The Harry Potter franchise has been printing money ever since it first arrived in theaters nearly two decades ago. Though the original series wrapped up in 2011, the Fantastic Beasts spinoffs were supposed to continue dominating the box office for years to come. Unfortunately, though, it seems like the public might be starting to grow tired of the wizard world.
Last year’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was disappointing both critically and financially for Warner Bros., marking the lowest-grossing installment of the magical franchise thus far. Though the studio had plans for three more sequels, some wondered whether they’d actually go forward with them in the wake of such a letdown. These rumors heated up when it was announced that the next film would be delayed due to audiences’ lackluster response to the last feature.
Now, it appears those concerns have been brushed aside. On Monday, Fantastic Beasts 3 was officially issued the green light after script rewrites and the addition of longtime Harry Potter screenwriter Steve Kloves. Apparently, executives are hoping that he can help steady the series going forward.
More importantly, though, Warner Bros. is reportedly planning on finishing the five-film series, meaning we’ll be getting three more outings. They’re hoping that the next movie can get the franchise back on track and in order to do this, they’re trying to give the fans exactly what they want.
Fantastic Beasts 3 is set to feature even more of Hogwarts and Jude Law’s Dumbledore. Whether or not the next film can provide a much-needed bounce back for the cinematic universe remains to be seen, but the studio knows that they can’t give up so soon on a franchise that’s been such a big moneymaker for them in the past.
The upcoming Fantastic Beasts movie will be released in two years’ time, on November 12th, 2021.