Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire currently beats Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 61–39

The franchise's first death edges out its most atmospheric entry.

VS
61% 39%
Based on 49 head-to-head votes across 1 bracket

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The Verdict Franchise Civil War

Newell's Goblet of Fire has the advantage of introducing stakes the franchise hadn't risked before — Cedric's death in the graveyard is the moment Harry Potter stopped being children's entertainment and started being something children had to process. Yates's Half-Blood Prince is the moodier, more visually sophisticated film — the desaturated palette, the burning Burrow, the cave's Inferi. But sophistication without the shock of precedent can feel like refinement rather than revelation. The lead says the film that changed what the franchise could do outperforms the one that refined what the franchise had become.

The Numbers

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Head-to-Head 61% 39%
Overall Win Rate 56% 40%
Championships 6 3
Avg Decision 3.5s 3.3s
Budget $150M $250M
Box Office $896M $934M

Where This Matchup Sits

BingeBracket has 73 Adventure films. Both land somewhere in the middle.

Looking at shared opponents, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban stands above both of them on the platform. For all their differences, neither film can get past it.