The Wizarding World is one of the biggest franchises in the world, spanning J.K. Rowling's novels, theme parks, stage plays, and (of course) the Harry Potter movies. Those eight titles are regularly re-watched by fans, especially those with a HBO Max subscription. For years moviegoers watched the Potter cast grow up before our eyes, including Draco Malfoy himself, Tom Felton. He recently had a hot take about his favorite of the eight movies, and I relate because mine is also a bit of a wild card.
Felton recently returned to the role of Draco, appearing as an adult version of the character in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway. He's remained a major cheerleader for the entire franchise, although his answer for his favorite film in the series might take fans by surprise. Let's break it all down.
What Felton Said About His Favorite Potter Film(s)
Felton's Broadway debut has been big news, especially for fans hoping to see a Cursed Child movie with the original cast. The actor has been super busy lately, as he's also celebrating the release of the new horror movie They Will Kill You. While appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, he was asked which Harry Potter movie was the best. Rather than picking a fan favorite choice like The Goblet of Fire or The Prisoner of Azkaban, he came up with another title. In his words:
Article continues belowWell, I'll say bluntly. The second film, Chamber of Secrets, was always fun because there was a giant snake Basilisk in it and Alan Rickman was in full form, and we knew our characters a little better then.
Honestly, I don't think anyone was expecting that answer. The first Harry Potter sequel might have helped expand the franchise's scope, but it usually isn't at the top of fans' lists. Alas, Tom Felton has a different perspective as someone who was there on set when filming the 2002 book to screen adaptation.
Hearing Felton's thoughts is fascinating, especially as the forthcoming Harry Potter TV show is on its way. The Chamber of Secrets will be the second season of that, and it should be interesting to see if the cast drops in the way the movie's seemingly did. Later in the same appearance, the 38 year-old actor spoke about which of the Potter movies was the most significant to him as a performer, offering:
The sixth one was the most rewarding for me as an actor. I certainly wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now without the training and the learning of what proper acting sort of is or was.
This definitely tracks for those who watched the Harry Potter movies in order. The Half-Blood Prince was a big one for Draco, who was tasked with killing Dumbledore by Voldemort. We watched him struggle with that throughout the movie, before Snape ultimately stepped in and made it happen due to the Unbreakable Vow he'd made with Malfoy's mother. So it tracks that this was a particularly significant experience for the young actor.
My Favorite Harry Potter Film Is Also A Hot Take
Tom Felton's favorite Harry Potter movie can definitely be considered a hot take, and I relate to him in this way. Because my personal favorite is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, which was the only movie that doesn't even feature Hogwarts. J.K. Rowling's final novel was split into two parts, with the first one largely being focused on Harry, Ron, and Hermione being on the lamb and trying to track down Voldemort's Horocruxes.
I love the seventh movie because of how much it stands apart from the rest of the franchise. It feels like its own film, rather than simply an entry in a larger fantasy franchise. Instead of having to rush through an entire book in just a few hours, there was time for stillness and quiet, as our three heroes grew up and struggled to handle the responsibility of saving the Wizarding World.
Deathly Hallows: Part 1 looks and feels unique to the franchise. There are some bold visual choices involved, including Harry and Hermione's dance to "O Children" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. I think it's one of the most touching moments of the entire franchise, and shows how they're still kids, despite the stakes of their circumstance.
Another standout moment is the animated sequence, where the origin of the Deathly Hallows themselves. It's a beautiful segment of the film, and once again shows how director David Yates was taking bolds swings. Add in the fascinating love triangle storyline and the death of Dobby, and the movie has so much going for it. But I think I'm one of the only people who ranks it as their favorite.
The Harry Potter franchise is streaming on HBO Max, and the forthcoming TV show will debut its first season on Christmas as part of the 2026 TV schedule.
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