Which Harry Potter film was the first in the series to receive a PG-13 rating in the United States?

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was the first Harry Potter film to receive a PG-13 rating in the United States.

The Motion Picture Association gave the fourth film its PG-13 rating for sequences of violence, frightening images and thematic material. The earlier films had received lower ratings, although the series had steadily become darker as its young characters grew older and Voldemort’s return approached.

The fourth film includes the dangerous Triwizard Tournament, the death of Cedric Diggory and Voldemort’s physical return. Those events give the movie a more serious tone than the early school-adventure stories and help explain the rating change.

The rating system is American and should not be confused with classifications used in the United Kingdom or other countries. A PG-13 rating means some material may be inappropriate for children under thirteen, but it is not the same as an adults-only classification.