<P> 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 , was released by Warner Bros. on 11 July 2007 in English - speaking countries , except for the UK and Ireland , which released the movie on 12 July . The sixth , Harry Potter and the Half - Blood Prince , was released on 15 July 2009 to critical acclaim and finished its theatrical run ranked as the number two grossing film of 2009 on the worldwide charts . </P>
when did the first movie of harry potter come out
16 November 2001