Is Fantastic Beasts 4 Still Happening, Or Are We Done With Newt Scamander?
Back in 2016, "Harry Potter" fans were filled with hope as a new spin-off franchise within the Wizarding World was launched when "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" hit theaters. Focusing on Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne, the movie took place decades before the events of the main "Harry Potter" films and focused on an entirely new cast of characters. The first film went well and optimism was high that J.K. Rowling's plans for a new five-movie series would go off without a hitch. But after the release of "The Secrets of Dumbledore" in 2022, there has been little to no progress made on a potential fourth film. So, is it still happening?
Much has happened since that first film hit theaters in 2016, from WarnerMedia being purchased by Discovery to the controversy around the franchise's creator Rowling, and commercial disappointments to add to the uncertainty surrounding this series. With all of that in mind, we're here to go over exactly what we know about "Fantastic Beasts 4," why it hasn't happened yet, if there is any hope that it will happen, and what might happen with the franchise if not that specific sequel. Let's get into it.
Why hasn't Fantastic Beasts 4 happened yet?
There are numerous reasons for the delay in getting "Fantastic Beast 4" headed in the right direction. Warner Bros. now being in the hands of Discovery certainly had its part to play, and the fact that "The Secrets of Dumbledore" was delayed several times due to the pandemic was no small matter either, as that pushed back the overall timeline for the series. There's also J.K. Rowling's continued controversy over comments she has made in regard to the transgender community. More than anything though, it all comes down to money, as these things often do.
Yes, it may have been true that Rowling originally envisioned this as a five-movie franchise, but that only happens if the money works out. The original "Fantastic Beasts" was a big hit, taking in $811 million worldwide against a $180 million budget. Unfortunately, things started to decline with "The Crimes of Grindelwald," which ended up smack-dab in the middle of another controversy as Johnny Depp, who was in the middle of a highly public feud with his ex-wife Amber Heard, was playing Grindelwald. The film took a hit compared to its predecessor, earning just $648 million against a $200 million budget. That's still a decent return but a significant decline, to be certain.
That downward trend continued with "The Secrets of Dumbledore" which, after its many Covid-related delays and recasting of Grindelwald, earned just $405 million globally against its $200 million budget. Not only is that not good on its own but, again, the audience drop-off from entry to entry has been hugely significant. For Warner Bros. to press on with the fourth film would, at best, be incredibly risky at this point.
Everything David Yates and Eddie Redmayne have said about Fantastic Beasts 4
Director David Yates not only directed the final four main "Harry Potter" movies, but he also directed all three "Fantastic Beasts" films as well. The man is arguably second only to Rowling as far as his impact on the Wizarding World goes. So, what has he had to say about "Fantastic Beasts 4?" In an interview with Deadline earlier this year, Yates addressed whether or not he'd return to the franchise, saying the following:
"I started on 'Potter' in 2005, and so it's been an amazing journey. We made the last one, you know, 'Secrets of Dumbledore' through the pandemic, pre-vaccine, so we were shooting that movie without vaccines, and it took its toll, it was a tough old time to get it together. Huge affection and a lovely group of people that I worked with and I love all of them and we – but we haven't had a conversation since we finished it. It's been about let's just park it and let's be done for a while. So, never say never I would say, but I'm very excited about moving on, I've loved making 'Pain Hustlers,' I have other projects on my desk which are a million miles away from wizards and involve all sorts of things which are non-wizard associated."
Eddie Redmayne, for his part, at the very least has no issues with being so closely associated with Newt Scamander. "I have no idea. I love Newt," he said to NME in January of 2023 when asked if he thinks he'll be primarily known for playing Newt above all else in his career. "So if that's the case, then I'm thrilled by that." When asked specifically about a fourth film, the actor made it clear he's heard nothing official:
"I mean, at the moment, there's nothing that I'm aware of. So, as I'm aware, it's not something that's on the cards."
What could happen in Fantastic Beasts 4?
At this stage, it seems unlikely that "Fantastic Beasts 4" is going to happen, it should be said directly. It is not currently in development at Warner Bros. and the studio seems to have other priorities when it comes to the Wizarding World (more on that in a bit). That having been said, it's crystal clear what probably would happen if the fourth film were to get the green light, or if the story were to continue elsewhere, perhaps as a TV show or even a book.
"The Secrets of Dumbledore" concluded with Jude Law's Dumbledore finally, properly joining in on the fight against Grindelwald. Mads Mikkelsen's Grindelwald also escaped to create his evil army. The two were free of the unbreakable curse that prevented them from fighting, which clearly teed up the ball for the fourth movie. In all likelihood, we'd see Dumbledore actually heading up his band of fellow wizards to fight his former friend and lover.
This is significant because the fourth film in the series would enter into territory that is actually more crucial to the actual "Harry Potter" story, abandoning the unfamiliar waters of Newt's story in favor of filming in some gaps that are more familiar to hardcore fans. For that reason, in some ways, "The Secrets of Dumbledore" served as a reasonable enough ending place, as what happens between Dumbledore and Grindelwald has been made clear elsewhere, we just never saw it committed to screen. But if the movie never happens, it's not as though fans are left with an unresolved cliffhanger.
Who will the stars of Fantastic Beasts 4 be?
Again, the odds of the movie happening at this point seem slim. That having been said, there are some key players would undoubtedly return if "Fantastic Beasts 4" were to happen. Eddie Redmayne's Newt Scamander would be a must, so if Warner Bros. continues with the franchise, expect him to be back, especially based on his comments earlier this year. It also seems very likely that Jude Law would be back as Dumbledore, as would Mads Mikkelsen as Grindelwald.
Beyond that, anything else would be pure speculation. It's possible other familiar faces from the larger "Harry Potter" universe would be recast as younger versions of themselves. It's also likely other characters, such as Dan Fogler's Jacob or Katherine Waterston's Tina would be back. But without any confirmation that the studio is pressing forward with the film, it's all very broad, as it's looking at what simply could happen, rather than what is going to happen.
Warner Bros. is more interested in Harry Potter
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has not directly addressed whether or not we'll ever see "Fantastic Beasts 4" under his leadership. That said, it's not because he's unwilling to work with J.K. Rowling or anything like that. To that end, the Max streaming service is currently planning a "Harry Potter" TV show that will faithfully adapt the books and will run for ten years straight. And yes, Rowling will be involved.
More to the point, that seems to be the future of this franchise. The "Harry Potter" name has a lot of value in the way that "Fantastic Beasts" just never really did. Zaslav, speaking at Goldman Sachs Communacopia and Technology Conference in September (via The Wrap), made it crystal clear that WBD is going to focus heavily on established franchises in the immediate future, and that includes "Harry Potter."
"One of the other real strengths of Warner Bros. is we talk about the great IP that Warner Bros. owns. But, for us, the challenge is that our content, our great IP — 'Harry Potter,' DC, 'Lord of the Rings' — that content has been underused. We think there's a lot of shareholder value in attaching a 10-year DC — a real plan around DC, bringing 'Harry Potter' back to HBO for 10 consecutive years, doing multiple movies of 'Lord of the Rings.'"
So, in the short term, it feels like proper "Harry Potter" is the focus. That said, "Fantastic Beasts" is a franchise connected to that world. If it's ever deemed that there is a valuable way to return to that corner of the universe, best believe Zaslav and Co. won't hesitate to pull the trigger.