Director Provides Update on the Future of the Fantastic Beasts Franchise Amid Uncertainty Surrounding the 5-Movie Plan

Summary

David Yates, who directed all three Fantastic Beasts movies and four Harry Potter films, casts doubt on the future of the spinoff franchise.

The Fantastic Beasts franchise, which was supposed to consist of five movies according to Yates, is now "parked". The last two films in the series received lukewarm feedback, and The Secrets of Dumbledore failed to meet commercial expectations. This indicates that it may be in the franchise's best interest not to proceed with the spinoff saga.

Harry Potter veteran director David Yates, who helmed all the Fantastic Beasts films, raises skepticism about the future of the spinoff saga. In an attempt to exploit the long-lasting adoration for the Harry Potter franchise, Warner Bros. released Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in 2016. The spinoff's triumph resulted in the creation of two follow-up installments, with the latest one hitting theaters in the previous year; however, both received lukewarm reactions.

Following the disappointing box office performance of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, director Yates recently revealed in an interview with the Inside Total Film podcast that the franchise is currently on hold. Originally, there were plans to tell Newt Scamander's story across five movies, but it seems that those plans have changed. Yates expressed his thoughts in the following comment:

"With Beasts, everything is currently on hold. We successfully completed the three movies, with the last one being filmed during a pandemic. It was a challenging but enjoyable experience. We had rigorous protocols in place to ensure the safety of everyone involved, and fortunately, no one fell ill."

We are immensely proud of [Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore]. However, once it was released worldwide, we felt the need to pause and take a break. The news about there being five films came as a surprise to most of us. During a press screening, J.K. Rowling casually mentioned it without prior notification. Initially, we had only committed to the first film.

Eventually, I'm sure we will return. But for now, I have not had any conversations with Jo, David Heyman, or Warner Bros. We are simply taking this pause, which is actually quite refreshing.

Harry Potter Doesn't Need More Fantastic Beasts Movies

The Harry Potter films continue to be a major success for Warner Bros., consistently performing well at the box office and receiving positive reviews. As a result, it was expected that the studio would collaborate with controversial author J.K. Rowling to adapt her spinoff novel, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. While the first movie was well-received both critically and commercially, the subsequent installments experienced a decline in their success.

With a 36% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, released in 2018, holds the record for being the lowest-rated film in the Harry Potter universe. This marked a significant setback for the Wizarding World franchise. The sequel's storyline was not as strong, and the controversy surrounding the personal life of actor Johnny Depp, who portrayed Grindelwald, further impacted the film's reception. Although the third film showed some improvement, it ultimately solidified that the franchise lacked the same magic and momentum as the original Harry Potter series.

The ending of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore leaves a few loose ends, but it manages to tie up enough of them to be deemed a satisfactory conclusion to the franchise. However, despite the excellent performances, a significant issue for the spinoff series is that it appears more suited for a standalone adventure rather than a trilogy or even a five-film saga. With the upcoming Harry Potter TV show reboot, it appears that audiences shouldn't anticipate any further Fantastic Beasts escapades.