Should the Prequel Continue?

Although it appears that anything connected to the Harry Potter franchise turns to gold, it is worth asking if its prequel series should continue. The Fantastic Beasts film series grossed a combined total of $1.8 billion at the worldwide box office. 

However, it is worth noting that each of the three films made less money than their predecessor at the worldwide box office with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them grossing $811,724,385; Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald grossing $648,455,339; and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore grossing only $404,560,145; less than half of the first film’s profit. From a financial standpoint, the prospects of any future film don’t look promising.

Granted, each of the films did well at the box office, given their overall budgets. The first film had a budget of $175 million, with the second and third films each having a budget of $200 million. The films clearly have financial backing as well as a built-in fan base. The question is, do fans want another two films to finish out the prequel?

Rowling’s Controversy 

In recent years, the once-beloved author has come under fire for her comments regarding the transgender community. In late 2019 and early 2020, the author penned several tweets that many deemed offensive and insensitive. One of the author’s tweets read “’People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”

Rowling has been outspoken regarding her beliefs, stating that only biological women should be allowed to use female spaces. This caused an uproar with many of the original Harry Potter cast and fans of the series, making it known they do not agree with the author’s sentiments. However, many of the actors who initially came out against the author have backtracked on their statements, claiming to agree with Rowling in some capacity.

Even with the controversy, the Harry Potter series, along with its various films, has still managed to do well. The series remains the most successful franchise of all time. This is a testament to how popular the franchise is even with the controversy. It’s also important to recognize that because the franchise has been around for more than 25 years, Harry Potter has become nostalgic for many members of the fan base. With the combined nostalgia and impact on pop culture as a whole, many are willing to overlook Rowling’s previous comments and continue to support something they love.

As of 2022, the author has said that the franchise’s completion will depend on how The Secrets of Dumbledore performs commercially with audiences. Given that the latest film had the lowest numbers at the worldwide box office out of the prequel’s three films, the future of the franchise is still up in the air, with no current film regarding the wizarding world currently in production. The original Harry Potter film series can be streamed on HBO Max with the Fantastic Beasts series available to stream on HBO Max and Peacock Premium.