Fantastic Beasts actor Eddie Redmayne addresses the possibility of a fourth Fantastic Beasts film and the future of the Harry Potter franchise.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Fantastic Beasts front-man Eddie Redmayne has revealed that the future of the Harry Potter spinoff franchise and the possibility of a fourth film remains uncertain. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them debuted in 2016 following the box office success of the original Harry Potter films, which ran from 2001 to 2011. Hoping to capitalize on the franchise’s success, Warner Bros. is expanding the Wizarding World with the story of Newt Scamander, played by Danish Girl actor Eddie Redmayne.
While the debut Fantastic Beasts film performed well at the box office, the subsequent second and third movies in the franchise, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, were less successful, with the most recent film seriously underperforming when it hit theaters in 2022.
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In a recent NME interview, Redmayne discussed the franchise’s potential future and whether fans could expect to see a Fantastic Beasts 4 any time soon. Redmayne confirmed, however, that, as far as he is aware, there is no fourth film in the works at Warner Bros. Redmayne’s comment aligns well with a report released by Variety in November 2022, which claimed that no more films in the franchise were currently in development.
“I mean, at the moment, there’s nothing that I’m aware of. So, as I’m aware, it’s not something that’s on the cards.” Redmayne said.
Related: Fantastic Beasts 4: Should the Sequel Still Happen?
What Does the Future Hold for the Harry Potter Franchise?
Warner Bros.
While the original 8 Harry Potter movies succeeded at the box office between 2001 and 2011, the Fantastic Beasts films never quite lived up to the hype of the original franchise, with the latter two Fantastic Beasts films being accused of relying too heavily on Harry Potter franchise nostalgia and failing to push the story of the Wizarding World forward in fresh and exciting ways. Similarly, the Fantastic Beasts franchise suffered from controversy relating to Johnny Depp’s recasting as Grindelwald and the ongoing controversy surrounding Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who has been accused of making transphobic comments online.
With Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore underperforming at the box office, the cinematic future of the Wizarding World is uncertain. That being said, it is unlikely that the Harry Potter franchise will stay down for long, especially considering that the franchise is one of the most valuable pieces of intellectual property owned by Warner Bros. Discovery at the moment.
HBO Max executive Sarah Aubrey reported in November that the company is “thinking of what to do next” when it comes to the future of the Harry Potter franchise. However, what this future will look like remains to be seen. One potential future could see a film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Rowling’s highly successful stage play, a possibility that has been discussed, at length, by Warner Bros. executives. While no Cursed Child adaption has been confirmed, the play has performed exceptionally well with fans of the Harry Potter franchise.
Regardless of the exact future fans can expect for Harry Potter, it seems almost certain that Warner Bros. Discovery will be more strategic when approaching the beloved franchise after the poor performance of the third (and final?) Fantastic Beasts film.
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