Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them star Eddie Redmayne has poured cold water on fan hopes for another film in the Harry Potter spin-off franchise, saying it's "probably" not happening.
The Newt Scamander actor told ComicBook that the third film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, likely won't be getting a sequel. This comes despite an original plan to create five Fantastic Beasts films.
"I think [fans] probably have [seen the last of Newt]," Redmayne said. "That was a very frank answer, but yeah. And that’s as far as I know. I mean, you’d have to speak to the people at Warner Bros. and J.K Rowling, but as far as I know, that’s it."
The Harry Potter Universe's Most Fantastic Beasts
I think [fans] probably have [seen the last of Newt.
The Fantastic Beasts series struggled to make much impact critically or commercially despite being attached to the beloved and perpetually successful Harry Potter franchise. The first film debuted to strong box office numbers despite a lukewarm critical reception, but the latter two didn't reach the same heights.
The third and seemingly final film struggled in particular. "The Secrets of Dumbledore is an un-fantastical Potter prequel with uninteresting secrets," IGN said in our 4/10 review.
Redmayne's comments echo those of director David Yates, who said in October 2023 that the franchise was "parked." Warner Bros. was allegedly waiting to see how The Secrets of Dumbledore performed, so given the poor reception, it's perhaps unsurprising another film is yet to be announced.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.