Even though it opens in November, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has been given the greenlight for a sequel. The spinoff sequel to the Harry Potter saga will be released on November 16, 2018 by Warner Brothers. David Yates, who has been on board with the boy wizard for nearly 10 years, will return to direct. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who wrote the first Fantastic Beasts film, will also return to pen the script for this movie. This announcement comes off the heels of the weekend release of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child.
For those of you unfamiliar with the series, Fantastic Beasts is a prequel to the original saga set in the 1920s. Starring an all-star cast including Eddie Redmayne and Colin Farrell, it involves Redmayne’s character tracking down the titular beasts in New York. At this time in the wizarding world, magic was allowed to blend into the outside world. By the time this series of prequels ends, we will likely see what leads to the decision for magic to go into hiding. It’ll be curious to see where the first film will end and the sequel will continue from.
During the announcement, Warner Bros stated the sequel goes “deeper into an increasingly dark time for the wizarding world, where Newt and our other heroes have to decide on their allegiances”. Given this statement, it appears star Eddie Redmayne will reprise his role as Newt Scamander. Aside from this description, no additional information regarding plot and casting has yet to be disclosed at this time. The title has also yet to be revealed.
For Warner Bros, the Harry Potter franchise has always been a trusted brand and proven success. Over the span of eight films, the series pulled in over $8 billion worldwide at the box office. Given the several flops they released last year (Jupiter Ascending, Pan, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.), the studio is looking to rebound financially. Of the 21 tentpole films they released last year, only two of them grossed over $100 million domestically. Those were the Dwayne Johnson film San Andreas and Mad Max: Fury Road.
With the recent shakeups in their DC department, there may even be an additional incentive for Harry Potter to pick up the slack. It’s been five years since the last film, but the sales for the latest story prove it’s still very popular. Here’s hoping the sequel proves as popular as the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them!
