'Fantastic Beasts 2' on Pace to Match Original's Opening Weekend

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The first round of box office tracking is in for Warner Bros.’ “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” and early tracking shows the film has a strong chance to match the opening weekend of its 2016 predecessor.

As is common with big releases, estimates from trackers vary. One tracker is currently projecting an opening of $63 million, while another is projecting the sequel to come close to the first “Fantastic Beasts” opening of $74.4 million.

But with three weeks until the film’s release, there’s a lot of potential for the film to gain more buzz among Harry Potter fans. While the first film’s marketing focused on what separated this new installment of J.K. Rowling’s “Wizarding World” from the Potter series — new characters, new creatures and a magical New York — this film is being treated more as a prequel to Rowling’s legendary boy wizard saga.

Also Read: Johnny Depp's Wizard Is Front and Center in Final 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald' Trailer (Video)

Trailers for the film show footage of Hogwarts decades before Harry’s arrival on its hallowed grounds, as well as a sneak peek of Jude Law as future headmaster Albus Dumbledore and Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald, Albus’ former companion turned dark rival. The trailer has also revealed that Nagini, Voldemort’s future pet snake, was originally a woman cursed to become the slithering giant reptile.

Depp’s presence in the film and in its promotion has led to bad publicity. Depp appeared at WB’s San Diego Comic-Con presentation at the same time that Amber Heard, his ex-wife who has accused him of domestic violence, was there to promote “Aquaman.” But that doesn’t seem to be affecting interest in the film, particularly among family audiences more interested in wizarding adventures than Hollywood headlines.

If the film gets solid word of mouth from fans and critics, it will have a chance at reaching $200 million domestic, as the first “Fantastic Beasts” did when it grossed $214 million stateside two years ago. But the big test will be overseas, where “Fantastic Beasts” grossed $580 million to drive it to an $814 million global haul. Prior to the first film’s release, Rowling revealed that plans were in motion to make “Fantastic Beasts” a five film saga, so sustaining that global interest will be key to the franchise’s long-term viability.

Also Read: Harry Potter: 15 Magical Facts About JK Rowling's Beloved Boy Wizard Franchise (Photos)

And if it can sustain interest, it will put a big bow on what has been a strong 2018 for Warner Bros. The studio has already grossed $1.4 billion domestically this year without any of its IP heavyweights, thanks to the success of acclaimed films like “Crazy Rich Asians” and “A Star Is Born” as well as genre crowdpleasers like “The Meg” and “Ready Player One.”

But the holiday season will see the studio put its two biggest franchises back out in the market with “Fantastic Beasts” and “Aquaman,” the latter being the first installment in the DC Cinematic Universe since “Justice League,” which fell well short of $1 billion worldwide despite featuring a white-hot Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and more of DC’s most iconic superheroes. If both films perform well, it will solidify WB’s reputation as a studio that can release a hit from any genre and any budget size.

Also Read: Alan Rickman 'Frustrated' Playing Snape in 'Harry Potter' Films, Late Actor's Letters Reveal

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” sees longtime Potter director David Yates return along with original cast members Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol and Dan Fogler starring alongside Law and Depp.

Elsewhere, the Paramount comedy “Instant Family” and the Fox awards contender “Widows” are tracking to far smaller numbers, with both films projected for a mid-teens opening. “Instant Family” stars Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne as a couple that adopts three orphaned children, while “Widows” features an all-star cast led by Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, and Michelle Rodriguez as a quartet of widows who look to complete their dead husbands’ robbery plot to pay off a criminal debt.

All 9 JK Rowling Movie Adaptations Ranked From Worst to Best (Photos)

With the new Harry Potter prequel "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" set to expand the wizarding world's mythos, take a moment to gaze into the Pensieve and remind yourself of the series so far.
9. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

The franchise didn't put its best foot forward, but Chris Columbus' "Sorcerer's Stone" -- which both detractors and admirers point to as being more faithful to its source material than any other Harry Potter movie, hence the protracted running time -- was only a momentary stumble. In hindsight, it's also something of a relief: The series gets so dark that starting off on a syrupy-sweet note feels like a small gift.
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8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1 (2010)

Almost every Harry Potter film works better as part of a series than it does on its own, "Deathly Hallows — Part 1" especially. The first half of the finale has some of the franchise's most moving moments -- Hedwig, he hardly knew ye; you were a good elf, Dobby — but it simply doesn't function as a standalone film. It's also responsible for the unfortunate trend of splitting books into two or more movies, which has since been mimicked by "Twilight," "The Hunger Games" and "The Hobbit."
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7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

In some senses, "Order of the Phoenix" is a victim of its own success: Much of it revolves around Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), who's far and away the most hateable character in the franchise. David Yates, who directed the last four Harry Potter movies, occasionally lags on his way to the third act of his first outing. But that finale gives perhaps the most moving, complete sense of the life-and-death stakes of Harry and Voldemort's conflict.
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6. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

The spinoff remains true to the spirit of its source material while also differentiating itself. Though we still don't know much about either our new hero, Eddie Redmayne's Newt Scamander, the film itself marks a welcome return to an immersive fictional world. Set in a time (the 1920s) and place (America) that Harry Potter never explored, "Fantastic Beasts" is worth seeking out.
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5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

What's sometimes forgotten about the sentimental first two films is that, unlike later entries, they feel like complete stories. "Chamber of Secrets" suffers from some of the same problems as its predecessor, but it also has the advantage of a more compelling, puzzle-like story. Voldemort takes on many forms throughout the series, and here, as a 16-year-old preserved in memory, he shows his most human face.
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4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

The true turning point in the series, "Goblet of Fire" makes good on the promise of "Sorcerer's Stone" that the innocent are the first victims. There were always signs that this is a darker world than it initially appears to be, but until the fourth book (and Mike Newell's film) the forces of evil are held at bay. Once loosed, things change forever.
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3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 (2011)

That coda (which, to be fair, is lifted directly from the book) needs to go, and it makes little sense that a two-part film based on one book can't find the time to give three significant characters onscreen deaths. Even so, the final film expands the series' narrative frame and ties its threads together with true elegance — especially regarding Alan Rickman's Snape, who emerges here as Rowling's best, most tragic character.
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2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

The dynamic between Harry and Dumbledore finally moves to the fore in "Half-Blood Prince," a movie that enriches its own present-tense narrative by looking into the past and showing how it came to be. Tonally similar to the other late entries but narratively superior, it manages to come across as a self-contained work.
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1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Positioned between the sentimental entries directed by Chris Columbus and the bleaker chapters that followed, "Prisoner of Azkaban" achieves a near-perfect balance between light and dark, good and evil. It helps that the source material is so strong -- the arrival of Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and the Patronus charm are all highlights -- as does the fact that Alfonso Cuarón graced the series with his singular vision before directing "Children of Men" and "Gravity." It's the entire Harry Potter phenomenon in microcosm: coming of age but not yet fully grown, dark but not despairing, and a needed reminder that, even in trying times, a sense of wonderment is as powerful as any spell.
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How does “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” stack up to the rest of the Harry Potter onscreen saga?

With the new Harry Potter prequel "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" set to expand the wizarding world's mythos, take a moment to gaze into the Pensieve and remind yourself of the series so far.

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