RIDDIKULUS

‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ Opens With Whimper in Franchise-Low $43 Million Bow

The prequel series’ rapidly diminishing returns spells trouble for the five-picture plan originally in place.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore barely rumbled to life as it opened to U.S. audiences over Easter weekend, having scraped in a paltry $43 million by Sunday. The sum puts the third chapter in the Harry Potter prequel series—which cost Warner Bros. a reported $200 million to make—well behind its first and second installments, which collected $74.4 million and $62.2 million in their first weekend, respectively. Such rapidly diminishing returns spells trouble for the original five-picture plan put in place by the studio, especially with the series attracting both tepid reviews and plenty of behind-the-scenes controversy. Author J.K. Rowling’s ongoing campaign of transphobia notwithstanding, star Ezra Miller was arrested last month after allegedly harassing bar-goers in Hawaii and breaking into a couple’s bedroom. Whether producers will look to replace him remains unclear, though it wouldn’t be the first recasting for the franchise. Johnny Depp, who previously played series villain Gellert Grindelwald, was asked to step away from the role by Warner Bros. after losing a high-profile libel case against U.K. tabloid The Sun in 2020. He was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen.