The Fantastic Beasts franchise has taken a dive both critically and financially due to the last entry in the series. While the Harry Potter franchise always maintained quality throughout the films, the last installment of Fantastic Beasts definitely left a lot to be desired.
Since its release, many writers have tried to understand why the film failed and how it can be fixed in the future. The franchise is set to have another 3 films but how can they guarantee that these will be much better received compared to the last one? Here are 10 ways to save the Fantastic Beasts franchise, set in the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
MORE NEWT
Newt was absolutely the stand out of the first Fantastic Beasts film. He was a genuinely different type of lead in this sort of film and audiences really gravitated towards him. He was kind, patient and caring and didn’t resort to violence at every opportunity.
The second film in the franchise was so overloaded that Newt didn’t get nearly as much screen time as he should have. If the franchise is going to succeed they need to lean heavily on Newt and the way that Eddie Redmayne portrays him.
A FOCUS ON THE BEASTS
The title of this series should indicate that the focus is on the magical creatures that Newt cares for. That was one of the strengths of the first film. Yet, as the movies have moved forward, they have also walked away from everything that made them great.
The creatures need to be brought back in full force. They have to be a driven factor of the film because audiences love those creatures and everything they add to this tale. It’s what makes this different from a normal Harry Potter film.
Fewer FILMS
The Harry Potter films had the benefit of following the books. Therefore, it was very clear what direction they should go in. Unfortunately, the Fantastic Beast films are based on scripts by J.K. Rowling that she is writing as she goes. That means there’s less of a clear plan.
The second film teased the wizarding war. It seems like it’s going to take forever to get to that point though, as that will be the final film in the franchise. We believe that if this was a trilogy, rather than a series of five films, the franchise would improve greatly.
A DIFFERENT DIRECTOR
David Yates is a fantastic director and there’s no denying it. He has been the mastermind behind some of the best Harry Potter films and has been a guiding hand in this new wizarding franchise. While his talents cannot be ignored, perhaps it’s time for a new voice.
We have every faith in Yates that he can right the ship, but maybe it’s finally time to pass the franchise on to someone else. Sometimes, a change in filmmaker can add new elements that Yates may never have thought of and can take the series in a different, much needed, direction.
Exploring HOGWARTS
Hogwarts made a triumphant return in the previous film and audiences loved it. It’s one of the highlights of the films although it slightly distracted from what was going on. There is a way Hogwarts can be explored in a new way, without it hindering the story.
If the new film managed to weave together the beasts elements with Hogwarts, perhaps some kind of creature infestation that Newt has to deal with, it will just continue making the material fresh and we might learn more about the school for witchcraft and wizardry.
DUMBLEDORE’s Return
Jude Law was a perfect casting choice for the role of Dumbledore. He brought some much needed charm to the character and managed to play off of the slight Irish twinge in the accent. Everything about his portrayal was spot on.
Scenes were bursting with potential when Law’s Dumbledore turned up but he was barely used. The next film, if some of it does take place at Hogwarts, should take advantage of such a scene stealing character. Make Newt and Dumbledore equals and have the two go on an adventure together.
LESS UNIVERSE BUILDING
While the return to Hogwarts was satisfying, other attempts to universe build felt a little forced. The appearance of the creator of the philosopher’s stone for instance was so out of place that we felt like Flammel could have been put into a completely different film.
We know Rowling wants to emphasize that this is a whole universe that she’s creating but there are organic ways to do that. The third film can continue to flesh out this wizarding world, but only if it contributes to the story, rather than being some cool fan service.
SENSIBLE CHARACTER DECISIONS
The first and second films almost portrayed completely different characters. Tina’s sister, Queenie, is an example of this. She drugged her husband and even joined the dark side of magic, two decisions that made no sense when compared to the first film.
Other characters made similarly puzzling decisions, including young Credence who was once scarred by Grindlewald, before joining him anyway despite their flawed past. It seems that the character decisions were confused and need working on for the next film.
FIXING THE TWISTS
Some of the twists in the last film were also pretty crazy. The reveal that Credence and Dumbledore are brothers was just bizarre. Why has this never been mentioned before and why did it seem like a good idea to make this kind of twist happen?
The next film needs to reverse some of these strange twists. Have Grindlewald lie for instance and the reveal that they are not brothers at all. It was almost like something out of a soap opera and it seemed that audiences universally groaned.
RETURNING TO THE MUGGLES
The first film had an interesting focus on the muggle backlash to the wizarding world. This is the kind of subplot we’d love to see as it hasn’t been explored too much before. We especially saw a newspaper starting a campaign against this fictional world.
The final films would benefit from this extra conflict. This kind of tension would add to the overall film as we know there were a lot of issues between muggles and those who practise magic. This is a great opportunity to explore that further.
