- By MuggleNet Editorial Staff
- 18 Jun, 2026
For those of us who grew up with Hogwarts on our screens, finding another movie that captures the same mix of magic, friendship, danger and wonder can be a challenge. The Harry Potter films gave audiences school-year mysteries, found family, fantastic beasts and a world that felt real and lived-in.
Here are some movies worth adding to your watch list when you are ready for another magical escape.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
The most obvious next stop is still a good one. Set decades before Harry arrives at Hogwarts, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them follows Newt Scamander as he enters the magical underworld of 1920s New York. It trades school corridors for city streets but keeps the creatures, spells and Wizarding World lore that we know well. The cast is absolutely fantastic in this one.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Like Harry Potter, this film begins with ordinary children stepping into an extraordinary world. The Pevensie siblings discover Narnia through a wardrobe, then find themselves caught in a battle involving loyalty and magic. It is especially strong if you love the early Potter films’ sense of discovery.
Stardust
Stardust is a lively fantasy adventure with witches, fallen stars, sword fights and a magical realm hiding just beyond the normal world. It is a good pick if you enjoy the humor and danger but want something a little more fairy-tale driven.
The Spiderwick Chronicles
This 2008 film follows siblings who move into an old family estate and uncover a hidden world of faeries, goblins and other creatures. It has the same “magic is closer than you think” feeling as the first Harry Potter movie, with a strong focus on family and childhood curiosity.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
If you’re drawn to the chosen-one structure of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief offers another teenager discovering he belongs to a much larger, more dangerous world. Instead of witches and wizards, the story centers on Greek gods, demigods and mythological monsters. The TV series on Disney+ is separate, but also enjoyable!
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
This Tim Burton film follows a boy who discovers a hidden refuge for children with unusual abilities. Its boarding-school-adjacent setting, eccentric young characters and darker fantasy tone make it a natural fit for those of us who like the more mysterious corners of Hogwarts.
Coraline
Coraline is darker than many family fantasy films, but that’s part of its appeal. The stop-motion story follows a girl who finds a doorway to a strange alternate version of her life. If you like the eerie atmosphere of Chamber of Secrets or Prisoner of Azkaban, you may find plenty to enjoy here.
How to Train Your Dragon
This one swaps wands for dragons, but the emotional story is familiar: A young outsider finds his place by challenging the rules of the world around him. How to Train Your Dragon is also full of creature bonding and flight sequences, so if you enjoyed Fantastic Beasts, this might be for you too!
The Golden Compass
Based on Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, The Golden Compass follows a young girl drawn into a world of armored bears, daemons (yes, spelled that way) and powerful institutions. It is a good choice for those of us who enjoy magical objects, secretive adults and children uncovering truths bigger than themselves.
Matilda
Matilda is smaller in scale than Harry Potter, but there is definite overlap: A mistreated child discovers extraordinary gifts and uses them to stand up to cruel authority figures. It is funny, strange and satisfying in a way that you may appreciate.
A Monster Calls
This is the most emotional pick on the list. A Monster Calls uses fantasy to tell a story about grief and growing up. It is not a magical adventure in the traditional sense, but it will resonate with fans who connect most with deeper emotional themes.
Paddington 2
It may not seem like an obvious Potter-adjacent choice, but Paddington 2 has several qualities we really love: warmth, British charm, eccentric side characters and a firm belief that kindness matters. The Paddington films also share a notable behind-the-scenes connection with Harry Potter through producer David Heyman’s Heyday Films, which helped produce the first two Paddington movies.
Spirited Away
Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away is one of the best films if you want to enter a fully imagined magical world. Its bathhouse of spirits, strange rules and brave young heroine create the same feeling of being dropped into a place that is beautiful and a little bit dangerous.
The magic of Harry Potter has always come from more than just wands and spells. The films have stuck with us all these years because they pair fantasy with friendship, courage, grief, humor and the feeling of discovering the world might actually still have magic in it. These movies tap into many of those same ideas, giving us new hidden worlds to explore, new heroes to root for and exciting new adventures.
About MuggleNet: MuggleNet has covered the Wizarding World since 1999, offering news, guides, editorials and fan resources for readers around the world.
Featured Image: Warner Brothers Discovery
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