Director David Yates has confirmed that the Harry Potter spin-off franchise, Fantastic Beasts, is currently on hold. He admitted that he was initially unaware of creator JK Rowling’s plan for five films in the series.
The Fantastic Beasts series, which features actors like Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, and Johnny Depp, faced significant setbacks after the release of the third film, “Secrets of Dumbledore,” in 2022. This film became the lowest-grossing Wizarding World installment released by Warner Bros.
The series, co-written by Rowling (who has faced criticism for her controversial statements about the transgender community), was quietly put on hold in November 2022 after Variety, an industry publication, confirmed that no further films were actively in development.
In an interview on the Inside Total Films podcast, director Yates discussed the decision to pause the series. He revealed that he was surprised by Rowling’s plan for five films, as it was not something he knew about when he first joined the project.
“The idea that there were going to be five films was a surprise to most of us,” Yates explained. “Jo [Rowling] just mentioned it spontaneously at a press screening once. No one had informed us about the five-film plan; we had committed to the first one.”
Yates indicated that a return to the franchise is likely at some point, but he has not had any recent discussions with Rowling, producer David Heyman, or Warner Bros. They are currently taking a break from the project, allowing him to work on other endeavors, such as his upcoming Netflix film, “Pain Hustlers.”
Yates also mentioned that the production of “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” was challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s all on hold,” he stated. “We made those three movies, with the last one being produced during a pandemic. It was a lot of fun but also quite challenging. We were filming when there wasn’t a vaccine, but thankfully, no one fell ill, as we had stringent safety protocols in place.”
“We are all very proud of ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,’ and after its release, we felt it was necessary to take a step back and pause, and relax.”
The Fantastic Beasts series has been marred by various controversies, from Rowling’s remarks about transgender individuals to Johnny Depp’s legal issues following domestic abuse allegations by his ex-partner, Amber Heard. Additionally, Ezra Miller made headlines throughout 2022 due to allegations, including assault, burglary, grooming, and harboring a mother and her children. Miller has since stepped away from the public eye to seek treatment for complex mental health issues.
