Harry Potter fans have been eagerly awaiting any update on the next Fantastic Beasts sequel. However, according to director David Yates, the franchise is currently “parked” by Warner Bros.
The Fantastic Beasts series was Warner Bros.’s attempt to branch the Wizarding World out beyond Harry Potter. While the movies certainly held their charm, a flurry of poor creative decisions, centering the focus on older characters, and controversies around stars Ezra Miller and Johnny Depp left the series in limbo since The Secrets of Dumbledore landed last year. According to franchise director David Yates, the series has ultimately been “parked” for the time being:
“With ‘Beasts,’ it’s all just parked,” Yates told Total Film. “We made those three movies, the last one through a pandemic, and it was enormous fun but it was tough. We were actually filming when there wasn’t a vaccine. Thankfully, no one got sick, but we did have the most detailed protocols in place.”
“We’re all so proud of [‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’] and when it went out into the world,” Yates added, “we just needed to sort of stop and pause and take it easy.”
“The idea that there were going to be five films was a surprise to most of us. Jo just mentioned it spontaneously, at a press screening once. No one had told us there were going to be five, we’d committed to the first one.”
“I’m sure at some point, we’ll be back. But yeah, I haven’t spoken to Jo, I haven’t spoken to [producer] David Heyman, I haven’t spoken to Warner Bros; we’re just taking a pause. It’s quite nice. It allows me to do stuff like this.”
It’s unclear if “parked” is just David Yates letting Fantastic Beasts down easy about the franchise being left for dead by Warner Bros., or if the company truly plans to revisist the Harry Potter spin-off down the line. Though given how much controversy the Wizarding World has had in recent years, it may be best to let sleeping obscurus lie.
The first details about the Harry Potter HBO Max series
Each season of the series will be based on one of the seven Harry Potter books, with the first one taking inspiration from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. This approach will no doubt be a welcome one for fans, who have long been hoping for a faithful adaptation of the books that stays true to the original vision of J.K. Rowling.
The Harry Potter series is sure to be a major boost for Max, which has been making waves in the streaming world with its recent slate of original content. With the Wizarding World franchise boasting a massive global following, the series has the potential to be a major draw for subscribers, helping to solidify Max’s position in the competitive streaming landscape.
For J.K. Rowling, the series represents a chance to return to the world that made her a household name and to continue to build upon the mythology she created over 20 years ago. Since the release of the final book in the series, titled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Rowling has continued to expand the wizarding world through various spin-off projects, including the Fantastic Beasts series.
With J.K. Rowling on board as a producer and each season based on one of the seven books in the series, Harry Potter fans can expect a faithful adaptation that explores the world of the Wizarding World in greater depth. Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts are also on board as executive producers, with David Heyman in talks to join the creative team.
Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the Wizarding World franchise and make sure to stay tuned to our YouTube channel for more content!
