How Big Will 'Fantastic Beasts 2' Be?
by EG
The sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will have no problem being the top-grossing movie in America this weekend, but will it manage to live up to its predecessor's success? Critics are not at all impressed with the sequel, and it remains to be seen whether audiences will be enthralled. Read on for projections.
J.K. Rowling's rollicking world of magic returns to the big screen this weekend with the Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
The sequel will easily place No. 1 with a $65 million-plus debut in North America and north of $250 million globally. Crimes of Grindelwald is expected to pull in especially strong numbers in the U.K., Rowling's home country.
Early international results are promising. The movie opened to $10.1 million on Wednesday from 10 markets. France led with $2.6 million, 54 percent ahead of the first Fantastic Beasts. South Korea wasn't far behind with $2 million, the highest opening day for any film in the Harry Potter universe.
In North America, it remains to be seen whether Crimes of Grindelwald can match the $74.4 million debut of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on the same pre-Thanksgiving weekend in 2016.
The follow-up, directed by David Yates and penned by Rowling, sparked controversy when Johnny Depp was cast as the villain Gellert Grindelwald.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
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