The Wizarding World has been entertaining the public for decades, starting with J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels and growing into theme parks, stage plays, and (of course) two different movie franchises. This year saw the release of The Secrets of Dumbledore, which was meant to be the third in a five-part series. But is Fantastic Beasts 4 actually happening? Franchise lead Eddie Redmayne shares his thoughts.
Eddie Redmayne debuted as Newt Scamander in the first Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie, which was released back in 2016. He reprised that role in its two sequels, which have unfortunately had a decline in critical and box office success. There’s been no official confirmation of the fourth movie, leading fans to worry if the last two installments in J.K. Rowling’s spinoff series will ever see the light of day. Redmayne was recently asked by IndieWire if he’s hear anything about Fantastic Beasts 4, responding with:
I don’t. It’s more a question for J. K. Rowling and David Yates and Warners, but I don’t know, I’m afraid. I can’t add to that. I love playing Newt, he’s a sweet man.
Well, there you have it. It sounds like while Eddie Redmayne hasn’t heard any updates about Fantastic Beasts 4, he’s not convinced that the planned five-movie story will actually be completed. We’ll just have to wait to see if Warner Bros. gives word either way, and if we’ll get to follow the ongoing magical conflict with Grindelwald (who was played by both Johnny Depp and Mads Mikkelsen).
Eddie Redmayne’s comments about the Fantastic Beasts franchise come as he’s promoting his new movie The Good Nurse, where he plays serial killer Charles Cullen. Eventually the conversation turned to the Wizarding World, and his tenure playing Newt Scamander. Unfortunately he’s got no clue if the fourth movie will actually be greenlit by Warner Bros. Fingers (and wands) crossed.
Back in April of 2022, it was reported that the fate of the fourth and fifth Fantastic Beasts movies would be dependent on the performance of David Yates’ threequel The Secrets of Dumbledore. Unfortunately that project was the lowest-grossing film in the Wizarding World so far, and received mixed reviews. So the question is: was the $405 million box office haul big enough to convince the studio to finish the prequel’s story?
Narratively, there are still a ton of questions surrounding the Fantastic Beasts movies that could seemingly go unanswered if the final movies aren’t produced. For instance, Nagini was noticeably missing from The Secrets of Dumbledore after debuting in the second movie. Tina was also noticeably missing from the threequel's action. Fans are also eager to learn more about Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s relationship, and see their conflict take center stage now that their blood pact is broken.
Eddie Redmayne can be seen in The Good Nurse October 26th on Netflix. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
