There’s a lot of rampant speculation going around the web today following Warner Bros.’ announcement of nine new DC films to follow Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice in addition to two of what the studio has simply called ‘WB Event Films.’ And while we may not know for a while what those two latter dates are actually for, one popular theory that has been making the rounds is that the dates are for sequels to 2016’s Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Here is the full list again:
Untitled DC Film – August 5, 2016
Untitled DC Film – June 23, 2017
Untitled DC Film – November 17, 2017
Untitled DC Film – March 23, 2018
Untitled DC Film – July 27, 2018
Untitled WB Event Film – November 16, 2018
Untitled DC Film – April 5, 2019
Untitled DC Film – June 14, 2019
Untitled DC Film – April 3, 2020
Untitled DC Film – June 19, 2020
Untitled WB Event Film – November 20, 2020
The important thing to notice about the WB Event Films is that both are set for November, the same time that the first Fantastic Beasts is set to bow in 2016. Add in that the studio has already expressed its desire to turn the property into three “megamovies,” and the theory that 2018 and 2020 will yield the latter two entries in the trilogy suddenly seems to hold some water.
We don’t know much about Fantastic Beasts, which is based on a slim 54-page volume Rowling released to support charity Comic Relief. Supposedly a textbook used by Hogwarts students, it’s “written” by Newt Scamander, who will be the protagonist in the film series. Though it has been revealed that the franchise will be set in New York City seven decades before Harry Potter entered the wizarding world, magical aspects familiar to Harry Potter fans will be involved in the movies.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them arrives on November 18th, 2016 – with sequels possibly following in November of 2018 and 2020.
