Fantastic Beasts heading for $200 million global debut

‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is expecting a huge opening weekend.

The upcoming ‘Harry Potter’ spin-off is tracking a $200 million worldwide debut, which would be a great start for the first film in the new franchise. But it means ‘Fantastic Beasts’ still wouldn’t quite square up to the ‘Harry Potter’ saga.

But was anyone really expecting it to?

- Highest Paid Male Actors Of 2016 Revealed
- 10 Actors Who Ruined Their Reputations
- Star Wars Clumsy Stormtrooper Has Died

It’s been five years since the ‘Harry Potter’ saga came to an emotional end with ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2’… and a lot has changed. For one thing, we’re about to find the wizarding world heading back into cinemas without the boy who lived.

And Warner Bros. are clearly hoping for a massive turnout.

As it stands, tracking suggests a colossal $200 million opening weekend… and that’s good news for the studio. Of course, Warner Bros. have recently announced plans to expand the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ series - now intending to produce five films in the new franchise, instead of just three.

But industry specialists warn that ‘Fantastic Beasts’ is unlikely to measure up to the ‘Harry Potter’ films at the box office.

“Analysts caution, however, that even though ‘Fantastic Beasts’ unfolds in the wizarding world of Potter, it’s not a new installment in the long-running franchise and shouldn’t be measured as such,” explain Variety.

“It’s not going to open like a Harry Potter film,” added Eric Handler, an analyst with MKM Partners. “People are still trying to figure out what this story is about and who the characters are.”

Still, ‘Fantastic Beasts’ is expecting a pretty hefty debut regardless, with US domestic box office figures predicted between $70 million and $75 million across 4000 cinemas. If it does manage those figures, it’s likely to be hailed as a huge success, despite being dwarfed by the ‘Harry Potter’ saga.

In fact, it wold be a lower opening than every ‘Harry Potter’ movie to date, and less than half the opening of the final film, ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2’ which managed an eye-watering $483 million.

Will ‘Fantastic Beasts’ eventually climb to the dizzying heights of ‘Harry Potter’?

For now, we’ll have to wait and see. But it’s off to a good start.

‘Fantastic Beasts’ stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, alongside Dan Fogler, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Colin Farrell, and Ezra Miller.

David Yates directed the film based on a screenplay by J.K. Rowling.

‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ heads to cinemas on 18 November 2016.

- Highest Paid Actresses Of 2016 Revealed
- Dick Van Dyke Not Sold On Mary Poppins 2
- 9 Actresses Considered To Play Bridget Jones

Picture Credit: Warner Bros.