For lack of a better word, the Fantastic Beasts movies have been a failure. While the 2016 opening chapter was a fun glimpse into a different side of the Wizarding World, the decision to connect the franchise to Harry Potter by focusing on Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald was mostly rejected by fans.
While not a bad concept in its own right, Newt Scamander's story really should have played out on its own, with Dumbledore's arguably deserving of a separate series of movies.
Now, it appears Warner Bros. Discovery is moving on from Fantastic Beasts, with the last two movies in J.K. Rowling's planned five-part story unlikely to become a reality. That's a shame in some ways, but all signs point to studio boss David Zaslav wanting to return to what works: Harry Potter.
We'll have more to share about that with you soon, but Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes has now revealed whether he would be open to playing the iconic villain again. "Sure, of course," the actor told Variety, saying there was "No question about it" when it comes to a return should Warner Bros. or Rowling contact him.
Talk about good timing, eh?
Regardless of how the franchise is handled from here, more Voldemort would be no bad thing, and those of you familiar with The Cursed Child will no doubt be aware of the character's small but pivotal role in the sequel story. That seems like the logical next step for the Harry Potter series on screen, though there are surely plenty of other tales that could be told.
We'll have to wait and see, but it's good to hear that Fiennes is open to reprising one of his most iconic roles. Whether the same can be said for other cast members remains to be seen, especially as the franchise's younger actors are still looking to move out of the shadow cast by the Boy Who Lived.
Are you excited to potentially see more of Fiennes as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?