Fantastic Beastsfront-manEddie Redmaynehas revealed that the future of theHarry Potterspinoff franchise and the possibility of a fourth film remains uncertain.Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themdebuted in 2016 following the box office success of the originalHarry Potterfilms, 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 byDanish Girlactor Eddie Redmayne.
While the debutFantastic Beastsfilm performed well at the box office, the subsequent second and third movies in the franchise,Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of GrindelwaldandFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,were less successful, with the most recent film seriously underperforming when it hit theaters in 2022.
In a recentNMEinterview, Redmayne discussed the franchise’s potential future and whether fans could expect to see aFantastic Beasts 4any 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 byVarietyin 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?
While the original 8Harry Pottermovies succeeded at the box office between 2001 and 2011, theFantastic Beastsfilms never quite lived up to the hype of the original franchise, with the latter twoFantastic Beastsfilms being accused of relying too heavily onHarry Potterfranchise nostalgia and failing to push the story of the Wizarding World forward in fresh and exciting ways. Similarly, theFantastic Beastsfranchise suffered from controversy relating to Johnny Depp’s recasting as Grindelwald and the ongoing controversy surroundingHarry Potterauthor J.K. Rowling, who has been accused of making transphobic comments online.
WithFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledoreunderperforming at the box office, the cinematic future of the Wizarding World is uncertain. That being said, it is unlikely that theHarry Potterfranchise 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 theHarry Potterfranchise. However, what this future will look like remains to be seen. One potential future could see a film adaptation ofHarry Potter and the Cursed Child, Rowling’s highly successful stage play, a possibility that has been discussed, at length, by Warner Bros. executives. While noCursed Childadaption has been confirmed, the play has performed exceptionally well with fans of theHarry Potterfranchise.
Regardless of the exact future fans can expect forHarry 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 Beastsfilm.
