J. 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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