Will Fantastic Beasts 3 be sent to HBO Max?

Will Fantastic Beasts 3 be sent to HBO Max?

Warner Brothers dropped an absolute bombshell one week ago today, announcing that their entire 2021 slate would be released on HBO Max the same day as in theaters. While this has implications for the future of theaters, where does this leave Fantastic Beasts 3?

Originally set to premiere in November 2021, firmly placing it in the window of time now earmarked for straight to HBO Max releases, the third Fantastic Beasts movie is now set to be released by WB on July 15, 2022. This date was announced just days after Johnny Depp stepped away from the role of Grindelwald, who is now set to be played by Mads Mikkelsen for the rest of the series.

Could the third movie still be an option for HBO Max in 2022? It is certainly possible, with the Crimes of Grindelwald garnering $654 million worldwide, according to BoxOfficeMojo. This is the lowest-grossing movie in the Harry Potter series, with the next closest being Goblet of Fire which grossed close to $900 million worldwide.

Given the recent controversies and lackluster box office thus far in the series, Fantastic Beasts 3 could be an attractive opportunity for HBO Max. Instead of having another box office disappointment, they could drop the movie on the streaming service and then not have to release the numbers it is doing. They could release it simultaneously into theaters as well and be able to explain away any low worldwide box office numbers.

The Harry Potter brand is down substantially compared to when the last Harry Potter movie was released, and after taking a massive hit with the release of Tenet this year, WB is having to come up with a new way of releasing their movies, one that could lead Fantastic Beasts turning from a theater mainstay to a streaming juggernaut.

Would you watch Fantastic Beasts 3 on HBO Max? Do you think this is the best move for the franchise? Let us know in the comments!