It could take several weeks, or even several months, before Warner Bros. decides the fate of the Fantastic Beasts franchise and whether there will be a Fantastic Beasts 4. The Fantastic Beasts film series kicked off in 2016 with the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The film served as a spinoff and prequel to the very popular Harry Potter franchise and was inspired by a guide book of the same name written by J. K. Rowling. Fantastic Beasts follows the adventures of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) after a misplaced suitcase leaves him scrambling to find his escaped fantastic beasts.
The first Fantastic Beasts film received generally favorable reviews, with many pointing out the film's reminiscence to the magic of Harry Potter. However, its sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, received much more negative reviews and was the lowest grossest film of the Wizarding World. Hence, many awaited the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore with cautious hope, wondering if it would bring back the magic of the Wizarding World or continue to stray from it. Fantastic Beasts 3, so far, has only received slightly more favorable critical reception than Fantastic Beasts 2, but it is setting out to have the worst Harry Potter box office performance. While Fantastic Beasts is supposed to be a 5-film franchise, Warner Bros is waiting to gauge the performance of Fantastic Beasts 3 before it greenlights the final two films.
As reported by The Wrap, it could take several weeks, or several months, for Warner Bros. to confirm Fantastic Beasts 4. The decision to either renew or end the Fantastic Beasts franchise is just one of many choices Warner Bros. must make as part of its Warner Bros. Discovery transitional period. However, even if the Fantastic Beasts franchise is not renewed, it is likely the studio will continue to produce other spin-offs within the Wizarding World. Check out the statement below:
Warner is still several weeks, if not months, from deciding the fate of continuing the “Fantastic Beasts” franchises, one of many choices that the studio will make as the Warner Bros. Discovery transition continues under CEO David Zaslav. But even if the plug is pulled, don’t expect the newly merged company to cut down on its larger plans to build the Wizarding World beyond Harry and his friends.
While Fantastic Beasts' future is certainly looking shaky, Warner Bros. won't have answers for some time yet. After all, Fantastic Beasts 3's performance is still being gauged after its April 15th release and its performance alone won't foster a decision. Warner Bros. must decide if the Fantastic Beasts franchise, in general, will be profitable to continue with or if the studio should begin looking in other directions. However, even if Fantastic Beasts is not renewed for a fourth film, that will not spell the end of the Wizarding World. Projects such as the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary and Hogwarts Legacy prove that there is still interest in the Harry Potter world. Warner Bros. may just need to take a different approach to keeping Harry Potter alive in a way that resonates with fans more than Fantastic Beasts.
Fantastic Beasts' waning box office performances shows a discontent with the franchise. While Fantastic Beasts 3 received slightly more favorable reviews than Fantastic Beasts 2, that is still not saying much. The film was uneven and half-developed, with few fantastic beasts and little magic to it. Additionally, the film has been plagued by controversy with Johnny Depp's firing, Ezra Miller's arrest, and Rowling's stance on trans issues. There is no question that there is more story to be told in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, but the disillusionment that has set in for the franchise might mean that it is time for the Wizarding World to create something new and untethered from Fantastic Beasts' shortcomings and controversies.
Source: The Wrap