The actor Eddie Redmayne recently confirmed what many fans of ‘fantastic beasts‘ they feared: Warner Bros. has decided not to continue with the saga starring Newt Scamander. Although the project was initially conceived as a series of five films, the final two installments failed to replicate the success of the first, leading the studio to rethink its approach to the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise.
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The tumultuous passage of the ‘Fantastic Beasts‘ saga at the box office
The ‘Fantastic Beasts’ saga began with great expectations in 2016, when Warner Bros. released ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (73%)‘. This prequel promised to expand the ‘Harry Potter’ universe by exploring new characters and providing greater depth to the wizarding world, particularly with figures such as Newt Scamander, Gellert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore. The first installment was well received and managed to gross more than $814 million worldwide, which initially justified the studio’s ambition to produce a series of five films. However, the path of the saga became increasingly complex.
Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander (image: Warner Bros.)
Despite expectations, the following installments failed to match the success of the first. ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (48%)‘ was criticized for its convoluted narrative and controversial casting decisions, which affected its reception and box office results. ‘Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore’s Secrets (50%)‘, despite a slight improvement in reviews, failed to surpass $407 million in global revenue, an alarmingly low figure compared to its predecessor.
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Has the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ saga been cancelled?
Rumors about a possible cancellation of the saga had been circulating for some time, but it was Eddie Redmayne, the actor who plays Newt Scamander, who recently confirmed that the story of ‘Fantastic Beasts’ has probably come to an end on the big screen. In an interview with ‘ComicBook’, Redmayne stated that, as far as he knows, fans have seen the last of his character in the movies, although he mentioned that Newt could appear in an attraction at the new Universal theme park in Florida.
“I think you’ve seen the last of Newt… and that’s all I know,” said the actor, hinting that plans for a fourth film have been definitively scrapped.
Warner Bros.’s decision seems to have been influenced not only by the decline at the box office, but also by the mixed feedback from fans and critics towards the last two installments. This measure, although disappointing for fans of Newt Scamander and company, has not been a total surprise given the difficulty of sustaining a franchise with such fluctuating success.
‘Dumbledore’s Secrets’ poster (image: IMDb)
What is the future of the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise?
With the closure of ‘Fantastic Beasts’, Warner Bros. has decided to redirect its efforts to expand the ‘Harry Potter’ universe in a way that captures both new generations and long-time fans. One of the most notable projects is a television series in development for Max that will revisit JK Rowling’s original stories, with a completely renewed cast and an approach that aims to delve even deeper into the magical world. This decision by Warner has generated controversy among fans, who mostly consider that the story of ‘Harry Potter’ has already been successfully told in the original films.
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