Warner Bros Discovery Cancels JK Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts Movies

Written By Kieran Bugg

Warner Bros Discovery hit the brakes on JK Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts film series following the recent entry’s disappointing reception. It’s no secret that the Harry Potter franchise is one of the most successful entertainment brands in the world. The original seven films together have grossed an out of this world box office gross of $7,793,160,059 globally.

The studio marketed 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 as its final entry. However, it became obvious Warner Bros. wanted more. Not long after, Warner Bros. announced a series of films based on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter prequel series Fantastic Beasts.

Warner Bros Discovery Cancels JK Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts Movies

Warner Bros Discovery Cancels JK Rowling's Fantastic Beasts Movies

Image: Warner Bros.

But the new movies didn’t reach the same heights as their predecessors. In fact, each entry earned less than the last. So much so that WBD CEO David Zaslav halted the production of future installments.

The original plan was to make five movies based on the Fantastic Beasts novels. Variety made the shocking announcement but also revealed that Zaslav still hopes to continue working with Rowling on more content. Undoubtedly, the reason for this huge decision was ultimately down to the diminishing box office numbers.

The most recent film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, turned into the least successful in the Wizarding World franchise as a whole. The film only managed to gross a worldwide total of $405.2 million against a budget of $200 million. This ultimately came down to the controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling.

Via her Twitter, Rowling made anti-trans statements which left the whole world in uproar. Furthermore, the stars of both the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies have since spoken out against her. It goes without saying that Rowling isn’t exactly as popular as she used to be with Harry Potter fans.

Warner Bros Discovery Cancels JK Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts Movies

Warner Bros. Discovery, Cancels, JK Rowling, Fantastic Beasts, Movies

Image: Warner Bros.

In addition, there’s also been controversy surrounding two of the actors who star in the movies: Ezra Miller and Johnny Depp.

Depp portrayed the mighty wizard evil Grindlewald in the first two films. Mads Mikkelsen then replaced him. Depp was let go from the third film following the outlandish accusations of abuse from ex-wife Amber Heard. These accusations were later proven fraudulent in court by Depp, revealing that Heard in fact abused him.

This sparked major outrage from fans who wished to see Depp reinstated. On the other hand, Miller who has frequently made headlines across the world this past year. Their recent behavior has been nothing short of bizarre and mortifying. All in all, it’s understandable why Zaslav has decided to pull the plug. Still, there is always a chance the remaining two films could be resurrected in the future.