Which Harry Potter film was the first in the series to be directed by David Yates?

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was the first Harry Potter film directed by David Yates.

Released in 2007, the fifth film introduced Yates to the series. He subsequently directed the remaining four main Harry Potter films, making him the director responsible for the largest continuous portion of the franchise’s cinematic conclusion.

Yates brought a more restrained and politically focused style to the story, which centres on the Ministry of Magic’s refusal to accept Voldemort’s return. The film also features Harry’s resistance group and the authoritarian Hogwarts administration under Dolores Umbridge.

Earlier films had been directed by Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón and Mike Newell. Yates’s first Harry Potter film therefore followed three different directors, rather than continuing with a single director from the beginning.