The Portable Door

The Portable Door follows Paul Carpenter, a young man who takes an internship at J.W. Wells & Co., a London firm that appears ordinary on the surface but is staffed by employers with very unusual habits. Paired with fellow intern Sophie Pettingel, Paul gradually understands that the company operates in the world of magic, and that its chief executive, Humphrey Wells, intends to reshape ancient magical practice using the methods of modern business. Before long Paul is drawn into a search for a powerful magical door. The film is an adventure comedy with fantasy elements, based on the novel by Tom Holt.

Jeffrey Walker directed, working from a screenplay by Leon Ford. It sits between Walker's earlier features Dance Academy: The Movie and Riot, and the later FING!, and was produced by Lisa Henson, Todd Fellman and Blanca Lista, with The Jim Henson Company among the production companies. Patrick Gibson leads as Paul, with Sophie Wilde as Sophie, Christoph Waltz as Humphrey Wells, Sam Neill as Dennis Tanner and Damon Herriman as Monty Smith-Gregg. The credited cast numbers 36.

Released in 2023 and running 116 minutes, the film drew a modest audience response: on IMDb it holds 6.1 out of 10 from 7,840 votes, and on TMDB 6.5 out of 10 from 292 votes. A film critics' rating of 6.6 out of 10 from 16 reviews places critical opinion slightly above the broader viewer scores, though all three figures sit in similar territory.