Harry Potter Movies Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Movie

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released in theaters worldwide on July 11, 2007.

Previously, Warner Bros. premiered Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on July 8, 2007 at Grauman's Chinese Theater in San Francisco. The following day, on July 9th Dan Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson joined the bevy of Hollywood celebrities immortalized in the Walk of Fame at Grauman's with a hand, foot... and WAND print ceremony.

The movie focuses on Harry and his friends' fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Directed by British filmmaker David Yates (The Girl in the Café, Sex Traffic, State of Play) from an adaptation of the book by playwright Michael Goldenberg, the now familiar faces of Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Rupert Grint playing Ron Weasley, and Emma Watson as the lovely and brilliant wizard Hermione Granger were joined by many of their old friends as well as some new ones in Order of the Phoenix.

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry and his friends are no longer the cute kids we've come to know.. In the fifth year at Hogwarts there is more romance as the bewitching Cho Chang (Katie Leung) and Harry share a first kiss. Evanna Lynch, another newcomer to the movie franchise, was cast in the role of Luna Lovegood, the Ravenclaw student who turns out to be a strange but important ally for Harry.

A villain to rival Voldemort? Dolores Umbridge is played to despicable perfection by Imelda Staunton.

The plot turns darker

The Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, believes that Dumbledore is lying about Voldemort’s return. He fears that the Headmaster is spreading the rumor in order to replace Fudge as the Minister of Magic. To prevent that, the ministry undertakes a media smear campaign against Harry and the headmaster.

Fudge also cunningly appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep Dumbledore and the Hogwarts students from causing trouble.

The new DADA teacher, Dolores Umbridge, (played to despicable perfection by actress Imelda Staunton) sets out to stifle all rumors about the Dark Lord's return and punish the offenders. Her Ministry-approved course of defensive magic avoids preparing the students to defend themselves against the dark forces that are gathering.

Harry takes matters into his own hands and begins to meet secretly with a small group of students who name themselves “Dumbledore’s Army.” This real DADA class prepares the students to join with the Order of the Phoenix and battle the Death Eaters. However, nothing can prepare them for the price it will cost to win the battle....

More about Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix around the Web:

Internet Movie Database - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Check out photos of the first kiss and other pictures from the movie. You'll also find bios and filmography for the each of the credited cast members and others associated with the film, comments, a forum for discussing the film with other fans, a listing of sites with trailers of the movie and much more...

Rotten Tomatoes - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - This archive features reviews of the movie from major US reviewers at nationwide newspapers and publications.