<P> Harry Potter is a British - American film series based on the Harry Potter novels by author J.K. Rowling . The series is distributed by Warner Bros. and consists of eight fantasy films , beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher 's Stone ( 2001 ) and culminating with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2 ( 2011 ) . A spin - off prequel series will consist of five films , starting with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ( 2016 ) , marking the beginning of the Wizarding World shared media franchise . </P>
when did the first movie of harry potter come out
2001