Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Headed Towards Franchise Low Opening Weekend at the Box Office

By Jamie Lovett - April 16, 2022 01:30 pm EDT

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is getting a slow start at the domestic box office, with the series' lowest projected opening weekend yet. After a $20 million first day on Friday, including $6 million from Thursday night previews, The Secrets of Dumbledore is headed towards an opening weekend total of $40-44 million. That's a significant drop from The Crimes of Grindelwald's $62.1 million in 2018, a drop from the original Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them's $75-million debut in 2016. It's worth considering that many franchises struggle in their third outings, and The Secrets of Dumbledore is releasing in the COVID-19 era when expectations are already lower, but this still does not bode well for Warner Bros. Discovery's reevaluation of the Fantastic Beasts series' future.

Critics are generally not warming to the latest Wizards World film, which carries a rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes. ComicBook.com's Patrick Cavanaugh gave the film a mixed review:

"The bar feels so low for the Fantastic Beasts franchise, that even by being an inoffensive exploration of the Wizarding World that moves by relatively painlessly feels like a victory, especially thanks to finding the right chemistry between all of the characters to make the adventure feel organic. Toss in some direct connections to Hogwarts itself while also elucidating on Dumbledore's background, and you have what is likely the best entry into this franchise yet, even if there's still a lot of work to be done."

What do you think of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore's weak box office opening? Let us know how you feel about it in the comments section. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is now playing in theaters. A full list of the top films at the domestic box office this weekend follows.

1. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

fantastic-beasts-3-secrets-dumbledore-reviews-critics-mixed-score.jpg — (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Opening Weekend
Total: $40 million

Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful, dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts magizoologist Newt Scamander to lead an intrepid team of wizards and witches. They soon encounter an array of old and new beasts as they clash with Grindelwald's growing legion of followers.

David Yates directed Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore from a screenplay written by J. K. Rowling and Steve Kloves. The film stars Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, Katherine Waterston, and Mads Mikkelsen.

2. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Week Two
Weekend: $26.5 million
Total: $116.1 million

After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove that he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns with a new partner, Knuckles, in search of a mystical emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.

Jeff Fowler directs Sonic the Hedgehog 2 from a script written by Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington. The film stars Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Shemar Moore, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Lee Majdoub, Idris Elba, and Jim Carrey.

3. The Lost City

Week Four
Weekend: $26.5 million
Total: $116.1 million

Reclusive author Loretta Sage writes about exotic places in her popular adventure novels that feature a handsome cover model named Alan. While on tour promoting her new book with Alan, Loretta gets kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire who hopes she can lead him to an ancient city's lost treasure from her latest story. Determined to prove he can be a hero in real life and not just on the pages of her books, Alan sets off to rescue her.

Aaron and Adam Nee directed The Lost City from a screenplay they co-wrote with Oren Uziel and Dana Fox, from Seth Gordon's story. The film stars Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Brad Pitt.

4. Everything Everywhere All at Once

everything-everywhere-all-at-once-movie-2022-michelle-yeoh.jpg — (Photo: A24)

Week Four
Weekend: $5.1 million
Total: $16.6 million

When an interdimensional rupture unravels reality, an unlikely hero must channel her newfound powers to fight bizarre and bewildering dangers from the multiverse as the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert directed Everything Everywhere All at Once. The film stars Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Jr., James Hong, and Jamie Lee Curtis.

5. Father Stu

Opening Weekend
Total: $7 million

When an injury ends his amateur boxing career, Stuart Long moves to Los Angeles to find money and fame. While scraping by as a supermarket clerk, he meets Carmen, a Sunday school teacher who seems immune to his bad-boy charm. Determined to win her over, the longtime agnostic starts going to church to impress her. However, a motorcycle accident leaves him wondering if he can use his second chance to help others, leading to the surprising realization that he's meant to be a Catholic priest.

Rosalind Ross wrote and directed Father Stu, based on the true story of Stuart Long. The films stars Mark Wahlberg, Jacki Weaver, and Mel Gibson.

6. Morbius

Week Three
Weekend: $4.2 million
Total: $64.6 million

Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others from the same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside of him is soon unleashed.

Daniel Espinosa directed Morbius from a screenplay by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. The film stars Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson.

7. Ambulance

Week Two
Weekend: $3.7 million
Total: $15.3 million

Needing money to cover his wife's medical bills, a decorated veteran teams up with his adoptive brother to steal $32 million from a Los Angeles bank. However, when their getaway goes spectacularly wrong, the desperate thieves hijack an ambulance that's carrying a severely wounded cop and an EMT worker. Caught in a high-speed chase, the two siblings must figure out a way to outrun the law while keeping their hostages alive.

Michael Bay directed Ambulance based on the Danish film of the same name by Laurits Munch-Petersen and Lars Andreas Pedersen. The movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Eiza González.

8. The Batman

Week Seven
Weekend: $3.5 million
Total: $364.7 million

Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert directed Everything Everywhere All at Once. The film stars Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Jr., James Hong, and Jamie Lee Curtis.

K.G.F.: Chapter 2 (Hindi)

Opening Weekend
Weekend: $1.52 millilon
Total: $1.85 million

In the blood-soaked Kolar Gold Fields, Rocky's name strikes fear into his foes. While his allies look up to him, the government sees him as a threat to law and order, and Rocky must battle threats from all sides.

Prashanth Neel wrote and directed K.G.F.: Chapter 2. The film stars Yash, Sanjay Dutt, Srinidhi Shetty, Raveena Tandon, and Prakash Raj

10. K.G.F. Chapter 2

Opening Weekend
Weekend: $1.44 million
Total: $2.8 million