Box Office: ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ Conjuring Franchise-Low Opening Weekend
variety.comJ. Kim Murphy While the domestic box office is showing signs of life after an age of COVID lockdowns, it seems that not every film franchise is being buoyed by a return of theatergoers.”Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” Warner Bros.’ latest entry in its prequel series to the “Harry Potter” franchise, is off to a somewhat rocky start, projected to land a record low debut for a Wizarding World film.The third “Fantastic Beasts” earned $20.1 million on Friday and Thursday night previews from 4,753 North American locations, which marks the lowest opening day figure for a “Potter”-adjacent film.
Industry analysts project a three-day opening in the neighborhood of $40 million, with some opportunity for upside. That’s not exactly the most disastrous result for a theatrical release in 2022, but it’s a disappointing opening for a film franchise that’s supposed to behave like a box office juggernaut. “Secrets of Dumbledore” carries a hefty $200 million production budget, ballooned by COVID-related delays and safety costs.
Warner Bros. will have to look to international audiences to give the wizarding sequel a thriving run.The opening for “Secrets of Dumbledore” continues a downward trend for the “Fantastic Beasts” series.
The first 2016 entry drew a domestic opening of $74 million, while its 2018 sequel, “The Crimes of Grindelwald,” fell to a $62 million debut.
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