.

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" ultimately grossed the least amount of money at the box office of all the eight "Harry Potter" films, according to The-Numbers. The film — an adaptation of the "Harry Potter" novel of the same name — earned over $789 million at the worldwide box office when it first hit theaters back in 2004. That puts it about $500 million below the $1.3 billion worldwide box office gross of the franchise's highest-grossing installment, 2011's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2." 2002's "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" ranks as the series' second-lowest-grossing film after earning over $876 million at the box office during its own theatrical run.

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" being the lowest-grossing of the franchise's eight films is a bit surprising considering how the film is viewed nowadays by both die-hard "Harry Potter" fans and casual viewers alike. "Azkaban" is generally regarded as one of the franchise's best films and is one of the most critically acclaimed of all the franchise's eight installments, with its 90% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes topped only by the 96% critics score for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2."

However, while "Prisoner of Azkaban" may sit at the bottom of the "Harry Potter" franchise's box office rankings, the film was by no means a failure. Its $789 million box office gross more than exceeded its $130 million production budget — making it an overwhelming financial success for Warner Bros. and its entire creative team. "Prisoner of Azkaban" might be the lowest grossing movie in the franchise, but it still certainly made plenty of money when all was said and done.