The latest chapter of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, arrived in cinemas this weekend, but despite less-than-magical reviews the Harry Potter spinoff sequel managed to amass a global opening of $253 million – thanks in no small part to a strong international showing.
Domestically, The Crimes of Grindelwald comfortably claimed top spot in the box office chart, but its $62 million haul sets a new low for the Wizarding World series (the previous low of $74.4 million had been set by its predecessor Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in 2016). It’s also only the second-biggest debut of the month behind The Grinch, which opened to $67.5 million last week.
As typical with the Potter movies, it was the international markets where The Crimes of Grindelwald soared, earning a further $191 million for a grand total of $253 million. That’s up from the first Fantastic Beasts, which bowed to $219 million and went on to gross $814 million around the globe. Whether the sequel can go on to match those kinds of numbers however, we shall have to wait and see…
At the end of the first film, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.
In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald sees David Yates directing a cast that includes Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, Katherine Waterston as Tina Goldstein, Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein, Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski, Ezra Miller as Credence Barebone, Zoe Kravitz as Leta Lestrange, Kevin Guthrie as Abernathy, Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald, Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore, Callum Turner as Theseus Scamander, William Nadylam as Yusuf Kama, Ingvar Sigurdsson as Grimmson, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Skender, David Sakurai as Krall, Brontis Jodorowsky as Nicolas Flamel, Wolf Roth as Spielman, Victoria Yeates as Bunty, Derek Riddell as Torquil Travers, Poppy Corby-Tuech as Rosier, Cornell S. John as Arnold Guzman and Claudia Kim as Nagini.
