Both the Twilight and Harry Potter film series were highly successful at the box office, captivating audiences with their magical worlds of vampires and wizards. But when it comes to which franchise made more money, there is a clear winner.
Opening Weekend Gross
The first metric to examine is the opening weekend box office gross for each franchise’s first film. This establishes the starting point for each series.
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone opened to $90.3 million in November 2001.
- Twilight debuted to $69.6 million in November 2008.
Right out of the gate, Harry Potter had a higher opening weekend than Twilight, making over $20 million more. The Sorcerer’s Stone would go on to make $317.6 million domestically for its total box office run.
Total Franchise Box Office
Looking at the entire box office run for each complete franchise paints a definitive picture. The Harry Potter series is the clear winner in terms of total box office gross.
| Movie | Box Office Gross |
|---|---|
| Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone | $317,577,947 |
| Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | $261,988,482 |
| Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | $249,541,069 |
| Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | $290,013,036 |
| Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | $292,004,738 |
| Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | $301,959,197 |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 | $295,983,305 |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 | $381,011,219 |
| Total | $2,390,078,993 |
| Twilight | $192,769,854 |
| The Twilight Saga: New Moon | $296,623,634 |
| The Twilight Saga: Eclipse | $300,531,751 |
| The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 | $281,287,133 |
| The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 | $292,324,737 |
| Total | $1,363,537,109 |
The Harry Potter films have made $2.39 billion at the worldwide box office compared to $1.36 billion for the Twilight series. That’s a difference of over $1 billion in favor of Harry Potter.
Highest Grossing Film in Each Franchise
Looking at the highest grossing installment in each series also shows Harry Potter’s dominance.
- Highest grossing Harry Potter movie: Deathly Hallows Part 2 with $381 million
- Highest grossing Twilight movie: New Moon with $296 million
The final Harry Potter film made significantly more than any Twilight movie, beating out New Moon by $85 million. Deathly Hallows Part 2 is the only film between the two franchises to gross over $300 million domestically.
Worldwide Box Office
On top of its domestic haul, Harry Potter also handily beat Twilight at the global box office.
| Movie | Worldwide Gross |
|---|---|
| Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone | $974,755,371 |
| Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | $879,275,827 |
| Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | $796,688,549 |
| Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | $896,911,078 |
| Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | $939,885,929 |
| Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | $934,416,487 |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 | $960,283,305 |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 | $1,341,511,219 |
| Total | $7,723,727,765 |
| Twilight | $392,616,625 |
| The Twilight Saga: New Moon | $709,827,462 |
| The Twilight Saga: Eclipse | $698,491,347 |
| The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 | $712,205,856 |
| The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 | $829,746,458 |
| Total | $3,342,887,748 |
Globally, the Harry Potter films have earned over $7.7 billion while Twilight sits at $3.34 billion. The margin is even greater worldwide, with Harry Potter making more than double what Twilight achieved.
Critical Reception
In addition to its superior box office earnings, the Harry Potter franchise was received much better critically than Twilight.
- Harry Potter film scores on Rotten Tomatoes range from 78% to 96%, with all eight films “Certified Fresh.”
- Twilight scores range from 49% to 75%, with three of the five films scoring below 65%.
Reviewers praised the Harry Potter films for their faithfulness to the books, stellar acting performances, imaginative visuals, and ability to balance lightness and darkness. Twilight was criticized for wooden acting, melodramatic storytelling, and over-reliance on visual effects.
Impact on Stars’ Careers
Both franchises helped launch their young stars into A-list fame, but Harry Potter did so much more given its ubiquity and longevity.
- Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have enjoyed thriving careers since Harry Potter wrapped.
- Robert Pattinson has found indie success, but Kristen Stewart is the only Twilight lead whose stardom has endured.
Several Harry Potter alumni like Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis and Evanna Lynch have also maintained steady acting work and popularity with fans. The massive fandom surrounding Potter has propelled more of its cast into enduring fame.
Pop Culture Impact
As massively successful as Twilight was, Harry Potter has left a far deeper mark on pop culture and public consciousness.
- Harry Potter spawned a massive merchandising empire covering books, toys, apparel, and even a theme park.
- Twilight had a merch line in Hot Topic stores, but nowhere near Potter’s penetration throughout all retail.
- Both inspired fan fiction, but Harry Potter’s universe has proven far more creatively inspiring over time.
Phrases like “the boy who lived” and “He who must not be named” are familiar parts of the cultural lexicon. Harry Potter has inspired an endless wave of creative works from fans over multiple generations.
Why Harry Potter Won Out
There are several reasons why Harry Potter handily bested Twilight financially and culturally:
- Wider appeal – Harry Potter drew in fans young and old, male and female. Twilight skewed heavily toward teen girls.
- Length of series – 8 HP books versus 4 Twilight books allowed more room for plot and character growth.
- Deep mythology – The wizarding world was vastly detailed with intricate characters and locations.
- Character depth – Harry, Ron, and Hermione were far richer characters than Edward and Bella.
- Optimistic tone – Harry Potter balanced whimsy and tragedy. Twilight trended melodramatic.
- Strong writing – J.K. Rowling’s prose and plotting were inventive and complex.
- Better films – Higher quality directors and producers ensured Harry Potter films were well-executed.
Ultimately, Harry Potter tapped into the hearts of all generations with its epic yet intimate story. Twilight sparked a fervent fandom, but couldn’t quite breach Harry Potter’s cultural dominance.
Conclusion
While both hugely successful franchises, Harry Potter thoroughly surpassed Twilight by just about every metric. It earned over $1 billion more at the worldwide box office. Critics preferred its films. It launched its cast farther. And it left a deeper mark on pop culture. Harry Potter captured lighting in a bottle, becoming a touchstone series across decades. Twilight was a flash phenomenon that couldn’t match Harry’s long-lasting magic.