Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was supposed to be a triumphant return to J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World for Warner Bros. The latter ambitiously outlined a five-film franchise for the developing saga. However, scandals and recasting have plagued the franchise, which has played to diminishing returns at the box office, with the last instalment panned by many fans. The third film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, serves two functions. One is that it attempts to right the ship for fans, with Steve Kloves, the celebrated screenwriter of the Harry Potter films, being brought in to co-author the screenplay. However, the other function it serves nods at the underwhelming box office, as the whole movie can’t help but feel like a finale for the franchise as if WB now knows the five-film series that had been planned is unlikely ever to happen.
In the end, critics don’t seem to appreciate the new direction, with it scoring 49% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a poor showing compared to the critically beloved Harry Potter films. I gave it a 5/10 in my review, but now’s the time for YOU to have your say. Do you think there’s still some life left in the Fantastic Beasts franchise? Are you eager to see more of Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander? Did the increased focus on Jude Law’s young Dumbledore help? And finally, what are your thoughts on Mads Mikkelsen taking over for Johnny Depp? Let us know below – but if you haven’t seen the film beware of SPOILERS! You’ve been warned!