Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore opened to a disappointing $43 million this weekend, a 31% drop from The Crimes of Grindelwald that points to this being the first Wizarding World movie that fails to reach $500 million at the global box office by the time all is said and done.
Now, The Wrap (via Yahoo! Entertainment) is reporting that Warner Bros. is likely to take several weeks, if not months, to decide what the fate of the Fantastic Beasts franchise will be.
"'Fantastic Beasts' was always meant to be one piece of a larger plan to build the Wizarding World," Warner Bros. domestic distribution head Jeff Goldstein told the trade, dialling down its importance somewhat. "While the numbers for 'Secrets of Dumbledore' were lower than the previous films, we still think the series has done its job keeping Wizarding World fresh in people’s minds, and we’re pleased with the revenue we’ve seen from the franchise at theme parks, stores, and other products and experiences."
It's clear the Fantastic Beasts franchise has been a critical and commercial disappointment for Warner Bros., but the Wizarding World and, more specifically, Harry Potter, remains a draw. While it would be a shame for this series of movies to end without a satisfying conclusion, you have to believe the studio is weighing up whether it's worth spending more money on this franchise, running the risk of further alienating fans and damaging the brand even further.
For what it's worth, one box office analyst believes the best bed would be to shift the focus back to Harry Potter, whether it be with an adaptation of The Cursed Child or something along those lines.
What are your hopes for the Wizarding World moving forward?