Eddie Redmayne's latest Fantastic Beasts update suggests the Harry Potter spin-off is officially dead

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Don't expect to see Newt Scamander again

Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Studios)

Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne has given a pretty dire update on the status of the franchise. 

The actor played Newt Scamander in all three Harry Potter spin-off movies. The last film, The Secrets of Dumbledore, debuted to middling to negative reviews and grossed $407.2 million at the box office, a steep decline from the first movie's $816 million. 

While Fantastic Beasts sounds to be dead, another spin-off is in the works – a HBO show that will re-adapt the original seven Harry Potter novels, expected to release in 2026. "The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years," a statement from Max read after the show was greenlit. 

While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming new TV shows worth getting excited about in this year and beyond. 

The upcoming HBO Harry Potter series, on which J.K. Rowling is an executive producer, has been the subject of criticism and debate due to the author’s public stance on gender identity, which continues to challenge the inclusivity at the heart of the Harry Potter community. It was a similar situation with the Hogwarts Legacy launch, and you can read more about the Hogwarts Legacy controversy in our explainer.

Molly Edwards
Molly Edwards
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.