MOVIE NEWS – The dismal box office results of the Fantastic Beasts movies have called the future of the franchise into question, but director David Yates has cleared things up.

As J.K. Rowling’s controversial views are tarnishing her brand, even nostalgic fans are starting to lose interest in the franchise, and a hiatus may be the best solution. Since the box office success of Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore’s Secret, many have questioned the future of the franchise. Now, thanks to comments from a director, viewers may finally have an answer.

When the Harry Potter prequel was made, it was a simple movie about a Hufflepuff who loves animals. The notoriously controversial J.K. Based on Rowling’s supplementary text, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) in the original film spent his time getting into pranks and literally stopping a witch hunt. Warner Bros. boasted a five-film plan at the time, which stalled significantly after the third installment.

With the production company silent, the Legendary Animals franchise hangs in the air. But now someone with inside info can clarify something. “With Beasts, everything just stops for a minute,” director Yates revealed on the Inside Total Film podcast. “We got to the end [of the third film, 2020’s Fantastic Beasts: The Secret of Dumbledore] and we’re all very proud of that film, and when it went out into the world, we just needed a kind of stop, break and peace.”

Yates had a long career in the Harry Potter universe, culminating in the adventures of Newt. For a long time, the director maintained his pride in his work, but he also offered another point of view. It was Rowling who came up with the idea of a five-film Legendary Animals, much to the consternation of the others involved. But it could also be said that this fast-track plan was rushed and may have been the point where the Fantastic Beasts franchise went wrong. Not to mention the controversial views of the author.

The Book of Fantastic Beasts is a thin volume that is what it says it is – a text about monsters. Expanding that to one film, let alone five, is a big undertaking. Much like how a single Hobbit book is adapted into three films, these films can sometimes lose the plot thread. That’s probably what inspired the immersion in the drama of Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen), even though those movies are supposed to be about Newt’s story. At the end of Dumbledore’s Secret, the two powerful wizards clash, but there is no strict ending. Scary Harry Potter villain Grindelwald escapes to fight another time. This plot remains in limbo, but it’s probably for the best.

As Rowling’s brand wears on, even nostalgic fans are beginning to lose interest. Ultimately, viewers know where Grindelwald’s life ends, and there aren’t many secrets to uncover in order to begin. The Fantastic Beasts franchise has gone in a direction it was never meant to take, and it’s best to take a little hiatus.

Legendary Animals and Their Observation is available to stream on HBO Max.

Source: Screen Rant