Will There Be Another Fantastic Beasts Movie

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is the third Fantastic Beasts movie, but will there be another Fantastic Beasts movie? The first film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was generally well-received by critics and audiences and earned over $800 million at the worldwide box office (Box Office Mojo). This called for the sequel to be thrown into immediate production. The second film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, was less successful. It earned $150 million less at the box office (Box Office Mojo) and is currently the worst-reviewed film in the Wizarding World franchise on Rotten Tomatoes.

Still, a third film was placed into production by Warner Bros. with David Yates directing, meaning Fantastic Beasts 3 would make/break the franchise. The third film was released in April 2022 and threw the franchise’s chances of lasting the planned five films into doubt. So, will there be another Fantastic Beasts movie? Unfortunately, it is unlikely Fantastic Beasts will see another film released to follow The Secrets of Dumbledore. Despite the middling response to both the second and third films, there are glimpses throughout of the greatness this franchise could have achieved if Warner Bros. had stuck to the initial plan of a trilogy. However, there are several reasons why Fantastic Beasts 3 will end the series and will likely be the last adventure in the Wizarding World for a while.

Related: Voldemort And Grindewald – Who Is More Dangerous?

Why Fantastic Beasts 3 Is Probably The Last One

The answer to “will there be another Fantastic Beasts movie?” is tricky. The first major problem for the series is the continued diminishing box office returns. Warner Bros. insisted on only green lighting the final two installments should the critical and commercial reception of Fantastic Beasts 3 be deemed successful. It doesn’t bode well then, that Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’s worldwide gross is sitting at around $396 million (Box Office Mojo). This is a significantly smaller return than The Crimes of Grindelwald and holds the lowest opening-weekend gross of any Wizarding World movie, and the lowest worldwide total by a significant margin. Also, at a budget of $200 million, the film has likely failed to break even when taking into account marketing expenses.

On top of this, Fantastic Beasts 2 and Fantastic Beasts 3 received similar reviews. While many considered it a slight improvement over its predecessor, the criticisms over its meandering plot, unnecessary filler material, and seemingly low stakes led to the film being the second-worst reviewed film, behind only The Crimes of Grindelwald. Also, the controversy over Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s trial certainly didn’t help the film. While many critics agree that Mads Mikkelsen’s performance was an improvement over Depp’s, the controversy surrounding the situation and Depp’s trial was only a hindrance to the production.

With Warner Bros. greenlighting both the second and third installments back in 2016, even before the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the fact that the final two films haven’t yet started production is a worry. It is likely Warner Bros. saw the middling response to the film in both the critical and commercial worlds and put the franchise on hold. It is safe to assume given the response to the film and lack of response from Warner Bros. that Fantastic Beasts 3 may be the last film in the Wizarding World franchise.

The Entire Harry Potter Franchise Is Controversial Right Now

Over the past few years, the entirety of the Harry Potter franchise has faced a multitude of controversies. J.K. Rowling has received some rightful heat regarding her views on transgender rights, especially after she took to Twitter to rehash her arguably hateful opinions. Ezra Miller, who plays Credence Barebone/Aurelius Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts, is under investigation for assault charges. Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against Amber Heard finally came to an end, but not before his role was recast with Mads Mikkelsen. Finally, on top of all of this, complaints from developers for the new Hogwarts Legacy game have proved that they were strained under poor working conditions. All in all, the Harry Potter franchise has had controversy piled on top of controversy.

RELATED: Why Johnny Depp Was Recast As Grindelwald In Fantastic Beasts 3Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore‘s poor reviews only add fuel to the fire, and make the continuation of the franchise uncertain. David Yates is already scheduled to direct something else, which could mean the proverbial nail in the coffin. It might be better for the Harry Potter franchise as a whole if a clean break is made and the Wizarding World isn’t revisited for a while.

Eddie Redmayne Is Doubtful About Fantastic Beasts 4

Since filming the third Fantastic Beasts movie, Eddie Redmayne has kept himself busy. He’s appeared in Netflix limited series and on the stage in London. When being interviewed by NME about his work on stage in Cabaret, Redmayne, who stars in the Fantastic Beasts movies as Newt Scamander, was asked about his role as Newt. While Redmayne explained that he loved playing the character and would be “thrilled” for him to be remembered for the role, he wasn’t sure about there being more movies on the way.

In fact, when NME asked him directly about a fourth Fantastic Beasts movie, Redmayne explained that he hadn’t been contacted about any more movies. He termed another chapter in the Fantastic Beasts movies, “not something that’s on the cards.” While that might disappoint fans of his work, it will provide a breather from the Wizarding World until a brand-new story can be told.

More: Everything We Know About Fantastic Beasts 4