Fantastic Beasts 4 has yet to be greenlit by Warner Bros., as the studio waits to see how Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, does at the global box office.
According to a new report from Variety, no script is in place for a potential follow-up, which is rather surprising given director David Yates and writer-creator J.K. Rowling's early confirmation of a mapped-out, five-film arc for the Harry Potter spin-offs.
The Secrets of Dumbledore is said to have pulled in $58 million from 22 overseas markets so far, which is a significant mark down from its predecessor Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald's $191 million. It's worth noting, however, that that was with it releasing in 79 countries – The Secrets of Dumbledore won't open that wide until the weekend, when it will have reached France, Italy, Korea, Brazil, Mexico, and the US.
Set a few years after the events of The Crimes of Grindelwald, the franchise's most recently released installment sees Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) try to become the Supreme Head of the International Confederation of Wizards, a position that would essentially make him king of all magical folk.
Realizing how bad that would be for wizards and muggles alike, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) – not able to fight Grindelwald himself – enlists the help of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his assistant Bunty (Victoria Yeates), Newt's Auror brother Theseus (Callum Turner), No-Maj baker Jacob (Dan Fogler), Charms teacher Eulalie 'Lally' Hicks (Jessica Williams), and Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam) to thwart the dark wizard’s plans.
Figures aside, the series is not without its controversies, either. Of course, first, there was the recasting of Johnny Depp, as Mikkelsen took over the role of Grindelwald. Ezra Miller, who plays Credence Barebone/Aurelius Dumbledore, was recently arrested for disorderly conduct, and Rowling continues to face criticism over her comments regarding the trans community. Tie that all in with the dwindling financial success, The Secrets of Dumbledore's middling reviews and its surprisingly neat final act, and the future of Fantastic Beasts seems far from certain.
