Harry Potter (film series) for the third film, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", claiming he was "burned out". He moved to the position of producer, while Alfonso Cuarón was approached for the role of director. He was initially nervous about directing the instalment since he had not read any of the books or seen the films. After reading the series, he changed his mind and signed on to direct since he had immediately connected to the story. Because Cuarón decided not to direct the fourth instalment, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", a new director had to be selected. Mike Newell
Harry Potter (film series) the Wizarding and Muggle worlds. The rights for the first four novels in the series were sold to Warner Bros. for £1,000,000 by J.K. Rowling. After the release of the fourth book in July 2000, the first film, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", was released on 16 November 2001. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $90 million in the United States alone, which set a record opening worldwide. The succeeding three motion picture adaptations followed suit in financial success, while garnering positive reviews from fans and critics. The fifth film, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix",