‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ has been plagued with problems from the start. First, the studio replaced Johnny Depp with Mads Mikkelsen in the role of the main villain in light of Depp’s lawsuits with his ex-wife, Amber Heard. Then, co-star Ezra Miller was arrested last Monday just days before the film’s release on assault charges. The film also edited out a homosexual subplot to appease censors in China which angered fans stateside. With ongoing controversy regarding author J.K. Rowling’s views on gender and diminishing box office from previous entries, could this be the end of ‘Fantastic Beasts’?
The Harry Potter spinoff series, which takes place before the eight Harry Potter films, is intended as a five-picture deal. The third and latest entry, ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’, produced on a $200 million budget which nearly doubles after marketing costs, conjured up a paltry $42.2 million over the weekend. It made far more overseas, bringing its total to nearly $175 million. Still, ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ needs to double that before getting anywhere close to break even.
Ezra Miller was arrested in Hilo, Hawaii after allegedly attacking a woman singing karaoke at a bar. Miller also allegedly attacked a man playing darts. There were also allegations he burst into their bedroom which led the couple to file a restraining order. That restraining order was dropped just prior to the Friday release of the film.
It’s not the first time Ezra Miller has allegedly assaulted someone. A couple of years ago, video emerged online of Miller appearing to choke a woman in Iceland. There seem to be conflicting reports of how serious that incident was. More recently, Miller posted an enigmatic video threat against the Ku Klux Klan on social media. Whatever is going on with Miller he is clearly a public relations nightmare.
As to the rest of the Weekend Box Office Top 5, last week’s winner ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ dropped 59%. That is on the high end of the average decline for a sophomore weekend. ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ will stay in the Top 5 next weekend. It will see competition from fellow animated film ‘The Bad Guys’ which releases Friday.
‘The Lost City’, starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, continues to please audiences. Its romantic comedy action-adventure blend is a clear winner, capitalizing on the film’s star power. ‘The Lost City’ also features Brad Pitt and Daniel Radcliffe, who gained fame playing Harry Potter as a child actor.
Fantasy comedy ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’, starring international superstar Michelle Yeoh, is a crowd pleaser making its debut in the Top 5. After opening in limited release, around three theaters, it has now opened wide. The film follows a woman, played by Yeoh, who experiences an adventure through a multiverse.
Multiverses seem to be de rigueur in Hollywood lately. In a couple of weeks, Marvel will release ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’. And next year the DC comics adaptation of ‘The Flash’ will also explore a multiverse. Unless Warner Bros. reworks it in light of Ezra Miller’s ongoing erratic behavior. Miller is set to star as The Flash, which he first played in 2016’s ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’.
Rounding out the Weekend Box Office Top 5 is the faith-based drama ‘Father Stu’. Starring Mark Wahlberg as a boxer turned priest. The film also features Mel Gibson in a major supporting role.
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE TOP 5 (April 15-17, 2022)
- ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ – $42.2 million – fantasy (debut)
- ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ – $29.3 million – animated (drop $42.8 million, 59% down)
- ‘The Lost City’ – $6.5 million – comedy (drop $2.9 million, 31% down)
- ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ – $6.2 million – fantasy (debut)
- ‘Father Stu’ – $5.4 million – drama (debut)
Total for the Weekend Box Office Top 5 comes to $89.6 million. This is a 16% decline for a drop of $16.9 million from last weekend’s total of $106.5 million.