Albus Dumbledore Fantastic Beasts: what is the order of the movies of the saga?

The third instalment of the Fantastic Beasts series of films was released in the United States last week, the eleventh overall from J. K. Rowling’s Wizarding World franchise.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore had been due to release in November 2020 but the covid-19 pandemic saw that date pushed back significantly and cinema-goers in the US were only able to view the long-awaited Harry Potter prequel on 15 April 2022.

To date, three films from the Fantastic Beasts series have been released:

- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (18 November 2016)

- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (16 November 2018)

- Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (15 April 2022)

The films broadly cover the century preceding the timeframe of the Harry Potter films and the latest instalment focuses on the rise of Albus Dumbledore, a key figure in the Wizarding World franchise. The films are all based on a single book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, written by J. K Rowling.

Will there be a fourth Fantastic Beasts film?

It was initially reported that the film adaptation of the Fantastic Beasts book would be a trilogy but Rowling has said in the past that the aim is to create a five-movie series. However after a tepid response to the first two films, there is now some doubt as to whether the franchise will even see a fourth outing.

A fourth Fantastic Beasts film has not yet been greenlit and the screenplay is still yet to be written. There have been numerous controversies attached to the troubled franchise although, such as domestic assault allegation against former star Johnny Depp, which saw Mads Mikkelsen recast in the role of Gellert Grindelwald. Likewise another prominent cast member, Ezra Miller, has been arrested for disorderly conduct and harassment.

In terms of the plot of the latest Fantastic Beasts offering, Secrets of Dumbledore does seem to provide a fairly satisfying conclusion to the series, if it is not to be continued. There are no major cliff-hangers and most of the story’s loose ends are tied up, perhaps hinting that those involved were aware that it could be the last.

What is most likely is that studio executives are simply waiting to see how it fairs at the box office before making a decision. And on that front it does not look good for a Fantastic Beasts 4, after Secrets of Dumbledore grossed just $6 million on opening night.

For comparison, the first instalment, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, grossed $8.7 million, while Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald made $9.1 million on opening night.