The wizarding world ofHarry Potteris back on screens once again through the spinoffFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, but it’s not receiving the love fans originally showered the series with. Thursday night previews for the third entry under theFantastic Beastsbanner conjured up a solid $6 million at the box office at over 3,350 locations across the country. The return ofJude Law’s Albus Dumbledore is projected to grab around $45 to 50 million over the course of the Easter holiday weekend with the film also releasing in over 40 territories at the same time.
So far, the film has settled in with middling reviews from critics with Rotten Tomatoes coming out to a 51% score, but the damage to this film’s chances was done far before it even hit theaters. The original outing in theFantastic Beastsfranchise was well-received by moviegoers back in 2016, but Warner Bros. followed it up with the dreadfulThe Crimes of Grindelwaldin 2018 which put serious pressure on the next film to improve.The Secrets of Dumbledoredid at least course-correct somewhat from what made the previous entry so widely hated, but it didn’t make a difference monetarily. Both of its predecessors outperformed it considerably in previews, earning $8.75 million and $7.3 million respectively. Add in continued controversy surrounding series creatorJ.K. Rowling, and it was clear this wasn’t going to be a tentpole production from the start.
The Secrets of Dumbledorealso had one notable casting shakeup clouding its future withMads Mikkelsentaking over as the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald while original actorJohnny Deppfaces troubling domestic abuse allegations. Given how the franchise has since come crashing down, it’s unclear where Warner Bros. will go next as they previously planned for five films in the franchise. At the very least, they’ve reworked this film to be more in favor of the fans with Dumbledore and Grindelwald getting more of the spotlight. But diminishing returns and a less-than-savory welcome won’t bode well for the future. With COVID-19 affecting international markets as well, it’ll be hard for the film to even sniff the first entry’s $814 million worldwide.
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This latest film works its way towards the inevitable battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Forbidden from directly combating the evil wizard, Dumbledore enlists the help of Newt Scamander and a team of wizards, witches, and a muggle baker to travel the world and strike down the powerful beasts and followers of Grindelwald. Things are beginning to heat up to such a point though that Dumbledore can’t afford to sit around any longer.
The Secrets of Dumbledorewas once again directed byHarry PotterveteranDavid Yateswith Rowling sharing writing duties for the first time withSteven Kloves. Joining Law and Mikkelsen in this latest wizarding adventure areEddie Redmayne,Ezra Miller,Dan Fogler,Alison Sudol,William Nadylam,Callum Turner,Jessica Williams,Victoria Yeates,Katherine Waterston,Maria Fernanda Cândido,Richard Coyle,Oliver Masucci,Poppy Corby-Teuch,Fiona GlascottandValerie Pachner.
