Ever since the release of the first movie, the Fantastic Beasts franchise clearly hasn't had an easy ride, and it seems as though it is in dire need of some Felix Felicis. The franchise's failure really comes as no surprise, considering its blatant disregard for a significant portion of what made the Harry Potter movies so exceptional and well-liked. To be fair, it is extremely difficult to follow in the footsteps of the Harry Potter movies since the worldwide success is undeniable, and an utterly dedicated fandom was formed.

That being said, Fantastic Beasts would have a wonderful foundation to work with, look up to, and take notes from; however, they seem to overlook valuable facts instead. With five films planned to depict the story of magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), the Wizarding World, and the truth about Gellert Grindelwald's (formerly played by Johnny Depp, now Mads Mikkelsen) ascent, Warner Bros. had high hopes for the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Unfortunately for the studio, the series has never really taken off in the way they hoped. Here is what went wrong with the Fantastic Beast franchise.

Update November 6, 2023: It has almost been seven years since Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them premiered, so this article has been updated with more information about what went wrong with the franchise including what the future looks like for the Harry Potter series.

Actors & the Author Bring Controversy

The Fantastic Beasts films have struggled to bring about good news. Multiple actors have been involved in controversy, including both Johnny Depp and Ezra Miller. Depp was involved in a massively publicized trial after his ex-wife Amber Heard posted an editorial piece in The Washington Post alleging that Depp had abused her. Warner Bros and Depp parted ways after the second Fantastic Beasts film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, wherein Depp played Grindelwald.

In the next film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Mads Mikkelsen took over the role. Deadline reported that Mikkelsen admitted “it was very intimidating” to step into the role of Grindelwald after Depp. Mikkelsen also went on to say, “I’m a big fan of Johnny. I think he’s an amazing actor, I think he did a fantastic job. Having said that, I could not copy it. There was no way I could just copy it, because it’s so much him.”

Ezra Miller, on the other hand, has also been involved in numerous scandalous headlines. The star who plays Credence Barebone in all three Fantastic Beasts films has been embroiled in controversy over a series of criminal allegations in the past few years. The actor gained notoriety in 2020 after a recording of them appearing to choke a woman outside an Icelandic club leaked. Since that incident, Miller was detained twice in Hawaii, the second time for harassment and disorderly behavior. The actor pled not guilty to a single count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct in the Hawaii incidents, and they also paid a $500 fine and $30 in court fees. The harassment accusation was dropped.

Additionally, Miller faced felony burglary charges in Vermont after state police looked into a case involving multiple bottles of wine being taken from a home while the owners were away. Miller's controversy followed when it came time to promote another Warner Bros. franchise film, The Flash. Warner Bros. had invested a lot in Ezra Miller to star in two of their biggest franchises and both turned out to be bad investment.

On top of that, the author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling, has also made statements against the LGBTQ+ community, specifically the trans women community. The author published an opinion piece on her website after her comments on transgender individuals on Twitter went viral. The essay includes an entire section dedicated to bathroom safety. Rowling writes, “When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman – and, as I’ve said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones – then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside.” Her comments sparked rage within the fandom, even leading some to say they were boycotting her books and removing their Harry Potter-themed tattoos.

Combining two stars with controversy as well as the creator of the entire franchise who stands to profit off of the movies and use that wealth to harm more people by using her influence to spread misinformation, it made Fantastic Beasts a toxic franchise to promote. Half of the stars couldn't promote it and the others that could would likely be tasked with dodging and answering questions about the various controveries.

Changing Established Canon Content

A brief look at the Harry Potter fandom is enough, and it becomes clear that the majority of fans know about every single detail of the movies and books, finding value in the little side notes, dates, and hints. The hidden connections throughout the series, whether it is the books or the movies, are what makes the entire story so compelling and magical. It is an important, some would even say indispensable, aspect which the Fantastic Beasts series should equally value. Staying true to the main Harry Potter canon is arguably the most important when creating Fantastic Beasts, but it seems as though not everyone shares this opinion.

A major issue is that Fantastic Beasts has changed is Minerva McGonagall's age. McGonagall, played by Fiona Glascott in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, is portrayed as a grown woman teaching Transfiguration at Hogwarts. This completely disregards the original canon storyline for the acclaimed Professor. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix book, it is clearly stated that McGonagall did not begin teaching at Hogwarts until 1956. Before being updated, the original canon lore-based resource Pottermore, detailed writing by Rowling, revealed that McGonagall was born on October 4, 1935. This information has since been changed, and there are now no dates listed in McGonagall’s biography at all.

Another issue of the Harry Potter canon being completely ignored is Albus Dumbledore’s teaching career. In the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets book, we learn that Dumbledore was a Transfiguration professor around the time the Fantastic Beasts films take place before becoming Headmaster. However, in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, he is seen teaching a Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson about Bogarts.

These aren’t the only moments in which the Fantastic Beasts films have changed the Harry Potter established canon, but they are the most noticeable. While J.K. Rowling was the author and could change elements as she wished, it did feel like the franchise was breaking itself to shoehorn elements from Harry Potter into the Fantastic Beasts film because they were scared audiences wouldn't turn out if they didn't see key elements from the franchise.

Mixing Two Plotlines

Easily, one of the biggest missteps in Fantastic Beasts stems from a creative decision early on. The film was originally marketed as a Harry Potter spin-off, taking place within the magical world but showing new characters in an earlier time period. This was a fun and exciting idea that opened the door to explore more witches and wizards in the Wizarding World, some of those great wizards that were alluded to in prior entries.

Yet the film quickly shifted from a fun spin-off idea about magical creatures into a straightforward Harry Potter prequel. Instead of making a character like Dumbledore into a fun cameo or supporting character, he and his conflict with Grindelwald became the main focus of the series, and the franchise eventually had to keep finding contrivances to include the fantastic beast so the series could keep its name.

This came at a disservice to the new, exciting characters that were introduced in Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them. For all of the flaws of the series, fans did gravitate to new characters like Newt, Tina, Jacob, and Queenie. Yet, with each sequel, they took a backseat to previous Potter characters. Instead of adapting the missing chapters of The Deathly Hallows into its own feature film to be a Dumbledore prequel, they put them in to override Fantastic Beasts.

This shows a franchise model failing to adapt to a modern audience. They likely would have had a bigger hit on their hands if they released Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them, but instead of doing a sequel, then made a Dumbledore spin-off prequel, which would then lead into a crossover film between the two. This crossover event has worked for the MCU and would have benefited The Wizarding World.

Lack of Focus on the Magic Itself

Something wonderful about Harry Potter was getting to see the magic being performed, like the magically moving staircases (pictured above). The Fantastic Beasts franchise's stubborn refusal to recreate the magic of the earlier Harry Potter series may be its most aggravating component. The early Harry Potter stories' feelings of magic and whimsy are entirely absent from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which plunges right into the high-stakes apocalyptic spectacle. This is unfortunate because there are a lot of intriguing possibilities at play.

Although Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ostensibly transports viewers to hitherto undiscovered regions of the Wizarding World, magic is not given enough attention in the film. Rather, the movies are historical dramas set during the First Wizarding War.

While this is an appealing aesthetic to add to the franchise, it takes away from the timeless aspect that watching Harry and his pals practice magic in Hogwarts offered us. It is the magic and the interpersonal connections that were so marvelous and touching in Harry Potter. Hogwarts was essential to the success of Harry Potter as the main location where the stories took place. That beautiful setting, which was masterfully shown in both the novels and the films, managed to convey the series' inherent sense of magic in such a wonderful way. These two aspects are the heart and the soul of the entire storyline, but Fantastic Beasts doesn't honor them enough.

Keeping all of this in mind, it is hardly surprising that the Fantastic Beasts franchise's future is not at all guaranteed. Director David Yates mentioned that any news on a continuation are more or less paused, but he can't rule anything out. Especially now, with the new Harry Potter TV series coming up, which is expected to be released in 2025/26, the priority may lie elsewhere. To be honest, the Fantastic Beasts franchise might better be laid to rest — unless any Hogwarts alums are aware of a spell that can cleanse a tarnished movie series.