Part 2 was released byWarner Bros. Pictures in the United Kingdom and the United States on 15 July 2011, and is the onlyHarry Potter film to be released in3D.[7] It was a commercial success and one of the best-reviewed films of 2011, with critics deeming it a satisfying conclusion to the saga while praising its visual effects, cinematography, musical score, action sequences, direction, and performances.[8][9][10][11][12][13] At the box office, the film claimed the worldwide opening weekend record, earning $483.2 million, as well as setting opening day and opening weekend records in various countries.Part 2 grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide, becoming thethird-highest-grossing film,[14] and thehighest-grossing film of 2011.[15][16] It is currently the highest-grossing film in theHarry Potter series as well as theHarry Potter franchise. TheNational Board of Review namedDeathly Hallows – Part 2 one of thetop-ten films of 2011. It was nominated for three awards at the84th Academy Awards, and receivednumerous other accolades.
After buryingDobby,Harry Potter asks the goblinGriphook to help him,Ron Weasley, andHermione Granger break intoBellatrix Lestrange's vault atGringotts bank, suspecting aHorcrux is there. Griphook agrees, in exchange for theSword of Gryffindor. WandmakerOllivander tells Harry that two wands taken fromMalfoy Manor belonged to Bellatrix andDraco Malfoy; he senses Draco's wand has changed its allegiance to Harry when he took it from Draco. A horcrux,Helga Hufflepuff's cup, is found in Bellatrix's vault, but Griphook snatches the sword and abandons them. Trapped by security, they release the dragon guardian and flee Gringotts on its back. Harry has a vision ofLord Voldemort at Gringotts, furious at the theft. Harry also realises a Horcrux connected toRowena Ravenclaw is hidden atHogwarts. The trioapparate intoHogsmeade andAberforth Dumbledore helps them, revealing that he was the one who sent Dobby to Malfoy Manor. He then reveals a secret passageway into Hogwarts, whereNeville Longbottom guides them.
Severus Snape threatens any staff or students aiding Harry. During a duel, Snape flees fromProfessor McGonagall, who then rouses Hogwarts for battle.Luna Lovegood advises Harry to consultHelena Ravenclaw's ghost. Helena reveals Voldemort used dark magic on her mother's diadem, which is hidden in theRoom of Requirement. In theChamber of Secrets, Ron and Hermione destroy the Horcrux cup with a Basilisk fang. Meanwhile, Draco,Blaise, andGoyle attack Harry, but Ron and Hermione intervene. Goyle casts an uncontrollable Fiendfyre curse that kills him, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione rescue Malfoy and Zabini and escape on brooms. Outside, Harry stabs the diadem with the Basilisk fang, and Ron kicks it into the fire. As Voldemort's army attacks, Harry realises Voldemort's snake Nagini is the final Horcrux. The trio overhears Voldemort telling Snape the Elder Wand cannot serve him until Snape dies. Nagini attacks Snape, then as he dies, he gives Harry one of his memories. Many members of the Order, students, and staff, includingFred Weasley,Remus Lupin, andNymphadora Tonks, are then killed in the battle at Hogwarts.
Harry views Snape's memory in thePensieve: Snape and Harry's motherLily were childhood friends; he was also in love with her, but she fell for Harry's fatherJames, whom Snape despised for his arrogance and for bullying him. Harry also learns Snape attempted to protect Lily by pleading with Dumbledore to hide the Potters. Following her death, Snape worked withAlbus Dumbledore as a double agent among theDeath Eaters, to protect Harry from Voldemort. Harry also learns that Dumbledore was dying and planned for Snape to kill him, and that Snape conjured the Patronus doe that led Harry to Gryffindor's sword. Harry also learns that he inadvertently became a Horcrux when Voldemort's curse originally failed to kill him; Voldemort must now kill Harry to destroy the soul shard within him. Using theResurrection Stone that had been stored in the Golden Snitch bequeathed to him, Harry sees the spirits of his parents, Sirius Black, and Remus. They comfort him before he returns to Voldemort in theForbidden Forest. Voldemort casts theKilling Curse upon Harry, who awakens inlimbo. Dumbledore's spirit meets him and explains that Harry is now free of the link to Voldemort, and can choose to return to his body or move on.
Voldemort returns with Harry's apparently dead body and demands Hogwarts surrender. As Neville takes the Sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat, Harry reveals he is alive, and the Malfoys abandon Voldemort along with many other Death Eaters.Molly Weasley kills Bellatrix in the Great Hall, and Neville beheads Nagini, destroying the last Horcrux. Harry defeats Voldemort when his Expelliarmus deflects Voldemort's Killing Curse back at him. After the battle, Harry explains to Ron and Hermione that Voldemort never commanded the Elder Wand; it recognised him as its true master after disarming Draco, who had previously disarmed Dumbledore. Instead of claiming the Elder Wand, Harry chooses to destroy it.
Nineteen years later, Harry andGinny Weasley, now married, watch astheir youngest son leaves on the train atKing's Cross to Hogwarts alongside Ron, Hermione, and their two children.
The roles of several minor characters were recast or replaced for this film. For example,Ciarán Hinds assumed the role ofAberforth Dumbledore, Albus Dumbledore's brother and bartender of theHog's Head inn.[18] For the film's epilogue, the main cast were made to look older through makeup and special effects.[19] After the initial look of their aged appearances were leaked online, some fans opined that Radcliffe and Grint looked too old while Watson did not appear significantly different. After primary filming concluded in June 2010, Yates examined the footage and concluded that the problem could not be resolved through editing or CGI, and had the sequence re-shot that December with redesigned makeup.[20]
Originally set for a single theatrical release, the idea to split the book into two parts was suggested by executive producerLionel Wigram due to, whatDavid Heyman called, "creative imperative". Heyman initially responded negatively to the idea, but Wigram asked, "No, David. How are we going to do it?". After rereading the book and discussing it with screenwriterSteve Kloves, he agreed with the division.[26]
In an interview withArchitectural Digest, production designerStuart Craig remarked on creating sets forPart 2. Of the Gringotts Wizarding Bank, he said, "our banking hall, like any other, is made of marble and big marble columns. And it has great strength. The fact that the goblins are the bankers and tellers at the counter helps that feeling of grandeur and solidity and the big proportions. That was part of the fun of the set: we exaggerated the size of it, we exaggerated the weight of it, and we even exaggerated the shine of the marble." About the multiplication of treasure in one of the bank's vaults, he noted, "We made literally thousands of pieces for it and vacuum metallised them to be shiny gold and silver.John Richardson, the special effects supervisor, made a floor that was capable of rising on different levels, so there was kind of a physical swelling of the treasure on it."[27]
Craig spoke about the Battle of Hogwarts toArt Insights Magazine, saying that "the great challenge is the destruction of Hogwarts. The sun rising behind the smoke ... the massive remains of destroyed walls, the entrance hall, the entrance of the Great Hall, part of the roof of the Great Hall completely gone, so yeah. A big challenge there and an enjoyable one really – maybe it helped me and the guys in the art department sort of prepare for the end ... we demolished it before we had to strike it completely." When asked about the King's Cross scene near the end of the film, Craig said, "We experimented a lot, quite honestly. I mean it was quite a protracted process really but we did experiment the sense of it being very burnt out very very kind of white – so we experimented with underlit floors, we experimented with different kind of white covering everything: white paint, white fabric, and the cameraman was involved in how much to expose it, and a series of camera tests were done, so we got there but with a great deal of preparation and research."[28]
Visual effects supervisor Tim Burke said that "It was such a major job to stage the Battle of Hogwarts, and we had to do it in different stages of production. We had shots with complex linking camera moves from wide overviews, to flying into windows and interior spaces. So, we took the plunge at the end of 2008, and started rebuilding the school digitally with Double Negative." He went on to say: "It's taken two years – getting renders out, texturing every facet of the building, constructing interiors to see through windows, building a destruction version of the school. We can design shots with the knowledge that we have this brilliant digital miniature that we can do anything with. With a practical Hogwarts, we would have shot it last summer and been so tied down. Instead, as David Yates finds the flow and structure, we are able to handle new concepts and ideas."[29]
On the quality of 3D in film, Burke toldLos Angeles Times, "I think it's good, actually. I think people are going to be really pleased. I know everyone's a little nervous and sceptical of 3D these days, but the work has been done very, very well. We've done over 200 shots in 3D and in the visual effects as well, because so much of it is CGI, so the results are very, very good. I think everyone's going to be really impressed with it, actually." ProducerDavid Heyman spoke toSFX magazine about the3D conversion, saying that "The way David Yates is approaching 3D is he's trying to approach it from a character and story point of view. Trying to use the sense of isolation, of separation that sometimes 3D gives you, to heighten that at appropriate moments. So we're approaching it in a storytelling way."[30][31]
In 2012, the visual effects in the film were nominated for an Oscar. The film also won the BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects at the 65th BAFTA Awards in 2012.
It was originally planned thatJohn Williams, who composed the scores for the first three instalments, would return to compose the final film's score, but he was unavailable due to scheduling conflicts.[32] It was confirmed that the composer forPart 1,Alexandre Desplat, was set to return forPart 2.[33] In an interview withFilm Music Magazine, Desplat stated that scoringPart 2 is "a great challenge" and that he has "a lot of expectations to fulfill and a great deal of work" ahead of him.[34] In a separate interview, Desplat also made note that Williams's themes will be present in the film "much more than inPart 1".[35] The soundtrack for the film was nominated forBest Score Soundtrack for Visual Media at the54th Annual Grammy Awards.[36]
In March 2011, the first preview forDeathly Hallows – Part 2 was released, revealing new footage and new interviews from the starring cast.[37] The first United States poster was released on 28 March 2011, with the caption "It All Ends 7.15" (referring to its international release date).[38] On 27 April 2011 the first theatrical trailer forPart 2 was released. The trailer revealed a range of new and old footage.[39] TheIMAX trailer for the film was released with IMAX screenings ofPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides on 20 May 2011. During the MTV Movie Awards on 5 June 2011,Emma Watson presented a sneak peek of the film.[40]
On 2 April 2011, atest screening of the film was held in Chicago, with Yates, Heyman, Barron and editorMark Day in attendance.[41] The film had itsworld premiere on 7 July 2011 atTrafalgar Square in London.[42] The United States premiere was held in New York City atLincoln Center on 11 July 2011.[43] Although filmed in 2D, the film was converted into 3D in post-production and was released in bothRealD 3D,IMAX 3-D and4DX.[44]
The film was originally scheduled to open in Indonesia on 13 July 2011.[45] The Indonesian government levied a newvalue added tax on royalties from foreign films in February 2011, causing three film studios, includingWarner Bros., to halt the importation of their films, includingHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 into the country.[45] The film was not released to cinemas in theKingdom of Jordan due to recently enforced taxes on films.[46]
On 10 June, one month before release, tickets went on sale.[47] On 16 June 2011,Part 2 received a 12A[48] certificate from theBritish Board of Film Classification, who note that the film "contains moderate threat, injury detail and language", becoming the onlyHarry Potter film to receive a warning for "injury detail". At midnight on 15 July,Part 2 screened in 3,800 cinemas. In the United States, it played in 4,375 cinemas, 3,100 3D cinemas and 274 IMAX cinemas, the widest release for an IMAX, 3D, 4DX andHarry Potter film. In Southeast Asia, the film premiered on 16 July 2011 onScreen Red.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 was released on 11 November 2011 in the United States in four formats: a one-disc standard DVD, a two-disc standard DVD special edition, a one-disc standardBlu-ray, and three-Disc Blu-ray 2D Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy).[49] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the film was released on 2 December 2011 in three formats: a two-disc standard DVD, a three-disc Blu-ray 2D Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy), and a four-disc Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray 2D + DVD + Digital Copy).[50] The film set the record for fastest-selling pre-order DVD and Blu-ray onAmazon.com, just two days into the pre-order period.[51]
Deathly Hallows – Part 2 sold 2.71 million Blu-ray units ($60.75 million) in three days (Friday to Sunday).[52] It also sold 2.83 million DVD units ($42.22 million) during its debut.[53] By 18 July 2012 it had sold 4.71 million Blu-ray units ($99.33 million)[54] and 6.47 million DVD units ($88.96 million).[55]
On 28 March 2017,Deathly Hallows – Part 2 made itsUltra HD Blu-ray debut, along withDeathly Hallows - Part 1,The Half-Blood Prince, andOrder of the Phoenix.
Prior to its release, the film was predicted by box office analysts to break records, citing the anticipation built up over the course of 10 years.[63][64]Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 grossed $381.4 million in the United States and Canada, along with $960.8 million in other markets, for a worldwide total of $1.342 billion.[4] In worldwide earnings, it was thethird-highest-grossing film, thehighest-grossing film of 2011,[15] the highest-grossing film in theHarry Potter franchise, and the highest-grossing book adaptation.[65] It also became the highest-grossing film for Warner Bros. until 2023'sBarbie,[16] as well as the highest-grossing release from parent companyWarnerMedia, surpassingThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.[66]Part 2 set a worldwide opening-weekend record with $483.2 million.[58][67] This record would be held for four years beforeJurassic World took it in 2015.[68] The film set a worldwide IMAX opening-weekend record with $23.2 million.[69][70] It set the worldwide record asthe fastest film to gross $500 million (6 days),[71][72] $600 million (8 days),[73] $700 million (10 days),[74] $800 million (12 days),[74] and $900 million (15 days).[75] On 30 July 2011, the film crossed the $1 billion mark, tying the 19-day record that had been set byAvatar.[76][77][78] It was also the fastest Warner Bros. film to cross that mark untilBarbie surpassed it in 2023, passing it in 17 days.[79]
In the US and Canada, the film became the 13th-highest-grossing film at the time of its release,[80] the highest-grossing film of 2011,[81] the highest-grossing Harry Potter film, the highest-grossing children's book adaptation,[82] the highest-grossing fantasy/live action film[83] and the 13th-highest-grossing 3-D film.[84]Box Office Mojo estimates that the film sold more than 40 million tickets.[85] It set new records in advance ticket sales with $32 million,[86][87] in its midnight opening with $43.5 million[59] and in its IMAX midnight opening with $2 million.[57][88] It grossed $91.1 million on its opening Friday, setting a Friday-gross record as well as single- andopening-day records.[89] It also set anopening-weekend record with $169.2 million, an IMAX opening-weekend record of $15.2 million and opening-weekend record for a 3-D film.[90][91][92] Although 3-D enhanced the film's earning potential, only 43% of the opening gross came from 3-D venues. This means only $72.8 million of the opening-weekend grosses originated from 3-D showings, the second-largest number at the time.[60]
It also scored the largest three-day[93] and four-day gross,[94][95] the sixth-highest-grossing opening week (Friday to Thursday) with $226.2 million,[96] and even the seventh-largest seven-day gross.[97] It fell precipitously by 84% on its second Friday[98] and by 72% during its second weekend overall, grossing $47.4 million, which is the largest second-weekend drop for any film that opened to more than $90 million.[99] Still, it managed to become the fastest-grossing film in the franchise and also achieved the second-largest ten-day gross ever at the time (now eighth).[100] In its third weekend, the movie surpassedHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to become the highest-grossing film of the franchise in the US & Canada.[101]
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 became the third-highest-grossing film, the highest-grossing 2011 film, the highest-grossing Warner Bros. film and the highest-grossing Harry Potter film.[102] On its opening day,Deathly Hallows – Part 2 grossed $43.6 million from 26 countries, placing it 86% ahead ofDeathly Hallows – Part 1 and 49% higher thanHalf-Blood Prince. From Wednesday until Sunday, on its 5-day opening weekend, it set an opening-weekend record outside the US and Canada by earning $314 million.[103][104] The average 3D share ofDeathly Hallows – Part 2 was 60%, which was lower than the 3D share forTransformers: Dark of the Moon (70%) andOn Stranger Tides (66%).[105] On its second weekend, it held to the top spot, but fell precipitously by 62% to $120.2 million despite minor competition. This amount is about the same as whatOn Stranger Tides made from its second weekend ($124.3 million).[106]Deathly Hallows – Part 2 was in first place at the box office outside North America for four consecutive weekends.[107][108]
In the United Kingdom,Ireland andMalta it brought in a record $14.8 million on its first day.[109] On its opening weekend it earned £23,753,171 in the United Kingdom, marking thesecond largest opening weekend in 2011. Its performance did not surpass that ofHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 2004, which earned£23,882,688 on its opening weekend.[110] In United States dollars, its opening weekend was an all-time record $38.3 million, ahead ofHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ($33.5 million).[111] The film also achieved the largest single-day gross on its first Saturday[110] and the largest opening week with $57.6 million.[112] The film made a total of £73.1 million ($117.2 million) at the United Kingdom box office,[113] making it thetenth-highest-grossing film.[114] It also is the highest-grossing film of 2011 and the highest-grossingWizarding World film.[115]
Deathly Hallows – Part 2 also set opening-day records in Mexico ($6.1 million), Australia ($7.5 million), France and theMaghreb region ($7.1 million), Italy ($4.6 million), Sweden ($2.1 million), Norway ($1.8 million), Denmark ($1.6 million), the Netherlands ($1.7 million), Belgium ($1.4 million), the Czech Republic ($2.0 million), Argentina ($961,000), Finland ($749,000) and Hong Kong ($808,000).[57][116][117][118] It also established newHarry Potter opening-day records in Japan ($5.7 million), Brazil ($4.4 million), Russia and the CIS ($4.2 million), Spain ($3.3 million) and Poland ($1.25 million).[109]
Deathly Hallows – Part 2 set opening day records in India with₹15 crore ($3.41 million),[119] Australia with $19.6 million, New Zealand with $2.46 million,[120] Brazil with $11. million,[121] Scandinavia with $18.5 million, Mexico with $15.9 million[121][122] and many otherLatin American andEuropean countries.[57][123]
OnRotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 96% based on 331 reviews, with an average score of 8.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Thrilling, powerfully acted, and visually dazzling,Deathly Hallows Part II brings theHarry Potter franchise to a satisfying – and suitably magical – conclusion."[124] OnMetacritic, which assigns a normalised rating to reviews, the film has a score of 85 out of 100 based on 41 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[125] The film received a score of 93 from professional critics at theBroadcast Film Critics Association; it is the organisation's highest-ratedHarry Potter film.[126] Audiences surveyed byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[127]
Philip Womack inThe Daily Telegraph commented, "This is monumental cinema, awash with gorgeous tones, and carrying an ultimate message that will resonate with every viewer, young or old: there is darkness in all of us, but we can overcome it." He further expressed that David Yates "transmutes [the book] into a genuinely terrifying spectacle."[128] Another review was released on the same day fromEvening Standard, who rated the film four out of five and stated "Millions of children, parents, and those who should know better won't need reminding what a Horcrux is – and director David Yates does not let them down. In fact, in some ways, he helps make up for the shortcomings of the final book."[129] TheDaily Express remarked that the film showcases "a terrifying showdown that easily equalsLord of the Rings orStar Wars in terms of a dramatic and memorable battle between good and evil".[130]
Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film three and a half stars out of four and said, "The finale conjures up enough awe and solemnity to serve as an appropriate finale and a dramatic contrast to the lighthearted (relative) innocence ofHarry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone all those magical years ago."[131]Mark Kermode from theBBC said that the film is a "pretty solid and ambitious adaptation of a very complex book", but he criticised the post-converted 3D.[132]Christy Lemire of theAssociated Press gave the film three and a half out of four and said "WhileDeathly Hallows: Part 2 offers long-promised answers, it also dares to pose some eternal questions, and it'll stay with you after the final chapter has closed."[133]Richard Roeper, also from theChicago Sun-Times, gave the film an A+ rating and said: "This is a masterful and worthy final chapter in one of the best franchises ever put to film."[134]
In one of the few negative reviews, Brian Gibson ofVue Weekly described the film as "deadly dull" and a "visual overstatement".[135] Other reviews criticised the decision to split the novel into two cinematic parts, with Ben Mortimer ofThe Daily Telegraph writing "Deathly Hallows – Part 2 isn't a film. It's HALF a film ... it's going to feel somewhat emotionless." Other critics wrote of the film's runtime; Alonso Duralde fromThe Wrap said, "If there's one substantial flaw to the film, it's that this cavalcade of people and places and objects can barely fit in the 130-minute running time."[136] Rebecca Gillie ofThe Oxford Student gave the film two out of five and wrote: "At the end of [the film] there is nothing that stays with you once you've left the cinema."[137]
In July 2016,Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. applied to purchase the rights to the stage playHarry Potter and the Cursed Child, a follow-up toThe Deathly Hallows, leading to speculation that the stage play was being planned to be adapted into a film.[145][146] In November 2021,Chris Columbus, who directed the first two instalments of the film series, expressed interest in directing an adaptation ofThe Cursed Child, with the intent of having the main cast members reprise their roles.[147][148][149][150] In March 2022, whenThe New York Times asked Radcliffe whether he would return to his role as Harry Potter, he replied that he was not interested at the moment, but did not deny the possibility of returning to the role in the future.[151][152]
In aSunday Times interview in August 2025,[153] Columbus confirmed that he maintains close relationships with the original cast but has not spoken to Rowling in "a decade or so".[154] He went on to state that the controversy overRowling's views on transgender people meant that a film adaptation ofThe Cursed Child with the original cast was "never going to happen".[153][154] In a recent interview withVariety, Columbus spoke of "separating the artist from the art" and described the controversy around Rowling as "just sad, it's very sad", while noting that he does not agree with her views.[155]
^Frankel, Daniel (17 November 2010)."Get Ready for the Biggest Potter Opening Yet".TheWrap.Archived from the original on 20 November 2010. Retrieved21 November 2010.Warner officials say shooting parts 1 and 2 of "Deathly Hallows" (the second part comes out in July) kept cost below the more than $250 million that was spent on 2009's "Half-Blood Prince."
^Lang, Brent (14 July 2011)."'Harry Potter' Looks to Shatter Box Office Record With $150M+ Debut".TheWrap.Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved30 November 2012.Parts 1 and 2 of "Deathly Hallows" were filmed at a cost of roughly $250 million, essentially giving Warner Bros. a license to print money off the profits it will bank over the upcoming weekend.
