No More Fantastic Beasts Films?

According to widely reported accounts, Warner Brothers may be shelving the Fantastic Beasts series. With the last two films getting less positive response and less box office response than theFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) - IMDb first one, it appears we may not see the remaining two stories in Newt’s series, or at least not anytime soon.  Some news stories blame controversy or the rumored feud between the studios and Rowling, but it seems far more likely that the issue is financial. According to the Internet Movie Database, the first Fantastic Beasts film grossed $814,044,001 worldwide,  but the second only grossed $654,855,901 and the third $405,161,334. Franchises are supposed to make more money with each installment, or at least have close box offices, not drop sharply in revenue. For comparison, the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone earned  $1,023,842,938 and the eighth film, the second part of The Deathly Hallows, generated $1,342,359,942. Each of the different installments had varying returns, but they all continue to be successful, generating income and running repeatedly on syndication. Warner Bros has cut other projects that were not expected to perform well.

While some outlets are declaring the Fantastic Beasts series as dead as Professor Binns, other stories are focusing on Warner Brothers’ interest in making more Harry Potter movies, with Rowling, if she is interested. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Brothers Discovery CEO David Zaslav says the studio is really interested in franchises and wants to see “if we can do something with J.K. on Harry Potter going forward.” The fact that he refers to her as “J.K.,” rather than as “Jo,” or “Rowling,” is interesting, and he also seems to be confused about the potential for more films about Harry, seeing the franchise as just another cash cow rather than as an adaptation of a book series whose books have all been adapted. Some think Warner Bros may try to move forward with a Cursed Child  adaptation, and some of the the film’s stars and director Chris Columbus seem interested, but the studio’s franchise focus may instead mean that the entire series could be getting a reboot with entirely new actors.

If Newt’s big screen adventures are over, will there be book adaptations to connect the dots between the prequels and the beginning of Harry’s story? Do you care? Thoughts, theories?

Secrets of Dumbledore: Predictions Fulfilled and Promise for the Future

Last month, I posted my thoughts, predictions, and bizarre guesses about Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore based on the Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - New Poster and Trailerseries of character posters that had just been released. At long last, the film has had its American release, and I am happy to offer my thoughts on the this, the third installment in the Fantastic Beasts collection. Be warned, in the interest of being un-influenced, I have not read the reviews or comments that have been posted here already, and there will be spoilers galore after the jump as we take a look at the film’s positive and negative aspects, the ways in which my poster insights were incredibly accurate (as well as some that were completely off base), and some predictions for the story to come based on what we’ve seen this time around. This review may be as wild, over-stuffed, and blatantly dangerous as Newt’s fabulous case, so proceed with caution to our latest adventure in the Wizarding World. [Read more…]

Will Ariana be one of the Secrets of Dumbledore we see in the Next Fantastic Beasts Film?

After our lively conversation about the posters for the upcoming Fantastic Beasts:  The Secrets of Dumbledore, due out April 15, I think it  Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - Wikipedia is safe to say that curiosity is high about the film and about just what secrets might be revealed by and about Dumbledore and his family. Last month, Mugglenet published photos that had beeAriana Dumbledore from "Crimes of Grindelwald"n taken during production on the second film, photos of an actress depicting Ariana Dumbledore in scenes that were evidently cut from the final version. It’s anyone’s guess if Ariana will appear in the new film, but there are a few interesting aspects that might be fun to ponder as we hope to learn more about Dumbledore, a character who has the distinction of always being courteous and friendly, while simultaneously holding his cards so close to his robes that hardly anyone really knows him, and those who think they do sometimes aren’t sure.

Any scene with Ariana will have to be a flashback, Pensieve, or Mirror of Erised experience, of course, so perhaps the footage shot for the second film could be used for the new one. After the jump, I have a few quick observations on these photos and their potential.

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New Fantastic Beasts Posters: Lights, Flowers, the All-Important Backdrops, and our Missing Leading Lady

As we await April and the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, we’ve already been closely analyzing the previews and posters as they come along, dissecting the carefully arranged images and making predictions that may turn out to be dead accurate, wildly off base, or somewhere in between. Last week, we were treated to a series of eighteen character posters, and they are likely already going up across the country in theaters eager to welcome back live audiences after nearly two years of viewers relying more on streaming than on the cineplex.

While there will be plenty of folks eager to blow some money, gobble some popcorn, and just enjoy the promised CGI-fest, maybe even in IMAX, there may also be more to the film than just another money-spinning blockbuster; there is certainly more to these posters than just glossy headshots of attractive people with sparkly sticks. We could be dazzled and distracted by the pretty faces or snazzy costumes, but there are a few interesting themes that are noticeable, including the use of lights and light sources, a strange flower motif, and some very well positioned backgrounds.

Of course, we also need to talk about the Auror in the room, or rather, the Auror who isn’t in the room. Join me after the jump as we take a peek at each poster we have (and speculate on the one we don’t have) to make some of those predictions!

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Fairies and Wizards? A Midsummer Night’s Dream and What We Might Expect from The Crimes of Grindelwald

In my Muggle professor job, I love teaching some of the greats of literature. One of my favorites, for my own enjoyment and for sharing with my class, is Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream | William Shakespearemodel comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In addition to literary depth, symbolism, themes, and plenty of laughs, the Bard’s romp through the fairy-haunted forest also offers my students some great connections with other texts, including popular ones they enjoy, like J.K. Rowling’s stories of the Wizarding World. With the second film in the Fantastic Beasts series galloping into theaters this November, it’s a good time to check out some of the connections this story already shares with MND and to make some guesses about what we might see in The Crimes of Grindelwald that will echo the adventures of some really bad actors, two pairs of hapless lovers, and a few aristocrats, when the mortal world intersects with some quarrelling fey and their minions. Follow me after the jump for some thoughts and possible predictions! [Read more…]