First “Fantastic Beasts” Box Office Numbers!

Nov 20, 2016

Posted by: Catherine

Fantastic Beasts, HP Cast, J.K. Rowling, Movies, News

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is penned by Jo Rowling and a spin off stemming from one of the largest franchises in the world. Yet, it’s been 9 years since the last Potter book and 5 years since the last Potter film. After such a time lapse, and a story largely having nothing to do with Potter–taking place 65 years before Harry would get that iconic letter to Hogwarts–many were skeptical about Fantastic Beasts’ opening weekend success. Many entertainment experts predicted the movie would be a hit once fans went to the theater and fell in love with the new Wizarding era, but were wondering how many Potter fans would be pulled in this first weekend in order to spread the word to others.

 

Warner Bros. spent a little over $180 million producing the film, anticipating the films success would off set the cost. It looks like it has done so on its opening weekend, squeaking by with smaller-than-expected revenue but there is still time. As this Sunday evening draws to a close, the first set of box office numbers are beginning to roll in, and they are fantastic.

 

Variety reported a whopping $143.3 million opening for Beasts in Foreign box offices, writing:

 

“‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them‘ got off to a roaring start at the international box office, taking in $143.3 million.

“The Harry Potter spinoff debuted on over 24,000 screens in 63 markets. Combined with its $75 million North American bow, the film has earned $218.3 million.”

 

Entertainment Weekly’s report focused on the USA domestic $75 million feat:

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the long-awaited, J.K. Rowling-penned Harry Potter spinoff, conjures magic at the top of the domestic box office, earning a sound $75 million to claim the No. 1 spot five years after the premiere of The Deathly Hallows — Part 2. 

“With an estimated $75 million, the Eddie Redmayne-fronted fantasy notches the lowest number in the Harry Potter film series, though it does mark career-high openings for stars like Redmayne, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, and Ezra Miller. The film also impressed audiences, earning a rare A grade on CinemaScore. The $180 million picture additionally rakes in $143.3 million from foreign markets for a global haul of $218.3 million.”

 

Huffington Post weighed in, reporting:

 

“This is dead on what we were looking for,” said Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution at Warner Bros. “Jo Rowling brilliantly told a story that inspired her fanbase to come out in a big way.”

It was a softer opening than any of the previous Potter films, but Warner Bros. argues that comparisons aren’t fair. Those movies were based on global best-sellers, whereas “Fantastic Beasts” is largely an original work.

“It’s not the same,” said Goldstein. “It’s apples and kumquats.”

Forbes was not quite as optimistic, writing:

 

“So in that sense, and with the theatrical legs of the “Wizarding World of J.K. Rowling” well-established, I think Warner Bros. and friends were hoping for something bigger than $75 million. Overseas notwithstanding, there are reasons to fear that Fantastic Beasts is off to a not-so-fantastic start in North America.

“The $180 million-budgeted vehicle, written by J.K. Rowling and directed by David Yates, earned a 2.52x weekend multiplier ($29.7m Friday) and an 11.6% “Thursday-to-weekend” ($8.75m) percentage. Those both qualify as good news, since they are both higher relative figures than the last handful of Harry Potterfilms, to say nothing of the Hunger Games franchise and the Twilight Sagasequels. But the hard grosses themselves may leave a bit to be desired. To wit, all eight Harry Potter films, even the two that opened on a Wednesday, earned Fri-Sun debut weekends above $77m. So, with years of inflation, a 3D bump, and relatively positive reviews, the Eddie Redmayne vehicle still ended up with the lowest “Wizarding World” debut ever.

“And that’s assuming it doesn’t play like a later Harry Potter/Twilight sequel, at which point we’re looking at a $153-$180 million domestic total depending on the brakes. Now, for the record, it may well perform closer to the first three “opened in Nov.” Harry Potter films, which would be around 3x for a $228m domestic total. But Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them must deal with Walt Disney’s Moana next weekend and post-debut numbers suggest that it’s not reeling in the kids. The film played 18% under-18 and 45% over the age of 35, a number that implies that it is playing as an “older fan” affair as opposed to enticing the next generation of would-be Potter nerds.”

 

 

 

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is now playing in theaters worldwide. The BBC recently quoted our review of the film, marking it as a “must-see” for Potter fans and Wizarding World newcomers alike! J.K. Rowling’s published screenplay is currently available in print and e-book formats worldwide.

 





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.