Harry Potter Spin-Off Put on Hold, No Immediate Sequel in Sight
Director David Yates reveals that there won't be another Harry Potter spin-off anytime soon, as the initial plan of having five films was unknown to him This update leaves fans eagerly awaiting further developments in the Fantastic Beasts series
David Yates, the director responsible for all three installments of the Fantastic Beasts film series, recently disclosed that the franchise is currently on hold. Surprisingly, Yates admitted that he had no prior knowledge of J.K. Rowling's original intention to span the series across five films. Speaking with Total Film (via Variety), Yates mentioned that the Fantastic Beasts team is currently on a hiatus.
We produced all three movies, including the latest one during a pandemic, which brought both enjoyment and challenges. Filming took place without the availability of a vaccine, but fortunately, nobody fell ill thanks to our strict protocols. We take great pride in 'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore', and upon its release, we felt the need to take a pause and relax.
Concerns arose among fans about the future of Fantastic Beasts, primarily due to the underperformance of 'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore' at the box office. The movie initially generated a domestic revenue of $43 million, which falls short considering its $200 million production cost.
During the interview, Yates expressed his surprise about the idea of having five films. He first learned about this during a press screening, as no one had informed him earlier that J.K. Rowling intended to continue the series even after starting production on the first movie.
"We didn't know there would be five films; we had only committed to the first one… I'm certain that we will return at some point. However, I haven't had any discussions with Jo, David Heyman, or Warner Bros. We are currently taking a break, and it's actually quite enjoyable."
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore, released last year, left us underwhelmed as it failed to live up to the magnificent legacy of the original series. Once considered an unstoppable jewel in the Wizarding World movie franchise, this lackluster trilogy of films falls short in comparison.
