The Marauders Part II: The Great Wizarding War is a 2014 Fantasy War film directed by Christopher Nolan from a screenplay he co-wrote with his brother Jonathan. Based on the characters from Harry Potter, it is the sequel to The Marauders Part I: The Gathering Storm (2013) and the second installment in The Marauders Trilogy. The film follows the Marauders and the Order Of The Phoenix as they form an alliance to dismantle the war in Great Britain. Their efforts are derailed by the intervention of Barty Crouch Jr, an anarchistic mastermind who seeks to test how far the Marauders will go to save the day from complete chaos. The ensemble cast includes Aaron Taylor Johnson, Ben Barnes, Andrew Garfield, Dane Dehaan, Karen Gillan, Hailee Steinfeld, Zendaya, Natalia Dyer, Louis Garrel, Timothee Chalamet, Katie McGrath, Aidan Turner, Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Sarah Gadon, Harry Lloyd, Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Charlie Heaton, Liam Neeson, Brendon Gleason, Ralph Fiennes and Tom Hiddleston
Warner Bros. Pictures prioritized a sequel following the success of The Marauders Part I. Nolan developed the core story elements alongside Gathering Storm co-writer David S. Goyer, making Frye the central protagonist and tragic hero caught in the battle between The Marauders And The Death Eaters. In writing the screenplay, the Nolans were influenced by various 1980s Batman comics and crime drama films and sought to continue Begins' heightened reality tone. Filming took place from April to November 2013, on a $185 million budget, in Chicago, Hong Kong, and on sets in England. The Marauders Part II was the fifth major motion picture filmed with high-resolution IMAX cameras. Nolan avoided using computer-generated imagery unless necessary, insisting on practical stunts including flipping an 18-wheel truck and blowing up a factory.
The Marauders Part II: The Great Wizarding War was marketed with an innovative interactive viral campaign initially focused on countering criticism of Heaton's casting by those who believed he was a poor choice to portray Barty Crouch Jr. Paul Walker was meant to play the character but died from a car accident in November 2013, leading to widespread interest from the press and public regarding his performance. Released in July, The Marauders Part II: The Great Wizarding War broke several box office records and became the highest-grossing film of the year, fourth-highest-grossing film of its time. It received critical acclaim for its mature tone and themes, visual style, and performances, particularly Heaton's. He received several posthumous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, making The Marauders Part II: The Great Wizarding War the first comic book film to receive a major Academy Award.
Since its release, The Marauders Part II has been assessed as one of the greatest fantasy films ever made, one of the best films of the 2010s, and among the best films ever made. It is considered the "blueprint" for modern fantasy films, particularly for rejecting a book style for a genre film that happens to feature book characters. Many filmmakers sought to repeat its success by emulating its gritty and realistic tone to varying degrees of success. The Marauders Part II has been analyzed for its themes regarding terrorism, war, as well as the limitations of morality and ethics. The United States Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2020. A sequel, The Marauders Part III: The End Of The Era, concluded The Marauders Trilogy in 2015.
