Harry Potter: A Highly Profitable Franchise, But Fantastic Beasts Struggle
Harry Potter is one of the most successful franchises in the world, known to almost everyone. Many people grew up with JK Rowling’s novels and the subsequent films. It has been over ten years since the release of the last film and seven years since Harry Potter and the Cursed Child hit the shelves. However, the fanbase of this magical universe is still vast, as evidenced by the success of Hogwarts Legacy and the continuous sales of related products.
Despite the controversies surrounding the author, the Wizarding World continues to captivate and enchant, offering a comforting space for many. The eight feature films alone generated over $7.7 billion at the box office, making it a tremendous success for Warner Bros., the rights holder. With such a lucrative license, Warner Bros. quickly announced a new film series, focusing on the relationship and conflict between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, set in the 1930s.
However, instead of making Dumbledore the main character, the screenwriters decided to highlight Norbert Scamander, the author of the manual on fantastic animals studied by Hogwarts students. Unfortunately, the three films in the Fantastic Beasts series did not receive the same level of acclaim. While the first film generated $814 million, the following two installments, The Crimes of Grindelwald and The Secrets of Dumbledore, performed less impressively, earning $653 million and $400 million respectively. Warner Bros. took note of this decline, and in a recent interview with Total Films, David Yates confirmed that there are no immediate plans for further Fantastic Beasts films.
The Franchise’s Return to Cinema: A Hopeful Director, But Uncertainty Remains
The reviews for Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore’s Secrets were far from complimentary. The film introduced Mads Mikkelsen as Gellert Grindelwald after Johnny Depp was sidelined. Critics noted that the plot struggled to advance, the stakes were limited, and the impact of the trilogy on the Wizarding World universe remained minimal. In short, the last film, as well as the entire trilogy, was criticized for its lack of substance. Surprisingly, David Yates seemed unaware that the plan was to produce five films:
At present, the Fantastic Beasts franchise remains on hiatus, with Warner Bros. shifting their focus to the series that will reboot the Harry Potter story. Fans will need to exercise extraordinary patience before potentially witnessing the return of Fantastic Beasts. Nothing is set in stone, yet David Yates firmly believes that it will happen. However, he has not discussed the matter with producer David Heyman, Warner Bros., or even JK Rowling. Meanwhile, David Yates has just released Bread Hustlers, a thriller available on Netflix featuring Chris Evans, Emily Blunt, Andy Garcia, and Catherine O’Hara.
