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J.K. Rowling has been very vocal about her opinions on transgender people. Being labeled as a pseudo-feminist by many, her beliefs about the existence of an entire population of people and her need to publicize them have made many of her former fans quite angry. Naturally, many fans of Harry Potter who are also queer and allies felt a deep betrayal from her, even though the fandom has an impressive percentage of LGBTQ+ members.

However, it would seem that her extreme beliefs haven’t just alienated her from the audience but also those who helped bring her vision to life. The UK Supreme Court has recently made a ruling that has been seen as controversial and transphobic by the public.

While Rowling agrees with the ruling, her colleagues seem to have left her on her own again.

J.K. Rowling supports transphobic ruling

In the recent upsurge of hate towards the trans community,...

The "Harry Potter" movie series, which spanned from 2001 to 2011, is remarkably consistent and coherent. They certainly aren't perfect, but we still got eight movies that all range somewhere from decent to amazing. There is no bad "Harry Potter" film, unless of course you're counting the "Fantastic Beasts" movies, which I don't.

A lot of that consistency comes down to how the franchise kept the same screenwriter for every film except the fifth one. Screenwriter Steve Kloves took a break from the property due to burnout from writing "Goblet of Fire," and returned with "Half-Blood Prince" to finish those final three films. People love to attribute the storytelling choices in each film to the individual directors, but a lot of the credit should go to Kloves, who put a ton of work into figuring out how to streamline these big complicated books into feature films of reasonable length.

As for what...

Exclusive: Black Label Media has taken rights to Patrick Hoffman’s debut crime novel The White Van to develop as a feature for filmmaker Grant Singer.

Singer and author Hoffman will team to adapt the novel together.

The project reunites Singer with Black Label Media on the heels of Reptile, his chart-topping Netflix feature debut starring Benicio Del Toro, which the company also produced. That movie premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

The White Van is a kinetic heist thriller following a troubled young woman who is lured into a criminal scheme that leaves her wanted for bank robbery and hunted by a corrupt cop who doesn’t want justice – but wants the money for himself. Evoking crime novelists like Dennis Lehane and gritty seventies films like Dog Day Afternoon, the line between good and evil blurs as criminals, cops, and hustlers collide in the unforgiving underbelly of San Francisco.

Robert Pattinson has had a series of iconic roles, and he's continuing to add interesting projects. His upcoming film, Mickey 17, is a team-up with critically acclaimed Parasite director Boon Joon-ho, where he plays a character that signs up for a reprinting project and dies several times.

The upcoming film will add to Pattinson's diverse acting roles, aside from the one of comic book superhero Batman. Pattinson has also played the leading character in the young adult fantasy franchise Twilight, as well as other remarkable characters. However, when speaking to social media star Brooke Averick to promote the film, Pattinson revealed which character he would love to have a second chance.

@ladyefron#WBPartner This is your sign to face your fears and go see Mickey 17, out in theaters on March 7th♬ original sound - Brooke Averick

RelatedRobert Pattinson's Mickey 17 Gets Debut Rotten Tomatoes Score Comparable to The Batman...

Portraying the misguided, villainous aristocratic Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter saga introduced Jason Isaacs to a global audience 20 years ago. However, being recognized as one of the franchise’s memorable antagonists means that fan interactions come in many shapes and sizes, as the actor recently relayed in an interview with The Telegraph.

Despite his dubiously-intentioned role in the story of Harry Potter, Lucius Malfoy and his family don’t quite end the story as complete bad guys and gain some kind of redemptive moment as the Battle of Hogwarts reaches its crescendo – albeit as a pack of cowards high-tailing it away from the chaos. For Isaacs, though, even the villains of a story draw a crowd when out in public, which can lead to some peculiar moments when one has to wonder if they are still in some kind of heightened fantasy version of reality that the movies take place in.

Wands out wizards, it's time we revisit the fear and uncertainties of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Warner Brothers is bringing the feature back to theatres on February 15, and it provides a great opportunity to see the magic unfold on the big screen again or to introduce a new generation to the classic. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third film, is considered among the best movies in the franchise. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson the film chronicles Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s third year in Hogwarts, where they come face to face with dementors, get to know what Azkaban is, and uncover a mystery about James and Lily’s murder that changes Harry’s world forever. With a time travel twist, the movie closely adapts the book and is directed by Alfonso Cuaron from a screenplay by Steve Kloves.

Among the many challenging casting choices facing the upcoming Harry Potter TV series, landing the perfect actor to portray the franchise’s main antagonist, Lord Voldemort, is an unenviable task thanks to the incredible performance of Ralph Fiennes in the role across several Harry Potter movies. However, in a recent interview, the actor, who has also been part of the James Bond franchise and will soon be seen in 28 Years Later, recalled how what he calls “totally misplaced snobbery” almost cost him one of his most iconic roles.

The idea of another actor playing Voldemort is one that fans of the movie franchise are still not quite ready to accept, as, along with several prominent players in the movies, Fiennes’ portrayal of the evil character has become a deeply ingrained part of pop culture. While discussing his role with The Hollywood Reporter, he explained how he only took the role...

To date, Andrew Garfield is the only Spider-Man actor who has not completed his movie trilogy. Garfield starred in 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel, 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but a third film never came to fruition.

Speaking with ScreenRant at the premiere of the new Star Trek: Section 31 movie, Alex Kurtzman, who penned the script for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, with writers Robert Orci and Jeff Pinkner, talked about why the trilogy was never completed. “You know, we never wrote it. We never wrote it,” he said. “I did 2 and that was it for me,” said Kurtzman, whose Secret Hideout company produces Star Trek for Paramount+. Kurtzman co-created Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for the streamer.

Related Every Confirmed MCU Movie & Show After Captain America: Brave New World

Captain America: Brave New World launches a new era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe,...

Fans of Andrew Garfield's Amazing Spider-Man have plenty to look forward to thanks to Peacock.

Per Peacock, February 1 will mark the beginning of The Amazing Spider-Man's time on the streaming platform. The 2012 hit comic book adaptation will be joined in making the leap to Peacock by its 2014 sequel, The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Related February 6 Will Be a Great Day for Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Fans

Fans of the McU's animated Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur series have some good news coming up.

Directed by Marc Webb from a script written by James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, and Steve Kloves, 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man starred Andrew Garfield in the role of the titular Wall-Crawler. The film also featured the debut of Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy alongside a tight ensemble cast consisting of Denis Leary's NYPD Captain George Stacy, Sally Field as May Parker, and Rhys Ifans as Doctor Curt Connors,...

The Amazing Spider-Man's franchise star claims he isn't caught up in the web of rumors surrounding a potential lead role in one of Martin Scorsese's next projects. Acclaimed actor Andrew Garfield addresses claims he's set to portray Jesus Christ in the Academy Award-winning director's upcoming film, A Life of Jesus.

During an interview with GQ, Garfield addressed his future in acting and whether his reported role in A Life of Jesus is a part of it. Despite suggestions that Scorsese eyed him to play the Son of God, Garfield denied his involvement in the movie, claiming, “There was a rumor. It’s not true to my knowledge.” Garfield added that while Scorsese's projects intrigue him, he doesn't want to be on the sidelines waiting for opportunities, always wanting to stay busy. “I like working as well,” he said. “You can’t just keep waiting for Scorsese to call,...

Quick Links The Amazing Spider-Man Retold the Origin Story Christopher Columbus’ Harry Potter Films Were Pretty Faithful HBO's Harry Potter Series Might Not Feel Different Enough From the Films Early On

It's important to remember the ongoing controversial statements by the creator of the Harry Potter franchise. Cbr supports the hard work of industry professionals on properties fans know and love and the wider world of Harry Potter that fans have adopted as their own. You can find Cbr's continuing coverage of Rowling here.

After the stumble of the Fantastic Beasts film series, Warner Bros. is taking the Wizarding World franchise back to its roots with a new adaptation of the seven books from J.K. Rowling. However, this time around, the reboot will take the beloved story in the form of a new live-action HBO series. Succession's Francesca Gardiner is on board as the showrunner with Mark Mylod set to direct several episodes.

Quick Links Harry Didn’t Know Dumbledore Had A Sister, Making Harry Frustrated At How Little He Knew Him Cho's Grief For Cedric Leaves Readers Feeling Sorry For Her Harry Sits On His Own After Finding The Mirror Of Erised Harry Finds Lily's Letter, Providing An Emotional Experience Petunia Reflects On Lily's Death, And How It Affected Her Winky's Depression Is One Of The Most Upsetting Scenes Harry, Ron, And Hermione Meet Neville’s Parents In St. Mungo’s, Showing Neville's Tragic Past Harry Mourns Cedric's Death, And Struggles With Survivor's Guilt Harry Mourns Sirius’s Death, Feeling Lost Without Him Dumbledore’s Funeral Is A Fitting Send-Off For One Of Harry Potter's Biggest Heroes

It's important to remember the ongoing controversial statements by the creator of the Harry Potter franchise. Cbr supports the hard work of industry professionals on properties fans know and love and the wider world of...

Andrew Garfield has a long history with lying to the press about his possible return to the role of Spider-Man, which makes his latest reaction to rumors that he will be slinging webs again hard to believe. The actor was recently asked about the many rumors that he will team up again with Tom Hollands Peter Parker in the MCUs Spider-Man 4 , and in response, launched into an explanation of how everyone was being duped by a web of the worldwide variety.

Spider-Man: No Way Home delivered an epic multiverse adventure that exceeded fans expectations and box office projections to become one of Marvel Studios biggest hits. That means the next Spider-Man movie has a lot of pressure to become a worthy successor. According to previous reports, this has led to a lengthy delay in Hollands next Spider-Man appearance as Marvel Studios and partner studio Sony thrash out exactly what the movie should look like.

Ah, the Harry Potter franchise. It’s incredible how it’s still a mainstay in pop culture after all these years. The franchise continues to evolve beyond the annual movie marathons and the HBO 20th Anniversary special.

In 2023, a major reboot was announced. A new TV series will adapt each of the seven books in detail and aim for a 2026 release. This new project reflects the ongoing influence and reinvention of the Wizarding World for new generations.

Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson at the Hand, Foot, and Wand-Print Ceremony at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on July 8, 2007, in Hollywood, California (Carrie Nelson / Shutterstock)

It’ll be intriguing to see how much further the Harry Potter series can go, especially with the upcoming reboot, and where the careers of its now-grown stars will lead.

The original actors, who delivered such compelling performances at a young age, left an indelible mark on the franchise.

Harry Potter was initially conceived as a children's book but its power was undeniable. The franchise is one of Warner Bros' highest-grossing titles and the producer who bought the rights explained how it all happened.

Many of us know the story of how Harry Potter happened. Author J.K. Rowling had the idea of the story during a train ride from Manchester to London and worked on it through some of the hardest moments of her life, including domestic violence, becoming a single mother, and losing her mother. As for its adaptation, producer David Hayman found the story and advocated for it. Now, longtime producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura explained to Collider how he realized Harry Potter's appeal and its early journey to becoming one of the biggest films ever.

Related Deadpool & Wolverine's Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman Have a Very Unique, Violent Pitch for Harry Potter

There's nothing Hugh Jackman can't do,...

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It's important to remember the ongoing controversial statements by the creator of the Harry Potter franchise. Cbr supports the hard work of industry professionals on properties fans know and love and the wider world of Harry Potter that fans have adopted as their own. You can find Cbr's continuing coverage on Rowling here.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is hiding something far more dangerous than mystical potions and adolescent infatuations. Screenwriter Steve Kloves has crafted an adaptation that's more like a contemplation on the nature of evil than anything approaching mainstream entertainment. There are revelations in this film that finally banish any notions of Harry Potter as a bedtime story and steer the franchise into even darker territory -- while the title character takes a back seat.

The sixth Harry Potter film is an exploration of immortality and the morality of...

When films and shows are adapted from books, actors often dive deep into the source material to understand and embody their iconic characters. However, Michael Gambon, the esteemed actor known for his portrayal of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films, took a shockingly different approach.

Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore | Warner Bros.

To fans’ surprise, the late actor famously admitted that he never read J.K. Rowling’s beloved Harry Potter novels. Well, while Potterheads might jump right into this statement to criticize the star, his reason for this choice isn’t quite unjust; it’s rather intriguing and logical.

Michael Gambon Never Immersed Himself in the Harry Potter Novels

Esteemed actor Michael Gambon, famous for his role as the uber-powerful and wise wizard Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter franchise, unfortunately, passed away at the age of 82 in 2023. However, the star has left behind his iconic works and an incomparable legacy to be celebrated.

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It's important to remember the ongoing controversial statements by the creator of the Harry Potter franchise. Cbr supports the hard work of industry professionals on properties fans know and love, and the wider world of Harry Potter that fans have adopted as their own. You can find Cbr's continuing coverage on Rowling here.

Taking over $90 million dollars at the box office in its opening weekend, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was an immediate hit. With Home Alone director Chris Colombus and The Amazing Spider-Man screenwriter Steve Kloves behind the camera, the movie put J.K. Rowling's boy wizard in safe hands. And with Rowling having not yet written books six and seven in the novel series -- leaving readers in limbo as Voldemort's army advanced on Hogwarts -- 2001 seemed like the perfect moment to year Harry Potter in cinemas.

Cut...

Exclusive: Media Res, the company behind Apple’s The Morning Show, has paid 7-figures to secure rights to Adrian McKinty’s global bestselling novel The Chain. The plan is to turn the thriller into a TV series.

Writer/producer Shane Salerno (Avatar: The Way of Water) will be executive producer along with Media Res’ Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer. McKinty will be a Co-ep. Media Res and Salerno will next enlist a showrunner and actress to play the lead role and shop that package.

The Chain is a conspiracy thriller page-turner about an ordinary mother facing every parent’s worst nightmare: Her child is taken on her way to school. To get her back, the people behind the kidnapping plot – they call themselves The Chain – demand she do the unimaginable in exchange. A wicked, delirious puzzle piece that places audiences in the protagonist’s heart-pounding dilemma, The Chain is an...

An Aunt Marge balloon recreates a scene from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as it floats over Tower Bridge in London. The balloon marks the opening of a new Harry Potter attraction at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban marks the first more dark and mature entry in the beloved saga.

One of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban's most iconic moments comes to life as an Aunt Marge balloon is spotted floating over London. Released in 2004, the third film in the beloved Harry Potter franchise sees Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) attending a locked down Hogwarts after the notorious criminal Sirius Black escapes from Azkaban prison. The film, which is directed by Alfonso Cuarn, features a handful of memorable moments, including a scene near the beginning in which Harry accidentally causes his cruel Aunt Marge (Pam Ferris) to blow up like a...

Exclusive: T. J. Newman, the flight attendant who hung up her wings to become the bestselling author of the movie-bound action thriller novels Falling and Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421, is catching her next flight with Little Brown.

In a publishing industry shocker, Newman has left Simon & Schuster and signed a new multimillion-dollar mega deal with Little Brown. Newman’s first novel for the publisher is called Worst Case Scenario, which debuts August 13. Screen rights will be auctioned before the novel gets a big push from Little Brown. Newman stays in her wheelhouse – it all starts with a commercial flight – but the book veers into tentpole territory that might draw comparisons to Independence Day or War of the Worlds-meets-Chernobyl. The action surrounds mankind preventing an extinction-level disaster.

When a pilot suffers a widow-maker heart attack at 35,000 feet, a commercial airliner crashes into a nuclear power plant. Only the efforts of...

The first book in the Harry Potter series, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" ("Sorcerer's Stone" here in the States) was first published in June of 1997. It was written by author J.K. Rowling, long before she had been driven mad by an infuriating streak of unabashed transphobia that she insists on adhering to. Thanks to years of bigoted screaming, Rowling's legacy has been wholly tainted, and it's hard to read her lighthearted children's fantasy books without thinking of her poisonous worldview. If one checks out the Harry Potter books from the library, however, one can still enjoy the adventures and complex Wizarding World of Harry Potter without giving Rowling another dime.

Before her mind snapped open in public, however, the Harry Potter books — and their subsequent movie adaptations — were widely beloved. The title character was an impoverished 11-year-old who was forced to live in a closet with his abusive aunt and uncle.

The upcoming Harry Potter remake will have a difficult time capturing the perfect character details from the original films. Evanna Lynch's portrayal of Luna Lovegood will be challenging to replace in the remake, as she truly understood the character. The original Harry Potter films had many improvised moments that added depth to the characters, which will be difficult to replicate in the reboot.

The upcoming Harry Potter remake has a lot of opportunities to be great, but it won't be able to recapture some of the perfect character details of the original films. The Harry Potter movies were so popular, grossing a total of almost $7.7 billion, nearly $1 billion each (via The Numbers). Because of how massive the Wizarding World still is more than two decades later — spanning eight original movies, a spinoff film series, a play, video games, and more — Warner Bros decided to reboot the Harry Potter series with a television show.

The Fantastic Beasts prequel series started as a standalone adventure but evolved into a larger narrative connected to the Harry Potter series. There are three Fantastic Beasts movies: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Originally, there were plans for five Fantastic Beasts movies, but due to various factors, including poor performance and controversy, the series will not continue beyond the third installment.

How many Fantastic Beasts movies are there, and how many were there supposed to be by the end? The Harry Potter prequel series started as a standalone adventure, with Newt Scamander collecting information about the world's mythical creatures as he traverses the globe. But things changed along the way and instead of it being a fun side story set in the Wizarding World, much of Fantastic Beasts' overarching narrative has established a path to the Harry Potter series.

For a movie that fits firmly in the dystopian sci-fi genre, Alfonso Cuarón's 2006 film "Children of Men" makes for one of the most truly terrifying films ever. In a world where infertility has been the law of the land for eighteen years and resources have dwindled, humanity has turned on itself. It's like the grimmest of '70s science fiction films, only made by a master filmmaker at the peak of his powers. While it might have taken a tragedy for him to become committed to the film, his passion is evident in every frame.

More than anything out of the ordinary, the movie's vision of London looks distressingly normal, with office workers attending to business as usual despite chaos and bombings. As a television PSA seen early on notes, "Only Britain Soldiers On." The movie opens with the death of an 18-year-old, the world's youngest person. And things...

You’re a wizard indeed–and only a wizard could work the sort of spell that was cast over children and adults all over the world beginning in the late ‘90s, turning the wildly successful Harry Potter books (we’re talking 120 million copies sold here) into one of the most profitable franchises ever.

With J.K. Rowling watching over the production diligently (sometimes to a fault), Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone aka …Sorcerer’s Stone was a marvel of an adaptation. And what eventually arrived didn’t come from a burly half-giant, but rather a wide-eyed cast of newcomers, a visionary crew conjuring the proper vision and the guy who directed Adventures in Babysitting…

So put on your sorting hat and head for Platform 9 ¾ as we find out…Wtf Happened to this movie?!

The making of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone goes back to 1997, the same year the novel was published.

Before both Marvel and DC created their respective expanded cinematic universes, "The Avengers" changed the way studios approach major franchises, and Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" trilogy had even concluded, there was "Green Lantern." The 2011 box office bomb is a black sheep in the 2010s' superhero storm, often derided as an sloppy, corny mess that's more soap opera than space opera. Pre-"Deadpool" star Ryan Reynolds himself is keenly aware of how much of a mess the film is and attributes its critical and financial failures to an overzealous, overinflated special effects budget that eclipsed any drive to craft an engaging story with compelling characters.

The generic, soulless "Green Lantern" reeks of studio interference; the result of Hollywood executives looking to make a flashy, inoffensive product appropriate for mass audience consumption. Puzzlingly, Warner Bros. took the opposite approach it did with Nolan's highly auteurist "Batman" films and manhandled...

The Harry Potter franchise is a global phenomenon that has persisted since the final book was released and after its last movie hit theaters. Despite this, it thrives in multiple forms, including theme parks (Universal Studios Butterbeer anyone?), freeform marathons, video games, and re-readable novels.

Related: 18 Best Magical Movies Like ‘Harry Potter’ to Watch Next

Hollywood quickly jumped on board, with the first film released less than one year following the release of the fourth novel. Surprisingly made all the more impressive due to having eight films under their belt without sacrificing character or story continuity; there’s not an outright bad movie amongst them either. Jk Rowling herself contributed creative input for each installment bringing unique flavors and keeping the series alive over a decade later.

So, which is the best Harry Potter movie? It all depends on who you ask or what metric is used.

Ranking the Harry...

Steven Spielberg was more focused on raising his family than helming children’s films in the early 2000s.

The Oscar winner revealed that he turned down directing the “Harry Potter” franchise to be with his own kids.

“There were several films I chose not to make,” Spielberg said while in conversation with “Rrr” director S.S. Rajamouli in India (via Insider). “They offered me ‘Harry Potter’ and I chose to turn down the first ‘Harry Potter’ to basically spend the next year and a half with my family, my young kids growing up.”

The “Fabelmans” writer-director continued, “So, I sacrificed a great franchise — which today looking back I’m very happy to have done — to be with my family. The choice I had to make in taking a job that would move me to another country for four of five months where I wouldn’t see my family every day.”

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone...

The most promising sign we won't have to wait another 13 years for more "Avatar" sequels — other than James Cameron finally taking a breather from his pioneering work as an ocean explorer — is the extensive amount of work he has already put into them. Producer Jon Landau confirmed to Collider in December that principal photography for 95 of "Avatar 3" and the first act of "Avatar 4," along with scripts for every film, are complete.

Cameron has cited "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy (though he should probably credit "The Matrix" franchise too) as his model, where director Peter Jackson shot all three films back-to-back. Seeing as Cameron literally had to write the book on "Avatar," Jackson's task looks far less daunting by comparison. George Lucas may be the only other person who has undertaken something similar.

Developing scripts for four "Avatar" films simultaneously demanded a systematic approach unlike anything else in Hollywood.

“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” a 200 million-budgeted sequel in the “Harry Potter” spinoff series, is an anomaly in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World. With just 405 million at the global box office, it’s the first film in the blockbuster franchise — out of 11 — to just barely break even in its theatrical run.

The reality that “Fantastic Beasts” is experiencing diminishing returns after three movies is especially painful, not only to Rowling, who envisioned the prequel story as a five-film franchise, but also to its backer Warner Bros., which bet big on the assumption that all things Hogwarts would remain relevant at the box office — whether or not Harry, Ron and Hermione were involved in the adventures that unfold on screen.

Yet that hasn’t been the case. Though the second installment, 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” didn’t entirely sputter with 654 million at the worldwide box office, its...

J.K. Rowling has explained her conspicuous absence from “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts,” stating that she declined an invitation to be included in the special.

The author of the original “Harry Potter” series only appeared within a few excerpts of “Return to Hogwarts” via segments from a 2019 interview. Her limited presence was noted by critics and audiences around the special’s HBO Max premiere on Jan. 1 this year.

Some viewers presumed that Rowling’s absence could be attributed to her troubled public image over the past few years. The author has been mired in controversy as she continues to voice sentiments that have been seen as harmful to the trans community, such as opposing laws that would make it easier for trans people to legally change their gender. Franchise stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have made public statements in support of the trans community since Rowling first faced controversy.

“Fantastic Beasts 3” will be streaming on HBO Max next week, the streamer announced on Monday.

As expected, “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” will be available to all HBO Max subscribers 45 days after it first hit theaters, landing on the streaming service on May 30.

The third installment in the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise delves deeper into the backstory of Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) all the while the evil Gellert Grindelwald (now played by Mads Mikkelsen in a recasting following Johnny Depp’s exit) amasses his forces.

Unable to stop Grindelwald alone, Dumbledore entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?

Also Read:

‘Fantastic Beasts’ Franchise May Be Finished,...

Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Dan Fogler, Jessica Williams, Jude Law, Mads Mikkelsen, Katherine Waterston, Poppy Corby-Tuech, Ezra Miller | Written by Steve Kloves | Directed by David Yates

After another instalment in the franchise, I still find myself asking what it’s all for, and more importantly, who are these films for? The Harry Potter franchise is one of the most beloved film and book series we’ve ever had, and it’s so loved because of the wonderful characters we care so much about. And as I was sat watching the new Fantastic Beasts film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, I found myself wondering who exactly I’m meant to care for and why exactly I should care at all.

We were first introduced to Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) in 2016 in the first instalment of these Potter prequels. Now six years later I still question what ark this character has and...

“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” the third chapter in the “Harry Potter” spinoff series, collected a muted 43 million in its domestic box office debut.

In pandemic times, those ticket sales were enough to lead this weekend’s box office charts and land one of the biggest North American openings in 2022. But it’s also a sign that magic is in short supply for J.K. Rowling’s lucrative and ever-expanding Wizarding World. Dinged by mixed reviews and growing apathy for prequel series star Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and company, “The Secrets of Dumbledore” stands as the worst start for a “Harry Potter”-adjacent movie.

The diminishing enthusiasm for “Fantastic Beasts” is problematic because witchcraft and wizardry does not come cheap. Warner Bros. shelled out 200 million to produce “The Secrets of Dumbledore,” and the studio spent tens of millions more to promote the film to audiences across the globe. Like the franchise’s earlier entries,...

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Review — Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by David Yates and written by J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves and starring Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Cara Mahoney, Mads Mikkelsen, Katherine Waterston, Poppy Corby-Tuech, Paul Low-Hang, Alison Sudol, Callum [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore (2022): Third Entry in Popular Franchise is Light on Plot with So-So Beasts...

Expectations were high when Warner Bros. first announced the expansion of the Wizarding World with the “Fantastic Beasts” film franchise, which aimed to tell a new story set decades before the events of “Harry Potter” in the same universe. But nearly six years after the release of the first film in the series, “Fantastic Beasts” could potentially come to an unceremonious end as a result of headaches over multiple actors in the series and author J.K. Rowling herself, as well as an underwhelming fan response to the films as a whole.

First announced in 2013, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” marked Rowling’s debut as a screenwriter after being heavily involved in the eight-film “Harry Potter” adaptation, and swapped Potter out as the protagonist for magizoologist Newt Scamander (played by Eddie Redmayne).

The draw of “Fantastic Beasts” was the opportunity to tell a Wizarding World story about adults in...

“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” the latest film in the Wizarding World universe and the third movie as part of the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise, brought in 6 million in its Thursday box office previews from over 3,350 screens.

While “Fantastic Beasts” looked to be a once promising franchise when it launched in 2016, the third film, “The Secrets of Dumbledore,” has been dogged by off screen controversy and is following up some tepid reviews for the previous film “The Crimes of Grindelwald.” And while independent trackers say that “Secrets of Dumbledore” could climb to between 47-50 million this weekend, that would be below the prior installment.

For comparison, “Crimes of Grindelwald” opened in November 2018 and made 9.1 million in Thursday box office previews and then opened to 62 million. It went on to a theatrical run of 154.5 million domestic and 654.8 million worldwide. The first film, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” from 2016, likewise...

(L-r) Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore and Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander in Warner Bros. Pictures’ fantasy adventure “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved

The Harry Potter prequel fantasy series continues in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore, with shy, magical-creatures zoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and the younger Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) in a political thriller plot as they try to prevent villainous wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelson) from winning an election to lead the wizarding world, and start a war on Muggles, the non-magical humans.

This is the third movie in J.K. Rowlings’ Harry Potter prequel series, which started in the 1920s and is planned to continue into the 1940s. It is directed by David Yates from a script by J.K. Rowlings and Steve Kloves.

Whatever criticisms can be leveled against Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, it must be said that Mads Mikkelsen is a massive upgrade from Johnny Depp.

Depp portrayed the series’ main villain, the wizard Gellert Grindelwald, in the first and second films, contributing nothing to the franchise other than a prickly mustache and god-awful haircut. He was replaced by Mikkelsen after the actor’s personal woes became public knowledge.

There’s no on-screen explanation given for why the franchise’s main baddie suddenly looks so different when he appears in the first scene in The Secrets of Dumbledore, nor is one needed. Within five minutes, Mikkelsen brings swagger, seductiveness, and cool menace to a character who’d been a cartoon cypher in two previous films.

Mads Mikkelsen and William Nadylam in “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.” Warner Bros.

For the first time, it’s easy to see him not just as a monster,...

This review of “Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore” was originally published April 5, 2022.

With all the controversy swirling around J.K. Rowling’s shameful anti-trans rhetoric, and with more than four years passing since the previous “Fantastic Beasts” installment (which was the lowest-grossing “Wizarding World” movie to date), one might conceivably wonder for whom, exactly, “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” is really being made.

Certainly this film doesn’t exist for fans who might want to, for example, learn some secrets of Dumbledore. The big “new” revelations about this franchise’s (arguably) most beloved character — previously played by a wizened Richard Harris and an impish Michael Gambon and now portrayed by a smirking Jude Law — are all commonly known to fans of the series, having been revealed either in the “Deathly Hallows” novel or, unceremoniously, by Rowling on press tours and social media.

We’re hardly a minute into “The Secrets...

Chicago – The elements of the Fantastic Beasts franchise that work at all are the ones most closely connected to the larger world of Harry Potter that enchanted the hearts and minds of millions in the first place. In “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” it’s ostensible main character Newt Scamander demoted to supporting character while Dumbledore is now front and center.

Rating: 3.0/5.0

After dropping in for only a handful of scenes in the first two films, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) is all over this movie and is the driving narrative force of this installment. That’s not a bad thing since the film pivots towards the most interesting element, and the only reason anyone gives two licks about anything that happens here … and Law gets the character just right.

Dumbledore needs Newt (a shuffling and embarrassed looking Eddie Redmayne) and his band of accomplices because the bond between him...

[Inhales] Ok, right, so when last we left Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), the socially awkward magical zoologist renowned as a scholar of fantastic beasts (and not coincidentally, where to find them!), he was preparing — along with Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), hot-for-teacher Hogwarts’ hunk and future Harry Potter mentor — to take on the evil wizard/ex-Dumbledore lover Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen), as well as Grindelwald’s partners in crime Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) and Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol), a New Yawk-accented witch who you might remember converted to the dark side in order to save her soulmate,...

An pack of intrepid wizards will duel against a tiny blue speed demon to lead domestic box office charts.

The odds-on favorite “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” the third entry in the “Harry Potter” spinoff series, is expected to debut to at least 40 million from 4,200 North American theaters. Those ticket sales should be enough to surpass the competition — unless last weekend’s champion “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” powers to another strong turnout at the movies. Paramount’s kid friendly sequel opened last weekend to huge 72 million and could add 30 million to 40 million in its second outing.

Elsewhere, Sony Pictures is getting an early start by bringing “Father Stu,” an R-rated faith based drama starring Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson, to theaters on Wednesday. The movie is projected to earn 7 million from 2,705 cinemas in its first five days of release.

“Harry Potter” veteran David Yates directed “The Secrets of Dumbledore,...

A day prior to the glitzy world premiere of “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” Ezra Miller, who has a key role in the upcoming “Harry Potter” spinoff sequel, was arrested for disorderly conduct and harassment.

In another timeline, Miller, known for striking red carpet outfits and zany interviews, would have been front and center to promote “The Secrets of Dumbledore,” which opens in North American theaters on April 15. Instead, that incident and other eyebrow-raising events forced Warner Bros. to downplay Miller’s involvement in the film franchise. Complicating matters is the fact that Miller also headlines next year’s DC Comics adaptation “The Flash” for Warners.

It’s the latest in a long list of controversies plaguing “Fantastic Beasts.” The fantastical series was intended to wring newfound riches from author J.K Rowling’s sprawling Wizarding World after 2011’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” capped off a...

Take a look at more new footage from "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore", the upcoming fantasy feature, directed by David Yates, from a screenplay by J. K. Rowling and Steve Kloves, as a sequel to "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" (2018), starring Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, Katherine Waterston and Mads Mikkelsen, opening theatrically in 2D and 3D April 15, 2022:

"...set in the 1930's, the story leads up to the 'Wizarding World' involvement in World War II, exploring magical communities. 

"With the power of 'Grindelwald' rapidly growing, 'Albus Dumbledore' entrust 'Newt Scamander' and his friends on a mission that will lead to a clash with Grindelwald's army, and will lead Dumbledore to ponder how long he will stay on the sidelines in the approaching war..." 

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“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” isn’t bewitching audiences, at least, compared to other films set in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The latest chapter in the prequel saga, which takes place decades prior to the adventures of Harry, Ron and Hermione, opened at the international box office over the weekend and pulled in 58 million from 22 overseas markets. That’s a steep drop from 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” the previous entry in the fantastical series, which collected a spell-bounding 191 million in its international debut. Granted, the sequel was playing in 79 countries, whereas the threequel won’t have a footprint that wide until next weekend, when “The Secrets of Dumbledore” arrives in 44 additional markets, including France, Italy, Korea, Brazil and Mexico. “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” also opens next weekend in North America.

A slower start at the international box office is worrisome because although...

"Fantastics Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" is the first movie in the Harry Potter-verse in four years, and it's once again raising questions about how much recent Harry Potter content its creator, J.K. Rowling, profits from. Rowling's continual and vocal transphobia has turned off many former fans from the franchise and kept others away from new Potter content until it's clear whether or not their dollars would financially benefit Rowling. However, as with other creations, "The Secrets of Dumbledore" is directly tied to Rowling, just like pretty much all other authorized Harry Potter content.

Although there are other legal stakeholders, including film studio Warner Bros., Rowling maintains strict control over everything and anything to do with the Harry Potter franchise. No authorized projects can be made without her stamp of approval, plain and simple. That also means, of course, that no authorized Harry Potter projects (like the Fantastic Beasts film...

Warner Bros’ Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is releasing ahead of domestic in 22 international box office markets this weekend, beginning in Holland and Belgium on Wednesday and including the UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, Spain and China through Friday. The latter, unfortunately, is not expected to serve up any magic given significant cinema closures.

Currently, estimates for the early offshore release are in the mid-50 million range. That’s down compared to the previous two films in the Wizarding World spinoff series. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in like-for-like markets and at today’s rates opened to 120M and 115M, respectively. Those films had gone out in a November corridor and played into Christmas, finaling at 580M and 495M internationally.

Again, China is a big drag this time around; the market contributed about a third of the opening grosses on the earlier movies.

The new movie "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" takes the step that its 2018 predecessor, "The Crimes of Grindelwald," didn't. In the very first scene, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) tells Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) that he used to be in love with him. The moment is a long time coming. At the end of the seventh "Harry Potter" book, "The Deathly Hallows," Dumbledore reveals to Harry that he and Grindelwald - the dark wizard he defeated in 1945, cementing his own legacy as one of the greatest wizards of all time - were childhood friends, with deadly consequences. Shortly after the book's release, J.K. Rowling was asked why no character in the books is gay. She responded that actually someone is - Dumbledore, and that he was in love with Grindelwald.

In "The Secrets of Dumbledore," the powerful wizard is explicit that he was in love with Grindelwald, the first canonical acknowledgement of their relationship.