Though Doctor Strange has enjoyed a nice run in the #1 spot at the box office, it looks like it’s time for the Sorcerer Supreme to step aside to make room for another magically charged film. That being Warner Bros.’ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Directed by David Yates, with a script by Harry Potter scribe J.K. Rowling, Fantastic Beasts looks to kick off a five part series for the studio, so expectations are obviously high. And while the first batch of reviews have been mostly positive, it’s really the box office predictions that have Warner Bros. so excited right now. That’s because analysts are predicting a domestic opening somewhere between $70 and $80 million, which would likely lead to a worldwide debut of $200 million.
Given that Fantastic Beast cost $180 million to produce, we’d say that a first weekend total of $200 million would definitely make everyone involved very, very happy. After all, the studio has big plans for the franchise, as they’ve already begun looking ahead to the sequel, one which will involve Johnny Depp and may even feature a gay Dumbledore.
Whether or not the spinoff series can match the heights of Harry Potter remains to be seen, but it’s certainly going to generate a healthy amount of cash for Warner Bros., which means that we’re in for a lot more magic and wizardry in the years to come.
While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, there are some critics who feel like the studio may be needlessly stretching Fantastic Beasts out over five films purely for monetary reasons. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve done something like this, either (*cough* The Hobbit *cough*).
We’ll give Warner Bros. the benefit of the doubt though. For now, at least. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them really does look like a rather fantastic (pun intended) adventure through this magical world that Rowling has created and we’re eager to see where they take the franchise from here.
