Fantastic Beasts Star Comments on Franchise's Future
Between the disappointing box-office numbers of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore and studio Warner Bros. Discovery scrapping a number of highly anticipated projects, the future of the franchise has been in turmoil for months, with even star Eddie Redmayne confirming he hasn't heard anything about what's next for the Fantastic Beasts franchise. While the original plan for the Harry Potter prequel franchise was to run for five movies, those plans seem to have been put in jeopardy, as Redmayne's comments and reports from other figures at Warner Bros. make it seem like the future for the series is uncertain.
When asked by NME about whether he will be reprising his role of Newt Scamander anytime soon, Redmayne admitted, "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."
Even if his time as up at the magizoologist, Redmayne reflected on his love for the character and whether Newt will be the character he is most known for, confessing, "I have no idea. But I love Newt. So if that's the case, then I'm thrilled by that."
Redmayne debuted as the character in 2016's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, going on to reprise his role in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and The Secrets of Dumbledore. Even with the built-in love of the franchise, each subsequent entry drew both poor critical reactions and dwindling numbers at the box office. Additionally, various figures involved in the franchise have been part of public controversies, which also tempered excitement for the films.
There are all sorts of theories about what the future could hold for the Fantastic Beasts franchise, yet none of them are anything more than conjecture at this point. With two more movies having previously been teased, it's possible that the franchise would instead pivot and combine the events of those installments into one experience. Another theory is that, rather than earning theatrical releases, future installments would instead debut on HBO Max. What would likely be the worst-case scenario for fans is that the franchise is scrapped altogether, leaving audiences to wonder what could be next for the live-action Wizarding World.
Stay tuned for details on the future of the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
What do you want to see in the franchise's future? Let us know in the comments!