Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was finally released in theatres on April 15, 2022, after several postponements. The film exceeded expectations in its opening weekend, grossing $42 million in the United States and Canada and $57 million worldwide. Despite being one of the franchise’s most expensive productions, The Secrets of Dumbledore has the unfortunate distinction of having the lowest opening weekend in Harry Potter history. However, in its second week in theatres, the film avoided setting yet another unfavourable record.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore had a massive box office drop in just its second weekend of release, after having the lowest opening weekend in the Wizarding World franchise. The film lost 67 percent of its box office in a week, grossing only $14 million. Newer, more interesting releases, such as Universal Pictures’ animated adventure film The Bad Guys, which topped the weekend box office for April 25, 2022, are largely to blame. Furthermore, while The Secrets of Dumbledore performed better internationally, it was a commercial flop in the United States. This could indicate a lack of interest in the franchise, raising concerns about its future.
Surprisingly, despite its poor box office performance, The Secrets of Dumbledore is not the worst film in the Wizarding World franchise. That still-unbeatable record belonged to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, the final film in the Harry Potter series. In 2011, its second Friday box office fell by 83%, while its second-weekend box office fell by 72%.
Although the Deathly Hallows Part 2 box office drop was still significant, it did so after a record-breaking $169 million opening weekend. As a result, despite the large drop, it still grossed an impressive $47 million, contributing to the film’s total box office of $1.3 billion. Meanwhile, the case of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’s plot holes is getting worse. Because it only made $42 million in its first weekend, the impactful drop means its earnings will be negligible, and its domestic box office will be disappointing.