It’s been over a year since the release of the third “Fantastic Beasts” film, but there’s still no sign of a sequel. “Harry Potter” author J. K. Rowling (58) had already spoken in 2016 that five parts of the spin-off from the magical world of Harry Potter should be published. There probably won’t be a sequel to “Fantastic Beasts: Dumbeldore’s Secrets” from 2022 any time soon.
A fourth and fifth film are currently not actively being planned, as David Yates (60), the director of the fantasy flick, tells us in the “Inside Total Film” podcast. He also explains that it was a big surprise for him and others when suddenly there was talk of five films.
According to Yates, the film series is currently “simply parked”. The third part was made during the Corona pandemic and all the filmmakers involved were very proud of the film, but after its release “we just had to stop, pause and take it easy.”
“The idea that there would be five films was a complete surprise to most of us,” Yates continues. “Oh, by the way, there are five [films],” Rowling said, spontaneously trumpeting it at a press event as part of the first part. “We all looked at each other because no one had told us there would be five,” he remembers. “We had committed to this one. So this was the first we had heard of it.”
Yates has not yet spoken to Rowling, producer David Heyman or Warner Bros. about a fourth and fifth part: “We’re just taking a break.” For him, that’s “really nice” because it means he can concentrate on other projects like his new Netflix drama “Pain Hustlers.” “But I’m sure Newt will come back eventually.” Yates means the main character Newt Scamander, who is played by Eddie Redmayne (41). But what happens next? “Who can say?” asks Yates.
