Daniel Radcliffe's Favorite Harry Potter Movie Makes Too Much Sense

Audiences were first introduced to Harry Potter on film in 2001 with "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," which featured Daniel Radcliffe in the titular role. The British actor has played the bespectacled wizarding sensation eight times, growing up on the silver screen right before captivated audiences. And while the actor has largely moved on from the role, he isn't shy about discussing the series, especially when it involves the future. "I'm getting to a point where I feel like I made it out of 'Potter' OK and I'm really happy with where I am now, and to go back would be such a massive change to my life," Radcliffe told The New York Times.

While returning as Harry Potter doesn't seem like an interesting proposition for Radcliffe, the actor has welcomed the idea of looking back on the mega-franchise on several occasions. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of "The Sorcerer's Stone," Radcliffe and a motley crew of Potter actors and crew members came together for a filmed reunion special to discuss the franchise's enduring legacy. The HBO Max special, "Return to Hogwarts," proved to be a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes secrets, revealing hilarious tidbits such as Radcliffe being starstruck by Sirius Black actor Gary Oldman and wanting to impress him (via Yahoo! Movies).

Radcliffe was obviously an integral part of the filmmaking process, but how does he feel about the series, especially now that he's moved on from the role? In a recent interview, Radcliffe candidly shared his favorite "Harry Potter" movie, and the answer may surprise the most staunch Potterheads.

While participating in WIRED's Autocomplete Interview, Daniel Radcliffe discussed his experience filming the "Harry Potter" franchise. When asked to speak about his favorite film, the British actor praised "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2," which concluded the franchise. The finale brought in a whopping $1.3 billion and currently stands as the highest-grossing "Harry Potter" film. And while the final chapter in the decade-long saga is a favorite of Radcliffe's, the lead star has another, underappreciated entry as another viable contender.

"I also really love the fifth, which is not a lot of people's favorite, I kind of realized," Radcliffe says. The star is referring to "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," which is the first in the franchise to be directed by David Yates. "Order of the Phoenix" holds a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the second-lowest in the mainline franchise.

Radcliffe continued by pointing out why exactly "Order of the Phoenix" is a favorite, and the reason will definitely leave feeling Potterheads warm. "I love it because of the relationship [between] Harry and Sirius [Black], and you get a lot of Gary Oldman in that movie," Radcliffe revealed. Black, Potter's godfather, dies in "Order of the Phoenix," leaving the young student grief-stricken. Oldman briefly returned in "Deathly Hallows — Part 2" via a resurrection stone. It's no surprise that two of Radcliffe's favorite "Harry Potter" films feature pivotal moments involving his character and Black, especially because of Radcliffe and Oldman's real-life friendship. "That was my favorite one, probably to film as well. We had a really, really, good time making that one. So 5 or 7 part 2."