The Most Iconic Book-to-Film Adaptations in the History of Cinema

20. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Image Source: Journal Sentinel files/USA TODAY

The film is based on the book of the same name by J.K. Rowling. It’s the third in her wildly popular Harry Potter series. Before Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron came on board to direct the film, the series was very much a straightforward, by-the-book adaptation. Cuaron’s entrance into the Harry Potter franchise would set the tone for a more complex adaptation of children’s books, and was a landmark achievement for contemporary cinema.