Eddie Redmayne Claims ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Franchise Won’t Continue: ‘There’s Nothing That I’m Aware Of’
23.01.2023 - 23:47
/ usmagazine.com
The end of an era? Eddie Redmayne seemingly confirmed that the Fantastic Beasts franchise won’t be moving forward after last year’s The Secrets of Dumbledore.
The Oscar winner, 41, broke the news during a Friday, January 20, interview with NME when asked whether he would return for a fourth film. “I mean, at the moment, there’s nothing that I’m aware of,” the Theory of Everything actor explained. “So, as I’m aware, it’s not something that’s on the cards.”
The U.K. native has played Newt Scamander in the Harry Potter spinoff series since 2016, when Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them hit theaters. He reprised the role in 2018’s The Crimes of Grindelwald and 2022’s The Secrets of Dumbledore, which debuted after being delayed for two years because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling said in 2016 that the Fantastic Beasts series would ultimately be comprised of five films, but Variety reported in November 2022 that no further movies were in active development at the studio.
The franchise has been plagued by multiple scandals over the past several years. In November 2020, Johnny Depp claimed he was “asked to resign” from the series after the actor lost his British libel case against ex-wife Amber Heard, who accused him of physical abuse over the course of their marriage.
Mads Mikkelsen replaced the Finding Neverland actor, 59, in The Secrets of Dumbledore, but by then, a different member of the cast was making headlines. Ezra Miller, who played Credence Barebone in all three films, was arrested for disorderly conduct and harassment in March 2022. The Flash star, 30, pleaded no contest and was fined $500.
Miller’s legal troubles continued in August 2022 when they were arrested and charged with felony