Warner Brothers finally gave the third “Fantastic Beasts” movie the go-ahead. The film was previously delayed due to the second film’s inadequate performance at the box office. However, production is now set for spring 2020, according to Deadline.
Here’s What We Know
Most of the previous cast is returning including Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein, Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski and Katherine Waterston as Tina Goldstein. Other big returners are Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore and Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald. Jessica Williams, who had a small part in the second film, will have a bigger role in the third as Professor Eulalie Hicks, according to Deadline.
David Yates is returning to direct the third film. He also directed the final four “Harry Potter” films, as well as the previous “Fantastic Beasts” films. J.K Rowling and Steve Kloves will team up again to write the screenplay.
The third film in the “Harry Potter” spinoff was originally set to shoot this past summer, but production needed more time, according to Deadline. Perhaps more preparation can solve the franchise’s current fatigue issue. The “Fantastic Beasts” series was expected to produce five films in total, but with the second film’s lower box office numbers, that might not be the case.
The First Two Films
After the “Harry Potter” franchise’s huge success, it only made sense to continue delving into the Wizarding World. “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” was a school textbook in the “Harry Potter” films. In 2001, Rowling published the textbook to raise money for the British charity Comic Relief. The textbook went on to inspire the idea behind the new film series.
The new series began in 2016 with “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” The film takes place in New York City in the 1920s. It follows Scamander and his suitcase of magical creatures. According to Box Office Mojo, the film made over $74 million on opening weekend and grossed over $814 million in total. This was pretty good when looking at it compared to the least successful “Harry Potter” film. “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” made over $77 opening weekend but grossed over $939 million.
The second film “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” premiered in 2018 but didn’t do nearly as well as the first film. It made over $62 million opening weekend and only grossed about $653.8 million worldwide. No, these numbers don’t seem too bad at first glance. However, this was the lowest grossing installment of the Wizarding World franchise, according to Box Office Mojo.
The Critics
Unlike the first spinoff, the second film didn’t receive the best critical responses. The first film scored a 75% on the Tomatometer while the second only scored 37%. Many critics said the film just wasn’t nearly as strong as the first. Variety’s Andrew Barker said the film was a “cluttered expansion of the Harry Potter franchise” and pointed out the film’s dullness.
Chicago Reader’s Leah Pickett said the film felt hollow and disconnected, like it could have been made by anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of Rowling’s wizarding world.”
The third film is expected to hit theaters in November 2021. This will be 3 years after the previous film. We’ll see if the longer gap between films can help revive the “Harry Potter” spinoff.
